Local Celebrity - A foreigner in China

This boy's mother mauled me at the Great Wall for a photo

 One of the major differences between China and Canada is the mono-race and mono-culture that exists here that is non existant back home. Back in Canada, we are used to seeing people of all different racial backgrounds and we are culturally diverse. Since China doesn't have the kind of immigration history that we have, China's population is predominantly made up of Han Chinese people. Seeing a foreign person (or a laowai as the Chinese call us) can be a rare occurrence and can make for much excitement for some Chinese people. Being a foreigner in China, you get a lot of attention...and I mean a lot! There is no such thing as blending into the crowd as a foreigner. Walking down the street, people will stop and blatantly stare at you. The looks on some people's faces when they see you is absolutely priceless! Many people will shout "HELLO!" (the only English word they know) at you, even if you are right in front of them and since Chinese people are very upfront about things, many will blatantly say (in Chinese of course) "look! there is a foreigner!" Another common reaction is for them to shout "mei nu" (beautiful girl) "piao lang! (beautiful) or simply "beautiful!" at you. I honestly get called beautiful at least 5 times a day by random strangers on the street. At first I found all of this a bit strange but after a while you get used to the attention and embrace it...I mean it's not everyday that you get to feel like Lady Gaga.

This girl hit the jackpot with 6 laowais!

Since Chinese people love to take pictures, another common reaction is for random people to come up to you and ask to take a photo with you or of you. I don't mind this because at least they are asking for my consent because many times I will catch people trying to take candid shots of me without asking and I find that a bit strange. I can only imagine how many random photos there are of me cycling through Weibo and QQ...a little bit creepy if you ask me. There has been many times where I have been asked to hold people's young children or babies to take a photo. I think it's pretty crazy that so many people are willing to trust me, a complete stranger, with their child just for a photo. I could have so easily ran away with quite a few babies by now if I really wanted to!

The six of us foreign teachers are quite popular around the school as well. There are constantly students shouting 'Hello' at us as we walk down the halls and it's kind of a running joke that you can always tell when another intern is nearby because of the streams of hellos you can hear as they make their way through the school. Many of the students are very fond of me and a lot of the grade 5 and 6 boys get extremely giddy when I'm around. I have also had kids scream with excitement when I walk into the classroom to teach as if I was Justin Bieber...it's absolutely crazy. The latest fad is kids crowding around me at the front of the room at the end of my lesson asking for my autograph! The amount of attention is insane!

Victoria Secret themed fashion show

There are definitely pros and cons to the attention. Some days you just aren't the mood to be the center of attention and would much rather be able to walk down the street without anyone noticing. It can be especially irritating when you are in a hurry to get some where and people are asking you for photos. I also get a bit annoyed when I am at a scenic spot that's absolutely beautiful and have people taking my photo. Why on earth would you rather take a picture of a foreigner over the beautiful scenery around you...crazy Chinese people! On the plus side, being a foreigner can sometimes help you out. On the bus, people are willing to share a seat with you or reserve their seat for you to take when they reach their stop just because you are foreign. I was even able to cash in on being a foreigner back in September when I was a model for a Victoria Secret themed fashion show. They wanted foreign girls to do a runway show and paid us 800 quai for one night's work (that's almost half my monthly living allowance!)

All in all, being a foreigner in China is just something you have to deal with and make the best of. It's crazy, weird, and funny but it makes life in China just that much more interesting.