Here in China, there is a popular fascination with the West. A lot of their culture is clearly influenced by America. From silly things like their spelling, color instead of colour, etc to their music, if it's not cheesy unbearable Chinese Pop its American gangsta rap! You can often hear a bit of G Unit and Snoop Dogg walking through Ladies Fashion. But the strangest thing I've observed, only of late, is how the women here want to be white. Nicola and I are often told how beautiful we are because of our white skin. It wasn't the Sun came out in all its glory and heat that Chinese women so want to be white that they cover up in the sun. They use umbrellas in the sunshine! How strange, especially to us Brits, who as soon as the Sun splits the grey clouds we pack into the closest park, beach or closest bit of grass where we can sit to get a tan!
They also have a special product similar to our body lotion that is slightly tinted with bronzing materials to gently darken our skin so we look already tanned when we go to sun ourselves. Their lotion however, is called 'Whitening Lotion' to lighten their skin in the summer.
So here us western girls are catching every ray of Sun, lying in every UV bed and coating ourselves in orange can tan to make our skin more like that of the Asian tone, while the Chinese are doing the exact opposite to make their skin more like the Caucasian tone.
Interesting...
Indeed, I was supprised myself when I went there and sales women in stores complimented me on my skin - because it was so white! haha A lot of their face creams contain "whitening" agents!
ReplyDeleteCulture differences are what makes travelling such interesting experiences!
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