Breaking Points

BasiltheBatLord

Well-Known Member
DHS had nowhere to go but sideways, but Epcot seems worse off (IMO) now than it was. Epcot is one small step forwards, three large steps back nowadays.
It's definitely worse now because half of the park is an inaccessible crater. But idk, Future World was in desperate need of attention for a long, long time and I'm glad it's finally getting it. The big unknown is how the SSE re-do is going to turn out so I think a lot of the judgement is out until that happens.
 

October82

Well-Known Member
It's definitely worse now because half of the park is an inaccessible crater. But idk, Future World was in desperate need of attention for a long, long time and I'm glad it's finally getting it. The big unknown is how the SSE re-do is going to turn out so I think a lot of the judgement is out until that happens.

I don't find any of the attention given to Future world to be a net positive. I would prefer something to empty buildings, of course, but nothing going into Future World belongs there. Perhaps the new entrance is an exception.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'd like to go to Paris and maybe Tokyo. No desire to go to WDW or Hong Kong or Shanghai.
If I had to pick one to not visit, it’d be Shanghai. Seem like the epitome of many things I don’t like at the moment. Hong Kong isn’t calling my name either, probably because China as a whole is not a country on my current list of places to visit.

I used to want to visit WDW so badly when I was a kid. Now I’m indifferent, for many reasons. I stated this before, but I’m not a Disney Parks fanatic. I’m a Walt Disney fan though and would strongly argue that California is more of a Walt Disney World than the parks in Florida. There’s lots of Disney history here.

Who knows, maybe I’ll plan a little visit to DLP soon. Planning on getting to France within the next few years. If I do decide to do DLP, I won’t be putting too much effort into the trip. I’ll go, see it, then continue on with my other plans.
 

BuzzedPotatoHead89

Well-Known Member
If I had to pick one to not visit, it’d be Shanghai. Seem like the epitome of many things I don’t like at the moment. Hong Kong isn’t calling my name either, probably because China as a whole is not a country on my current list of places to visit.

I used to want to visit WDW so badly when I was a kid. Now I’m indifferent, for many reasons. I stated this before, but I’m not a Disney Parks fanatic. I’m a Walt Disney fan though and would strongly argue that California is more of a Walt Disney World than the parks in Florida. There’s lots of Disney history here.

Who knows, maybe I’ll plan a little visit to DLP soon. Planning on getting to France within the next few years. If I do decide to do DLP, I won’t be putting too much effort into the trip. I’ll go, see it, then continue on with my other plans.

Unpopular opinion on these parts but I went WDW once 20 years ago and oddly don’t have a desire to go back. Nothing against Florida, as I’d personally love to go back to Miami or maybe check out the Everglades. UO and Kennedy Space Center are on my central Florida bucket list, too. Perhaps it’s the greater abundance of concrete, humidity, or lack of childhood memories but even at a fairly young age I just found the resort overall (abs especially Magic Kingdom) to feel more “corporate” and manufactured by comparison.

I’ve realized my Disney obsession is really mostly limited to the original park. The fiancé definitely would like to go back to Aulani someday. And for a true “Walt fix” I definitely recommend/enjoyed the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco for true fans of the founder and the original park.

However if I did have to chose one DLP looks like a very beautiful park and it’s adjacent to an even more beautiful city. Similarly, I realize most of my affection for DL comes from nostalgia, memories, and personal reverence vs. the park itself.
 

Communicora

Premium Member
However if I did have to chose one DLP looks like a very beautiful park and it’s adjacent to an even more beautiful city. Similarly, I realize most of my affection for DL comes from nostalgia, memories, and personal reverence vs. the park itself.
Disneyland Paris is beautiful but I wouldn't center a trip on it. There's too much to experience in Paris proper.

I'd love to go to Disneyland Tokyo and DisneySea but, again, I'd have to weigh my days there with all of the other things to see in that area.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Unpopular opinion on these parts but I went WDW once 20 years ago and oddly don’t have a desire to go back. Nothing against Florida, as I’d personally love to go back to Miami or maybe check out the Everglades. UO and Kennedy Space Center are on my central Florida bucket list, too. Perhaps it’s the greater abundance of concrete, humidity, or lack of childhood memories but even at a fairly young age I just found the resort overall (abs especially Magic Kingdom) to feel more “corporate” and manufactured by comparison.

