"WAI GUO REN" Nali, Nali?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
1

How do you feel when kids or adults loudly shout “Wai Guo Ren” when you pass by on the street?

Do you feel that it is enough that they can recognise the fact that you are foreign, but they don’t need to shout it out? :sunglasses:

Do you say “Nar li, Nar li??”, where, where? Then continue on your way looking about as you go for this strange “Wai Guo Ren”? :smiling_imp:

Do you turn on your performing monkey act and shout “Hello, How are you?” and wait for the obligatory “I’m fine thank you… blah blah blah”???

Do you simply ignore it and get on with your day? :unamused:

So, how do you feel and how do you react??? :?:

2

I just SMILE and SAY “May the Goddess of Sunshine and Light watch over you and bless you on your journey through life, my little children of earth and sand.”

Blessed Be,
Lesbrianna Joy

3

Spaaaaaaaack

4

Who says “Narli”? They’d just think you were a lost surfer dude.

5

Duuuude!!! :smiley: If I am in a particularly rotten mood I glare and respond in a sarcastic way - “Narli”. :sunglasses: As if to say “Geeez, you are kidding - I would never have known I was a “wai guo ren” if you hadn’t just told me. :imp: Gosh, want to state any other obvious things before I go, how about " wow, his nose is pointy” or something like that. :unamused:

6

Kids:
In a sufficiently bad mood, I quite loudly mention to the kid that by shouting this out loud, they are only demonstrating to everyone around that their parents either do not value their education, or simply cannot afford to send them to a bilingual school or bushiban. The parents then quickly take care of the shouting problem without any need for further intervention. :smiling_imp:

Adults:
Give up. If they are still doing this as adults, the only form of re-education I’ve found reliably effective is violence. Not recommended. You can try walking up and telling them (in Chinese of course) that they must have mistaken you for someone else, about 50% success rate. Works best when they have some friends around you can embarass them in front of.

Normally I just treat this sort of ignorance with the contempt it deserves. I live here, they can’t be talking to me…

7

I usually just ignore them.

Once in a while I might shout “Where?!”

Occasionally I might say to their parents, “Li bo tzuey tzun!” if their parents encourage them and I’m in a particularly rotten mood.

Chris

8

I knew I wasn’t the only one

9

Walk right up to them and ask"Ni zao wo?" (You’re looking for me?) When they stammer “no”, ask them why the heck they’re shouting “waiguoren”. :sunglasses:

10

bad mood: Wei shenme ni mei you li mao? ( Why are you so rude?)

good mode/cute kid: Bu shi, wo shi wai xing ren! (No I’m not, I’m an alien!)

BTW, the bad mood one gets used more often. :slight_smile:

11

These are going on my “To use” list

12

I usually filter it out subconsciously. I’ve been hearing it for the past ten years. I sometimes point back and say “Zhong guo ren.”

It depends who is saying it and how it is said and what mood Im in at the time. Once, in a foul mood, I told someone to go F*** himself in Chinese when he said it in a stupid way to impress his mates. That just made them snigger all the more. I guess there are worse things to be called. Most of these kind of comments are just childish.

You’ve just got to humor the little children and put up with it.

13

Just yell “a-do-a” at them.

14

[quote=“Spack”]
You’ve just got to humor the little children and put up with it.[/quote]

This is true but there must be some really interesting and fun ways to reply.

Is this kind of behaviour really acceptable in the international community?

I think it depends on the tone that it is said with and who is saying it - if it’s a spicy babe then…hmmmm undecided… wait ,I’m married so I ignore it.

15

I point back and say, “Taiwan ren!” (Taiwanese person!)

Tough, the mainland contingent usually don’t appreciate it.

16

I don’t see the problem. I hear ‘weigoren’ i generally smile and get on with whatever i’m doing. I don’t think of it as an insult.

17

I look at them and say:

Wo bu shi wai guo ren, wo shi chung guo ren. They laugh and it’s finished. I walk away.

18

Mark0938,

I’m not sure that people here feel it is an insult either, however, just think about it, you are in your home country and you point at a Chinese person and say “CHINESE!” very loudly in a public area when you are a child. Do you think your parents would have tolerated your behavior? Well maybe they would have as I don’t know your family, however I am quite sure my parents would have for made sure I never did it again. But this of course is a huge cultural difference, so I usually just have fun with it and don’t get angry.

19

I bet a lot of non-Americans get peeved at being called Meiguorens. Funnily, a lot of the time, they take another look at me and decide that I must be from somewhere else. Sometimes they even get it right which always makes me smile.

I’ve also been called an alien (green skin variety) on two occasions (by kids). I call that a compliment!

20

That also makes me laugh, though this is becoming less and less as Taiwan (should I say Taipei) becomes more internationalized.