Social Observations

I shaved my beard and left long chopps when we got to Kashgar. I did it for fun and didn't really think about the attention it would draw. Kashgar is a pretty touristy place, so the people don't stare as much as they do in other places in China, but after the added facial hair trim, they really started oggeling. Some stare wide-eyed, some giggle and point, it's not a big deal because that kind of stuff happens regularly to us in small towns.
We met a Uighur University student who wanted to practice his English. He was home from Shanghai for the summer, and had not a lot else to do. So we were wondering around the city looking at shops when we stopped at one shop for a while looking at bills of currency accumulated from all around the world. A small crowd developed as is typical anytime we stop for too long. A lot was said in Uighur, but we don't understand any of it. Later as we walked away our new friend told us what some men had said. (Note that the Uighur people can and do grow facial hair much like the people of arabic nations). The men had taken notice of my beard, (nothing new to me) and thought it was interesting and funny. But the conversation that developed gives great insight into their social thought. One man pointed out to the other that I was from a free country where I could wear my beard however I pleased. There conversation that insued is best summed by sayting that they wouldn't dare to do something like that because they might be viewed as a radical by the government.
To us, it is very interesting to see the mix of culture here in Xinjiang (the largest province by land mass in China). The Uighur people live here under Chinese control. The government has brought in many Han Chinese to make help against any sort of uprising and promote assimilation. I don't know all of the details of what has happened good or bad, but it definitely creates for an interesting mix of culture. It is refreshing to see a difference of culture in China. There is different architecture and food here, as well as different looking people with different ways of living. There seem to be areas of town that are more Han and different areas, like around the central mosque that are Uighur. (The differences are nice, but we are ready for the variety of food that Shanghai offers again!)