I’ve realized my Disney obsession is really mostly limited to the original park. The fiancé definitely would like to go back to Aulani someday. And for a true “Walt fix” I definitely recommend/enjoyed the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco for true fans of the founder and the original park.

However if I did have to chose one DLP looks like a very beautiful park and it’s adjacent to an even more beautiful city. Similarly, I realize most of my affection for DL comes from nostalgia, memories, and personal reverence vs. the park itself.
I have the same feelings as you do. If I go to Florida, visiting WDW is one of the last things I’d do, honestly. I’m very interested in the Cuban culture there, so that would absolutely be my number one priority. Like you, I’m also interested in seeing the Everglades and the Kennedy Space Center. Same for the other parks around the world. I’d prioritize a visit to Cannes, Nice, a tour of Notre Dame, and other things in France before a trip to DLP, for example.

I’m also solely infatuated with Disneyland. The main reason I visit is because of its history. I grew up watching a lot of Walt-era programs like Zorro, The Wonderful World of Color/Disneyland, the original Mickey Mouse Club, and much more. From a very young age, I was soaking in a lot of early Disney history and I think without having watched all that classic programming, I wouldn’t be a fan of that era and Walt Disney like I am now. So Disneyland obviously is a place of great interest for me and is incomparable to the other parks, DCA included. The Walt Disney Family Museum is on my list!
 

el_super

Well-Known Member
Who knows, maybe I’ll plan a little visit to DLP soon. Planning on getting to France within the next few years. If I do decide to do DLP, I won’t be putting too much effort into the trip. I’ll go, see it, then continue on with my other plans.

I definitely agree that you shouldn't make a trip JUST to visit an international park, but don't discount the possibility of visiting one if you're in the neighborhood. Admittedly I am saying this as a Disney fan, but there is something wildly engrossing about engaging a culture in a situation that is familiar to both, something that doesn't translate so well when just riding with people on the subway or watching them from afar at a museum or park.

When you start to see people visiting these foreign parks, and you start to recognize the same behaviors (dressing up to be seen, parents tugging their smiling kids around, chatting with their friends) you really do start to realize how similar we all are.

Plus the weird takes on American/Mexican food is pretty wild too.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I definitely agree that you shouldn't make a trip JUST to visit an international park, but don't discount the possibility of visiting one if you're in the neighborhood. Admittedly I am saying this as a Disney fan, but there is something wildly engrossing about engaging a culture in a situation that is familiar to both, something that doesn't translate so well when just riding with people on the subway or watching them from afar at a museum or park.

When you start to see people visiting these foreign parks, and you start to recognize the same behaviors (dressing up to be seen, parents tugging their smiling kids around, chatting with their friends) you really do start to realize how similar we all are.

Plus the weird takes on American/Mexican food is pretty wild too.
Definitely not discounting visits to the others, except Hong Kong and Shanghai (for now). Just not a priority.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Yeah... I'm a little concerned I may never visit Hong Kong again.
I sometimes travel alone, and as a black woman, I have to be careful in the countries I choose to travel solo to. The anti-blackness in China is concerning, not to mention the potentials of unwanted attention I would most likely get out there. I had some very interesting encounters with the Chinese guests at USH, including being stared at, literally grabbed for a photo without my permission, and getting my hair aggressively pulled (I nearly fell to the ground) because a Chinese guest wanted to see what my hair felt like. And that was just a small population of Chinese people in comparison to the entire country. So any trip to China has to be carefully planned and I would also prefer to go with others.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Ooh, are we discussing my favorite topic, the merits or lack thereof of other Disney parks?
Dis Gonna Be Good Jason Momoa GIF


I maintain that every Disney park, including WDW, which I am very frustrated with at the moment, has something to offer that you can't experience anywhere else that makes them worth visiting. I worry that sometimes we can become so infected with negativity towards the parks we frequent, and/or absorb primarily the negative feedback from other parks, that we lose sight of the merits that all of them still have.

I do think that visiting another Disney park is a good way to reset, in some way, your expectations/experiences. Some of your frustrations with, say, Disneyland may carry over to other parks, but others will not. It may actually make you appreciate even the park(s) you're used to in new ways. I'd say for myself that there are some frustrations with Disney parks I have that carry over globally, but most of them are related to specific parks or resorts and the way they choose to handle certain situations.

