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As a native chinese, when i walk alone in a quiet residential yard in my own city, i may be followed by a yard security guard for a while. Kinda unpleasant, but it's his duty and natural reaction as everybody can understand. let alone two weird big white guys walking in a village full of elders.
No, not natural reaction. No, no everybody understands it that way. If it is his duty to oppress you, does that make it correct? For hundreds of years, slavery was legal, and torture of slaves was the overseers duty. His natural reaction to his job, which everyone understands. Does that make it correct? Of course not.
Nice video but you misunderstood the little boy. He said ‘I’m off school but going for some training (培训)’ which ended at 9 or 10 pm. It might have been some private tuition required by his parents.
You are one of my favorite youtuber / travel vloggers. Why? Because you're humble...you're honest...and you have no agenda but to share yourself and your respectful experience of the people and places you encounter.
People in Xinjiang use local time for activities of their daily life, which is 2 to 3 hours after Beijing time (CST). In summer, the day gets dark around 11pm there. 32:20, the old residence quarter (高台民居/Gaotai Minju/High place residences) was damaged by earthquake and is under a restoration and refurbishment. I remember it was already partially opened since last summer? Besides, any stranger enters any village in rural area, no matter in Xinjiang or in other province, villagers would send someone to follow the stranger and make sure they are not thieves or criminals, they are just doing what they can to protect their community, as the stranger is not invited after all. Never mind.
Plenty of Americans did this when America had military bases in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 911 with Russia being indifferent and even helping us carry a helicopter once with their helicopter. They were happy to see anyone try to tame the steppes people I guess. Now putin actively pushes out any remaining us interests in central Asia. But during Bush cheney 2001-obama we had a lot of Americans there doing stuff with China back during china's pre covid pre Xi golden age
Let me just make a small correction: The dragon in Western mythology and the loong in Eastern mythology are two completely different creatures. It's a classic translation mistake.
@ethanhunt5552 Not every translation from one language to the next conveys the perfect cultural context/meaning behind the way that word is used in another culture. the closest analogy in English to a Chinese loong is a Dragon in the western context.
@@Austine1452 Well, you know, growing up, we were taught that Westerners were super meticulous in everything they did, thanks to the advanced culture over there. But as I got older, I started to realize that our textbooks had kind of painted too rosy a picture of the West. In Chinese translation studies, there's this principle of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" - you gotta stay true to the original meaning, make it read smoothly in the local language, and choose words with a bit of art and refinement. It's a big no-no to force things. For example, when translating "America," we go with "beautiful country." Same with "Germany" as "morality country" and "France" as "law country." And "loong" is just "loong" - we wouldn't mix it up with "dragon" or anything like that.
China is very concerned about 外国人 (foreigners) getting attacked or hurt in Xinjiang... We went into the mountains for a day trip picnic we got told to leave by Chinese army guys , they said if I got hurt/kidnapped they didn't want an international story... So best to leave. Posable a similar situation... Thanks for the video.
So, in Japan the hotels takes copies of guests passports as well. Not required for Japanese citizens, but when I accompany my foreign friends to a hotel, they demand my passport as well even though I’m japanese.
12:57 "A lot of obedience demanded in the Chinese education system." I don't know where you worked, but the kind of behaviour kids get away with at my school is appalling.
but...needing a passport (or any form of legit ID) to retrieve your ATM bank card is a good security thing (in any country)...especially in these times of digital/cyber crime
Yes, but don't they know you'll be in the country in advance? They watch you constantly and take nonstop scans of your documents, seems like it would be something they could easily get working if they felt like it. It's scary and could be a big problem if you have another problem, like losing the passport. Do the nice places in China even have cards? They all use WeChat. It's unclear if I can even get that, I've been wanting one to check it out.
India also has one time zone, but China is a lot wider. So I checked online and the sun rises at 10:16 in Kashgar and at 7:35 in Beijing. Very bizarre, especially for the Kashgarians. It would work for me though since I like to sleep in. I'd wake up around sunrise every morning.
At the time when PRC was estaiblished, the majority of Chinese were illiterate, so the division of timezones would bring many misunderstandings among people and cost a lot, so the govt decided to unify them as one.
Line of the video -- "This is the kind of Chinese tackiness I love". Dude great vids. I love the way you present China, balanced and inquisitive. In 2015 I took a job with a Chinese company in SZ but working in the states. Until the pandemic, I was going back and forth the SZ from the states, 1 month there -- 1 month back home. Fell in love with China. Things changed and I left that job right around the time the pandemic ended but I've been back a few times in the past years. Like many Americans, my view of China before I went was negative. My first trip there I saw how wrong I was. Great people, great food, always welcoming to foreigners and all those little quirks, like the cherry farm with the wedding hall.
Having a small brained travel buddy was awesome, I bet. 🤪 I favor Sabbatical, but you top travel folks keep us happy while spreading friendship the the best you can.
Why? Anyone can just show up in America and stay as long as they like, no requirements at all. You’re saying the rest of the world doesn’t work that way? Crazy!
