I can understand both sides. When on the street I see a foreigner, I usually try to make eye contact and sometimes I smile... not because I want to be nice, but because I'm happy to see other people sharing perhaps a similar situation here.
I'm German, and German people here in Kunming are indeed rare, so I don't really identify with the US Americans in Kunming. In my university, the Americans do everything together, it seems, and I wonder if they wonder about me: why do I never speak to them (except for a "hi" and a smile)? It's mostly because I came to China for contact with Chinese people, and also with people of other Asian countries... so no wonder I spend most of my time with Chinese, Singhalese, Thai, Lao, Japanese and Vietnamese people here.

Maybe other people just don't feel special enough about other foreigners, so they don't think it's necessary to make eye-contact with them. I wouldn't consider this rude or stuck-up.

Thank JJ,
I experience pretty much the same. The locals in my neighborhood recognize and greet me with a smile and a Ni Hao /Hello. Although, almost every time I enter our local market I do hear comments about sharpening knives, there's a lao wai in here. haha. Just another ethnic joke. I usually pantomime sharpening a knife and we all get a laugh out of it. Walking the streets is kind of fun, too as the girls really are a highlight here, but I get that response everywhere is Asia. People tell me it's my blue eyes that they find so attractive. The rest of the packaging is middle aged and balding. Not prime beef, for sure.
My complaint/whine revolved specifically around the expats and their snobby "better than you" attitude. It is something that I have found to be different from many of the other places I have lived...and I have lived around the world and in larger cities than Kunming. Judging by some of the harsh responses, I think that I was correct in my analysis that a lot of the folks here really are just jerks, playing ostrich and sticking their heads in the sand. Which is quite funny, 'cause that's what they look like when we play "the game"

This topic is a little bizarre to me. Sometimes, when I can get down into Kunming, I do occasionally find reasons to smile and say hello to individuals both Chinese and other nationalities. It depends on the situation, what I'm doing, how I feel, what's going on around me, what I'm preoccupied with and possibly a whole host of other criteria I don't even understand fully myself.

The idea I should go around systematically acknowledging all other non-Chinese nationalities borders on racism and if I should do it to everyone it borders on insanity. This isn't some far flung extraordinary place where foreigners are unique, there are thousands of us, though not all cruising around Bei Chen or Wen Lin Jie.

The idea I should take on the role of a 'Crocodile Dundee' character is preposterous. We're all from different backgrounds and cultures for example, the modus operandi for London is clearly not the same as in West Texas.

Clearly the more you smile at people the more likely you are to have it returned but if it doesn't happen then it doesn't happen, that's life and you can't go calling everyone a jerk if they don't respond the way you believe they should.

laowai - um just to be fair - I'm Chinese-American - I can blend into almost any asian culture - with the right haircut and clothes, so I don't get laowai stares - well - I do at Salvadores (like what's this Chinese guy doing here)...maybe I'm bit of an onomatapoeia (ugh...how DOES one spell that thing...).

Smile and the world smiles back :)

I was a little disappointed when I moved here, it's not as friendly as most other Chinese cities, or Canadian or American ones for that matter. But then again, some days the KMGcity peeps are super-friendly so maybe it depends on the day? Or the area you're in..? I don't know.

Have you studied the 8 stages of culture shock?

Maybe some people are stuck in some of those bad stages and it makes them want to keep to themselves, or maybe they're having a bad day. Everyone has days where they're preoccupied and aren't in the mood to meet new people too, there are even tons of whiny bad songs written about it.

Whatever the case, just be yourself and if you want to smile at other people, do it! If they don't smile back then that's their loss, there are a lot of awesome people here. Don't be dissed by the unsocial zombies, or the people having bad days.

_

I personally live in Kunming because I chose to live in this place specifically. Admittedly, most of my friends are other laowai, one of the reasons being that my Chinese is still not good enough to have deep conversations with Chinese people. That said, I don't see why I should greet or acknowledge another person simply because they have the same skin colour as I do. Being out in the streets, as said earlier, doesn't mean I'm on a social round and I can relate to the comment that I'm probably at times walking around with the "I know you're staring at me but I don't give a f*ck" face, which doesn't mean I feel better than the people around me. Nothing wrong with spontaneous conversation or greeting strangers, but we're both foreigners, so what? If it happens, it happens, if not, then not. No need to force yourself upon someone else. If you're really that desperate to meet people from the same part of the world, it might be a great idea to move back to that place! I am Dutch and I do have Dutch friends here, but I'd never seek them out, as I simply don't really care where people are from and as being Dutch doesn't mean that much to me, except for feeling lucky I've had pretty good opportunities in my life, although coming from a relatively poor family.

Just my two jiao worth..

lao wai !!!!!! you are so right its untrue, 9/10 fellow foreigners I pass on the street are either too insecure or stuck up to acknowledge the presence of someone similar to them, like its "THEIR" China, giving you looks of "what are you doing here?!" Like those guys you see sitting outside salvadore's ALL DAY LONG. SO aloof.

People can say its city life but if I smile at ANY Chinese person, they usually smile back or say something. If the so called "uncivilised" Chinese can manage that than it really speaks volumes about our civilisation...

This reminds of the "Laowai Death Stare" piece from the amusing talktalkchina.com (now no longer online).

Part of the article seems to have been reposted at www.thebeijinger.com/forum/2006/10/22/Laowai-death-stare

@Flamezpowa: Why do we have to acknowledge someone 'similar' to us? And the fact that most Chinese people smile back at you is mostly JUST because you are a foreigner...

@Greginchina: Nice write-up there... I guess some of us in the thread here are also referring to his comical "Ohmigod-another-foreigner-how-amazing-let's-bond-and-be-bestest-friends-just-cos-we're-both-foreigners-in-China!" haha..

Anyway... I think some people just feel a bit lonely or are amazed by the fact that not everybody is absolutely thrilled every time somebody with the same skin colour comes parading by.