Mexico Mexico - Jenny Chen, 26, Oaxaca, 11 April 2016 #3

[southlanecherry]

Thanks for your informative post! Yes, I forgot to mention Jenny's anti-China posts about China being a possible factor in her parent's silence. But I didn't realize how extreme things are in China. It sounds as if you are a little doubtful that the info they received in May 2016 was truthful, but was perhaps intended to insure their silence. Did I understand you correctly? That would explain JR's reaction and disconnect from her family. And of course, they may just want to believe she is alive, even though she no longer calls her Mom every few days.

She didn't fare well on the internet here either, but more from the standpoint that people thought she was foolhardy to travel the way she did and weren't very sympathetic to either Jenny or JR. I have kept an eye on Yingyang's case and noticed how proactive her parents are. Yingyang is more "likeable" than Jenny, so I see the difference.

Some of us wondered if she might have returned to China, so I'm interested in your perspective. It seems she would not be welcome even if she wanted to return. If she has returned, I'm sure her family would keep it quiet and she would keep a low profile. I'd sure love to sit down with them and have a confidential chat though!

Her naïveté and stubborn need to "conquer her fears" is so extreme that some of us couldn't comprehend it without wondering if she was mentally ill. So I appreciate your opinion. But now it seems that JR is going to latch onto that theory. Sometimes I wonder if he reads here!

I do not believe the reported sighting of Jenny by Chinese Embassy was truthful. IMO her parents are silenced by pressures from both Chinese authority in Mexico as well as social media. Seriously, if her parents are free to pursue the whereabouts of their daughter, why haven't they done so? Why are they so quiet? And like I said in my earlier post, I don't think returning home would be Jenny's first choice if she has chosen to leave JR. This girl is all about experiencing the unknown and testing her limit. Returning home just doesn't sound consistent with her behavior so far.

Slowpoke has asked me about recent Chinese media coverage on Jenny earlier. The answer to that is there is none. Media attention on her missing lasted for about a month and that was it. Last night I went back to check on some of the old reporting. The news broke out by a friend of hers in China, who claimed to be in contact with Jenny up to the day before she went missing. I was able to find some screen shots of their chats that she posted and various other details. I don't remember if those were ever shared and discussed here? Would anyone like me to post them up again with translation? It might take some time, but I think it's important to verify again whether two sources of information (JR and Jenny's friend) are consistent.

 

[KaaBoom]

I do not believe the reported sighting of Jenny by Chinese Embassy was truthful. IMO her parents are silenced by pressures from both Chinese authority in Mexico as well as social media. Seriously, if her parents are free to pursue the whereabouts of their daughter, why haven't they done so? Why are they so quiet? And like I said in my earlier post, I don't think returning home would be Jenny's first choice if she has chosen to leave JR. This girl is all about experiencing the unknown and testing her limit. Returning home just doesn't sound consistent with her behavior so far.

Slowpoke has asked me about recent Chinese media coverage on Jenny earlier. The answer to that is there is none. Media attention on her missing lasted for about a month and that was it. Last night I went back to check on some of the old reporting. The news broke out by a friend of hers in China, who claimed to be in contact with Jenny up to the day before she went missing. I was able to find some screen shots of their chats that she posted and various other details. I don't remember if those were ever shared and discussed here? Would anyone like me to post them up again with translation? It might take some time, but I think it's important to verify again whether two sources of information (JR and Jenny's friend) are consistent.

With the choice between believing the Chinese Embassy or believing JR, I believe the Chinese Embassy. What possible reason would the Chinese Embassy have for lying and saying that one of their citizens was safe, if she was not?

On the other hand JR comes off as being extremely narcissistic, and not mentally sound. Based on his own statements, I would say that JR's credibility is zero.

