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Q: Question: Is white the reason they stare?

I was listening some old 60's 70's R&R last night and I guess it put me into a nostalgic mood,,,, and then I looked down and noticed my fingers,,, back of hands,,, fingernail beds,, and it hit me,,, I'm nearly a fkn albino!  So,, they stare,, well,,, ok,, guess I would too....  but , sh*t,,,  they get u here,, say they want a white guy from wherever (be honest, that's what they say) and so I'm here and they stare.  I never thought about it much,,, but it hit me,,, Germanic, Blue eyes, haha ,, tooo white... no wonder they say 'lao wai',,, u know,, calling us a ghost....   oh well,,,   I guess I'd stare too,,,     so,, do many/any of u guys get this sh*t too?  Look, I've been E/SE Asia 20+ years and rarely around a foreigner,, and I never really stared,,,, but how many of u are N European white skin?  U know,,, very little pigmentation....  do u get stared at u think because of that?  Like I said I never thought about it much until the last few months....   haha,, albinism sux,,, no,, I'm not Edgar Winter,,, but I'm not freak in a sideshow either....  but,,, seriously,, I guess can't blame them...I'd stare too.  Oh well,, drunken rant......  Over.  

3 years 16 weeks ago in  Culture - China

 
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in my experience it was all the 'animal in the zoo' treatment, and NO consderation or empathy for anyone who is the 'other'.
 

some are threatened by the 'other' which i always put down to insecurity. When you have red hair - you stick out more than a bit

what i would consider 'confidence' is termed 'arrogance' 

diverdude1:

gosh,, I can just imagine a Redhead here!  locals probably do a quadruple-take!

3 years 16 weeks ago
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sorrel:

some local's thought it was ok to touch my hair - usually coming up behind me to touch (i mean pull) it. Didn't even dignify this with a request to do so.

I ended up putting colour into it to make it more dark brown, and therefore less conspicuous 

3 years 16 weeks ago
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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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There were two Chinese girls in the line ahead of me at the supermarket the other day. Because I was standing in a line with nothing else to do I found myself trying to guess where they were from based on their accent (they were speaking Chinese), wondering if they were stranded in NZ because of covid or if they lived here permanently and remembering how Chinese are more clothes conscious than the average Kiwi - we dress pretty casual here, like we just walked off the beach.

 

If I wasn't looking at them I'd have probably been looking at some chubby, pasty white office worker type and wondering if they ever went outside and got some exercise or if they spent their weekends inside glued to the tv.

 

If these people noticed me looking they'd probably think 'what the f*ck is that weird looking dickhead staring at?' 

 

I think it's just human nature to people watch and wonder what their story is, especially if they look like they aren't from around these parts.

diverdude1:

I think u nailed it on the head there Stiggs ~   just u know in remote china the staring goes One Way,, from a Million of them > Me.  Oh well,,, I get my looks in too!   yeah,, seeing hot-lookin' college girl still 'Makes my Day',,,,,  thx Mr Eastwood.....

3 years 16 weeks ago
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Stiggs:

Oh I know very well the weirdness of walking into a room and having all conversation stop and people open mouth staring at me. You have to fight the urge to check your fly to see if it's hanging open or something... the best thing you can do IMO is act cocky and strut like you're Connor McGregor. angel

Conor Mcgregor GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

3 years 16 weeks ago
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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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I was stared at by the kids in elevators in China ... with their thongs out ... 

 

I am white/white, I have whitish pigment. but I've always thought I was stared at in China 'cause no-slanted eyes. They've never seen such a person ...

 

When I was in the classroom, students (group of 3 high schoolers) would come to my desk and stared close into my eyes.

 

I'd reply: "I don't have lenses ...!"

Then. one of the students would say: "Your eyes are bleu ..." 

 

I'd reply: "When I look in the mirror, I see green ..."

 

They've never seen somebody with blue/green colored eyes before ...

