Curiosity...

You know the saying, "Curiosity killed the cat"? Well, the same goes for the Chinese...or so I believe may happen. It amazes me that I have yet to see a local Chinese person get nailed by a bus, taxi, or other vehicle. Before moving to this buzzing metropolis, I was told I would get stared at by many locals. This is a gross understatement. While I did what I could to blend in...dyeing my blond hair brown and straightening it as often as possible, some things can't be changed. My boobies (among other physical traits I was blessed with) tend to draw some attention, thanks to their size and the 'barely there' clothing one must wear in the sultry summer.


First, let me back up a bit. It is a common sight to see a local on a bike staring at a Westerner. Doesn't sound to dangerous you say...well picture this: Rush hour, cars turning in all directions, traffic lights as mere suggestions and a culture of 'only the strong survive' and 'whoever gets there first' wins, tends to create dangerous situations on the roads. Mind you, scooters, bicyclist and buses that don't have to follow any rules are also in the mix. So, when I say the locals stare, picture them doing this in total chaos surrounding them. They start on one street, stare at you and turn the corner into traffic and somehow survive, weaving in and out. It is truly unbelievable. The traffic and lack of following traffic laws in a big city is definitely something to get use to.

Now getting back to my boobies, one instance stands out in my mind. It was the first week we moved here and we had a big, fancy work party. I was wearing a strapless dress that was tight in my chest, as most of my clothes are, for obvious reasons. As we walked to the Metro, we passed a traffic light. There was a semi-truck (Chinese semi-truck) with four men in the front seat (also a common sight and another story) sitting at a red light and all of them were pointing at me with smiles on their faces and saying something (I am sure about my boobs). They continued to stare as the driver somehow sensed the light was green (it may have been the continuous horn honking behind him) and drove off, eyes still on my chest. It was quite comical.

I guess I will talk about my boobs whenever I can...but my point is that the curious stares of the local Chinese frighten me. I worry that someday as they stare at us Westerners, they will one day see that they do not have 9 lives as a cat does....