DON'T KID YOURSELF: You are being watched!

[griz326]

I was getting ready to leave so I did not have time to get into this with him, but he most certainly believes that ALL AMERICANS traveling in China are being closely watched. I took it that the information came from his training.

 

I'll give him that most of us are easy to pick out of the crowd.

 

There was no question that I was being watched in 1978: military police took me off of a wall I had climbed to see what turned out to be a military installation; and when I was walking the streets at 0200 with Chinese citizens a guy with a machine gun on a motorcycle circled the block quite a bit.

 

However, in my last 3 trips I saw no overt indications that I was being watched. Perhaps they did a little profiling based on credit card use or banking activity, but I am a low profile kinda guy.

 

Perhaps if I were a ex-Special Forces guy there might be surveillance, but I certainly don't see any evidence of this old fat boy being watched (other than to rub hands together as I fatten the Chinese economy ).

 

 

 

Any thoughts?

[Shenzhen K-1]

I was getting ready to leave so I did not have time to get into this with him, but he most certainly believes that ALL AMERICANS traveling in China are being closely watched. I took it that the information came from his training.

 

I'll give him that most of us are easy to pick out of the crowd.

 

There was no question that I was being watched in 1978: military police took me off of a wall I had climbed to see what turned out to be a military installation; and when I was walking the streets at 0200 with Chinese citizens a guy with a machine gun on a motorcycle circled the block quite a bit.

 

However, in my last 3 trips I saw no overt indications that I was being watched. Perhaps they did a little profiling based on credit card use or banking activity, but I am a low profile kinda guy.

 

Perhaps if I were a ex-Special Forces guy there might be surveillance, but I certainly don't see any evidence of this old fat boy being watched (other than to rub hands together as I fatten the Chinese economy ).

 

 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

Hey Griz enjoying your trip I hope??

 

My first trip to China I had that feeling, especially after being ex-military and being in there country??

 

But after being with my feng for a few days, I just figured that they have seen one white guy, I am just another one to them!! Then when in Beijing I kept getting asked to have my picture taken with peoples kids, I started to sense maybe I do stand out here?? Then read the thread about people saying you have a big nose or Mr. Johnson and who knows??

[GZBILL]

I was getting ready to leave so I did not have time to get into this with him, but he most certainly believes that ALL AMERICANS traveling in China are being closely watched. I took it that the information came from his training.

 

I'll give him that most of us are easy to pick out of the crowd.

 

There was no question that I was being watched in 1978: military police took me off of a wall I had climbed to see what turned out to be a military installation; and when I was walking the streets at 0200 with Chinese citizens a guy with a machine gun on a motorcycle circled the block quite a bit.

 

However, in my last 3 trips I saw no overt indications that I was being watched. Perhaps they did a little profiling based on credit card use or banking activity, but I am a low profile kinda guy.

 

Perhaps if I were a ex-Special Forces guy there might be surveillance, but I certainly don't see any evidence of this old fat boy being watched (other than to rub hands together as I fatten the Chinese economy ).

 

 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Do they really have the time, energy and manpower to watch every foreigner 24/7?

[IllinoisDave]

I NEVER had any sense I was being watched other than the usual "looks" westerners sometimes get from the locals.

[amberjack1234]

I never had the feeling that I was being watched by the military or police. In fact I seemed to be oblivious to the police which I came in close contact with quite a bit.

 

I know that I was being watched by the residence of the compound where my wifes parents lived. Just curiosity mostly I think or just suspicious of foreigners.

 

Larry

[Shenzhen K-1]

I NEVER had any sense I was being watched other than the usual "looks" westerners sometimes get from the locals.

 

Dave, not what I heard about you when in Shenzhen!!! B) B)

[Zhen's Tiger]

I was getting ready to leave so I did not have time to get into this with him, but he most certainly believes that ALL AMERICANS traveling in China are being closely watched. I took it that the information came from his training.