Visiting these places in person vs. viewing (or passing judgment, as the case may be) them on the screen is far different, and I'd say more people would get something out of visiting another Disney park than they might realize. Should you fly across the world just to see another park? Probably not, but hey, it's your travel money. You do you (but please don't be one of those people that only eats chicken tenders even when you're in a vastly different country/culture!) The comment above about parks being a great place to really see cultural similarities and differences in action is very true and an underappreciated aspect of visiting the international parks particularly.

But if that's not in the cards, and y'all would rather go to Silver Dollar City instead, I certainly won't stop anyone!

I sometimes travel alone, and as a black woman, I have to be careful in the countries I choose to travel solo to. The anti-blackness in China is concerning, not to mention the potentials of unwanted attention I would most likely get out there. I had some very interesting encounters with the Chinese guests at USH, including being stared at, literally grabbed for a photo without my permission, and getting my hair aggressively pulled (I nearly fell to the ground) because a Chinese guest wanted to see what my hair felt like. And that was just a small population of Chinese people in comparison to the entire country. So any trip to China has to be carefully planned and I would also prefer to go with others.

Not to discount those experiences/realities at all, but that is true to some degree for any foreigner in China. You probably wouldn't experience that much in Hong Kong specifically (vastly different, more worldly cultural norms vs. the rest of China, even as China moves with unfortunate speed to bring them into the fold with the rest of the country, pretty much entirely to Hong Kong's detriment) or in large metros that see more international tourists generally, like Shanghai. I'm sure you would experience more of it than others, unfortunately, but ten years ago, as a group of primarily white college students, we experienced a lot of that also, though primarily in more rural areas where we were quite literally the first westerners some people had ever seen. It wasn't the Shanghai or Hong Kong locals that were having their children relieve themselves in the bushes.

TL;DR: you'd probably be relatively ok in Hong Kong and Shanghai, but I also get the leeriness towards China in general and I can't fault anyone for it.

Ok, now back to the "whatever Disney touches starts to melt in their clutches" topic.
 

truecoat

Well-Known Member
I sometimes travel alone, and as a black woman, I have to be careful in the countries I choose to travel solo to. The anti-blackness in China is concerning, not to mention the potentials of unwanted attention I would most likely get out there. I had some very interesting encounters with the Chinese guests at USH, including being stared at, literally grabbed for a photo without my permission, and getting my hair aggressively pulled (I nearly fell to the ground) because a Chinese guest wanted to see what my hair felt like. And that was just a small population of Chinese people in comparison to the entire country. So any trip to China has to be carefully planned and I would also prefer to go with others.

This is a great story about a black man in China (edited for language)....

How I made money off racism in CHINA

I lived in China in 2013 for a year and this is my story.

Being a foreigner in China is one of the hardest things a person go through. Unless you are living in international cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc... it could be very challenging. Whether you are white or black, Chinese people can be in your face and I mean literally come up to u and touch your hair, take a selfie, or do whatever they please without asking your permission. It’s a bit harsher for black guys cuz the treatment gets really rude. People would come up to you and rub your skin, thinking the black would come off. Or take uncalled for selfies in groups while hugging u without permission. Or start calling you names. The worst one is when you go into a toilet at a bar and everyone literally wants to look at {removed}. So much harassment happens that a person who has lived in China for even as short as 3 months needs about a month to readjust to normal life. You leave China very rude and you become that because everyone is just a bit harsh and out to get you type of mentality. It really, really gets a bit too much to take at times that a lot of international students actually get so depressed and some even resort to suicide. My girlfriend came to visit me and she was supposed to stay for 3 months , but she couldn’t last a full month as people were just touching her hair and some even tried to grope her and non of this is frowned upon, is actually ignored, if you are a foreigner. The reason this happens is because, I later found out,. because China is so huge, I’ve had people tell me that I was literally the first black guy they’re ever seen in their life and they curiosity gets the best of them. And they’re not lying or exaggerating, so many of them never left their villages. So anyways, about a year into my stay, I had finished all my money, I was going to get kicked out of my apartment cuz of rent, my friends had all left and I was really gonna go Hobo in Beijing and that’s not an option you’d want to take there. I wanted to go back home but I didn’t have money for air ticket. I checked online and it costed 860$. There was no way I can find 860$ and I had no one to turn too. I had to come up with something. Really quick too. Only 5 days left for me to get kicked out of my apartment. I tried to play 8 ball pool gambling and I went further down the hole as I lost games and handed over some of my money. I’m left with about 140$. I’m almost like sulking and walking very slowly and very sad with my head down. As I was walking, some really loud teenage girls came up to me and said “Can you take a photo with us?” I’ve been in China for a year now , and no lie,,this always happens. Not like once. If I’m out all day, at least 3 times a day. Everyday. People want to take a photo with a black guy. So when the girls asked me, I just ignored them , like I always did and passed them as if I didn’t hear what they said. Trust me! That is not rude at all, it’s just too many of them and one of you.

