DON'T KID YOURSELF: You are being watched!

[IllinoisDave]

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!!!

 

I guess I should've given that guy a little bigger "tip" to keep that quiet.

[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!!!

 

I guess I should've given that guy a little bigger "tip" to keep that quiet.

 

Funny.......I do not care who is watching me next time, because we are leaving!!

[thewaitiskillingme]

Watched... By THE MAN ? NEVER.

 

But the treatment I get everywhere in china is unbelievable. Wherever I go in china, Fei and I are treated like royalty. She says its because I'm gorgeous. Whatever. I finally asked someone there why I'm treated so well. I was told that I look like a martial arts professional and people are staring at me because they can't figure out if I'm someone famous, whether they need to be afraid of me, or both. I'm an under the radar kind of guy...but I think I like the royal treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!!!

 

I guess I should've given that guy a little bigger "tip" to keep that quiet.

 

Funny.......I do not care who is watching me next time, because we are leaving!!

[larsenea]

While In Fushun I experienced the usual "man out of place looks". One of the most obvious of these cam from a dog. I was waiting outside Guijuans apartment with her brother and a cab driver. There are dozens of people wandering around not paying much attention to me. From over a block away, this toy dog spots me and immediatly realizes I am not like the others. He starts barking like mad and running at me at full speed. Literaly runs into me before he can stop. He let me pet him until his owner caught up to him and carried him off.

 

The only other attention I noticed was while in GUZ was from women. I got the impression when I was walking with Guijuan, women were looking at us with disgusted looks on their faces. I do not think I am that ugly so i assume they just do not approve of her being with me. I never asked her about it.

[ktmracer]

While I got into a detainment problem on my 1st trip, I never felt I was being monitored on any trips thereafter. Just got the usual looks of curiosity and admiration of a my handsome Irishman self.

[Corbin]

I would be honored if they actually thought I was worth watching. But I do believe they in general wouldn't waist their time watching just plain old Americans visiting their country.

 

Now as for the locals watching that is a different issue. Yes they look as I go by holding Ada's hand. The women look on in envy I would say and some of the men look in disgust somewhat. The local police I don't think pay much attention.

 

IMHO I do think that our government does keep tabs on those that travel to China that hold a clearance or used to hold one. This is based on the fact that when my clearance was being upgraded when I was still in the National Guard, (after 4yrs active duty) an FBI agent showed up at a truck driving school that I was at without a call to anyone I knew. I'm not saying they watch me all the time, but they do take note of people that might have info or had info that might be wanted by other countries.

 

Even so I still could care less if they are watching me. I would be a bore to watch.

[SheLikesME?]

I wondered in 2000 on my first business trip. Heck they chained the door shut on the hotel at night I was in. I found out later it was to protect me, not keep me in. They had to un-chain the door to let me into the building after taking a nightly walk. This relieved my Chinese companion who appreciated my not fearing anything there. Heck those streets were so safe at night.

Registry with the police back then was more for my protection than theirs and I never did it but my escort did for me he said. I din't care. I never once felt like I was being watched. I was taken into an assembly line where a new bomber was being built. But at another aircraft company we had to really be careful and hardly anyone wanted to talk to me in fear of being in trouble. It was a secret plane of theirs that we knew what it was anyway. Later we had to bow out of all of that business because my companies owners misunderstood Chinas becomeing part of the WTO and just what kind of planes we could design parts for and sell to them.

[sleepless in Houston&CQ]

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... 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...

 

 

Roggie guess I missed that tiny bit of info

 

I will have to agree with you bout some of this "secret stuff"

around some very not so strange places....

Even in a few other citys "not that I'll name" I seen some thingies

well that didn't appear as they seem

~~~

[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... 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... :huh:

 

 

Roggie guess I missed that tiny bit of info

 

I will have to agree with you bout some of this "secret stuff"

around some very not so strange places....

Even in a few other citys "not that I'll name" I seen some thingies

well that didn't appear as they seem

~~~

 

Yeah the cop that interviewed me... said that up until recently he would have had to CONFISCATE my camera... so it's probably better not to spend too much time around any "secret stuff"...

[Trigg]

Let 'em watch me--maybe they will learn some real cool stuff!

 

Ahhh, watch and learn grasshoppa

[Yuanyang]

They reserve that right and you bring in no rights from this country to be free from it.

 

My suggestion: Don't do anything you are not suppose to do. Your lao po will tell you what can or can not be done.

[Corbin]

They reserve that right and you bring in no rights from this country to be free from it.

 

My suggestion: Don't do anything you are not suppose to do. Your lao po will tell you what can or can not be done.

Very good point, trust you lao po to keep you out of trouble, you can't go wrong with that.............

[griz326]

There was no question I was watched in 1978. I am certain the watchful eyes were to protect everyone on the diplomatic mission.

 

The thought that the Chinese government watches all foreigners is laughable - even though it may be the one government with the people power to do it.

 

The "watching" that I experience comes from children who have never seen a big white guy; and scowls from men & women who do not approve of a big white guy taking a Chinese woman.

 

People may be flagged for scrutiny when applying for a visa, but I have nothing in my past government service or public life to raise such flags.

 

Personally, I thought the Marine was full of crap - fed to him by the US government who trains and directs him today. Gotta keep 'em stupid when they are on the ground. Commanders do not have the time to answer questions when giving orders.

 

 

As for this comment:

 

>>>They reserve that right and you bring in no rights from this country to be free from it

 

That is true for every country in which I've traveled.

Edited February 14, 2008 by griz326 (see edit history)

[Shenzhen K-1]

There was no question I was watched in 1978. I am certain the watchful eyes were to protect everyone on the diplomatic mission.

 

The thought that the Chinese government watches all foreigners is laughable - even though it may be the one government with the people power to do it.

 

The "watching" that I experience comes from children who have never seen a big white guy; and scowls from men & women who do not approve of a big white guy taking a Chinese woman.

 

People may be flagged for scrutiny when applying for a visa, but I have nothing in my past government service or public life to raise such flags.

 

Personally, I thought the Marine was full of crap - fed to him by the US government who trains and directs him today. Gotta keep 'em stupid when they are on the ground. Commanders do not have the time to answer questions when giving orders.

 

 

As for this comment:

 

>>>They reserve that right and you bring in no rights from this country to be free from it

 

That is true for every country in which I've traveled.

 

Griz glad to see you are OK and still having fun!!

 

A tall white guy in wedding clothes he can not get out of, heck yes they are looking at you!!

[pkfops]

When you bring your wife to Eureka, Montana; will she also be "watched"?