I decided to do some sketching at a park close by. In America this would be no big deal. People might glance over their shoulder as they passed by, but it wouldn't be a circus. But in China sketching in public is really a big deal, at least based on my experience this morning. Could it be because I'm a foreigner?
They bring all their friends and kids over to watch. I had just a few hangers-on when I began the sketch. But in just a few minutes there were 16 people crowded around me, asking questions in a Chinese dialect that I didn't understand. I got way more attention that I felt comfortable getting.
I really and truly tried to answer their questions but I just couldn't understand their local dialect, it just wasn't going to happen for me. How annoying.
It seemed so surreal, like a dream. I kept thinking: "Don't they have better things to do than watch a guy in a weird hat and vest sketch umbrellas?"
...dave
Keep the dream alive: Hit the snooze button.
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