But as soon as i passed the girls, a light bulb kinda lit and I knew what I had to do if I wanted to get out of my sticky situation. And so I made a PLAN that night.

By now, I’ve understood the type of people that want to take photos with the black guy. It’s not the people that are from Beijing. It’s not the people that are coming from big cities. It’s the people that are coming from all around China, the countrysides. Every chinese has to come to Beijing at some point of their lives. Because most of the historical temples and cultural heritages were in Beijing. That’s when I knew where I was going. I had to go to the GREAT WALL. It was a 3 hour taxi ride from where I was and I went there as early as I can.

THE MISSION:- Be a photogenic Black guy and make as much money as you can to buy airplane ticket.

I reached the Great Wall around 9 am and already there’s loads and loads of people. My type of people,,the people from the countryside’s. Five minutes in, people were just taking photos of me without permission. I needed to make a plan or I’m gonna get played and this is my last chance. I can’t even afford to come back to the Great Wall even if I wanted too and I have to make it count. From the corner of my eye, I saw a photoshop that was in like a makeshift tent. I went up to him and I decided to tell him my plan. I spoke a little Chinese but google translate did the rest. I told him what I was trying to do and if he’d like to partner up with me. To my surprise, he was actually enthusiastic about it. And he agreed. At his makeshift tent, he had old Chinese military General costumes. Sort of like Ghenghis Khan armoury. I then told him that we can make a lot more money if I was to wear one of those military uniforms. He laughed at the idea and even proposed another idea himself. He came up with a writing board and wrote in Chinese characters and he told me that it said “Take photos with the Black Ghenghis Khan for 25yuan(3-4$) a picture. We got everything,set up, I was by my corner and he was ready with his camera. I was to make 15 yuan and him 10yuan as per our agreement. That’s when it went all bat crazy. People from the whole of the Great Wall it seemed actually flocked to take photos with the Black Ghenghis khan. It really got out of control and we had to stop for some time as people got pushy and were shoving each. Other. We needed ORDER. The cameraman had to call up people and we actually hired “security” (just his friends, no need to bs)..and the guys made everyone cue. It really got to the point where police even came and I kinda got scared that I’d be in trouble,, but they used their position as police men to cut the lines and take photos. Had to tell them it was on the house. We started taking photos at 11am and didn’t have lunch and just stood there posing with so many excited people taking photos with the black guy. I even did two wedding photos. By 5 pm , I was done and exhausted

Took of the costume and we went into the tent to count the money. Surprise, Surprise!!! After paying the “security “, paying off some of the Great Wall security, and splitting our shares.. I actually have made the equivalent

1430$ . American DOLLARS.

I went back to my apartment, washed the curiosity of a billion people off and bought my ticket. I went home the next day.

I am THE BLACK GHENGHIS KHAN!!!
 

EPCOTCenterLover

Well-Known Member
I sometimes travel alone, and as a black woman, I have to be careful in the countries I choose to travel solo to. The anti-blackness in China is concerning, not to mention the potentials of unwanted attention I would most likely get out there. I had some very interesting encounters with the Chinese guests at USH, including being stared at, literally grabbed for a photo without my permission, and getting my hair aggressively pulled (I nearly fell to the ground) because a Chinese guest wanted to see what my hair felt like. And that was just a small population of Chinese people in comparison to the entire country. So any trip to China has to be carefully planned and I would also prefer to go with others.
I've traveled to Asia with a friend who is Black. He was looked at and even pointed to, but he was not grabbed or pulled into a photo. Maybe its just because he is one big, tall, dude. Sorry to hear of your experience there.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I've traveled to Asia with a friend who is Black. He was looked at and even pointed to, but he was not grabbed or pulled into a photo. Maybe its just because he is one big, tall, dude. Sorry to hear of your experience there.
I actually haven’t been to any Asian countries yet (hoping to get to South Korea within the next five years). My negative experiences with Chinese people were exclusive to here in Los Angeles, hence why I’m very hesitant to actual go to China. That and the anti-blackness.
 

