http://www.dimsum.co.uk Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:18:42 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc240 A self-admitted non-traveller, I thought Paul Merton was far closer to your average Brit than the inimitable Palin. As such, even though it was uncomfortable watching him cough his penis (not his own) into a napkin, and by extension, the culture, it\'s to be expected from that viewpoint. I\'m looking forward to him (hopefully) embracing some parts of a country he interprets as fairly wacky and come out a little more travelled on the other side. Also, I loved that he was brave enough to make his own way, bypassing the Great Wall in order to see the villager who makes robots. The scene where he\'s chatting with the wife in the kitchen as the husband clonks by in the background, pulled by a rickshaw automaton, was pure genius. In my book, finding your own adventures in another country is what travelling is all about and he seems to be doing fine by that. richng Tue, 29 May 2007 18:41:55 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc246 It\'s a first time in my 28 years of life that I have felt a need to write an email of this content. There was that after watching Paul Merton in China I couldn\'t help but wander if this is how Britain wants to be represented? Paul Merton comes across as ignorant, old-fashioned, disrespectful, judgemental and in some instances even racist. The idea of the program as whole is good and I\'m sure it attracts a lot of viewers, but is there no entertainment to be gained out of sending more interesting people out on adventures like this? Surely, there must ways out there to make a program entertaining without constant insults and \"piss take\" out of other cultures. Finally I would like to point out that I have been to China as well as travelled to lots of other countries and I have found them all interesting and unique in their way and that what makes the world such a special place. Inga Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:00:54 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc247 I feel strongly that sending Paul Merton to China was a puerile decision made by Channel five, since xenophobia is the subtext of many of the visuals and commentary. If they wanted to perpetuate the notion of \'the little Englander\' they couldn\'t have done it better than by sending a comedian to visit a country whose culture is so very different. I winced at many of his remarks and could imagine the Brits having watched the programs feeling even more strongly that, yes, foreigners are as dotty as we thought they were. We need better for out 21st century world. B g forth Tue, 05 Jun 2007 06:41:23 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc282 I don’t think it\'s a good video to present the running club in Guangzhou(south of China), called GZ Hash House Harriers. The limey, Paul, didn’t even talk about the running which is the main part of the game. Instead, he kept uglifying people there... I’ve been joined the club many times there and I find it ‘s good enough to go there and have fun every weekend just because of the run. The run is the most interesting and challenging part which the limey didn’t show on the video. During running, hashers check and look for correct directions and also help each other especially when emergency occurs. Without team work, it’s gonna be tough and long time consuming for an individual to finish the trail by his or her own. And for the trail setting before running, it’s made by hares who are all volunteers. Anybody can be the hare if he/she is familiar enough with the location, and some of them will also spend their own spare time to explore new spots in Guangzhou city which can bring more new interest to everyone at the same time to let people know more about the twon. So, such a positive attitude has not ever been mentioned and I was really disappointed about that. Instead of the run, the limey kept talking about Chinese women and CAMELTOE. The blonde guy, another limey, who’s asked for opinion, he did also uglify Chinese women. Do not forget, Blonde, you also have a Chinese girlfriend and she might also be the kinda “run to wallet” type to you! Grow up and wake up! Male expats in GZ are not that attracted by Chinese women since 2000. For the cameltoe contest, male hashers also join it and win sometimes, not only for women, no humiliating at all. It’s just a way to relax atmosphere and kinda culture there, no need to take it so serious and misguide audience. To me, the running club is just a way to do some hiking or running every weekend and make friends. It\'s a good thing. I am really doubtful on Channel five, how come it let the limey to make such a misrepresentation to the world! Colgart Art Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:31:54 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc296 Sadly (because I expected something intelligent and enlightening) I agree with most of the comments - verbatim Inga, bg forth. I watched one episode and it was uncomfortable to sit it through - enough, refused to watch any more episodes. There were the usual tired, predictable and constant jibes and sneers about politics, cuisine etc. & of course showcasing Merton\'s \"wit\" and not much else. Whenever I visit China (or any other foreign country) even on business, it is with anticipation and learning more about this vast and complex country and it\'s peoples. I certainly would not think it proper to insult or show the disrespect of their culture and way of life in the way that Mr Merton did – does he consider himself to be above these people. This could have been a great opportunity to look into another culture sympathetically, shame it wasn’t. Mr Merton may reflect that China was the cradle of much of civilization as we know it today. Channel 5 boobed or were deceived in thinking that Paul Merton may have offered a better class of program. lma, london Wed, 27 Jun 2007 20:34:46 +0100 http://www.dimsum.co.uk/content/view/917/#josc615 Most of the (mainland) Chinese I know who watched this show thought it was brilliant and wasn\'t the usual propaganda about how wonderful China is or isn\'t. It was instead a quirky and unusual look into the PRC as it is now, showing all aspects, good and bad. I really found the running club section highly embarassing, but lets be fair China is going through a sexual revolution and there is no reason this shouldn\'t also be represented. It\'s 50 years old and there have been a lot of changes happening to people and the culture, this show seemed to represent a lot of this in one way or another. If anyone was being ridiculed in this TV show, it was Paul Merton himself and not the Chinese. This show showed Chinese people to be Quirky, Inventive, Positive, Non-prudish and quite liberal. Because this didn\'t align with the \'agenda\' or previous misconceptions of some of the other watchers, it\'s unfortunate. I thought this was an interesting insight into a new China, interesting, real and entertaining. Well done Channel 5 for not giving us another tour of the Forbidden City or some other slimey propaganda. Ed Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:07:56 +0100