How Meeting People Grows You

I have now met 646 people. That is not including the people who have turned me down to not wanting their picture taken. Meeting so many people on a regular basis really grows you. During this project I have learned about how some of the Chinese view themselves.

When I am out executing the 10,000 Smiles project I ask people  if I can take their picture in the limited Mandarin I know. One afternoon I was on a bus and I asked a Chinese woman if I could take her picture. She asked, “Why?”. I then explained to her what my project was about and if I could take her picture. She said no. I then further asked why.

She said,”Because I am not beautiful”.

“What? Why do you think that?”

“Because I am not white and I don’t have smooth skin.”

Wow…I thought to myself. This is not the first time I have heard a Chinese woman tell me they don’t think they are beautiful but her response broke my heart.

We then further talked about photoshop in the media and how the Chinese culture is beautiful. I really tried to stress to her that she is beautiful. She continued to deny my remarks. It is really interesting how many of the Chinese woman (more than the men) turn down having a picture taken because of how they view themselves; and often times they are beautiful to the media standards.

I have met so many people in the last two weeks that it is impossible for me to say I have met an ugly person. Every individual I have taken a picture or come encountered with has been beautiful in their own way. Maybe it’s not to the unrealistic media standards but beauty really comes down to the eye of the beholder.

You were created by the Creator. You are beautiful. Don’t let the world tell you differently.

You can vote for your favorite smile on the end of this post.

Photos 546- 646

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 & 910
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 & 2021
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30  31 32 33, 34, 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 6061
62 63 64 65 & 66 67

68 69 70

71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100