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
This is a great story about a black man in China (edited for language)....

How I made money off racism in CHINA

I lived in China in 2013 for a year and this is my story.

Being a foreigner in China is one of the hardest things a person go through. Unless you are living in international cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc... it could be very challenging. Whether you are white or black, Chinese people can be in your face and I mean literally come up to u and touch your hair, take a selfie, or do whatever they please without asking your permission. It’s a bit harsher for black guys cuz the treatment gets really rude. People would come up to you and rub your skin, thinking the black would come off. Or take uncalled for selfies in groups while hugging u without permission. Or start calling you names. The worst one is when you go into a toilet at a bar and everyone literally wants to look at {removed}. So much harassment happens that a person who has lived in China for even as short as 3 months needs about a month to readjust to normal life. You leave China very rude and you become that because everyone is just a bit harsh and out to get you type of mentality. It really, really gets a bit too much to take at times that a lot of international students actually get so depressed and some even resort to suicide. My girlfriend came to visit me and she was supposed to stay for 3 months , but she couldn’t last a full month as people were just touching her hair and some even tried to grope her ***** and non of this is frowned upon, is actually ignored, if you are a foreigner. The reason this happens is because, I later found out,. because China is so huge, I’ve had people tell me that I was literally the first black guy they’re ever seen in their life and they curiosity gets the best of them. And they’re not lying or exaggerating, so many of them never left their villages. So anyways, about a year into my stay, I had finished all my money, I was going to get kicked out of my apartment cuz of rent, my friends had all left and I was really gonna go Hobo in Beijing and that’s not an option you’d want to take there. I wanted to go back home but I didn’t have money for air ticket. I checked online and it costed 860$. There was no way I can find 860$ and I had no one to turn too. I had to come up with something. Really quick too. Only 5 days left for me to get kicked out of my apartment. I tried to play 8 ball pool gambling and I went further down the hole as I lost games and handed over some of my money. I’m left with about 140$. I’m almost like sulking and walking very slowly and very sad with my head down. As I was walking, some really loud teenage girls came up to me and said “Can you take a photo with us?” I’ve been in China for a year now , and no lie,,this always happens. Not like once. If I’m out all day, at least 3 times a day. Everyday. People want to take a photo with a black guy. So when the girls asked me, I just ignored them , like I always did and passed them as if I didn’t hear what they said. Trust me! That is not rude at all, it’s just too many of them and one of you.

But as soon as i passed the girls, a light bulb kinda lit and I knew what I had to do if I wanted to get out of my sticky situation. And so I made a PLAN that night.

By now, I’ve understood the type of people that want to take photos with the black guy. It’s not the people that are from Beijing. It’s not the people that are coming from big cities. It’s the people that are coming from all around China, the countrysides. Every chinese has to come to Beijing at some point of their lives. Because most of the historical temples and cultural heritages were in Beijing. That’s when I knew where I was going. I had to go to the GREAT WALL. It was a 3 hour taxi ride from where I was and I went there as early as I can.

THE MISSION:- Be a photogenic Black guy and make as much money as you can to buy airplane ticket.

