Wierd thing that always happens in WDW

[xoprincessmomxo]

Comments are one thing....but pictures by total strangers: that's just a little too creepy for me!

 

[lindsmom]

My DD6 has always received many comments about her hair (she has ALWAYS had very thick hair) and people feel compelled to touch her ponytails or braids. She absolutely HATES this, and since I feel it's rude of the strangers to touch her, it's the only time I let her be impolite and tell them to stop (she makes a face to enforce her distaste).

I'm thinking how people would react if we went to China (or Japan) and started taking pictures of their local children. I'm thinking someone would be upset by those pushy American tourists.

To OP, yes, I think it's weird too....

 

[pha1226]

This happened to us for the first time this summer while visiting Ottawa. We were waiting to go up to the Peace Tower at the Parliament buildings and my 5 and 7 yo dd's were wandering around (but always in sight). 2 Asian women approached them and all of a sudden, they were posing for pictures! It was very odd but they never touched them or anything. My girls are both very blond and blue-eyed so I guess that was the fascination.

 

[_queenie_]

My dd was in an over the shoulder holder on my chest when a group of Japanese (I think that was the language they were speaking) young men and women posed around her.

Yeah, we've gotten a lot of attention from foreigners, especially asians. They always want to feel my DD3's blonde hair, it's probally becuase they're not used to seeing kids with light hair and blue eyes. On the bus to MK last year this one japanese girl just sat down next to us and started petting her hair and kept telling me how goregeous she was. It was a little hard to understand her, but I think she kept saying that she had enough beauty to light up the world or something like that. She then pulled out her camera phone and asked if she could take a picture, but I said no. She was very nice, it was just a little odd.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm thinking how people would react if we went to China (or Japan) and started taking pictures of their local children. I'm thinking someone would be upset by those pushy American tourists.

According to my Korean in laws, it wouldn't be weird at all. They would be asking you to pose with their children, most likely.

I'm not speaking to my MIL anymore for various reasons, and our relationship was strained from the start b/c they had been *just* about to send DH to Korea to find a wife when he met me, but the ONLY thing that kept me in her graces for as long as it did was b/c I'm pale (she likes pale, hates tan), have a relatively thin, not-too-short nose (she used to pinch DH's nose as an infant and toddler to try to get his "Korean" nose to be thinner), and she likes my blue eyes. That's it. So even though she otherwise wants me to be the perfect Korean daughter in law (which I don't know how to be and have given up trying), she likes my "whiteness".

Her family is the same, and DH grew up traveling in and living in many countries in Asia, and he reports that it's very very common to be fascinated with the blue/green eyes (think of Memoirs of a Geisha) and the blonde and red hair.

I, on the other hand, saw Shogun when I was in elementary school, dressed as Mariko that Halloween (still have the wig, it was expensive!!!), and for many years wished I could *be* Japanese. I was fascinated with the hair and the eyes....


OK, diversion over, just trying to let you guys know that in general the Asian fascination isn't a pervy one, just one of differences and wanting to remember it.

 

[ZPT1022]

no one has gone so far as to take pictures but I do get stopped all the time and told that my kids are cute/gorgeous/beautiful. I also get asked a lot if I have them in modeling and when I say no, I get told that I should.

Funny recent story- DS, age 3, is in preschool. They had school picture day so I sent in the form and a check and waited patiently for the pictures to come. They must have gotten a bunch of cute shots of him because we got so many extra sets of pictures, way more than the one package we paid for and way more than any package they sold. The kid actually came home with multiple packages (we only paid for the one). I guess he's just photogenic

oh and on the subject of the asian fascination with blonde hair and blue eyes- my cousin lives in Hawaii and her kids are models. Most of the work they get is for Japanese catalogs. The kids look a lot like mine and have the blond hair and blue eyes.

 

[#1 Pocahontas]

OK, diversion over, just trying to let you guys know that in general the Asian fascination isn't a pervy one, just one of differences and wanting to remember it.

We hosted many Japanese exchange students when I was in high school and college. I have blonde hair and I remember one telling me that if I walked down the streets of Japan everyone would look at me with their eyes bugged out and that many would want to touch my hair.

I think Asian people are beautiful, I too wanted to be Japanese for a long time. One of my friend's father came from Japan and I was always so jealous of her straight black hair and the shape of her eyes.

I just never would take a picture. LOL Must just be a cultural thing I guess.

 

[doodlesmommy]

We lived in Heidelberg, Germany four years ago when my DS was 3-4 years old. During the summer months a lot of Asian tourists would be in the dowtown area where we shopped a lot. They always made a fuss over his blond hair and bright blue eyes. Once or twice I reluctantly let him pose with them for pictures. I finally asked one why and she told me it was for good luck. I never felt offended and everyone that asked was always nice. I can't imagine walking up to a complete stranger and asking to take my picture with their children, but then again we live in a country where child abuse & sexual predetors are in our face on the news 24-7.

 

[chrisw127]

I have ten-month old twins. If you ever want to feel like a travelling freak show, walk around with twins. Strangers walk up to us all the time and ask questions, some of them quite strange (yes, there were fertility drugs involved, I usually say) but most people are very nice. Still, it's strange to go out places and have strangers approach you for no reason other than the fact that you have two babies of the same age in a stroller.

 

[ZPT1022]

I have ten-month old twins. If you ever want to feel like a travelling freak show, walk around with twins. Strangers walk up to us all the time and ask questions, some of them quite strange (yes, there were fertility drugs involved, I usually say) but most people are very nice. Still, it's strange to go out places and have strangers approach you for no reason other than the fact that you have two babies of the same age in a stroller.

