We All Look Same

In this city, normally, a local person would not be able to tell that Alvin and I are foreigners until we speak. Once we speak, our cover is blown and we are immediately asked where we are from.

When we are riding on our bikes, usually, nobody notices us. This is a different reaction than what we have heard our Caucasian friends get here. A normal bike ride would include a couple of hellos from strangers, and sometimes a person or two pointing and calling them a foreigner.

Well, the past few weeks, Alvin and I have gotten a couple of weird reactions on the reverse side. One day, as I was riding my bike, I saw this Caucasian man that I have never met, but heard from a friend that this man just moved back here. So I ride next to him and said, "hello." He turned, quickly said, "hello," and just rode away as quickly as possible. He probably was thinking, "oh great, another local who wants to practice their English with me." Later on that day, we finally were introduced to each other, and I am not sure he realized that I approached him earlier.

I thought that situation was funny, until a couple other events happened this past week. There is another Caucasian man whom we have met, who lives near us. I have talked to his wife more, but this man has also e-mailed Alvin and I personally to exchange information. We know that he knows about us and should be able to recognize us.

Well last week, we were sitting at the main gate of our complex as he rode by. We both smiled, but he ignored us. I thought, hmm, maybe he didn't see us. Alvin's theory was that maybe we just look like all the other Chinese people.

So today as we were biking, we saw him and two of his kids ride past us in clear daylight. This time Alvin said, "hi" and waved, and there was no reaction. So I said, "hi" and waved. No reaction. I asked Alvin, "huh, I don't know what happened?" Alvin says,"maybe since we look like all the other locals, he doesn't even think that these may be the ABCs."

Haha, I guess to some foreigners, we all look same. The funny thing I have also noticed is that a lot of the Chinese people here think all the foreigners look the same. Many of the Caucasian women here have been mistaken for each other, or told that they have been in a certain store, when they have never stepped inside the store before.