I reached the Great Wall around 9 am and already there’s loads and loads of people. My type of people,,the people from the countryside’s. Five minutes in, people were just taking photos of me without permission. I needed to make a plan or I’m gonna get played and this is my last chance. I can’t even afford to come back to the Great Wall even if I wanted too and I have to make it count. From the corner of my eye, I saw a photoshop that was in like a makeshift tent. I went up to him and I decided to tell him my plan. I spoke a little Chinese but google translate did the rest. I told him what I was trying to do and if he’d like to partner up with me. To my surprise, he was actually enthusiastic about it. And he agreed. At his makeshift tent, he had old Chinese military General costumes. Sort of like Ghenghis Khan armoury. I then told him that we can make a lot more money if I was to wear one of those military uniforms. He laughed at the idea and even proposed another idea himself. He came up with a writing board and wrote in Chinese characters and he told me that it said “Take photos with the Black Ghenghis Khan for 25yuan(3-4$) a picture. We got everything,set up, I was by my corner and he was ready with his camera. I was to make 15 yuan and him 10yuan as per our agreement. That’s when it went all bat**** crazy. People from the whole of the Great Wall it seemed actually flocked to take photos with the Black Ghenghis khan. It really got out of control and we had to stop for some time as people got pushy and were shoving each. Other. We needed ORDER. The cameraman had to call up people and we actually hired “security” (just his friends, no need to bs)..and the guys made everyone cue. It really got to the point where police even came and I kinda got scared that I’d be in trouble,, but they used their position as police men to cut the lines and take photos. Had to tell them it was on the house. We started taking photos at 11am and didn’t have lunch and just stood there posing with so many excited people taking photos with the black guy. I even did two wedding photos. By 5 pm , I was done and exhausted

Took of the costume and we went into the tent to count the money. Surprise, Surprise!!! After paying the “security “, paying off some of the Great Wall security, and splitting our shares.. I actually have made the equivalent

1430$ . American DOLLARS.

I went back to my apartment, washed the curiosity of a billion people off and bought my ticket. I went home the next day.

I am THE BLACK GHENGHIS KHAN!!!
Yep, that doesn't surprise me at all. That's very much how people from rural China are. While black people obviously have to deal with it to an extra degree, anyone who is obviously a westerner could conceivably have to deal with that in more rural areas.

Emphasizing again lest someone misinterpret: this is not likely going to be a common experience in world cities like Hong Kong and Shanghai. The locals there are used to there being large numbers of international guests in the city (and Hong Kong remains different culturally than the rest of China). It's when you go somewhere more obscure that this could become an issue.

And keep in mind also with Chinese tourists here and elsewhere that many are basically leaving China for the first time and have no idea what proper tourist etiquette is. Not that that's something you only see from Chinese groups by any stretch, but it's highly concentrated there because the ability to travel internationally, for many, is so new.

Generally speaking, these behaviors are primarily coming from a place of naivete vs. malice, and are just one of the many reasons to do your homework before you go to China.
 

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
This is a great story about a black man in China (edited for language)....

How I made money off racism in CHINA

I lived in China in 2013 for a year and this is my story.

Being a foreigner in China is one of the hardest things a person go through. Unless you are living in international cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, etc... it could be very challenging. Whether you are white or black, Chinese people can be in your face and I mean literally come up to u and touch your hair, take a selfie, or do whatever they please without asking your permission. It’s a bit harsher for black guys cuz the treatment gets really rude. People would come up to you and rub your skin, thinking the black would come off. Or take uncalled for selfies in groups while hugging u without permission. Or start calling you names. The worst one is when you go into a toilet at a bar and everyone literally wants to look at {removed}. So much harassment happens that a person who has lived in China for even as short as 3 months needs about a month to readjust to normal life. You leave China very rude and you become that because everyone is just a bit harsh and out to get you type of mentality. It really, really gets a bit too much to take at times that a lot of international students actually get so depressed and some even resort to suicide. My girlfriend came to visit me and she was supposed to stay for 3 months , but she couldn’t last a full month as people were just touching her hair and some even tried to grope her ***** and non of this is frowned upon, is actually ignored, if you are a foreigner. The reason this happens is because, I later found out,. because China is so huge, I’ve had people tell me that I was literally the first black guy they’re ever seen in their life and they curiosity gets the best of them. And they’re not lying or exaggerating, so many of them never left their villages. So anyways, about a year into my stay, I had finished all my money, I was going to get kicked out of my apartment cuz of rent, my friends had all left and I was really gonna go Hobo in Beijing and that’s not an option you’d want to take there. I wanted to go back home but I didn’t have money for air ticket. I checked online and it costed 860$. There was no way I can find 860$ and I had no one to turn too. I had to come up with something. Really quick too. Only 5 days left for me to get kicked out of my apartment. I tried to play 8 ball pool gambling and I went further down the hole as I lost games and handed over some of my money. I’m left with about 140$. I’m almost like sulking and walking very slowly and very sad with my head down. As I was walking, some really loud teenage girls came up to me and said “Can you take a photo with us?” I’ve been in China for a year now , and no lie,,this always happens. Not like once. If I’m out all day, at least 3 times a day. Everyday. People want to take a photo with a black guy. So when the girls asked me, I just ignored them , like I always did and passed them as if I didn’t hear what they said. Trust me! That is not rude at all, it’s just too many of them and one of you.