 

I'll give him that most of us are easy to pick out of the crowd.

 

There was no question that I was being watched in 1978: military police took me off of a wall I had climbed to see what turned out to be a military installation; and when I was walking the streets at 0200 with Chinese citizens a guy with a machine gun on a motorcycle circled the block quite a bit.

 

However, in my last 3 trips I saw no overt indications that I was being watched. Perhaps they did a little profiling based on credit card use or banking activity, but I am a low profile kinda guy.

 

Perhaps if I were a ex-Special Forces guy there might be surveillance, but I certainly don't see any evidence of this old fat boy being watched (other than to rub hands together as I fatten the Chinese economy B) ).

 

 

 

Any thoughts?

 

Do they really have the time, energy and manpower to watch every foreigner 24/7?

 

Right. It depends on who this Marine says is watching us... The US; very doubtful as they do not have the resources in China to watch all of us visiting. China; possibly, they do have the manpower to do this, but I know it would be hard. Assigning a 1 on 1 to watch everyone would be very difficult, to say the least. Expensive & time consuming.

 

Still, I'm sure if they saw the need to watch a particular person, it would definately be doable...

[rogerinca]

Yes, I have experienced this on each of my trips to beautiful China.

 

Wherever I go with Lao Po, walking on the streets, while at the shopping malls, or when entering a restaurant, always the ¡®eyes¡¯ are focused on me; sometimes to the point, that I feel very self-conscious.

 

I have discussed this with Lao Po. She also agrees with my observation and assessment. Therefore, she says, she can see no evidence of paranoia, with my view in this regard.

 

I asked her, why do so many look at me like this ???

 

My lovely Lao Po, took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes, before answering my poignant question. Then she told we the what she described as the truth and that I just must learn to live with it¡­¡­..

 

¡°My man, all those lovely young women who always look at you and stare at you, wherever we go; it is because you are so very tall, and your hair so gold, and your eyes so very blue, and you are so very handsome. This is why my man.¡±¡­¡­¡­.

 

 

 

 

 

[rogerluli]

On our last trip back we spent 9 days in laopo's Hunan hometown. There is a nuke base a few clicks away which is VERY top secret stuff... which can be found out by anyone in 30 seconds of googling... B) After we were there for about 5 days we were TOLD to report to the local police...I won't bore you all by re-telling the story which I have already told here once...But even in a place like that we were "kept tabs on" but continuously watched???

 

And in the big cities like BJ with 100,000 foreigners... B)

[Shenzhen K-1]

Yes, I have experienced this on each of my trips to beautiful China.

 

Wherever I go with Lao Po, walking on the streets, while at the shopping malls, or when entering a restaurant, always the ¡®eyes¡¯ are focused on me; sometimes to the point, that I feel very self-conscious.

 

I have discussed this with Lao Po. She also agrees with my observation and assessment. Therefore, she says, she can see no evidence of paranoia, with my view in this regard.

 

I asked her, why do so many look at me like this ???

 

My lovely Lao Po, took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes, before answering my poignant question. Then she told we the what she described as the truth and that I just must learn to live with it¡­¡­..

 

¡°My man, all those lovely young women who always look at you and stare at you, wherever we go; it is because you are so very tall, and your hair so gold, and your eyes so very blue, and you are so very handsome. This is why my man.¡±¡­¡­¡­.

 

 

 

 

 

B)

 

Roger, Roger, Roger.....................

 

B) B) B) B)

[warpedbored]

Never felt watched by anyone but the curious locals who hadn't seen many foreigners. If anything I was surprised by the local police's lack of interest in me. I did meet two young policemen in a park in Nanning that wanted to have their picture taken with me. They were very nice and polite.

[Richard & Li]

Yes, I have experienced this on each of my trips to beautiful China.

 

Wherever I go with Lao Po, walking on the streets, while at the shopping malls, or when entering a restaurant, always the ¡®eyes¡¯ are focused on me; sometimes to the point, that I feel very self-conscious.

