Welcome to the Zoo...Your cage is third on the left...

I'm not sure why Chinese people think that foreigners are so interesting. Maybe it's because they've not seen a lot of them--I've been telling myself that for 12 years now. Maybe they are just naturally curious. Or maybe they just don't give a damn about staring at other people.

Whatever the case, the homogeneity or the lack of a Chinese Ann Landers, I'm officially tired of it. My trip to the park with the fam today was interrupted no less than five time (in two hours) by people wanting to take pictures of us (and those were just the people who asked!). The rest of the 2 million SZ residents without cameras made sure to stand around and comment on our family and the status of foreigners in general in China. Whether we were drinking Sprite ("Foreigners love pop, that's whey they're so fat") or taking photos ("you can see how much more beautiful mixed children are") or just walking around looking at flowers ("you speak English, go talk to them. Of course they'll talk with you, they're foreigners. GO!") we were the center of indirect attention.

Maybe, you think, that's a pretty big compliment and I'm just complaining. But it's about as big of a compliment as being the 4th chimp in the primate exhibit at the zoo. "Here are the Pandas; here are the gorillas; here are the foreigners; here are the elephants. You've got 2 minutes for photos at each cage and then we move on."

You think that the paparazzi are bad? Beckham has what? 20 guys following him around? We've got 10 million in Shenzhen alone and no matter where we go (yes, even the restroom) people comment and stare (even look over stall walls--I kid you not!).

How many times do people stare at the Chinese people walking down the street in LA? How about...never! So what is the deal here? These people have TV. They have magazines. They have movies (OK, only 10 foreign films a year but everything is on DVD on the street). They have "the most glorious history the planet has ever seen"--just ask them! So what's the deal?

I'm fat. My kids are cute enough, but not that good looking. I mean, no one in the US ever asks to take our picture. Hell no one in Taiwan, Hong Kong or Thailand does either. So why the Chinese?!

No answers. Just ranting.