Self-disclosure - Over a period of time GK members will eventualy disclose some BASIC information about themselves over the course of commenting on this forum. I have noticed some extremes though.

Some people have disclosed very personal details about themselves that seemed inappropriate because it was very personal information. (Private info not healthy for a public forum).

On the other hand, some other people never reveal any basic information at all and when specifically asked a question they will outright refuse to answer.

Thats the power of choice and each person has the right to divulge info about themselves as they see fit.

GK Community - As laowais from many different parts of the globe I feel we share a common bond when it comes to this forum. We all recognize that we are guests in China and stand out because we are different from our chinese hosts.

Meeting - Over the course of my time here I have met several members of the GK community. I know anyone who has ever met me has also met my wife who is usually at my side most of the time. When we are able to put a face to a name it does seem to add a certain level of trust or familiarity to the interaction on the forums.

@HFCAMPO

I usually pass and give a nod or a smile if I see a foreigner. An unusually higher than you'd think percentage of the time, a nod, a greeting or a smile is reciprocated with total disdain, with a turn of the nose, and with pretending they didn't see or hear.

Very, very strange.

For some reason this reaction was much more common when I visited Burma last year.

I have experience what the 2 posts above say. I suppose the thinking is - why should we treat treat each other differently because they are foreign? Perhaps this is wrong, we should work on making Kunming a more friendly place. I think in future I will try to always give brief eye contact and a smile. I may not always get the eye contact, but it doesn't matter.

Would like to see anthropological studies of Life in Kunming for western (primarily) expats, by both Chinese anthropologists and others - hope we will get such, sooner or later.

If I see a foreign person when out and about I'd treat them no different to if I see a Chinese person, just another person on the street. If they did say hello or ask a question of course I'd be polite though and engage.

Have to say for me personally I've always been a little backwards in coming forwards. Nothing to do with being in China, so I can respect that in others without thinking their some stuck up idiot lol.

@Alien a little off topic, but how about we just use the word 'immigrant' rather than expat? That's what we are, after all!

Well, immigrant, to me, implies the idea of permanent settlement, and I think only some of us are thinking this way.
Truth is, I don't much like 'expat' either - strikes me as slightly neo-colonialist and probably about 'White People' - but then maybe that's just me.

I agree with your second sentence, disagree with your first. There are loads of immigrants from eastern europe in the UK, most of them come to work for a few years then go back.

I had to look this up because I really was not sure.

Expatriate = expat - A person living in a country that is not their own. At least in my dictionary I do NOT see the word Permanent in this definition. So a student who is in China for 1-2 years is also an expat.

Emigrate - To leave your own country and go and live permanently in another country.

Immigrate - To come and live permanently in a country after leaving your own country.

The key word (permanent) is found in both emigrate and immigrate, meaning there is an intent to permanently leave ones own country and NOT return.

So I consider myself and expat who has immigrated to China with the intent of living here permanently because I have no intention of returning to the country of my birth (Ecuador) or the country where I am now a citizen (USA).