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December 02, 2003

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I mentioned in my weekend review that the family visited Ocean Park on the weekend. One thing I didn't mention then was the number of times we got stopped. By tourists. Wanting photos of our kids. It would go something like this.

We would be walking along our merry way, minding our own business. A gaggle (I'm not sure of the collective noun for mainland tourists) of visitors would grab on to JC , pull her over, take a quick snap with several of them bunched around her, make adoring coo-ing sounds and occassionally touch her hair. PB was in a stroller but she too was photographed twice. Now I am biased but I do think JC a very pretty kid and PB is particularly cute with her curly hair and constant smile. I'm proud that others agree. I'm flattered women visiting the shark enclosure found JC more interesting than man-eating machines of the deep. But I'm more than a little disturbed about this abuse of personal space. And this wasn't an isolated incident. This happens almost everytime we go out. It's nice and disturbing. Nicely disturbing.

Plus I didn't get a chance to charge them all HK$50 a pic. We'd be rich.

 posted by Simon on 12.02.03 at 03:20 PM in the




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Comments:

This happened to me in Beijing a few years back. People were trying to slowly get nearer to me while their friend prepared to take a snap of them standing next to me. It also happened in Yunan province but over there I wasn't too surprised since many of the people living there probably never seen a foreigner in real life before.

 posted by: Eyal on 12.02.03 at 03:58 PM [permalink]

Happened to Olgita at the Great Wall too...she had a veritable flock following her around.

 posted by: nekkid on 12.02.03 at 04:20 PM [permalink]

i think the collective noun for mainland tourists is annoyingpeoplewhoarealwaysinthewaywheneveryouaretryingtogetsomewhereinarush

 posted by: english on 12.02.03 at 04:47 PM [permalink]

I think it happens to a lot of expat kids. With two young children, both fair-haired, they and I seem used to it - though my six-year old boy now doesn't like the attention at all.
But I must admit I flinch a bit when the admirers start the uninvited touching. I don't want to be rude, but sometimes I dislike it so much I say in Cantonese "our doctor says please don't touch."

 posted by: Virginia on 12.02.03 at 11:12 PM [permalink]




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