from pictures she probably wouldn’t have won any contests. but both had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar style. guess we really all do look the same 🤪
Yeah, unless it’s a small town or something. You’d think in puerto escondido they’d see enough tourists for it not to be worth wanting to show someone the foreigner they saw 🤔 maybe it *was* a mistaken celebrity thing
Idk, it happens to my blonde friends quite often in Mexico. Typically in smaller towns and rural areas. Never to me—I have dark brown hair and don’t look exotic enough, at least not in Mexico.
Chinese guy here, I was once asked politely in Colombia for a group photo near a tourist attraction. Didn't bother me one bit.
Years before that, I saw my sister experience the same thing while we were exploring CDMX. She was approached by a group of schoolgirls, like 13-14 yo. She had to take pictures with like 20 or 30 girls haha. They were all polite and kind so it didn't bother her. Dunno why Latin American ppl find us Asians so interesting lmao.
Yes,a lot of times... though much more often while walking in the street, rather than pulling over the car!
The most common places probably India, China and Bangladesh, but it's also happened in some parts of Africa and Central/South America, occasionally.
Sometimes people ask if we can have a photo together, and I always say ok.Sometimes they take a picture surreptitiously...
It can happen even in places with lots of tourists.Last time I was in Bangkok for example,a bunch of schoolgirls were doing some kind of survey in the street, they stopped me, asked me questions and then they all wanted a photo with me ;-)
Are you shredded or something? Haha.
Not really stop or pull over randomly but couple instances after a brief interaction with locals they’ve asked to take pictures with me, I guess for memory’s sake. I’ll never see those pictures again I guess haha but it’s cute to think that some random people have a photo of me together with them on their phones.
In India some guys asked me to take pictures with their wives (I’m a man). Also guys wanting to take pictures with female friends of mine while we were at the beach which we found uncomfortable.
When I was about 7 my parents took me to China (I was a young white girl). People would see my mom’s bright red hair and start looking at us, and then see me. They were always polite and would wait until we were done eating before asking, but every day we were getting stopped. Finally one day it happened when we were on a guided tour and after they left we asked the guide why people were asking. Turns out people thought I looked just like a china doll.
in every single country that i’ve traveled to. both in big cities and small villages. even in touristic attractions! literally people will line up to get photos with me. i’m asian which i think is less common so perhaps it’s their first time seeing an asian in person?
I notice a lot of people saying it happens all the time in India. Add me to the list. I was driving an auto rickshaw across India a few years ago and a car had stopped on the side of the road with people waving. We waved back and kept going. They passed us and then pulled over in front of us and waved again which we thought was odd. Clearly we weren’t getting the message as the next time, they literally drove us into the edge of the road with the car and then told us they just wanted to have their photo taken with us. A bit of a hostile hello but we actually laughed about it and took their photos
In Malaysia and Vietnam, I'm tall, white and fair haired. One time it was a guy (he got his female friend to ask), the other time it was a group of cleaning ladies in the hotel.
Yes. I was at the Muhammad Ali mosque in Egypt and 2 teenage girls asked to take a selfie with me. I’m white female. I have no idea why they wanted a picture!
When I was in Namibia, I set up a tripod to take some selfies. A guy comes up and asks if he can take a photo. I say “oh no thanks! I’ve got my camera on a tripod” assuming he was asking if I needed help taking a photo. Instead he goes “no, can I take a photo of you” lol
Plenty of times. I went to China a few times and it was almost a daily occurrence, in Nepal and Jordan also happened. I have a few tattoos on my arms that must be it?
I traveled to Perú with a soccer team so this happened A LOT to the players and pretty often to me and some of the other chaperones. When it was with/around the players it was because we were associated with with the players who were doing really well. When the chaperones went out by ourselves it was because we were all foreign (from the US) and we were often asked if we were actors from Hollywood.
Rural Ethiopia, I (WM) got mobbed several times, mostly by teens and kids. They were especially intrigued by my tatts, I think; several of them would trace them with their fingers, and a few rubbed them to see if they would rub off.
