[KnowItAll]

>> As for the staring, stare back at them!

Depending on how sleep deprived and grouchy I am, I more then often smile back or just say hello.

[sylvesterjay]

In my travels, I have come to a realization...stupidity and ignorance are universal. Some cultures are just more ingrained to try and convey common courtesy and others aren't. I find copious quantities of alcohol helps.

[hughb2000]

I felt i just had to post, unlike most of you i have been living in hong kong for over 15 years, moving here when i was only 7.. I have been walking the streets of hong kong this entire time and everything that has been said in this thread has truths in some form or another.. Some people can handle being stared at some cant... some are absolutly disguted by certain tendancies (of 'some') chinese people.. ie. spitting, etc.. Anyway all that has been said and is clearly here in some form, people arent just making it up.. What i want to add to this is my perspective.. i will be brutally honest.. and say that when i see a foreigner i do tend to look at them more than i do a chinese person (unless she is hot ) only because i see 1000 chinese people a day and maybe only 10-20 foreigners.. (well depends on what i do that day) so obviously looking at the foreigner would be more appealing in some sense.. so imo that is how the chinese people that stare at you are thinking. I do also get stared at.. god i am on the MTR for over an hour everyday over in kowloon side for work i get a handfull of people look at me everyday. (yes sorry forgot to mention i am a white boy from the UK) What i do want to say is that it does much more tend to be the older generation that stare (which again is more understandable), my strategy is to look back at them - not stare; two things wil happen then, either they look away .. or they just keep staring - at this point you just ignore them and look somewhere else .. stick your headphones in.. think of them as freaks! life goes on... As far as the knowing some cantonese.. trust me this is seriously the best thing for a foreigner in hong kong, it gains you a huge amount of respect from the locals as it is showing them respect by making an effort to learn THEIR language in THEIR country.. it makes to much sense for someone to even ask; "should i learn cantonese!?!" I am not fluent by any sense of the word but i dunno maybe 50-100 words is what i know and hong kong is my home and i feel at home here... learn to adapt.. its a great place if you want to fit in! if you want to be a foreigner here then dont complain about being treated like an ALIEN!

and.. if you want to meet up for a drink or two to see how a 'white local' gets respect in hong kong - and if you are up for a good time.. just pm me

[ct1]

Originally Posted by texasaxel

Is this staring and bumping thing mostly targeted towards women? As a western male living here for a year I have not noticed any particularly obvious stares directed at me and as for the bumping I mostly associate it with people's strange 'walking habits' as in abruptly stopping or slowing down in the middle of a crowded footpath. Somehow I think that's not what you're talking about, ct1.

no that's not what I mean...more sort on barging...shoulders squared and locked and them bam! Oh well...will keep smiling....

[Valencia1]

>>Is this staring and bumping thing mostly targeted towards women?

Being a local female born and raised here, I can tell you that most local males will try their best to avoid bumping into you because you can always charge them of sexual harrassment even by a casual touch. If you are being bumped into by a male and you suspect anything like being taken advantage of, just shout,"Fei lai(sexual harrassment), chai yan (policeman)". I'm sure the guy who bumps into you will say sorry and run away for fear of being caught.

Staring can mean 2 things: you're a foreinger or your're pretty. It's up to you to decide.

There are always some jerks who deliberately bump into women, so beware!

[HZ from NZ]

Hey guys,

This is certainly a controversial and highly amusing discussion.
Personally I think the people in either HK or China really mean no harm to you when they stare or talk to others who have the same face as they have.

The thing is, you do look different, regardless of what language you speak, your face cannot change who you are and how they treat you. When people stare at you, most of the time it is only because they're curious. People are always interested in what they are not.

When they prefer to speak to a Chinese person, is because they may be scared to talk to you, because you're different, and because they're afraid to make a mistake (language wise).

The rudeness is a culture thing. When you live among billions of people, the attitude towards life is fight for what you want, hence people can appear to be pushy and impolite.

All you need to do is simply try and open up to the locals. At the end of the day, you may find that the locals are actually a bunch of warm and fun people.

Also picture yourself as a Chinese person in a western world... Wouldn't that be even worse. People will not only stare in some places, but will also make ruder racist comments more bluntly.

Take it from me, being a westerner in China gives you more privileges than frustrations.

[Mat]

Originally Posted by HZ from NZ

Take it from me, being a westerner in China gives you more privileges than frustrations.

This is so true....

[sylvesterjay]

Originally Posted by Valencia

..you can always charge them of sexual harrassment even by a casual touch...

jeez, are women that fackin insecure in this town that a casual touch is sexual harassment? Political correctness gone waaaaaaaay to far

[Valencia1]

Originally Posted by sylvesterjay

jeez, are women that fackin insecure in this town that a casual touch is sexual harassment? Political correctness gone waaaaaaaay to far

I've seen a man deliberately bumping into women after women. I've recently seen a set of photo shots of one single jerk bumping into diff women on another website.

[sylvesterjay]

One of my local female friends was telling me some schoolboy kept touching her shoulder on the bus, and some guy on the MTR grabbed her bum. So, as I understand it...HK is filled with a bunch of lecherous local men. God, no wonder women like western guys.