 

[southlanecherry]

The first 4 images are chat screenshots between Jenny and her friend in China before she went missing. A few points to be noted:

1) The chat happened on April 11th at night CST
2) Jenny told her friend that she is staying at a gay's house
3) Jenny mentioned her travel plan

The last image is a chat between Jenny's friend and a consul from Chinese Embassy (there is no way verify to the authenticity of this chat since the person's name has been blurred)
Translation:

Consul: We are currently investigating 8 states, 5 of them have already sent us official letters stating that no related information was found. We will continue tomorrow. Please convey the above message to Jenny's brother
Friend: Okay, thank you very much, Consul Li.
Friend: What are the remaining 3 states?
Consul: Quintana Roo, Veracuz and Yucatan.
Consul: Oaxaca already confirmed there is no related information.

Takeaway from this:
- Jenny has a brother who was involved in the case
- However, Jenny's brother was not in contact with the Embassy and communicated via Jenny's friend. How odd is that?

Also, on a completely unrelated note, can someone tell me how to stay logged in while I type out a super long message?

 

[Lilibet]

With the choice between believing the Chinese Embassy or believing JR, I believe the Chinese Embassy. What possible reason would the Chinese Embassy have for lying and saying that one of their citizens was safe, if she was not?

On the other hand JR comes off as being extremely narcissistic, and not mentally sound. Based on his own statements, I would say that JR's credibility is zero.

I agree that JR has no credibility. It's possible that it is the corrupt LE in Mexico that did the lying and the Chinese Embassy had no choice but to accept their word that Jenny was still backpacking. The Embassy and Jenny's family couldn't conduct their own investigation and the Chinese government had no real basis or incentive to mount a big challenge to Mexican LE. I would hope they asked for proof, but that could be fabricated by LE. It would be an insult to Mexico for China to challenge their LE and accuse them of lying, especially without proof. So I don't think China would pursue this further without a solid basis and risk a possible rift in trade relations. That left Jenny's family with no alternative but to accept what they were told, go home and be quiet, thanks to Jenny's unpopularity in China.

Mexican LE had the most motive to lie IMO. They're dealing with a missing Chinese national and would want to make their Chinese trading partners happy for political reasons. The reason I keep mentioning trade is that it is a big deal and the trade relations between the two countries has been a little rocky at times, so there is incentive for both countries not to rock the boat.

JMO and subject to change.

http://www.coha.org/mexico-and-china-from-rivalry-to-investment-partner/

 

[southlanecherry]

I agree everything you've said here Lilibet. I couldn't have said it better.

I agree that JR has no credibility. It's possible that it is the corrupt LE in Mexico that did the lying and the Chinese Embassy had no choice but to accept their word that Jenny was still backpacking. The Embassy and Jenny's family couldn't conduct their own investigation and the Chinese government had no real basis or incentive to mount a big challenge to Mexican LE. I would hope they asked for proof, but that could be fabricated by LE. It would be an insult to Mexico for China to challenge their LE and accuse them of lying, especially without proof. So I don't think China would pursue this further without a solid basis and risk a possible rift in trade relations. That left Jenny's family with no alternative but to accept what they were told, go home and be quiet, thanks to Jenny's unpopularity in China.

Mexican LE had the most motive to lie IMO. They're dealing with a missing Chinese national and would want to make their Chinese trading partners happy for political reasons. The reason I keep mentioning trade is that it is a big deal and the trade relations between the two countries has been a little rocky at times, so there is incentive for both countries not to rock the boat.

JMO and subject to change.

http://www.coha.org/mexico-and-china-from-rivalry-to-investment-partner/

 

[Tssiemer]

Also, on a completely unrelated note, can someone tell me how to stay logged in while I type out a super long message?

RSBM

If I have a long post I type it in a word document then copy and paste.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ninij9]

I would hate to lose a loved one in Mexico. I have been away for a while, and sorry if this is a repeat. My husband and I were stopped by Mexican police in February. They threatened us if we didn't give them US dollars. They directed us to an ATM that gave us currency, and followed us, while another group joined in. This is common, and apparently no one does anything to them even with proof. The US officials my husband later talked to, told him we were lucky. They are corrupt, and cover for one another. I'm more afraid of police than citizens while in Mexico. This all happened in a very populated area, and other officers laughed as we drove by toward the ATM. I had the entire conversation recorded secretly, and nothing could be done. I wouldn't be surprised if the policia took her, or at a minimum covered a crime up.