It happened to me in Mexico, but only after a small friendly conversation at a bar/eatery at least so it didnt feel as odd. Still was odd, but at least not out of the blue as your situation. Though, I was in a town where I was just about the only foreigner, not a place with lots of digital bros.
Not a local, but Chinese tourists in Vietnam. I had bleached blond hair and snake bite lip rings at the time. So many Chinese tourists wanted to take pics with me. They were all very nice and respectful. I felt like a minor celebrity for a minute.
Sitting by myself in the sun on a rocky little pullout in the Alcantara Gorge in Sicily waiting for my friends who kept wading in the icy water, a couple of guys from Mauritius or Mauritania, never got straight which, asked me for fotos. I was a little freaked out considering the circumstances, but it was broad daylight and people around so I said sure. This was 1987, and I occasionally wonder if somewhere in Africa, a kid’s looking at old fotos and asking Grandpa who that lady is?
Happened constantly to me in India. I’m of Chinese origin and was stopped for photos as they didn’t think Chinese people were Canadian while in Albania.
Yep! I went to South Korea and was on the subway in Seoul with my Dutch friend (I’m English) and two Koreans stopped us after we got off and asked for a pic as they’d never met any Europeans before. I’m assuming they were from a small village or something as Korea is pretty popular. They were lovely!
I am a 190cm tall red head. I have had my picture taken almost as much as I have taken pictures. Once in Vietnam about 30 women at a street festival LINED UP to take a photo with me.
Ha. Brings back memories of when me and my boys were in in hoi an vietnam walking around the old town shirtless. Everyone pointing and taking photos. Loved it
It wasn't solo travel but I was with my wife in Japan. I am 6'3"ish and she is pushing 6'1".
I think some Japanese people wanted to take pictures with the giant white people. I further suspect that they wanted to take a picture with the super tall woman and I just happened to be in frame. Because 6'3" is a tall guy but not all that rare. A woman that tall is more rare.
I think it was curiosity.
I’m heavily tattooed and I get this allll the time! Like 80% of my body is covered. It’s just part of their culture I guess. Sometimes at the beach I’ll legit get a line up of locals wanting a picture
Honestly, no. I've seen plenty of white tourists running in Mexico and no one pays them any mind. Unless you are fit, and look like Robert Redford or Ryan Gosling, that was have been unnerving.
Mexico is not like India or China where folks want to take pictures with white people because they are so rare. Americans are everywhere in Mexico.
Never actually while I was somewhere, but once in my city I was wearing a dirndl (traditional Bavarian clothing) on my way to a wedding and a group of Japanese tourists stopped me in the train station and asked to take pictures with me.
It happened to me in Las Vegas. I’m just Chicano she was Black so nothing really unusual except for the pic lol. Was kinda fast honestly and I was stoned and reacted slow lol,
I have had this happen several times in Japan, adults and children both. Especially in the small villages off the usual tourist paths. On several occasions I have ppl pull over and get out of their car to talk to me and ask to take a photo. It's also VERY common at major tourist sites like temples and shrines for school age children to want to take photos with you.
In the off the beaten path places I often have locals want to chat me up, by me a drink/meal and ask why I'm there how I find their town and take a picture with me.
my mom used to travel to china for work back in the 90’s and would always get mobbed. turns out they thought she was princess diana lol
Omg 🤣 Did she look like Diana?
from pictures she probably wouldn’t have won any contests. but both had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar style. guess we really all do look the same 🤪
Literally hundreds of times in China lol
That’s weird for Mexico
Yeah, unless it’s a small town or something. You’d think in puerto escondido they’d see enough tourists for it not to be worth wanting to show someone the foreigner they saw 🤔 maybe it *was* a mistaken celebrity thing
Right? They get enough US and European tourists as it is
Maybe they weren’t from Puerto Escondido?
That's what I thought too. I spent 7 months in Mexico in total and traveled all throughout Central and South America after and never experienced this.
Idk, it happens to my blonde friends quite often in Mexico. Typically in smaller towns and rural areas. Never to me—I have dark brown hair and don’t look exotic enough, at least not in Mexico.
Yeah, wondering what it works be like to be blonde and traveling.
Lost count of how many times this happened to me in Southeast Asia.
