Guangzhou: *Really* That Inclusive for Outsiders?
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Cantonese itself is perfectly fine. It's less about being exclusionary and more about this strange, unwarranted sense of superiority some of them seem to have. It's really weird.
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It's really strange. I grew up in Shenzhen and just recently came to Guangzhou for university. In my class, there's a group of fluent Cantonese speakers who always use it. But then you have others whose Cantonese clearly isn't great, yet they still force themselves to speak it at school.
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Being friends or colleagues is one thing, but when it comes to marriage, you really need to observe carefully. It's best to avoid marrying into families with a very strong clan mentality, especially if the parents seem sheltered and haven't experienced much of the outside world.
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It's like that in both Guangdong and Guangxi. Definitely watch out for that strong clan mentality in the Liangguang region.
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I once had a bus driver yell at me because I couldn't understand his Cantonese – he was talking about the card reader slot. I had just graduated, had just arrived in Guangzhou, and it was my first bus ride. I'll never forget it. Later, I found out that even locals get scolded by bus drivers.
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If you can speak Cantonese, you'll just get an even worse tongue-lashing.
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I agree, it feels exclusionary. I've been in Guangzhou for university for two or three years, and being quite socially anxious, I haven't picked up Cantonese. As a result, I often get these subtle digs from locals. It's happened many times. They'll say things like, 'Oh, so-and-so picked up Cantonese within just a year of moving here...'
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I've seen many people say that Guangzhou's inclusiveness manifests as a sort of 'not caring too much,' and honestly, that's really comfortable. Nobody pays excessive attention to you; you can just focus on living your own life. I'm from Northeast China, and when I first arrived, I wasn't used to it and found it a bit aloof. But on reflection, it's actually a good thing. You don't have 'seniors' or 'elders' constantly meddling or telling you what to do. It's not complete indifference either – my colleagues do share important things to look out for. Overall, there's a great sense of personal space and boundaries. I love Guangzhou (just wish the summers were a bit more bearable!).
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When it comes to the weather, even lifelong Guangzhou locals can barely stand it anymore. It just keeps getting worse.
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Guangzhou might seem to have a lot of non-locals on the surface, but actually, it's one of the most exclusionary cities in China, right up there with Hong Kong.
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Yes, I can totally relate. In the office, it's often the Cantonese speakers who form their own little groups, and there are many things they just implicitly understand among themselves.