Awesome video bro. Dang, you got mocked by a Chinese Granny (26:35).. she was speaking to you in all 第四声, haha... Also, at 34:40 无花果 (figs).. Just finished it. Best video about Xinjiang on the internet currently. You're a real one, big Tom!
@@SabbaticalTommy I have to defend those Ayis and the fig vendor. They were not mocking you. It was their accent from their native dialect, Lanyin Mandarin (兰银官话). Many Uyghurs, like the fig vendor, also have a Lanyin Mandarin accent due to geographical vicinity. Some Mandarin accents of native Chinese people sound really like Mandarin learners' (Some really are because their mother tongue is a different Chinese language rather than Mandarin). Another fun fact is that many Chinese don't imitate foreign accent for fun or mockery, but because they think it would be easier for foreigners to understand, so that's why you might have heard many Chinese dropping the original tones of the names of Chinese people, places, and things, and taking up an English accent when saying them in English conversations or speech, even in very formal occasions.
@@EphemeralProductionsThey love their government and their government loves them! XingJiang is most invested territory of China by the central government! You don’t like Chinese government because you were brainwashed by CNN and BBC! Did China start any war in the last thirty years? Did they insist that their system is the best for the world to copy?
Kashgar is a dream destination for me! I'm a silk road enthusiast! Thanks for sharing gives me the confidence as an American to possibility take the journey there...shame they tore down most if not all of the old city tho!
@@Yooperal3 A 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Kashgar area in 2020. Many old houses were damaged and most of them became dangerous buildings. So we had to rebuild it.
@陈仲衡-l9d Oh ok I do know the area has lost alot of the original old Town and alot was replaced with newer buildings. Anyways I still would love to see the beautiful city of Kashgar! Thanks
@@Yooperal3 It is strongly recommended that you install Chinese translation software on your mobile phone before you set off, such as Youdao Translate or Baidu Translate. Tommy can speak a little Chinese, at least he can communicate in basic way. I don't know how good your Chinese is, so please be sure to prepare well in advance. In addition, there is China's Alipay for payment. APN is used for Internet access. Baidu Maps was used for navigation.
35:18 That's made from Nicotiana rustica, known in Xinjiang as Mo he yan 莫合烟, which might be transliteration of the Russian name. It was imported from the USSR in 1930s and became popular in Xinjiang. Rather strong, quite harmful, but used to be a common indulgence. Gradually fallen out of favor in early 2000s, but I guess it is not outlawed.
Please accept my deepest sorrow for the tragedies hitting your fellow Americans in LA Tommy . We all have problems throughout the world but those infernos are catastrophic . God bless everyone involved in such a horrible and worrying time ..prayers and thoughts from Scotland .
One will not invent two different names for the same territory if it is not the same reference. Why would someone call it Greece if it is not different from Macedonia?! Why I should call it North when it is not different from Macedonia?! I'm Macedonia, but you are not. You are either Greek or USA, if you are Macedonia you will never use something else to subjugate the name Macedonia.
Funny how you refer to whether the local food is hygienic but then you touch food that you don’t buy. What’s up with that? I dig these videos and appreciate vicariously visiting countries I’ll probably never get to visit.
When Westerners assimilated red Indians, no problem. When English replaced Irish, Welsh, Tagalog, Hindi, no problem. This is what happen when you dominate the social media.
_Cheers_ !! I think if you "added up" the....."intellect's".....IQ, it'd be on par with that of an amoeba! (note: that _might be_ an insult to the amoeba!!)
You were scared that some one might follow you. if so, they might be also concerned that such kind of strange person from no where could be connected with terrorists. Locals and government could be sensitive after the terrorist attacks, just like what US government did after 9/11.
Yes, this is important but not described in the video, and another important thing is Uyguars is not turkic even though they speak very similiar language
Maybe two strange foreigners going to the suburbs and wandering into and around a private wedding venue got someone's attention? If two Chinese tourists visiting the US did the same in a private wedding venue in a small American town, perhaps they would also be watched? As for the lack of Mandarin - most of the people you met in the suburbs were 60+ years of age. If you visit Montreal, you'll find lots of people can speak English; but if you go to Lac-à-la-Croix Quebec, you'll find very little English is spoken ... especially for those who are 60+ age group. If you go to Peawanuck Ontario, you might find many of those 60+ who cannot speak English or French ... but they're fluent in the Cree language.
Exactly what I wanted to say. Tommy and Connor, two differently looking caucasians, just popped up in such an odd place and wandered around asking people questions in language they couldn't understand. Of course they would get the attention of the neighborhood watch guys 🤣🤣🤣
"If two Chinese tourists visiting the US did the same in a private wedding venue in a small American town, perhaps they would also be watched?" No. No they wouldn't. Not by authorities.
無花果 - Wu hua guo - fig. Without flower fruit. That's what you bought. Technically, the flowers of figs are inside of the fruit, but there's no external flower (edited).
Whenever I have been to China, too often they had "improved" versions of historic places. Sometimes it's because the original building was gone - due to age or destruction during cultural revolution. The new place would be very clean and set up for tourists - but not feel authentic at all. It felt like going to the "EPCOT" version, to give an American equivalent. The mosque you went to reminded me of that.
