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**Shenzhen Spotlight: From Fascination to Feeling Like a Specimen**

2025-11-23


**Shenzhen Spotlight: From Fascination to Feeling Like a Specimen** Stepping onto the bustling streets of Shenzhen felt like entering another dimension – the kind where your skin colour and perhaps those slightly unruly curls instantly become the headline attraction. Earlier texts had hinted at potentially polarizing reactions to my presence, suggesting I'd likely stand out as a novelty item in this vast city primarily populated by Han Chinese residents; it wasn't hard to imagine people wondering if they were seeing someone special or just another tourist with unusually kinky hair.

Observing others quickly look away after catching glimpses of my face confirmed these suspicions. People seemed hyper-aware, maybe even scanning for any signs that might justify their fleeting attention. It became clear fast enough: whatever the initial confusion was about, it wasn't me being a 'phenomenon'. I just looked like someone who didn't blend in seamlessly against this backdrop – perhaps more of an unexpected visual detail than anything else.

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