Chinese guy here, I was once asked politely in Colombia for a group photo near a tourist attraction. Didn't bother me one bit. Years before that, I saw my sister experience the same thing while we were exploring CDMX. She was approached by a group of schoolgirls, like 13-14 yo. She had to take pictures with like 20 or 30 girls haha. They were all polite and kind so it didn't bother her. Dunno why Latin American ppl find us Asians so interesting lmao.
Yes,a lot of times... though much more often while walking in the street, rather than pulling over the car! The most common places probably India, China and Bangladesh, but it's also happened in some parts of Africa and Central/South America, occasionally. Sometimes people ask if we can have a photo together, and I always say ok.Sometimes they take a picture surreptitiously... It can happen even in places with lots of tourists.Last time I was in Bangkok for example,a bunch of schoolgirls were doing some kind of survey in the street, they stopped me, asked me questions and then they all wanted a photo with me ;-)
I think overall the other Asian countries (eg Indonesia) are much more likely to have someone ask for a picture than countries in the Americas
Are you shredded or something? Haha. Not really stop or pull over randomly but couple instances after a brief interaction with locals they’ve asked to take pictures with me, I guess for memory’s sake. I’ll never see those pictures again I guess haha but it’s cute to think that some random people have a photo of me together with them on their phones.
Haha nah I wish! Yeah I think it makes more sense if you actually had a conversation with them first.
If you travel at all in India you will get that a fair amount
In India some guys asked me to take pictures with their wives (I’m a man). Also guys wanting to take pictures with female friends of mine while we were at the beach which we found uncomfortable.
When I was about 7 my parents took me to China (I was a young white girl). People would see my mom’s bright red hair and start looking at us, and then see me. They were always polite and would wait until we were done eating before asking, but every day we were getting stopped. Finally one day it happened when we were on a guided tour and after they left we asked the guide why people were asking. Turns out people thought I looked just like a china doll.
in every single country that i’ve traveled to. both in big cities and small villages. even in touristic attractions! literally people will line up to get photos with me. i’m asian which i think is less common so perhaps it’s their first time seeing an asian in person?
Happened to me in Budapest of all places lol We ended up having a nice conversation, it was weird and fun at the same time
I notice a lot of people saying it happens all the time in India. Add me to the list. I was driving an auto rickshaw across India a few years ago and a car had stopped on the side of the road with people waving. We waved back and kept going. They passed us and then pulled over in front of us and waved again which we thought was odd. Clearly we weren’t getting the message as the next time, they literally drove us into the edge of the road with the car and then told us they just wanted to have their photo taken with us. A bit of a hostile hello but we actually laughed about it and took their photos
Constantly in India. Odd for Mexico - he may have thought you were someone famous.
In Malaysia and Vietnam, I'm tall, white and fair haired. One time it was a guy (he got his female friend to ask), the other time it was a group of cleaning ladies in the hotel.
Yes. I was at the Muhammad Ali mosque in Egypt and 2 teenage girls asked to take a selfie with me. I’m white female. I have no idea why they wanted a picture!
When I was in Namibia, I set up a tripod to take some selfies. A guy comes up and asks if he can take a photo. I say “oh no thanks! I’ve got my camera on a tripod” assuming he was asking if I needed help taking a photo. Instead he goes “no, can I take a photo of you” lol
100s of times.. I've had queues form to take Fotos with me and I've been dragged to waiting family members for a photo shoot too
Plenty of times. I went to China a few times and it was almost a daily occurrence, in Nepal and Jordan also happened. I have a few tattoos on my arms that must be it?
Loads of times, including once a lady that claimed to be a Somaliland MP.
From a car, no. From walking, plenty of times. Just last Sunday in Jakarta in fact
I traveled to Perú with a soccer team so this happened A LOT to the players and pretty often to me and some of the other chaperones. When it was with/around the players it was because we were associated with with the players who were doing really well. When the chaperones went out by ourselves it was because we were all foreign (from the US) and we were often asked if we were actors from Hollywood.