Unlike the west, Chinese ancient building wasn’t made by stone but wood, with time been it will collapse that why they have to rebuild a new one. I remember my grandparents’ house, it was built in later Qing dynasty (I guess after 1870) hand was heavy damaged when was a child living with them. The wall is made by bamboo sticks and mud, some walls were off mud and you can look through those bamboo bones to the room next. Nearly a walls were not vertical and it was a miracle those houses were not down. In any means today, such house are not safe for living in yet it was my sweet home with my lovely grandmother I miss her too much
The western need for "authentic" old feel is lost in East Asia, where everything is made of wood etc and has been burned down a billion times throughout history, even the great wall of China that most people know isn't as "ancient" as they want to believe, because the ancient walls where not made out of bricks.
@@BerryMike-d9v^ this. Why destroy and rebuild on purpose? Waste of time. The originals were never built to last, or were destroyed by natural disasters / warfare. Of course, it’s easier to assume the “communists” destroyed it.
If you're a tourist in another country, your passport is your only acceptable ID. What's wrong with that? Ask any foreign visitors in the U.S. if they can go about without their passports.
I went about the US without my passport except when flying. The US has no standard national ID, they have drivers licenses for like 50 different states, so the bar for acceptable ID is already quite low and varied. Also they don't really ask for ID often. Even when I went inside a state capitol for a tour, the only check I was subject to was walking through a metal detector which beeped and they told me I'm fine. Some people don't even have any ID and it's apparently controversial to require one for voting. In the months I've spent in the US in total, the only time I was asked for ID was at an airport (passport probably required in this case) and to have alcoholic drinks
He just needed to prove that his name matches the name on the card stuck in the atm, I don’t see why his other cards doesn’t prove that. They just wanted his passport so they can keep a record of him being there.
@@alex15095 Driver license has link to all the information, your address, your car, your insurance, your crime record ..... That is why it is accepted in US. In most countries, passport is the only accepted document. It makes nonsense to complain that.
@@cjamo65able Come on. Why are you complaining? I just pointed out the common practices of requiring passports for important financial transactions. You just started labeling me and others who agree with me. Should I start labeling you a red neck, a MAGA, a white supremacist, a racist, a sinophobia?
I dont understand why you dont bring your passport with you in places like ughyur china 21:34 you could get stopped for filming in certain areas, and end up in trouble like in russia. Especially ughyur filming， which can be dangerous
@@brken_blndie yeah i was confused on if he filmed the video recently or months ago because he said it's September in the video, but I see his hitchhiking friends in this video from videos recently
Gees, Can I say that’s the darkest American I have ever seen? I thought Americans were all decedents of white Europeans colonialists plus a couple of native Americans who survived their slaughter.
@sanzhang-tx1zm comparing the chinese grow up from china and the us, chinese kids in the us have tanner skin color, probably because of more sun shine in the US.
i am here at 15:30, just cant ignore that funny translation they have there. 古城宿集Gucheng Suji means Old town housing complex. What they are doing is building a hotel complex for the ancient city. for some reason they "decided" to translate it as the ancient city of housing complexes..
4:50. Logging on checking the hotel one is staying at with the immigration authorities is so so common across the world Tommy. China is not the exception. Lots of tracking goes on behind one’s back.
M not surprise that China is cautious on foreigners since every body knows what American government is famous for doing to other countries. M glad that China is creating a safe clean environment for its people. Chai yu China. Happy new year to all from Malaysia. ❤❤
You pretend to be neutral, but you don't believe that China is a peaceful and inclusive country. I don't appreciate this attitude. You separate the locals from the Chinese very much, and you can't accept that China is not only Han nationality. Regarding language, there are different languages all over China. If you come to the countryside in Guangxi, Guangdong, there are many old people who can't speak Mandarin, which is not a big problem. My grandmother is a Hakka member of the Han nationality, but she can't speak Mandarin, but it doesn't mean that they are not Chinese.
Love your videos and interactions with locals. Always insightful. Yes. It does suck when your card is stuck in a foreign ATM. Happened to me in Stuttgart. Never got my card back though. Glad to see that you're safe Tommy.
It is not the last video with Erica if you ask to meet with her again and show her China, or USA, or whatever else. Looks like you impressed her with how easy you chat up people of all nationalities, and your language skills. Take the initiative Tommy and good luck!
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Thanks for supporting the channel through these promotions. Really helps fund the travels, otherwise I'd have to start OnlyFans.
Bro actually had a plan on onlyfans💀
Over 200 comments in an hour of posting your vid, impressive. But here's a part of china you're not supposed to see. 高平炎帝陵謁祖祭典-瑞芳青雲殿進場
Don’t you feel like you might be poking a bear here?
Indigenous Disneyland
Bro i thought you where rich🤣
As a native chinese, when i walk alone in a quiet residential yard in my own city, i may be followed by a yard security guard for a while. Kinda unpleasant, but it's his duty and natural reaction as everybody can understand. let alone two weird big white guys walking in a village full of elders.
No, not natural reaction. No, no everybody understands it that way. If it is his duty to oppress you, does that make it correct?
For hundreds of years, slavery was legal, and torture of slaves was the overseers duty. His natural reaction to his job, which everyone understands. Does that make it correct? Of course not.
