Standing out in Beijing

My usual comment to people who talk about beauty or weight, or question as to why I am wearing a particular shade of nail varnish or shoe attire, or say 'I recognized you by your hair', has always inspired from me the comment:

'There are those who are born with long legs and height
There are those who are born with long hair or beauty
And as for the rest of us, we have to work at it!!'

It seems to me that after 5 weeks in China, I should have become a familiar sighting to those
that I pass on my regular route. I do appreciate the fact that in a city of around 14+ million (give or take, there are discrepancies about the actual amount), it is hard to say that you pass the same people every day. But, nevertheless, it seems that every morning - somehow more than
the evenings, I feel their shocked gazes. They literally stand on the street and gawp and gape.
This is probably due to the fact that by evening all my make up has been rubbed off, I am looking a little worse for wear and my energy sparkle is diminishing.

I mention my energy, because that also seems to be another topic of conversation.
It seems that anyone here with more than the recquired level should look like an Amazon and
of course at 159 (+ or -) it seems impossible. As to my hair - well anyone who knows me will tell you that it has a life of its own. It never seems to grow and when it does, it grows outwards and not in the convential downward manner that hair is supposed to do.

As to wearing tights, now that I have become accustomed to the climate, they have beat the dust and are only given an airing when the level has fallen below -5. My jacket, bright yellow, unusual
here, as it seems that yellow was the imperial color for many years, so is not commonly worn, can be seen from afar (it matches my hair) and having no language skills in Chinese as of yet, I am unable to explain that this particular garment was only bought before a trip to Poland, when it fell to the unbelievable sum of 50nis ($12, 6.50 ( pounds)). On top of this I have my beige fur topped boots that I got in Hungary, that they probably get mistaken for a dog hanging around my feet. If it is not any of the above, then it will be my plastic earings bought for almost nothing in my usual cheapy haunts or my handwoven Bedouin bag slung around my frame, bought as a
christmas pressie from a friend. If it is not one, then it is the other.

I personally think it is much more fun to look at a 'roller blader' gracefully weaving his way down the street in the traffic (not a Chinaman) or look at the attire worn by the young women or men.
They are very 'with it' and spend a lot of money on their clothes. When I asked one such person where she had bought her top and how much it cost, I was startled at the price.

For people on a low income in our eyes, their values are no different to others in the west. They want to have the most up to date phones, the highest heels, the trendiest clothes (under their padded coats) and if they are the ultimate in daring - the spiky, layered or henna dyed hair!

And they say that I stand out.