Not hardly, I do have my likes and dislikes, few can really compete with the one and only Gaoxing.lol

And what if we were walking into one half of the KK+Kanice / oooonomatopoyaaah gokunming soap opera?

We cast our eyes down in awe thinking you may be the all knowing guru DaLaotou :-(

The fact that you expect some sort of a nod from someone just because they're laowai is damn offensive. Besides, have you lived in a big city before KM? Most folks prize their privacy. Walking down the street does not always mean social hour. What makes you so special or insecure to expect recognition from someone/anyone at any time? A bit cynical to say, but you're just another person walking on the sidewalk. Who gives a shit if you want to make eye contact? We're all on our way to doing whatever we're doing. Quit making this a laowai issue and look inside yourself. Why do you need laowai attention? Why do you expect it as well?

On the other hand, you're onto something... I came here to enjoy a bit of anonymity and cultural diversion. When someone who shares a higher percentage of my cultural background comes into view, I'm reminded of why I came to China: to enjoy something different. If you're less different, you remind me of home. I'm glad to be away from home. So when avoiding your gaze (when you might have played that game with me) maybe I was avoiding the gaze of all the fat lazy non-voting caucasions I share a gene or two with back in the U.S. Don't take it personally. I don't want to look at you. OK? Enjoy the wonderful weather. I am...

Good to see that I'm not the only one with nothing better to do on a Saturday night than to sling shit and whine;) Have fun y'all! Thanx for your input.

dalaotou ... is that me - maybe I'm precocious to assume. Anyway - I prefer to blend and remain anonymous - kind of like furniture. If someone greets me or wants to chat - if I have the time of course I'll be courteous (when you make eye contact - do you say hello?). But in general - I like my privacy and am more of a loner - an introvert. For deep personal relationships, chatting, coffee shops, dinners, etc - I prefer spending time with my wife and kids - but if that makes your wife smile - super!

That's not to say I haven't met some really wonderful expats here also. But I rarely initiate. Just not the gregarious type like lao_wai I suppose. Some of the expats I've seen at Salvadors strike me as druggies (you know - slow slurred speach, glazed eyes) - I avoid druggies - not into that scene - not interested.

So if you're serious about saying hello, please just say "Hello" followed by a "Do you have a moment to chat?" - jumping into someone's path with a stare down/challenge without an accompanying greeting strikes me as eccentric and raises my suspicion and avoidance levels to DEFCON. And if I'm not interested - maybe I have something more pressing to do elsewhere (like wash my hair or cut my nails)...please don't be offended. A "no" should be just as graciously acceptable as a "sure - would love to stop and chat"...

Sorry laotou, I was half-joking. I can understand where you're coming from. I used to smile at foreigners, but lately I haven't been doing so. Don't be offended, I don't think I'm better than others and that's not why I don't smile or nod. I think it has something to do with the adjustment we all make to the stares we get from Chinese. I think I have developed a "I don't give a fuck that you are looking at me" face, in reaction to Chinese stares. This is my street face. If I see you on the street, you'll catch that face. I don't think I'm the only one.

Respectfully this time - don't experiment on people on the street. If I were having a bad day, I would not appreciate some guy begging me for a nod and judging me if I didn't give it. What kind of behavior is that?

But I guess we all get bored sometimes...

I used to avoid talking to fellow laowai. I had gotten tired of explaining why I wasn't rich, why I wanted to live outside the US, why I was such a failure, blah., blah, blah. I even hid my face on buses sometimes. But I don't care anymore.

As for Chinese people staring, wear old-fashioned Chinese clothing and they'll think your from Sichuan. It worked for G.E. Morrison and it works now.

I "growed up" in West Texas where you looked everyone in the eye at all times - - even meeting on the street. It's an old habit which I still have.

When I'm on the street here - - about 60% of folks (Chinese and otherwise) quickly avert their glance when eyeball contact is made. Of the remainder, I quickly smile - nod - and a "Ni Hao" or "Howdy"
About half of that group also quickly avert glance - - often jerking their eyeballs away. Most of remainder respond with smile and/or verbal greeting. A small portion just keep looking with no response as if they are surprised that a stranger would speak to them.

As a side note, most of those responding are female - - and mostly young! (As to me - - my self-image is that of a tall dashingly-handsome cowboy - - but wife has corrected that to read white-haired old man!!)

In my neighborhood of Bei Chen, many folks are used to me and I get smiles and "Hello" from a very large percentage.

Kinda leads me to believe that you find what you look for.

Cheers - - JJ

I've been to a bunch of places in China... HK, Sichaun, Shanghai, Shenzhen and plenty of places in Asia, and I have to say a fair proportion of Kunming expats are some of the snottiest I've met. You'd expect that sort of stuff in HK, say... but nope, people are much more down to Earth there.

I remember hearing some Oxbridge type in Salvadors who'd just arrived complaining about how there were (Gosh) too many foreigners in KM.

I think everyone wants KM to be their little secret and's disspointed that it can't be.

Having said that, there's still tons of great LaoWai there. And the guy above has a point, some people just want to mind their own business and get on with their day...

KM's a city where you can dip in and out of the Expat scene if you want, so it's pretty well set up.

Enjoy the sun...