More on being a big deal

Mike in China

by Michael Tieso on June 1, 2011

in Asia,Destinations,Featured

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As I was walking back to my apartment, I noticed a Chinese girl staring at me with her mouth wide open. China does provide for some really high ego and admittedly she was attractive. So I waved. She continued to stare at me and walk but then she walked directly into a tree. Forehead straight onto the tree with both arms between the tree. She fell straight to the ground but got up quickly to keep walking. She was embarrassed and didn’t want to look at me again. I felt bad but it was really hilarious.

I had just come back from lunch. I was invited with a few students to meet a girl that has never spoken to a foreigner before. They wanted to practice their English. Here’s an email I just got from the girl I met.

hello,Michael.im mengdie,my english name is miffy.I am a girl that have a meal with you on Thursday
frist,nice to meet you.
second,Very honored to lunch with you
You are the first one and I talk of foreign friends, for me, the special significance.
I appreciate your coming today.
I hope we can become good friends.
im looking forward to meeting you here again.
thank you!

Her English is better than some of my students that are English majors in their 20′s. Anyway… It’s odd to know that I was really the first foreigner she has ever spoken to. I didn’t realize it until now that many of the students like to talk about the other foreigners they’ve met. They remember every detail about the few foreigners they’ve met from what they did, what the foreigner liked to eat, where they came from, their name, color of their eyes, etc. Sometimes they’ll give me a whole list of people they’ve met from different countries as if each person is like a stamp in their own passport.

Being a big deal seems to come with a lot of responsibilities in China. I need to remember that all my actions have a reaction. Many of the things I say or do, may be remembered and passed down onto others. I think that the one hour lunch I had with Miffy made an everlasting good first impression of a foreigner. I may never see her again but I bet she’ll tell everyone she has a friend from the US.

Being liked TOO much

Being liked TOO much

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Michael Tieso travels around the world writing, photographing, and filming his adventures. He left the cubicle life to travel the world in May 2009 and he still continues the journey to this day with no end to it. He loves adventure, food, and music. He is the Editor-in-chief of Art of Backpacking. Follow him on Twitter and .

Michael has written 285 awesome articles for AOB.

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  • http://everymanscritic.blogspot.com ChinaMatt

    You’re giving me flashbacks to the days in Shenzhen. I don’t think I ever made anyone walk into a tree though. Most of my former Chinese students probably remember me having blue eyes…which I don’t–but some said I did when I taught them.

    • http://artofbackpacking.com Michael

      Eye color is my favorite topic with the Chinese. I like to joke around and tell them there’s no such thing as black eye color and that it’s brown – not black. Fun times.

  • http://www.cachandochile.com Margaret

    I remember an anthro professor–a stunning tall, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, young and prematurely gray woman–telling about young children and the elderly running to stare at her as she walked through villages in Nepal.
    On a less exotic front, a friend and I were on a rural train in Chile a couple months ago and a mother brought her 8-year-old son up to us and asked if she could take a picture of him with us. This in a country with a LOT of foreigners!

  • Meg

    I fully understand your sentiments about becoming a sort of  organic ambassador for the us. Its true that the Chinese are intrigued and fascinated by foreigners, thus warranting a lot of stares, and it is these small moments and interactions which can really help mold an understanding of our culture for the better.

  • http://www.travelnlass.com TravelnLass

    I never thought of it that way, but you’re right – we foreigners have a great responsibility as role models of our ilk.  A bit daunting

  • http://twitter.com/NickBerggreen Nick Berggreen

    Americans–making people walk into trees since 1776.

  • http://northernnomad.com Carolyn

    Very funny!  I can understand what you mean after teaching in an elementary school in South Korea.  I was the second foreign person most of my students had met, the first being the previous English teacher.  I did feel a bit of pressure to live up to fully represent what a Canadian really is like.  I also found that almost everyone I met and talked to for any period of time would say that I looked like some Hollywood celebrity (and some were VERY far stretches)!  Definitely an ego booster at times though!

    • http://artofbackpacking.com Michael

      I’m starting to get use to all the nice comments my students say. I’m going to miss this since I’m leaving in a month.

  • Wright19

    Hi everyone,
    I’m a 21 year-old guy going to travel in China for 3 weeks this July/August, so excited about going but am having a tough time deciding what to see, the country is just so huge! It’s my first time travelling solo, first time travelling in China, indeed travelling outside Europe, I’m up for a challenge but don’t want to be completely overwhelmed, I thought it might be a bit easier on myself if I stick to the bigger cities? I’ve found cheap return flights to Beijing, so I was thinking Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai, getting trains between them. Any tips and advice for what to do in these places, any other places you’d recommend I go to? Thanks for any advice! :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001890300120 Will Iforce

    That girl was me

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001890300120 Will Iforce

    That girl was me :)

  • http://twitter.com/TravelatedRease Rease Kirchner

    haha aw! When i studied Japanese I always loved how honored every Japanese person was that I spoke any of their language. So sweet!