Foreigner(s)!

Wai Guo Ren!  It's a phrase we hear no less than half a dozen times a day.  Sometimes muttered, sometimes with shock, sometimes shouted, sometimes with humor, and sometimes with mere observation.  The literal translation of the term (outside country person/people) is somewhat reminiscent of Jewish tradition where you're either Jew or Gentile, nothing in between.  Here, you're either an insider or outsider, a Chinese or a foreigner.  Now, that's not to say that the culture denigrates foreigners in any way.  Chinese hospitality is certainly well-known and celebrated for a reason. However, it is becoming increasingly clear, especially the longer we stay, that our differences are well noted and observed.

When I posted the pictures of our apartment, I joked about the eyes on our patio door (above), saying that we really didn't need any additional reminders about how very watched we are.  Sometimes we are watched with care - such as the student Friday who was concerned we weren't familiar with how to cross the street and that the stop lights might be different here than they are in America.  Sometimes it is with curiosity - such as the sweet elderly couple at the street market that tried to chit chat in the local dialect, or the drunk on the bus last night who made it oh so clear that he felt our Mandarin needs severe improvement.  However, the observation is seldom without comment.

Seemingly everywhere we go, we (unintentionally) cause a bit of a ruckus.  If I go to the department store to purchase a cell phone, or the market to buy eggs, my broken Mandarin causes a host of individuals to gather around out of a sense of personal confidence that they will suddenly be the magic gateway to clear communication.  If we go to the local mall to find bedding, the bored shopkeepers follow from store to store actively discussing amongst themselves what they think we might best like to purchase, only to have all their conjectures turned completely inside out when all we find (and purchase) is one measly pillow cover.

So, it came as little surprise that the students filled us in on the latest foreigner scoop at their first opportunity, which happened to be last Thursday night at English Corner.  It soon came to be known that we are no longer the only foreigners in town...in fact, a massive total of FIVE German individuals exists at a nearby university campus.  The town is all abuzz with the news.  What did, however, come as a surprise was that we actually ran into two of said German individuals last Friday at the gym.  Apparently, the gym is the unofficial hub for the Western foreigners here in our fair city.

In my experience, having similar pigmentation has never been reason enough to strike up a conversation, or even more so, a friendship.  However, the student accompanying us saw no reason as to why it shouldn't be.  So, with wide eyes she promptly informed me - in the presence of the two guys - that we "should talk!"  Thankfully, they were as baffled and amused at her reaction to the situation as I was and lighthearted conversation followed.  At the student's insistence, we made plans to meet up at another time.  In fact, a group of our foreign teachers at this campus met with them for dinner last night.  I must say, it was my first experience of going to hot pot where there were not any Chinese people with me.  In China, no less.  Who knows what might happen if the Swedish ever come to town.