Sheri disagreed, saying that she sees a great opportunity in China to educate people about appliance efficiency standards and the impacts of cars. I was cheered by her optimism. The food arrives and I dig in. When I look up, I notice that the Chinese family of three sitting opposite from me is eating silently, their eyes fixed on me. This is a standard experience in Beijing.
All foreigners attract attention, and short Indian women get the circus-freak treatment.
People stare at me openly, some even point. One guy on a bicycle nearly hit a pole because he had wrenched his head around to look at me. I've been in other countries where I attract attention because of my appearance, but it's never been this extreme. Here, when I smile to establish that I am a friendly alien, people burst into laughter. It would seem that the Chinese are hard-wired to find me hilarious.