I totally agree with this one. My younger two are twins and the comments are fewer now that they're 3 1/2 and most people seem to assume that since there's one boy and one girl, they're just siblings, not twins but when they were babies it was hard to go out. And some of the questions I got The one that bugged me the most though was people insisting that they were identical. Um, one has boy parts and one has girl parts, sorry, they're not identical- EVERYTHING MUST MATCH!!!!! It's funny now though

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

We have had peope take pictures of our our 4 quite often. It really doesn't bother me. Usually people don't even ask. Like the one poster we are complimented on how well-behaved our children are almost every time that we go out to eat. I find both very flattering. The most flattering thing that we have had happen is one time in Indianapolis we had an older couple tell us that we one of the most attractive families that they had ever seen and asked if they could take our picture. LOL! We were like OK. At Disney we have ran into people that recognized us from 3 days previous on several occassions- now that is a little weird. Or the time that my kids were dressed up in the morning and in the afternoon they weren't and I kid you not we had like 4 familes say " Oh, why aren't you wearing you're cute little costumes anymore?" and we did not know them from adam. LOL! I, too have had people ask if they could hold my kids at the check-out in the grocery store. If my child did not care I usually said it was OK for a moment. Who knows, maybe that made their week!

Nicole Wife to Reuben
Mom to Keitaaron soon to be 9
Xeyana soon to be 7
Chloe 6
Colin 4

 

[chrisw127]

I totally agree with this one. My younger two are twins and the comments are fewer now that they're 3 1/2 and most people seem to assume that since there's one boy and one girl, they're just siblings, not twins but when they were babies it was hard to go out. And some of the questions I got The one that bugged me the most though was people insisting that they were identical. Um, one has boy parts and one has girl parts, sorry, they're not identical- EVERYTHING MUST MATCH!!!!! It's funny now though

Too funny. I have boy/girl twins as well and we get the "identical" question all the time. The worst was when I was getting my epidural and the doctor asked. Either he had been working way too many hours or he didn't pay attention during his ob/gyn rotation in med school.

 

[_queenie_]

We get a lot of complimets about good manners too.

Both the beauty and behavioral compliments are wonderful, just not when they get creepy.

 

[krismom]

I've had people ask to take pictures of my kids (twin boys) at the mall- I declined, thinking it was extremely creepy- but after reading this thread, I guess it isn't that odd?!

 

[ZPT1022]

Too funny. I have boy/girl twins as well and we get the "identical" question all the time. The worst was when I was getting my epidural and the doctor asked. Either he had been working way too many hours or he didn't pay attention during his ob/gyn rotation in med school.

fortunately I haven't gotten it from the doctors, it was mostly people at Target or the grocery store or whatever. The grandmas at the grocery store were the worst though, I would be pushing the double stroller with the two infant seats in it and pulling a cart full of groceries and I'd have to stop every ten feet for questions and cheek pinches (for them, not me ) I dealt with it nicely because I so know that in another 40 years that will be me too

 

[livndisney]

I have twin blonde hair blued eyed cousin (I am not LOL), when they were babies people would stop my aunt (She is only a few year older than me )and I all the time and ask if the girls were twins. After we said yes, they would ask which one was mine? This happened SEVERAL times over the years.

When I went to China a few years ago, I traveled with a family with a little blonde hair blue eyed boy. We were "warned" ahead of time by our guide that he might be asked for pictures. We did not realize it would be EVERY 5 FEET! OY! Finally I had to run blockade for him because his Mom had about had it.

Just the other day a CM in Epcot was very taken with my DD. She kept commenting on how well she behaved. The CM insisted on giving her an ice cream. I much prefer someone telling me how well behaved she is over some stranger taking her picture.

 

[CindyBella]

My DD6 is in a few strangers pictures at WDW every time she gets "bibbidibobbidi-boutiqued"!! People oooh and ahhh! She has even been asked to sign a few autograph books which she LOVES and I thought it was such a sweet idea.

Sometimes DH, DS10 and I have fun with it and when no one is around we act like she is a celeb and we are her security team. We say "no pictures please" and stand around her as if we are trying to protect her from her adoring fans!! So much fun!!

 

[livndisney]

My DD6 is in a few strangers pictures at WDW every time she gets "bibbidibobbidi-boutiqued"!! People oooh and ahhh! She has even been asked to sign a few autograph books which she LOVES and I thought it was such a sweet idea.

Sometimes DH, DS10 and I have fun with it and when no one is around we act like she is a celeb and we are her security team. We say "no pictures please" and stand around her as if we are trying to protect her from her adoring fans!! So much fun!!

You cracked me up with this My DD stopped in the middle of Main Street one day and said "No pictures please" LOL

 

[gottalovethem]

I get tons of comments on my kids too and have seen a couple cameras here or there -- the scariest -- I have rec'd comments AT LEAST 10 times (from strangers) that they want to steal my youngest son because he's so precious/cute It freaks me out.

 

[GabbyMom]

My DD gets comments all the time, everyone loves her hair.

When DD was less than a year old I took her to the mall. sitting on the bench waiting for my brother to come out of a store a wired woman sat down next to me and started asking questions about the baby. Ok fine till she asked what her birthday was and what hospital i had her at. Luckily my Bro came out and we walked away without answering the last few. I spent the rest of the day on edge looking out for a baby napper.

There are a bunch of pictures in Japan of my siblings and I from when we where kids posing with tourists. I think it's funny.