Heliophobia

Heliophobia = fear of the sun

In China, white is beautiful.  Store shelves are stocked to the brim with whitening creams.  You’ll see more umbrellas on a sunny day than on a rainy day.  Women bike through town in the middle of summer with darth vader-esque visors, and flowy flappy sleeves to cover their arms.  My students, when accompanying me, constantly try to shield me from the sun with their glittery umbrellas.  In the past (and to a certain extent today), white skin was a sign of prosperity in China; it meant you didn’t have to work out in the fields.  Growing up in America, the tan kids were the rich kids–the ones who escaped the cloudy midwest for the beaches of Florida during spring break.  In the States, we describe a tan as a “healthy glow.”  In China, a healthy glow means you’re white enough to glow in the dark.

Yesterday, Wu and I were sitting outside the train station waiting for some special guests.  We couldn’t help chuckling when we noticed the distinct line between populated and unpopulated sections of the outdoor waiting area.  The line of separation was where the shade ended and the sun began.  We, of course, were sitting out in the sun.

(Did you notice the other cultural habit?  Men rolling their shirts up to cool off their bellies? Now that’s an attractive habit.)

More on our special guests and the reason for their visit later!