This story is exactly why I feel that the search for Jenny is rather hopeless. I am an avid Traveller to Mexico (Caribbean coast the "SAFE" side), and I am very aware of speed traps and other ruses that put one in the direct path of corrupt cops. We always leave our hotel with a tour bus and while on Isla we drove our golf cart well under speed limit, have ID on us at all times (as well as about 400 bucks US).

A common ruse is to advise an unknowingly tourist that they have broken some vague law and offer to make it go away for some cash ( for speeding about 300 bucks on Isla as they are less corrupt, but it can be MUCH higher). We all know Jenny wasn't one to part with her money and had shown some pretty poor judgement during that trip. If you do not comply you are hauled off to "jail".

People here in the US complaining about cops have no idea what it is like to be in a country where law enforcement is that corrupt as well as the local government.

He will get himself killed if he continues to travel to Mexico and push his weight around. I have no doubt at all about that. I hate to say it, but if something bad happened to Jenny, we will never, ever find out. I travel there regularly enough. Even those that are NOT corrupt are so fearful if those that are, they stay quiet or complicit just to keep their heads. No exaggeration.

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[ninij9]

You know, I just caught up again. First of all, Southlanecherry... welcome!

You made a good point that I forgotten about. And that is, she would not return to China, and was adventurous. AND, her parents were noted as having seen her. Suddenly, I think it is very very possible that she met a man on her travels, and opted to stay in Mexico with him. Honestly, at this point that would not surprise me. Jenny exhibited that she was in love with Mexico and the people there, and someone did create an account with her handle, but never acted on it.

Maybe Jenny is alive and well in Mexico, living her dream life with a man she fell in love with, and has a new name. She possible does not care that she has a "legal" marriage in the US because she does not intend to return - nor let JR know where she is.

There are many places a young woman could remake herself in Mexico. Staying close to tourist areas, working in a local restaurant on a beach. Renting a room. Or continue to backpack through South America. I seriously looked for her on my last trip in August as I stayed on a tiny island off the coast of Cancun that had many young travellers working on tour boats, beachfront bars, selling stuff on the beach. Or just bumming in general.

A fantasy I know, but my heart did skip a beat once when I thought I saw her behind the counter at a churros stand.[emoji853]

The chances of her planning to go off the grid and doing so are as high to me as her meeting with foul play. It's plain to me she wanted to "get away".

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[southlanecherry]

Thanks! Thought there would be an easier way but I guess not haha.

RSBM

If I have a long post I type it in a word document then copy and paste.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GigTu]

There are many places a young woman could remake herself in Mexico. Staying close to tourist areas, working in a local restaurant on a beach. Renting a room. Or continue to backpack through South America. I seriously looked for her on my last trip in August as I stayed on a tiny island off the coast of Cancun that had many young travellers working on tour boats, beachfront bars, selling stuff on the beach. Or just bumming in general.

A fantasy I know, but my heart did skip a beat once when I thought I saw her behind the counter at a churros stand.[emoji853]

The chances of her planning to go off the grid and doing so are as high to me as her meeting with foul play. It's plain to me she wanted to "get away".

Let's just say Corona driver killed her and left her body out there somewhere. Let's also say someone found out, or even found her. Does JR actually believe that person would step forward and talk? I sincerely doubt it. Not just because their life and possibly their family's lives now face danger, but because that danger will not be met with any protection. No one in Mexico cares about Jenny. jmo

 

[Lilibet]

You know, I just caught up again. First of all, Southlanecherry... welcome!

