Look, a foreigner!
Added 2018-07-02 15:55:26 +0000 UTCHey Laowinners!
Gearing up to head back to Taiwan, Hong Kong and China has got me thinking of something. Being back in the USA, I'm obviously not getting stares left and right.
Something that is hard to get used to as a non-asian looking person in China is all of the attention and stares you get. "Look, a foreigner!", "OMG a laowai!", "Look at how big his nose is!".
Honestly, all of this attention is unnerving, however, it becomes a part of your life. Many people who end up there really enjoy all of the attention. It's usually positive attention, so people who haven't been a figure of public attention before suddenly find that they have become a minor celebrity.
Many people find themselves bummed out upon returning to their home country, or going somewhere where they don't get attention all the time. For me, I haven't been happier. The fact that no one knows me, or points at me, or talks about me when I walk by is actually restoring my sanity.
I am a really easy going person, so it never bothered me too much, even when the comments were rude, but I really can't tell you how nice it is to blend in. I feel like I can finally exhale.
Comments
Then the second.......hallo!! And third.......Where's he from. I started wearing an Australian flag patch on my jacket to decrease the number of guesses. Apparently a great game the whole family can play. Guess where the foreigner is from. Plus I found a much warmer reception if they know you're not American
2018-08-05 14:30:12 +0000 UTCGreat topic. Been on many trips to China over the last dozen years or so - and my reaction to the "lao wai attention" has gone through a few stages. Although I'm a quiet, not very social "wallflower" type, the initial "rock star" feeling for the first couple trips was a new sensation for me and I can't pretend I didn't enjoy it. Later on, that progressed to getting somewhat accustomed to it and accepting of that's just how it is there. The last couple trips though (last time as recent as 2 mths ago) it really started to bug me, and some days made me angry to the point I'd wish I'd be on the next plane home. Stupid as it may sound, having spent so much time there and feeling I "know" China, I think it frustrates me during the moments when it happens because I'd be thinking to myself: "I'm so used to China now so you guys should just let me do my own thing without putting any focus on me" - but of course sitting here away from China now I know that isn't the reality, for numerous reasons, and I do clearly understand their curiousity too. My Japanese wife tells me "what do you expect when you go to those remote places there" - which is fact as I do target (and far prefer) the rural, non-touristy areas, so yeah it's pretty much accept it or just don't go (and I will go many more times).
Jaroslav (Japan Kofun)
2018-07-03 15:23:58 +0000 UTC
