The Foreign Tourists Hate Me

For some reason, my interaction with 95% of the foreigners I have met so far in China have been very negative.

My finest example is when I was in Beijing. I was taking a stroll down Wangfujing, a bustling shopping area with surprisingly few tourists. I noticed a boy about my age who was also alone and was walking in the opposite direction. When I passed him, I gave a bright smile and said hello in my best English (sarcasm). Strangely, the guy just stared back at me, stone cold. Perhaps he doesn't understand hello, but at least return the smile! The awkward thing was I passed him twice later, still alone. However it comes as no surprise to me that he's having trouble making a friend or two.

This experience is not all that unique. The foreigners I have come across are generally far older than me and look at me in a sort of condescending way. They strut around, going only to the western Coffe shops and restaurants, wearing a condescending look on their face that really shows that in their head, they think they own the place. They seldom embrace local cultures, and new tastes (eg. Teahouses), always opting instead for things that one can find back at home (*cough* Starbucks *cough*).

I have seen foreigners become impatient with Chinese clerks who try their best to help them, and swear rudely in the street. On that famous Wangfujing, I passed by a group of foreigners gawking at one of the new structures going up. One of them had the nerve to comment in a purely condescending manner "There is no way that is going to be finished before the Olympics". I wish that I could have stopped him right there and told him it will probably be finished in a week or two, a full month before the Olympics! Moments like these really reveal how little even foreigners inside China know about the place.

When in Tianjin, I was talking a leisurely walk with a colleague down a street when suddenly, a foreigner emerged from a barbershop swearing at the top of his voice about how they "messed up my [CENSORED] hair. What kind of cultural ambassadors are these foreigners being? This occured on a crowded street full of Chinese locals, this can't reflect well on western culture.

Don't get me wrong, I have met some very nice and extremely friendly foreigners while I have been here. Its just unfortunate that the nice ones seems to in a very small minority.

In short, all that I can hope is that foreigners will improve their politeness, demeanor and openness to the Chinese culture. It would be nice if they could start returning my hello's as well, but I'm willing to let that one slide.

Drawing credit: http://www.kimrichter.com/Blog/2006_12_01_archive.html