Monkey in the Zoo.

I think it’s time for me to share how Chinese people react to Europeans and the syndrome I like to call “Monkey in the Zoo”. This syndrome has 2 phases: Superstar and Monkey- very simple and easy to relate to. Majority of Chinese people never saw a foreigner in their life, so you can imagine that for them a foreigner, especially white people, is something supernatural and their reaction to them is accordingly.First week-the attention- it feels amazing, you actually start feeling like a superstar, also a big ego-boost :) When people see you they scream “Hello” and point to you and you can hear very often Chinese people refer to you as “laowei”, which is the common name they use for foreigners. So in the beginning, you try your best to say “Hello” back, and wave and smile. That’s the Superstar phase. People say “Hello” from their balconies, cars, motorcycles and bikes. You might even find yourself a cause of bicycle accident- true story :) Everywhere you go, you can notice somebody point at you or stare at you.After couple of weeks, the Superstar feeling wears off. Saying hello to everybody can drive you insane, especially if Chinese kids are involved. A lot of Chinese kids in one place are the places I try to avoid. They don’t stop at just saying “Hello”, they will want to touch you, your hair and your hands, etc. (and this is especially valid for people with blonde hair and white skin). Try to explain to a Chinese kid about genetics...That’s when the Monkey phase starts. You can notice people taking pictures of you or taking pictures of themselves with you in the background- sneaky. Car, truck, bike and motorbike drivers will honk at you. People want to touch your skin, because it’s so white and smooth, and basically just stare and look how you eat, speak, walk and talk, as if you’re from another planet. BUT, all you want is to be unnoticed, so you can pick your nose or something.So that’s how I feel lately- a monkey in the zoo, where everybody stares but nobody gives bananas. As much as i think that so many people already saw me, i wonder why do they keep on staring. But the answer is simple: there are just SO many people out there in China. Therefore, the staring will never stop. I was thinking about solutions to my feeling (because I do have to cope with the staring part for another 11 months in China) and my co-workers agree with me: Enjoy the attention or just dye your hair black and buy some black lenses.I choose to enjoy :)PS: girls if u lack attention in your country – come to China :)