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People-watching

It’s been a while since I was last in a country where I don’t fit in, so to speak. There are not many immigrants in China, so seeing a Black person can be rather uncommon. As a result, I’ve gotten a lot of stares, and even had some people take pictures of me. When I first got to Beijing I decided to start an album of pictures of everyone who’d taken a picture of me (the pictures in the post are examples).

By the time I left Beijing a month later, though, I decided this just made me worry about it more. It can be kind of stressful drawing unwanted attention but at its best discomfort is an opportunity to look at your surroundings with fresh eyes. I’ve realized that unlike many of the other place’s I’d been, I was never going to “blend in” and would be constantly singled out as a “foreigner”. In Hangzhou I was finally able to accept it and feel more at ease in public. It can be hard ignoring people when they are talking about you right under your nose, but developing a thick skin was definitely worth it. I began smiling at people like I would at home, and sometimes they would smile back. I’ve even been able to joke around with some people when I speak Chinese! I’ve been reminding myself that the people staring are most likely not doing so maliciously. Now I see adjusting as a good experience; it reminded me not to stress about things I have no control over because it might draw away from valuable moments and making the most out of my time here. When I come back (yes I’ve already decided), I will know better and be prepared.

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