But to be honest, its the same wherever I go, even back home in America, just learned to keep to myself unless its necessary.
Yeah, it could just be my Oklahoma background. People back home will start up a conversation with anyone! Neighbors, definitely... random people standing in line at the grocery store, usually... even occasional friendly nods or waves to the drivers of other cars they pass on the street. Maybe Tulsa is a world of its own.
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Getting stared at kinda goes with the territory of being in a country where everyone looks similar. Like Jess, am blonde, get stared at, asked if I am Russian and this happened in Japan too, even after 5 years of living in a cosmospolitan city like Tokyo. And having a Japanese husband? Well that attracts attention too and so am quite used to feeling eyes boring in the back of my head when I am in restaurants or out walking around with him. I figure you can either make an issue of it or just deal with it!
And as for us not saying hello to fellow Westerners? Am guilty of this too - I think its the world we live in now where people dont trust each other and even the simple things of saying hello are forgotten. I just smile and nod my head.
So if you see me next time, say hi!!
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QUOTE: I've noticed, when I'm walking around the city or shopping, most of the Xpats here don't like to talk to each other face to face. It seems people will say anything to each other on this site, but have trouble even saying "Hi" in the streets. Anyone else have this experience, or do I just look that unfriendly :huh:
It makes me think of once i was in dali,that famous town.there is a small village next to "erhai"lake.Local people are typic chinese as what foreigners think chinese are.They dress frugally,old people sitting on the ground,talking and smoking,some naked kids running around.But they all say hi to foreign tourists naturally.
They already got used to see foreigners everyday.
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i think our readiness to say hello to another (non-East Asian...) foreigner diminishes according to how often we see are likely to see one. almost every time i walk around Dalian centre i'll see a few, and just as when back home, unless i have a problem or they look like they're having a problem, or else there's something about them that suggests that we will have lots in common, then our respective novelty-factor in a place like Dalian just isn't large enough to be an ice-breaker in itself. most people speak English so i think it's just human nature. i suspect Chinese abroad living in areas with a large Chinese community probably behave the same.
however, if i'm travelling around more remote parts of China where foreigners are rare, and i happen to see another foreigner, it seems natural to say hi. perhaps it's partly something about the nature of travelling, being glad to stop and chat and exchange tales and tips. similarly if i'm walking up on the mountians around dalian and i bump into someone after half an hour of empty paths, then whether foreign or Chinese, it again feels natural to say Hi, just as i'd stop and chat over a flask of coffee with Scots i wouldn't otherwise speak to if our paths crossed on a weather-beaten mountain-top back in Scotland.
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alicia