You met Mike my fellow English teacher in Xinjiang, with his girl friend, wow such a coincidence.
啊😂
You do a great job of opening up the world for me.
I love Tommy's videos more every time I see one. Huge respect for all the languages he can speak.
Nice video but you misunderstood the little boy. He said ‘I’m off school but going for some training (培训)’ which ended at 9 or 10 pm. It might have been some private tuition required by his parents.
喀什和北京差三个时区，2点大概是北京时区的上午11点，所以不可能上午11点就放学要上补习班
No he didn’t, 9pm in kashgar is 5pm in normal time zone
You are one of my favorite youtuber / travel vloggers. Why? Because you're humble...you're honest...and you have no agenda but to share yourself and your respectful experience of the people and places you encounter.
You are cheated like me before he describe his stories in Russia. This guy is a hidden human rights democracy activists.
People in Xinjiang use local time for activities of their daily life, which is 2 to 3 hours after Beijing time (CST). In summer, the day gets dark around 11pm there. 32:20, the old residence quarter (高台民居/Gaotai Minju/High place residences) was damaged by earthquake and is under a restoration and refurbishment. I remember it was already partially opened since last summer? Besides, any stranger enters any village in rural area, no matter in Xinjiang or in other province, villagers would send someone to follow the stranger and make sure they are not thieves or criminals, they are just doing what they can to protect their community, as the stranger is not invited after all. Never mind.
It's people like you who I like to follow because you show the world places the MSM doesn't. In real life scenarios.
Awfully hard to read
Unless they are real life scenarios it pretty much ruins the atmosphere
Kinda bad for vlogs
All the Chinese flags in the touristy areas in town was due to the fact because you were there around National Day - 1 October. Awesome vlog.
Those are not the police check points. They are security check at the gates of the community.
Not truly different.
Your videos are always great..the interaction with locals is top-notch. It's like people in Asia are all very friendly and kind
What a beautiful city. Thankyou so much, Tommy, for bringing us there.
Two of the vloggers I was watching most lately collaborating! I didnt expect this🎉😂
Same I am good with this! Glad these 2 finally did a vid together.
People seem very nice and the French girl is a nice travel companion She gives your videos a sense of humor
I think you may be a bit thirsty, my guy. She's in like 5% of the video. But I do have to say she makes appearances like some kind of cryptid lol
@@AnotherPostcard you might be a bit incel my guy
Ouch that was a massive dig
First Video I've seen of a Westerner entering The Land of the Dragon from its border with Kyrgyzstan.
Plenty of Americans did this when America had military bases in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 911 with Russia being indifferent and even helping us carry a helicopter once with their helicopter. They were happy to see anyone try to tame the steppes people I guess. Now putin actively pushes out any remaining us interests in central Asia. But during Bush cheney 2001-obama we had a lot of Americans there doing stuff with China back during china's pre covid pre Xi golden age
Let me just make a small correction: The dragon in Western mythology and the loong in Eastern mythology are two completely different creatures. It's a classic translation mistake.
@ethanhunt5552 Not every translation from one language to the next conveys the perfect cultural context/meaning behind the way that word is used in another culture. the closest analogy in English to a Chinese loong is a Dragon in the western context.
@@Austine1452 Well, you know, growing up, we were taught that Westerners were super meticulous in everything they did, thanks to the advanced culture over there. But as I got older, I started to realize that our textbooks had kind of painted too rosy a picture of the West. In Chinese translation studies, there's this principle of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" - you gotta stay true to the original meaning, make it read smoothly in the local language, and choose words with a bit of art and refinement. It's a big no-no to force things. For example, when translating "America," we go with "beautiful country." Same with "Germany" as "morality country" and "France" as "law country." And "loong" is just "loong" - we wouldn't mix it up with "dragon" or anything like that.
You just have to accept Not everything translates with full cultural context from one language to the next. peace
China is very concerned about 外国人 (foreigners) getting attacked or hurt in Xinjiang...
We went into the mountains for a day trip picnic we got told to leave by Chinese army guys , they said if I got hurt/kidnapped they didn't want
an international story...
So best to leave.
Posable a similar situation...
Thanks for the video.
Thank you for taking us on the tour....love the lack of opinions....
Very impressive. Keep yourself safe. Love your attitude and your videos.
So, in Japan the hotels takes copies of guests passports as well. Not required for Japanese citizens, but when I accompany my foreign friends to a hotel, they demand my passport as well even though I’m japanese.
in the US the same, foreigners needs to show their passports to the frontdesk.
Why do they need the info?
@wowswc Use your brain 😂
To avert credit fraud. It’s so prevalent
But they don't have to report it to police!
12:57 "A lot of obedience demanded in the Chinese education system." I don't know where you worked, but the kind of behaviour kids get away with at my school is appalling.
It's bad in the US.
but...needing a passport (or any form of legit ID) to retrieve your ATM bank card is a good security thing (in any country)...especially in these times of digital/cyber crime
yeah i was in
Thailand lost my card in an atm and someone tried to use it before i could get it back.
@@MojoZ20 exactly.
