Experiences – Life – Inspiration 🇨🇭🇯🇵

Meeting new people often leads to a series of amusing confusions, and today I want to dive into the perplexities surrounding my appearance.

In Part 2, we’ll explore the intricacies of my names, and Part 3 will unveil intriguing stories about my native language. While I could have bundled these into one article, I prefer to keep my blog posts short and light for easy reading.

Now, let’s hop into the perplexities about my appearance.

Upon my arrival in Thailand, locals often mistake me for Chinese or South Korean, attributing it to my pale skin and height.

Little do they know, my fair complexion results from a lack of sunlight, and the towering stature? Well, that’s a gift from my ancestors.

Some Chinese friends amusingly claim I resemble a Southern Chinese man, yet I’m deemed too tall for that category.

A closer look at my picture reveals my 23andMe report, indicating I’m around 50% Chinese, specifically South Chinese. This connection is unsurprising, given the long history of Chinese migration to Thailand dating back to the 13th century, where traders and merchants settled, enriching the cultural tapestry.

In Japan, my wife’s relatives’ initial reaction is simply, “You’re tall.”

Ironically, in the Netherlands, my height is just below the average for Dutch men (1.83 meters). Yet, anyone who has been there knows Dutch men often tower over 1.90 meters. Dutch women, on the other hand, average 1.70 meters.

When people comment on my unusual height, I playfully attribute it to being fed a lot of Swiss cheese and drinking ample milk as a kid. (No lactose intolerance here—I love cheese, by the way.)

Returning to my appearance, during a recent hike to Kinkazan in Japan, an elderly hiker pointed at me, exclaiming “ooki,” which means big. In my best Japanese, I explained I’m a foreigner and proudly declared my height—1.80 meters. Laughter ensued, and we parted ways amicably.

#AppearanceConfusions #CulturalPerceptions #HeightMatters #TravelTales