“You are beautiful,” he said, in broken English as he asked me to pose for a photograph.  I am a celebrity here; we all are.  A stranger snaps a shot with every stride we take.  At the World Expo, an elderly woman called me over to pose for a picture.  I asked to see the picture, which turned out to be a zoomed in picture of just my face.  Pale skin is considered royalty in China and with my pastiness; I am as royal as they come.

With the flash of a smile and a respectful wave, this culture accepts us as their own.  We travel across oceans to see new worlds, but no matter where we live we aren’t nearly as different.  When we acknowledge a passing gaze, a lit up face is enough to know that despite the communication barrier, we are all one.  I begin to compare these behaviors to our own country.  Are we as accepting?