@ Silverboy: These GW's always use that culture/language excuse, it is totally pathetic!

Now learning the language in China is useful, for ordering food, buying things, not to get cheated, find your way around, converse with locals...but I see no more reason to learn/study beyond that. Pinyin and speaking is far enough for me, I had a name card printed with my Chinese name, why bother to learn to read and write it, esp. if you are not there permanently...

As for the culture, I often used what I read in a book about understanding Chinese culture in a bookstore in H.K, when someone (be it gw laowai or smug chinese person) goes on about 5,000 years of civilization and culture, reply that western civilizations could go back even further when you count Greek philosophy,Roman conquest, Arabic preservation of history and numerals...how long is a piece of string....

GL to u silverboy.