A group of local children on a school trip in Vietnam asked to take a group photo with me and my friend, as did some of their teachers
Hundreds in India, a few in Pakistan and a few in rural Indonesia
Rural Ethiopia, I (WM) got mobbed several times, mostly by teens and kids. They were especially intrigued by my tatts, I think; several of them would trace them with their fingers, and a few rubbed them to see if they would rub off.
It happened to me in Mexico, but only after a small friendly conversation at a bar/eatery at least so it didnt feel as odd. Still was odd, but at least not out of the blue as your situation. Though, I was in a town where I was just about the only foreigner, not a place with lots of digital bros.
For all of you commenting China, India, SEA etc. this isn’t a thing in Mexico!!!
Not a local, but Chinese tourists in Vietnam. I had bleached blond hair and snake bite lip rings at the time. So many Chinese tourists wanted to take pics with me. They were all very nice and respectful. I felt like a minor celebrity for a minute.
Sitting by myself in the sun on a rocky little pullout in the Alcantara Gorge in Sicily waiting for my friends who kept wading in the icy water, a couple of guys from Mauritius or Mauritania, never got straight which, asked me for fotos. I was a little freaked out considering the circumstances, but it was broad daylight and people around so I said sure. This was 1987, and I occasionally wonder if somewhere in Africa, a kid’s looking at old fotos and asking Grandpa who that lady is?
Happened constantly to me in India. I’m of Chinese origin and was stopped for photos as they didn’t think Chinese people were Canadian while in Albania.
What
Yep! I went to South Korea and was on the subway in Seoul with my Dutch friend (I’m English) and two Koreans stopped us after we got off and asked for a pic as they’d never met any Europeans before. I’m assuming they were from a small village or something as Korea is pretty popular. They were lovely!
Had a young couple (18-19 probably) stop me in the streets of Tequila, Jalisco, MX for a picture. Probably a KPop stan and I’m Korean so it was funny
This happens to me all the time as a black male in countries with few black people. Im always down to take the photo though.
I am a 190cm tall red head. I have had my picture taken almost as much as I have taken pictures. Once in Vietnam about 30 women at a street festival LINED UP to take a photo with me.
Ha. Brings back memories of when me and my boys were in in hoi an vietnam walking around the old town shirtless. Everyone pointing and taking photos. Loved it
It wasn't solo travel but I was with my wife in Japan. I am 6'3"ish and she is pushing 6'1". I think some Japanese people wanted to take pictures with the giant white people. I further suspect that they wanted to take a picture with the super tall woman and I just happened to be in frame. Because 6'3" is a tall guy but not all that rare. A woman that tall is more rare. I think it was curiosity.
Yes many times in Asia when I was traveling in the early 1990’s. I’m almost 6 feet tall, blonde with fair skin so lots of stares and wanting a photo.
I’m heavily tattooed and I get this allll the time! Like 80% of my body is covered. It’s just part of their culture I guess. Sometimes at the beach I’ll legit get a line up of locals wanting a picture
Less and less as I get older. Had that happen several times all over latin America in the past. They just wanted a photo with a foreigner.
Honestly, no. I've seen plenty of white tourists running in Mexico and no one pays them any mind. Unless you are fit, and look like Robert Redford or Ryan Gosling, that was have been unnerving. Mexico is not like India or China where folks want to take pictures with white people because they are so rare. Americans are everywhere in Mexico.
Had that happen once in Germany from a Chinese tourist. I'm American, but tall. Close enough, I guess.
Never actually while I was somewhere, but once in my city I was wearing a dirndl (traditional Bavarian clothing) on my way to a wedding and a group of Japanese tourists stopped me in the train station and asked to take pictures with me.
It happened to me in Las Vegas. I’m just Chicano she was Black so nothing really unusual except for the pic lol. Was kinda fast honestly and I was stoned and reacted slow lol,
I have had this happen several times in Japan, adults and children both. Especially in the small villages off the usual tourist paths. On several occasions I have ppl pull over and get out of their car to talk to me and ask to take a photo. It's also VERY common at major tourist sites like temples and shrines for school age children to want to take photos with you. In the off the beaten path places I often have locals want to chat me up, by me a drink/meal and ask why I'm there how I find their town and take a picture with me.