Yes, but don't they know you'll be in the country in advance? They watch you constantly and take nonstop scans of your documents, seems like it would be something they could easily get working if they felt like it. It's scary and could be a big problem if you have another problem, like losing the passport. Do the nice places in China even have cards? They all use WeChat. It's unclear if I can even get that, I've been wanting one to check it out.
yeah，it‘s wired for him to blame on this
He lived in China for a number of years, he knows very well that you can't do anything at a Chinese bank without your passport.
Curious why don't keep your passport or copy on you. I know of a guy that got tossed in a Russian jail for that 😉
😂😂😂
Genuinely shocked when it's a legal requirement in most countries on earth
Corrupt officials will take it and hold it hostage for a bribe.
You mean the 1st guy or the 2nd guy
I know right?!
India also has one time zone, but China is a lot wider. So I checked online and the sun rises at 10:16 in Kashgar and at 7:35 in Beijing. Very bizarre, especially for the Kashgarians. It would work for me though since I like to sleep in. I'd wake up around sunrise every morning.
只是参照同样的标准，同一个标准会显著减少沟通障碍。人们的生活并不会在同一个标准里。北京人7点起床，新疆人10点起床。这不会影响人们正常的作息。
At the time when PRC was estaiblished, the majority of Chinese were illiterate, so the division of timezones would bring many misunderstandings among people and cost a lot, so the govt decided to unify them as one.
Line of the video -- "This is the kind of Chinese tackiness I love". Dude great vids. I love the way you present China, balanced and inquisitive. In 2015 I took a job with a Chinese company in SZ but working in the states. Until the pandemic, I was going back and forth the SZ from the states, 1 month there -- 1 month back home. Fell in love with China. Things changed and I left that job right around the time the pandemic ended but I've been back a few times in the past years. Like many Americans, my view of China before I went was negative. My first trip there I saw how wrong I was. Great people, great food, always welcoming to foreigners and all those little quirks, like the cherry farm with the wedding hall.
欢迎你再次来中国旅游
@songji-u9n wasn't a fan but I turned a new lifestyle leaf and I got to say your country rules.
Been waiting for these 2 to do a collab forever. My 2 favorite American travel vloggers.
Having a small brained travel buddy was awesome, I bet. 🤪 I favor Sabbatical, but you top travel folks keep us happy while spreading friendship the the best you can.
我“有”胡子不是我“戴”胡子😋 非常好的视频，你在镜头前始终保持了一种放松、自然和真实的状态，很独特，非常喜欢你的视频
与其说放松自然，不如说感觉成天提心吊胆。
haha, such a good teacher! telling that boy to use the trash can! i laughed my ass off
Sidenote: this is the last video where Erica appears. Guys only after this.
thank god, I was scared I was gonna start letting girls into my treehouse.
Why is this necessary info?😂
@@ronchee998It would be a little weird if she just disappeared without anyone saying anything, wouldn't it.
She wouldn't
Tommy is SUS 🤣
that's one of the most interesting videos on your channel for sure. Thank you!
美国人总是利用一切机会造谣抹黑对手，其他美国人相信谣言，互相吹捧，生活在虚假的世界里
I like watching channels like this one where you can see how the people truly are and how they see the world around them!
Travelling without your passport again, gotta stop that lol
Right. I had no idea that anyone even DID that. lol. Until I found Tommy!
Why? Anyone can just show up in America and stay as long as they like, no requirements at all. You’re saying the rest of the world doesn’t work that way? Crazy!
@@Deetroiterhow could I possibly enter the US without a passport? Oh wait… I see what you mean 😂
@@DeetroiterStupidity is bad, but the pretending Stupidity is even far worse!Oh no ! There is a thing called "American Exceptionalism" ! 😢
he filmed this before the russia thing
Americans ;”there’s way too much Chinese tourism here for my liking !” 😂 surprised you don’t expect them all to speak English
Awesome video bro. Dang, you got mocked by a Chinese Granny (26:35).. she was speaking to you in all 第四声, haha... Also, at 34:40 无花果 (figs).. Just finished it. Best video about Xinjiang on the internet currently. You're a real one, big Tom!
@@chopsticksandtrains Damn didn’t know I was getting shade from the Ayis!
@@SabbaticalTommy I have to defend those Ayis and the fig vendor. They were not mocking you. It was their accent from their native dialect, Lanyin Mandarin (兰银官话). Many Uyghurs, like the fig vendor, also have a Lanyin Mandarin accent due to geographical vicinity. Some Mandarin accents of native Chinese people sound really like Mandarin learners' (Some really are because their mother tongue is a different Chinese language rather than Mandarin). Another fun fact is that many Chinese don't imitate foreign accent for fun or mockery, but because they think it would be easier for foreigners to understand, so that's why you might have heard many Chinese dropping the original tones of the names of Chinese people, places, and things, and taking up an English accent when saying them in English conversations or speech, even in very formal occasions.
@@SabbaticalTommy I believe it's just their accent/dialect of mandarin
Zillions of viewers love your videos. Do what you love!
You finally visited it. I asked a few months ago and happy to see it from your pov.