You made a good point that I forgotten about. And that is, she would not return to China, and was adventurous. AND, her parents were noted as having seen her. Suddenly, I think it is very very possible that she met a man on her travels, and opted to stay in Mexico with him. Honestly, at this point that would not surprise me. Jenny exhibited that she was in love with Mexico and the people there, and someone did create an account with her handle, but never acted on it.

Maybe Jenny is alive and well in Mexico, living her dream life with a man she fell in love with, and has a new name. She possible does not care that she has a "legal" marriage in the US because she does not intend to return - nor let JR know where she is.

BBM

GigTu, I meant to ask you about the bolded part yesterday. Did you mean to say that Jenny's parents had seen her while they were in Mexico? I don't recall any information saying that. I just recall that they were told she had been seen. I'm happy to be mistaken if you can steer me in the right direction with a link. Thanks!

 

[Lilibet]

RSBM

If I have a long post I type it in a word document then copy and paste.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tssiemer, I'm chuckling because I've never known you to have a long post! I've always admired the fact that yours are short, to the point and spot on. But yes, that's a good way to do longer posts.

Thanks! Thought there would be an easier way but I guess not haha.

The copy/paste advice Tssiemer gave you is probably the best. I've "lost" posts partway through before, especially if I leave it unfinished briefly to go to another thread or look up a link. There is an auto save feature on WS and it's often possible to "find" your post by tapping on the reply box or even using the back arrow and checking the reply box. There is often a "restore autosaved content" box to tap on the reply box. It usually works for me, but the copy/paste technique is a sure thing.

 

[GigTu]

BBM

GigTu, I meant to ask you about the bolded part yesterday. Did you mean to say that Jenny's parents had seen her while they were in Mexico? I don't recall any information saying that. I just recall that they were told she had been seen. I'm happy to be mistaken if you can steer me in the right direction with a link. Thanks!

That was a short-cut approach in reference to the report given to her parents and their satisfaction in that she was seen traveling in Mexico after she was reported missing. Sorry for not being clear.

 

[GigTu]

Mobile devices are notorious for refreshing the page and losing everything. Especially when you switch out of the window to copy a quote. I almost always use a notepad of some type if my post requires quoting from another site. It's an extra step, but it keeps me from going crazy and throwing my device off the deck!

 

[Lilibet]

I'd like to suggest to JR that instead of asking the friends Jenny met on her travels to pm him that he also reach out to them directly through her FB friends list. Many of them may not be following HFJ.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/helpfindjenny/permalink/884488498392862/

 

[cbeagle]

I just don't get the secrecy about where she might have been seen.

Why not just say she might have been seen at ____ in Feb, please get the word out to folks you know in that area for similar sightings.

I'm also not sure how a potential sighting around seven months ago narrows down a search, she could have moved on to anywhere.

 

[GigTu]

If Jenny is with someone she met along her way, I doubt that person will be any easier to find than Jenny. I'm curious, why did Jenny choose that as her American name? What does it mean to her?

 

[Lilibet]

If Jenny is with someone she met along her way, I doubt that person will be any easier to find than Jenny. I'm curious, why did Jenny choose that as her American name? What does it mean to her?

It may have been chosen for her, but many chose their own. Here's a discussion of Anglo names Chinese use. It's pretty amusing at times.

http://ask.metafilter.com/187443/How-do-you-pick-your-Anglo-name

 

[bears10]

It may have been chosen for her, but many chose their own. Here's a discussion of Anglo names Chinese use. It's pretty amusing at times.

http://ask.metafilter.com/187443/How-do-you-pick-your-Anglo-name

I used to do business with a lot of people who immigrated to the US later in their lives. They had very non American names (think Mohammad, erkin, mehmet, etc). They always seemed to pick the most American sounding names that were somewhat similar to their birth names like mike, Eric, Matt, etc).

 

[AffirmationChick]

Southlanecherry, out of curiosity, do you have any speculation on why there may have been the random uptick in donations from those with Chinese names? Anything in the media or something else that wouldn't come up in an English search? Hearing you talk about the less-than-warm feelings toward Jenny in her home country makes it more perplexing.


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