 

I have discussed this with Lao Po. She also agrees with my observation and assessment. Therefore, she says, she can see no evidence of paranoia, with my view in this regard.

 

I asked her, why do so many look at me like this ???

 

My lovely Lao Po, took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes, before answering my poignant question. Then she told we the what she described as the truth and that I just must learn to live with it¡­¡­..

 

¡°My man, all those lovely young women who always look at you and stare at you, wherever we go; it is because you are so very tall, and your hair so gold, and your eyes so very blue, and you are so very handsome. This is why my man.¡±¡­¡­¡­.

 

 

Li is from a part of China that has no tourism and rarely has 'non-Asian' visitors. I get the same thing (to an extreme). E.g., people literally hanging out of bus windows to get a chance to shout 'hello' to me. I don't get the feeling that the Communist Party is actively watching me. Just that people are seeing something very unusual. That is something that I've never become accustomed to. (I'm glad I'm not a movie-star, I can return to America and be thankfully ignored.) I can understand how it makes you feel uncomfortable.

 

All of my encounters with uniformed officials in any capacity in China were pleasant experiences. They were all polite, accommodating, helpful, and tried with pretty good success to communicate with me in English. The most I've been scrutinized was applying for a visa extension. They took me to the most luxurious office in the building, asked me typical questions (how long will you be in China, where will you stay, etc.), took my picture, and ultimately gave me an extension two months longer than I asked for.

 

BTW: Li tells me almost the same thing...

[Corbin]

Yes, I have experienced this on each of my trips to beautiful China.

 

Wherever I go with Lao Po, walking on the streets, while at the shopping malls, or when entering a restaurant, always the ¡®eyes¡¯ are focused on me; sometimes to the point, that I feel very self-conscious.

 

I have discussed this with Lao Po. She also agrees with my observation and assessment. Therefore, she says, she can see no evidence of paranoia, with my view in this regard.

 

I asked her, why do so many look at me like this ???

 

My lovely Lao Po, took my hand and looked deeply into my eyes, before answering my poignant question. Then she told we the what she described as the truth and that I just must learn to live with it¡­¡­..

 

¡°My man, all those lovely young women who always look at you and stare at you, wherever we go; it is because you are so very tall, and your hair so gold, and your eyes so very blue, and you are so very handsome. This is why my man.¡±¡­¡­¡­.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Roger, you sure she said that or is that how you remember it in the legend of your own mind................

[tsap seui]

Watched? Hardly.

Stared at, taken photos of everywhere I go, listened and watched a very beautiful Chinese woman make orgasmic cooing sounds while I sat on a love seat while my girlfriend tried on clothes, watched another beautiful Chinese lady walk head on into a telephone pole as she smilingly stared at me, and once came down the steps from a private room in a very crowded restaurant to hear a kid shout "MEG-WA" (sp) and watched every head in the place turn to stare at me... I stopped, took my Aussie hat off, bowed, and said "Howdy Yaw" as I came down (hoping I wouldn't trip and fall the rest of the way down the steps). The crowd started laughing and clapping.

 

Watched? Hardly.

 

tsap seui

[Jay & Ping]

I pity the fool that has to watch me. What a boring week that would be. I get stares. No random comments that I've heard. I think that some people would be watched. In particular areas or on certain business visas. Diplomats are probably monitored. If you went into an embassy you might get some interest. As for Lil o Me! I don't think it would be cost effective. Then again I try to blend in as much as possible, walk a foot shorter, squint a lot, stuff like that.

We had one altercation and needed to call the police. The man was arrested. I was asked no questions, they checked no identification or had me fill out any forms. I thought that unusual.

 

I tell Ping that she will be the one everyone stares at in America. In China it is my turn. She actually laughed once when a little boy told his mother "look two Americans!" She sees and hears much more than I do.