 

Turkish students would bother me the same way about my eyes ... but fact is Chinese and Turks all have eyes in 2 colours, black or brownish, so somebody with different eyes color set is attraction there.

In Russia, it's no big deal 'cause you can meet blue eyed Putins ...

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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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i just find the whole thing amusing.

 

like this guy who is more than a bit triggered.

 

https://www.echinacities.com/expat-life/5-Weird-Chinese-Habits-that-will-Actually-Improve-Your-Health

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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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in my experience it was all the 'animal in the zoo' treatment, and NO consderation or empathy for anyone who is the 'other'.
 

some are threatened by the 'other' which i always put down to insecurity. When you have red hair - you stick out more than a bit

what i would consider 'confidence' is termed 'arrogance' 

diverdude1:

gosh,, I can just imagine a Redhead here!  locals probably do a quadruple-take!

3 years 16 weeks ago
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sorrel:

some local's thought it was ok to touch my hair - usually coming up behind me to touch (i mean pull) it. Didn't even dignify this with a request to do so.

I ended up putting colour into it to make it more dark brown, and therefore less conspicuous 

3 years 16 weeks ago
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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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I don't think they stare because of the colour. I think it is usually either bumpkin wonder, xenophobic animosity or simple curiosity especially from kids who literally have never seen a person in real life who isn't Chinese.

Although I live in a relatively small city by Chinese standards there is a sizable expat bubble on the outskirts. I haven't been there in years. There's no whities where I live so I am probably the first non-chinese most kids have seen. I usually chat with them when they are staring and make some jokes.

Everyone around here (obviously) knows I'm not local but don't care or stare much and pretty much treat me like anyone else. Although parents still try to get their kids to speak English to me at which I catch the kid's eye and roll my eyes or pull some dumb face. Kids smile knowingly.

Most importantly, I'm not co concerned if someone stares at me for any reason but I will often scratch my nuts or my arse or try to do a loud fart.

diverdude1:

I wish I could be more like Borat and pull sth really dumb w/ straight-face!   'Does this car have the 'pussy magnet'?  I will pay more if u install 'Pussy magnet'....   The way he jokes w/ guys wife about her hubby being a Retard,,, wow,,, that guy is crazy!  

 

I just mean to rip a big one while stared at!  locals would Freak!!

 

haha,, yes,, I just rewatched the other night...... crummy movie,, but that guy really is out there!

3 years 16 weeks ago
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Sandnose:

I had to watch both with my wife a few weeks ago after she saw something on Weibo about Rudy Guiliane.... And had explain every gag. Good times.

3 years 16 weeks ago
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Stiggs:

I have a mate in China who used to mess with people on buses when they were staring at him. He'd stare at the roof of the bus like there was something unusual about it - maybe pretend to take a photo of it.

By the time he got off the bus most of the passengers would be staring at the roof too, wondering what everyone else was looking at.

3 years 16 weeks ago
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Sandnose:

lol.... You may have given me a new hobby.

3 years 16 weeks ago
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3 years 16 weeks ago
 
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I suspect that it is a combination of culture and human nature. Black people in China get the same treatment. In some respect, so do Chinese people with darker than normal skin. The elderly still remember the days of "be suspicious of everyone, including family members", so they stare out of ther era's mentality. It is also because of human nature. Some of the comments here already alluded to how men will stare at a beautiful girl. Back in our home countries, how many times did you stare at a person who does not fit within the norms we set at home. A person who is disfigured with burn scars; a person with Down's Syndrome, a person missing limbs, or someone who is tranforming their body with tattoos and piercings having blue hair are all people who would receive stares. It bothered me in my first two years here in China. It still does on occassion when I find myself slipping back into my western mentality, or I am just tired of the China cultural differences. In time I have become accustomed to it. I still notice it regularly when I am out and about. But, I try to rationalize it and move on with my day. A smile and a wave hello often neutralizes the staring.

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3 years 15 weeks ago
 
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