Such an amazing video. I don't care for this type of history, but you made it very compelling.
2 of the best travel vloggers
Love the collabs with SBA
Some people have a go at China but it seems to be clean the people are friendly unlike Britain at the moment
@kevgray. they are very friendly and loving! It’s their GOVT that ain’t, and us messed up.
@@EphemeralProductions Same for the US when you think about it..
Or you might not be safe even in Australia when some mad Chinese guy throws boiling water on your baby.
I could go on...
@@EphemeralProductionsThey love their government and their government loves them! XingJiang is most invested territory of China by the central government! You don’t like Chinese government because you were brainwashed by CNN and BBC! Did China start any war in the last thirty years? Did they insist that their system is the best for the world to copy?
Because you live on some council estate, don't paint the rest of U.K as the same.
Kashgar is a dream destination for me! I'm a silk road enthusiast! Thanks for sharing gives me the confidence as an American to possibility take the journey there...shame they tore down most if not all of the old city tho!
Who gave you the wrong message
@kinni143 wrong message of what?
@@Yooperal3 A 6.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Kashgar area in 2020. Many old houses were damaged and most of them became dangerous buildings. So we had to rebuild it.
@陈仲衡-l9d Oh ok I do know the area has lost alot of the original old Town and alot was replaced with newer buildings. Anyways I still would love to see the beautiful city of Kashgar! Thanks
@@Yooperal3 It is strongly recommended that you install Chinese translation software on your mobile phone before you set off, such as Youdao Translate or Baidu Translate. Tommy can speak a little Chinese, at least he can communicate in basic way. I don't know how good your Chinese is, so please be sure to prepare well in advance. In addition, there is China's Alipay for payment. APN is used for Internet access. Baidu Maps was used for navigation.
can't stop watching these videos! 🤩
Visit central Asia
Thank you for all you do Tommy
35:18 That's made from Nicotiana rustica, known in Xinjiang as Mo he yan 莫合烟, which might be transliteration of the Russian name. It was imported from the USSR in 1930s and became popular in Xinjiang. Rather strong, quite harmful, but used to be a common indulgence. Gradually fallen out of favor in early 2000s, but I guess it is not outlawed.
Very interesting and entertaining as always! Great video.
_Always_ elevating YT with your content. Thanks, little brother!
Please accept my deepest sorrow for the tragedies hitting your fellow Americans in LA Tommy . We all have problems throughout the world but those infernos are catastrophic . God bless everyone involved in such a horrible and worrying time ..prayers and thoughts from Scotland .
Another great video, I'm glad that you finally reached this place Best regards from Macedonia 🇲🇰!
You mean North Macedonia?
One will not invent two different names for the same territory if it is not the same reference. Why would someone call it Greece if it is not different from Macedonia?! Why I should call it North when it is not different from Macedonia?! I'm Macedonia, but you are not. You are either Greek or USA, if you are Macedonia you will never use something else to subjugate the name Macedonia.
Never would’ve known this place existed if it wasn’t for this video. So thanks.
Funny how you refer to whether the local food is hygienic but then you touch food that you don’t buy. What’s up with that?
I dig these videos and appreciate vicariously visiting countries I’ll probably never get to visit.
Watching him touch food just to point it out for the camera bothered me so much
americans have clean hands
Ah yes, the antiseptic white hand
😂@@Myce
You mean the donut? But he bought it after touching it
I am three generations of xingjiang ,West countrys always have two standard with another countrys ,
When Westerners assimilated red Indians, no problem. When English replaced Irish, Welsh, Tagalog, Hindi, no problem. This is what happen when you dominate the social media.
Tommy & SBA, Touching tips in China.. 🍻🍻
😂😂
Awesome you guys linked up!
They report a foreign passport at every hotel I've ever been too in 22 countries...not just china
never have i ever showed my passport once travelling. (at a hotel)
@Dreamer66617 apparently you haven't been to many international hotels
loving the collab
I had no idea all of China was in the same timezone.
Well! All China has one OFFICIAL time zone based on BeJing time. but locals have their own time, too!
90% of the population live in eastern part.
多个时区，一个时间🛀
We used to have multiple time zones decades ago.
@@hong3170 Even if only 20% of the population lives in the west, the population is still huge for China
"With an American intellectual" is the slickest low-key sarcastic burn I've ever heard. LOLOLOL
absolutely, I laughed.
He’s called Small Brained American for a reason
@@davidlericain 😆😆😆😆😂
_Cheers_ !! I think if you "added up" the....."intellect's".....IQ, it'd be on par with that of an amoeba! (note: that _might be_ an insult to the amoeba!!)
i think its just a twist on his youtube name @smallbrainedamerican
Thank you for showing people how Xinjiang is like
The video is fun to watch, including people and cultures in different countries.
I like the way he transform uyghurian "Thank you" Rahmet 2:01 -> Rahmat 9:23 -> Raman 38:25
I’m so happy you met up with SmallBrainedAmerican! I love both of y’all’s content!!
really strange ways to end last couple of videos, but very interesting, I enjoyed very much
You were scared that some one might follow you. if so, they might be also concerned that such kind of strange person from no where could be connected with terrorists. Locals and government could be sensitive after the terrorist attacks, just like what US government did after 9/11.
