How odd I am...
Living in a foreign country is not always easy, and China in particular can be a difficult row to hoe. There are few foreigners where I live in Suzhou and in my neighborhood, I am often called "the Panda" by the locals. My wife says it is because I am so unique and rare here, but I suspect it is because of my big belly. Hahaha! Anyway, I take it as a complement and often people that I know who run businesses will come up to me and hug me. I love my little neighborhood and the people here are really magnificent.
This does have its' down side though. I am often stared at. If I am sitting or eating, people will literally stop and stand in front of me and stare. In most instances I smile and say hello, but when someone pulls their phone out to photograph me picking up poop when I walk my dog, I draw the line. And yes, that has happened more than once. But, you have to take it with a grain of salt and it is just a part of living here. I knew this when I moved here, but at times I have been amazed. When my wife and I first started dating, I'd often get stopped, too- typically by young girls who ask if they can take a photo with me. I always tell them they need to get permission from my wife and even when we were not married, because in China, it allows her a more prominent role and there are fewer questions. It is also a sign of respect to her as well, which I like. She always says yes, but I think she appreciates being given a choice. Many of these photos will end up being displayed on people's desks or in other places, where the owner will say "This is my American friend". It is a sign of status in China. So, very different in comparison to America and Europe.
To give you an example, I am including this photo that was obviously made with my phone. :-) I went this week to get my hair cut, and a small crowd formed to watch. While I was shooting this, the stylist even stopped to look at the screen to see what I was photographing. I uploaded it to Facebook and looked back and said "Facebook". He laughed when he saw the comments start coming in immediately and I explained that Americans are just as curious about the Chinese as they are about Americans, which is generally very true. When I first came to China, I showed a small video of my motorcycle ride to work, and I tell my Chinese students about this because one of the comments, seeing all of the large buildings and paved streets said "Gosh, I didn't realize the Chinese were so advanced...", which the Chinese find quite humorous.
Anyway, it all comes down to us really being the same and are wanting to know about each other. It transcends politics and shows our true humanity, I think. Here is the image and hope you enjoy!
Yes, every society is different and interesting.
As was said ' Every society is different and interesting' and I would add; yet we all share very basic human values. It is our ignorance and thus fear which gets things out of whack. Maybe we'll someday learn.
"Anyway, it all comes down to us really being the same and are wanting to know about each other. It transcends politics and shows our true humanity, I think."
Good point and it shows why photographers of all skill levels are important. Through our photographic efforts, we share images of day to day living throughout the world. These images (that would never make it into a newspaper, magazine or on a TV) reveal that regardless of country, people are all pretty much the same and want pretty much the same out of life. It's only when international relations get hijacked by politicians, that wars and mistrust result.
Love the story and the photograph!
Thank you for sharing this interesting and enlightening story.
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