Sunday, April 01, 2007


Poorly written, but I have homework:

In China, there are two kinds of tourist spots – those that westerners visit and those that westerners do not visit. Tai Shan is one that westerners do not visit. Because it is relatively remote and not especially Chinese, most Western tour companies rarely bother with it. As a result, ticket prices are cheaper and accommodations are a little bit shabbier. Also, Chinese from the neighboring small cities are more likely to take short train rides there for a jaunt rather than going all the way to Beijing. These middle-class workers and college students rarely have the opportunity to see westerners. While Beijingers see white faces every day, the average Chinese person perhaps sees one a year. And when they are sightseeing, a white face is just another part of the spectacle. While I can occasionally blend in, and often do when walking in Beijing with my Asian-descendent classmates, it’s impossible with my friend Anna, who was gawked at by most of our fellow hikers. Often people would awkwardly utter a “Hello” and occasionally people would ask for pictures. Inevitably, our Chinese was better than their English.

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