I love practicing 汉字 while watching your videos, really great as many have already said.
there was an earthquake in Kashi many years ago destroyed the old city. so they renovated part of the old city and rebuilt part.
Propaganda
Yes, this is important but not described in the video, and another important thing is Uyguars is not turkic even though they speak very similiar language
@@camzaro ， When people present the facts that do not fit your wishful narratives, you call them propaganda?
Watch the Vice piece "China’s Vanishing Muslims" and they tour the same spots in kashgar.
An earthquake called ccp
Thanks for showing us your travels.
16:56 that's wild seeing a Peet's Coffee ad all the way over there
I wonder if it's the real deal or the usual Chinese knock-off
Nice to see people live lives with less want. I really hope the West and China can avoid conflict.
Maybe two strange foreigners going to the suburbs and wandering into and around a private wedding venue got someone's attention? If two Chinese tourists visiting the US did the same in a private wedding venue in a small American town, perhaps they would also be watched?
As for the lack of Mandarin - most of the people you met in the suburbs were 60+ years of age. If you visit Montreal, you'll find lots of people can speak English; but if you go to Lac-à-la-Croix Quebec, you'll find very little English is spoken ... especially for those who are 60+ age group. If you go to Peawanuck Ontario, you might find many of those 60+ who cannot speak English or French ... but they're fluent in the Cree language.
Exactly what I wanted to say. Tommy and Connor, two differently looking caucasians, just popped up in such an odd place and wandered around asking people questions in language they couldn't understand. Of course they would get the attention of the neighborhood watch guys 🤣🤣🤣
If Chinese tourists in America did that, they wouldn't be followed around by a spy lol. At most they would just be asked to leave.
"If two Chinese tourists visiting the US did the same in a private wedding venue in a small American town, perhaps they would also be watched?" No. No they wouldn't. Not by authorities.
@@alanbrown342 I call it bull. We have all watched 'The first blood'.
The Government agents are watching them so they dont go close to concentration camps or uyghur villages that are being bulldozed by the CCP
Would love to see u and smallbrainamerican visit Japan together. Introduce him to the Yakuza guy. I'm sure he misses u.
Tommy you’re a legend
love startin the morning to a banger video
無花果 - Wu hua guo - fig. Without flower fruit. That's what you bought. Technically, the flowers of figs are inside of the fruit, but there's no external flower (edited).
In English, it is call a Fig.
Wow, what a crossover episode!
Whenever I have been to China, too often they had "improved" versions of historic places. Sometimes it's because the original building was gone - due to age or destruction during cultural revolution. The new place would be very clean and set up for tourists - but not feel authentic at all. It felt like going to the "EPCOT" version, to give an American equivalent. The mosque you went to reminded me of that.
Unlike the west, Chinese ancient building wasn’t made by stone but wood, with time been it will collapse that why they have to rebuild a new one. I remember my grandparents’ house, it was built in later Qing dynasty (I guess after 1870) hand was heavy damaged when was a child living with them. The wall is made by bamboo sticks and mud, some walls were off mud and you can look through those bamboo bones to the room next. Nearly a walls were not vertical and it was a miracle those houses were not down. In any means today, such house are not safe for living in yet it was my sweet home with my lovely grandmother I miss her too much
The western need for "authentic" old feel is lost in East Asia, where everything is made of wood etc and has been burned down a billion times throughout history, even the great wall of China that most people know isn't as "ancient" as they want to believe, because the ancient walls where not made out of bricks.
@@BerryMike-d9vUyghur built using stone and clay bricks, not wood
@@Austine1452 需要说明一点，秦汉时期的长城都是就地取材，有石头就用石头，没有石头就用泥土，但是明代的长城都是用的砖块。现在能参观的长城基本都是明长城。
@@BerryMike-d9v^ this. Why destroy and rebuild on purpose? Waste of time. The originals were never built to last, or were destroyed by natural disasters / warfare. Of course, it’s easier to assume the “communists” destroyed it.
Thank you! Have New Year!
十幾年前，新疆地區發生過多起嚴重的恐怖襲擊，原因是極端宗教滲透和聖戰思想盛行，一些地區開始出現大鬍子和黑罩袍，這不是新疆的傳統服飾和打扮，中國政府意識到問題的嚴重性，開始建立聯防機制，尤其在一些農村和偏遠地區，只要有陌生人進入，就會引起當地的防範，Sabbatical先生可能就是遇到這種情況。
Good work washington163. Your social credit has increased .1%
China is moving forward while USA and Europe got filled with criminal immigrants @@meast21
@@meast21great work you just earned 50 cents from Biden anti China fund 😂😂😂
@@meast21 well said ned bot
@@meast21you can’t handle the truth.
dude I enjoy your videos so much keep it up, I've been eagerly waiting for this one after watching that border crossing.
If you're a tourist in another country, your passport is your only acceptable ID. What's wrong with that?
Ask any foreign visitors in the U.S. if they can go about without their passports.
I went about the US without my passport except when flying. The US has no standard national ID, they have drivers licenses for like 50 different states, so the bar for acceptable ID is already quite low and varied.
