I can’t resist people watching. Wherever I am I have to work hard not to stare at people. It’s all that wondering what they are doing, where they are going, what, why, when etc. Before I left I wondered what my first impressions would be, finding myself in the middle of such a far away country, a country of peoples of many ethnic origins but none from the ethnic groups I live in. Would l at first, for example, think everyone looked alike?
Well it turns out no, the first time I became aware of this was when I was talking to an elderly Chinese woman on the plane to Beijing. As we talked I was struck by how much she looked like an old friend of ours Jean Yates. Yesterday the bus driver reminded me of my Uncle Ian.
I’m becoming fascinated at how at one and the same time the people around me can be so different yet so familiar.
However two things stand out here in Fuzhou. Firstly I very rarely see anyone who is overweight or indeed noticeably underweight. Given that the UK has a national problem with obesity this is a big difference. Secondly no one has tattoos, well visible ones at least. No one, ok just one, a young woman on the bus opposite to me yesterday had a star on her upper arm. What I wonder does this tell us? Bit to deep for a holiday blog, I’ll just go back to watching people I think …