Paul Theroux
I made a spontaneous decision last week to go with people I didn't know to Southern China for Chinese New Year. I had never met any of them except the girl who asked me until the night before.
Our group consisted of 3 Koreans, 1 Hong Konger, 1 ABC (American Born Chinese), and me. The white girl.
And we went to China, where the density of Westerners is WAY less than Hong Kong. I would go a whole day without seeing another white person.
It was a lesson on being in the minority.
And I learned that there are disadvantages and advantages of being that "white girl" in Asia.
Disadvantages
- The stares. Now this one wasn't so bad, because I got used to stares after my third day in Hong Kong.
- The locals were less likely to trust me and let me into their lives, which is a bummer when you are trying to get an authentic experience.
- I was basically a neon sign that shouted "Tourist!". Tuk-tuk drivers would not leave us alone. They would ride along side us as we walked down the road, bargaining.
- Target for pickpockets. Luckily I am really good at protecting my belongings. The only thing I got stolen was my herbal tea and I could lose that any day.
Advantages
- People are nice to you. Mostly because they think you have money.
- You get accepted into upper class restaurants even though you haven't washed your hair in two days, you were just sleeping on a bus, and you are wearing 5 layers of dirty clothes.
- Chinese parents bringing their adorable Chinese children to you so the kids can practice their English. You don't know how many times I debated about taking a Chinese baby home with me as a souvenir. Chinese mothers beware.
The strange thing about the trip was, because I was with a group of Asians in an Asian country, I kind of started to think of myself as Asian. That I was just one of them. And then I would look in the mirror and see my red hair and, well, that was the end of that.
I was still the "white girl".
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