But as soon as i passed the girls, a light bulb kinda lit and I knew what I had to do if I wanted to get out of my sticky situation. And so I made a PLAN that night.

By now, I’ve understood the type of people that want to take photos with the black guy. It’s not the people that are from Beijing. It’s not the people that are coming from big cities. It’s the people that are coming from all around China, the countrysides. Every chinese has to come to Beijing at some point of their lives. Because most of the historical temples and cultural heritages were in Beijing. That’s when I knew where I was going. I had to go to the GREAT WALL. It was a 3 hour taxi ride from where I was and I went there as early as I can.

THE MISSION:- Be a photogenic Black guy and make as much money as you can to buy airplane ticket.

I reached the Great Wall around 9 am and already there’s loads and loads of people. My type of people,,the people from the countryside’s. Five minutes in, people were just taking photos of me without permission. I needed to make a plan or I’m gonna get played and this is my last chance. I can’t even afford to come back to the Great Wall even if I wanted too and I have to make it count. From the corner of my eye, I saw a photoshop that was in like a makeshift tent. I went up to him and I decided to tell him my plan. I spoke a little Chinese but google translate did the rest. I told him what I was trying to do and if he’d like to partner up with me. To my surprise, he was actually enthusiastic about it. And he agreed. At his makeshift tent, he had old Chinese military General costumes. Sort of like Ghenghis Khan armoury. I then told him that we can make a lot more money if I was to wear one of those military uniforms. He laughed at the idea and even proposed another idea himself. He came up with a writing board and wrote in Chinese characters and he told me that it said “Take photos with the Black Ghenghis Khan for 25yuan(3-4$) a picture. We got everything,set up, I was by my corner and he was ready with his camera. I was to make 15 yuan and him 10yuan as per our agreement. That’s when it went all bat**** crazy. People from the whole of the Great Wall it seemed actually flocked to take photos with the Black Ghenghis khan. It really got out of control and we had to stop for some time as people got pushy and were shoving each. Other. We needed ORDER. The cameraman had to call up people and we actually hired “security” (just his friends, no need to bs)..and the guys made everyone cue. It really got to the point where police even came and I kinda got scared that I’d be in trouble,, but they used their position as police men to cut the lines and take photos. Had to tell them it was on the house. We started taking photos at 11am and didn’t have lunch and just stood there posing with so many excited people taking photos with the black guy. I even did two wedding photos. By 5 pm , I was done and exhausted

Took of the costume and we went into the tent to count the money. Surprise, Surprise!!! After paying the “security “, paying off some of the Great Wall security, and splitting our shares.. I actually have made the equivalent

1430$ . American DOLLARS.

I went back to my apartment, washed the curiosity of a billion people off and bought my ticket. I went home the next day.

I am THE BLACK GHENGHIS KHAN!!!
I’ve known some black women to charge money to take photos with them. I personally would never do something like that. I’m not a zoo animal.
 

EPCOTCenterLover

Well-Known Member
I actually haven’t been to any Asian countries yet (hoping to get to South Korea within the next five years). My negative experiences with Chinese people were exclusive to here in Los Angeles, hence why I’m very hesitant to actual go to China. That and the anti-blackness.
Wow-in LA!!!
To contrast the negative (or curious) as he was prepared for, he and I both found the people warm and friendly. We used the curiosities about each other’s culture to our advantage and had tea and some fascinating conversations with real depth. I hope it works for you to get to South Korea one day!
 
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Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A Chinese mother had me take a picture with her kids at the Great Wall. I thought she wanted me to take a picture for her but then she put her kids in right next to me. I was also over there with a black dude with dreads who was a huge attraction on the street for people.
And this is exactly what I don’t want, but will unfortunately expect if I ever visit China. It’s one thing to stare, but taking photos is just too much for me.
 

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