An Anomaly in China- Big Black Soul Brother #1

My views of China before I arrived was full of mystery with thoughts of dragons, kung-fu, chow-mien, and wise men with long gray beards and mustaches, circling pagoda buildings and reciting Buddha's mantras of enlightenment.

With these types of thoughts, I too was a victim of naivety and media brainwashing. If this is what I thought the Chinese were about, then what do they think about a brown skin, husky build man with curly hair?

Without understanding of my origination, the first impression is that I am African; until I speak English without an accent. I get the "Ahhh, American… Hollywood". I laugh, we all laugh—briefly. My first day upon arrival; the CEO of my company had his driver pick me up from the airport. He stared at me and shouted "Cha-rowls (Charles), big black soul brother #1…" I died laughing in disbelief from what I just heard, coming from the first person to speak to me in this foreign country; mind you, this was all the English he knew. I knew this was going to be an interesting stay. I have been told that the only reference they have about African-Americans is through sports and movies, and anything other is just a complete fascination; however not all fascinations are of acceptance.

I've been told numerous times that being black is not the reason for the stares, its being a foreigner, an American—or just being fat! I laughed because in America, I am just like everyone else; I can find clothes my size.

The time spent here has been nothing more than a walking spectacle, they are quite curious to see what the big man wants to order from their picture menus (just because it looks like, or says beef, doesn't mean that it is beef—sometimes you must ask what part of the cow). Catching taxis is like wrangling cattle; they stop, look and wave their hands and keep going. The rejection from a taxi is quite often, which is not good when you are standing in the freezing cold. Speaking of cold, I laugh to myself because most people that look like me are here during the summer months but when it gets cold all the tourists leave, I guess to go back towards the equator where its warmer, this could be a reason for more strange looks, they probably ask "why is this one still here?" All in all I will never forget this experience, it has allowed me to reflect on what many years of communism can do to people and how even in 2008, the world can still be caught in time's reflection—the past.