Also they don't really ask for ID often. Even when I went inside a state capitol for a tour, the only check I was subject to was walking through a metal detector which beeped and they told me I'm fine. Some people don't even have any ID and it's apparently controversial to require one for voting. In the months I've spent in the US in total, the only time I was asked for ID was at an airport (passport probably required in this case) and to have alcoholic drinks
He just needed to prove that his name matches the name on the card stuck in the atm, I don’t see why his other cards doesn’t prove that. They just wanted his passport so they can keep a record of him being there.
@@alex15095 Driver license has link to all the information, your address, your car, your insurance, your crime record ..... That is why it is accepted in US. In most countries, passport is the only accepted document. It makes nonsense to complain that.
Why are you Chinese agents so angry about him mentioning the passports? 😂
@@cjamo65able Come on. Why are you complaining? I just pointed out the common practices of requiring passports for important financial transactions. You just started labeling me and others who agree with me.
Should I start labeling you a red neck, a MAGA, a white supremacist, a racist, a sinophobia?
we need more content brotha thomas!
I dont understand why you dont bring your passport with you in places like ughyur china 21:34 you could get stopped for filming in certain areas, and end up in trouble like in russia. Especially ughyur filming， which can be dangerous
More interesting or attract more clicks
This was before Russia doubt he'd still be doing that now
@@brken_blndie yeah i was confused on if he filmed the video recently or months ago because he said it's September in the video, but I see his hitchhiking friends in this video from videos recently
Maybe he is scared they’ll keep his passport?
@@duploman0003he had previously lived in china for many years, he knows the rules very well. hes doing it for dramatic effect.
Thanks for your wonderful travels.
“That’s the whitest Chinese person I’ve ever seen” - him to you, probably 😂
There are small population of Russians in China as well, they are white Chinese.
Tajiks are a branch of Iranians, white maybe...
If you come to China, you will find that many Chinese people have fair skin.
Gees, Can I say that’s the darkest American I have ever seen? I thought Americans were all decedents of white Europeans colonialists plus a couple of native Americans who survived their slaughter.
@sanzhang-tx1zm comparing the chinese grow up from china and the us, chinese kids in the us have tanner skin color, probably because of more sun shine in the US.
i am here at 15:30, just cant ignore that funny translation they have there. 古城宿集Gucheng Suji means Old town housing complex. What they are doing is building a hotel complex for the ancient city. for some reason they "decided" to translate it as the ancient city of housing complexes..
4:50. Logging on checking the hotel one is staying at with the immigration authorities is so so common across the world Tommy. China is not the exception. Lots of tracking goes on behind one’s back.
Another thing to note about hotels is that most cannot take foreigners only a handful
you would think tommy has already been in enough trouble for walking around without a passport in a foreign country
Yo Tommy🎉 glad you're doing well.
Definitely don't forget your passport again.
I guess he has a few of them. Being an asset is cool.
@@AtlanticPerspective an asset for whom?
Thanks Tommy for rocking out China.
M not surprise that China is cautious on foreigners since every body knows what American government is famous for doing to other countries. M glad that China is creating a safe clean environment for its people. Chai yu China.
Happy new year to all from Malaysia. ❤❤
now that’s a title. it really got me hooked and i instantly clicked the video. you’re doing great mate calm down 😊❤
It is very common that local people especially the older ones speak their own dialects only. All around China. It is a vast country.
Great vid my uygher 🫡
Uyghur please...
@@mono-tonicUyghurs in china
Fire video you got a new sub
You pretend to be neutral, but you don't believe that China is a peaceful and inclusive country. I don't appreciate this attitude. You separate the locals from the Chinese very much, and you can't accept that China is not only Han nationality. Regarding language, there are different languages all over China. If you come to the countryside in Guangxi, Guangdong, there are many old people who can't speak Mandarin, which is not a big problem. My grandmother is a Hakka member of the Han nationality, but she can't speak Mandarin, but it doesn't mean that they are not Chinese.
不是这样的，他是一个幽默的人，我会偶尔关注他，但也有好几年了。
@@lakeriver8825 你的意思是他在展示他的幽默吗？我不太懂为什么被人拍照不上去问下什么情况，而是直接跑掉，仿佛有什么了不得的事情一样
@@lakeriver8825 至少这个视频他是有预设立场的，带着挑事儿的态度，没做得过分而已。
@@lakeriver8825I like the guy but he's starting to virtue signal to appease the China haters in his home country.
是美国华裔和东南亚华裔错误的使用Chinese，把Chinese当成ethnic. 他们不应该叫自己Chinese, 应该叫自己南洋汉人，汉裔美国人。因为他们没有中国的nationality，所以他们就不是Chinese。
Great video
Love your videos and interactions with locals. Always insightful. Yes. It does suck when your card is stuck in a foreign ATM. Happened to me in Stuttgart. Never got my card back though. Glad to see that you're safe Tommy.
It is not the last video with Erica if you ask to meet with her again and show her China, or USA, or whatever else. Looks like you impressed her with how easy you chat up people of all nationalities, and your language skills. Take the initiative Tommy and good luck!