West Lake: Pics with my fandom merch a no-go? Seriously? 🥺
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Sigh, ladies, I need to rant a bit and give you all a reminder at the same time!
Here's what happened:
- On my first visit to West Lake in Hangzhou, oh wow, what a breathtaking view! I took many photos.
- Then, an idea struck me – my bag just happened to have my "collectibles" inside them; they are tiny little trinkets featuring characters from anime or video games that I adore, like acrylic standees or small badges. I thought taking pictures with such memorabilia would make for some amazing, sentimental photos with the scenic views!
- Unfortunately, as I carefully held up my precious items to take two photos, an elderly lady passing by stared at me and muttered, "This person is crazy, taking pictures of this kind of stuff!"
- I felt rather stunned and upset at the time.
Seriously, is it illegal to photograph personal collectibles at West Lake?! I swear, I didn't block anyone's way or obstruct their view of the scenery.
Moreover, I was being extra careful, choosing a quiet corner away from crowds.
Just once, I wanted to show off my interests outwardly by enjoying them outside, but this incident made me feel like developing long-lasting "social anxiety" instead!
️ Warning for ladies in the "collectibles circle" who plan to take photos at West Lake or other famous tourist spots:- Background information:
- The word "collectibles (gǔzi)" generally refers to merchandise of characters from anime or games among young people, like miniature standees, badges, or figurines. Taking photos with these beloved items on trips is an expression of our love.
- What you might encounter:
- Some local elders may not understand your interests and might think you’re odd, just like in my case with that grandmother.
- Especially at crowded famous sites, if you pull out these little things for photos, they might catch unpleasant stares.
- What can you do?
- Be more low key: Find quieter corners during less crowded times.
- Keep it short: Click and immediately put the items back.
- Stay calm: If someone doesn't understand or shoots disapproving looks or comments at you, don’t let it get to you – just enjoy yourself since you aren’t bothering anyone, right?
I hope everyone can take their collectibles on trips happily while avoiding these annoying incidents!
This translation attempts to accurately convey the original intent, details, and emotions while ensuring fluency in English and natural expressions, aiming that native English readers can understand the context and messages.
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To be honest, the local elderly folks around West Lake are totally used to seeing cosplayers. Anyone who'd make rude comments is most likely a tourist, so just ignore them. [heehee]
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I shoot there often.
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It feels a bit like that Wu Banbao incident. It seems the older generation in Hangzhou can be quite fond of openly judging people to their faces...
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Locals are getting a bad rap from this. The accent in that video isn't Hangzhou dialect at all—who knows where that outsider came from. Besides, the local elderly around West Lake are used to seeing cosplayers; I doubt they'd go out of their way to scold someone just passing by.
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If you look closely, you'll even see elderly men with all sorts of camera gear – those are the real locals. They hang out by West Lake all day discussing photography, you could even ask them to take a few shots for you.
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Haha, that's so true!
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Go for it! I'm from Hangzhou, and I'm at West Lake taking photos of my plush dolls all the time. Shoot with confidence!
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Nah, that won't happen... Local elderly folks will usually just ask if they can take a picture because they find your '娃' (doll/costume) cute. At least, that’s my experience when photographing dolls.
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Genuine Hangzhou locals wouldn't mock you. My grandma even said, 'Back in my day, what I wore was much more out-there than what these kids wear now!' The ones mocking you are probably older folks from your own hometowns.
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My grandma says: 'Back in our day, we were among the very first to wear qipaos. Kids these days dress much more conservatively than we did back then!'
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How am I only seeing this May Day post now? Go for it and take your photos!!! Even my grandma doesn't bat an eye.
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Hangzhou has had anime conventions since the early 2000s. I remember the earliest ones even had parade floats in front of the People's Great Hall – I think Ni Ping (or some other celebrity host, I was too young to remember clearly) even attended. That's a prime central location in Hangzhou. There's an anime convention every year, cosplayers are a common sight, and everyone got used to it ages ago. People who make such a fuss about it usually aren't locals.
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Hangzhou is genuinely very open-minded, but to be honest, I feel like it hasn't been quite as open these past couple of years as it was before the pandemic.
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What's a good comeback if you run into a situation like this?
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(In Hangzhou dialect) 'Hey old timer, what's it to ya? Buzz off!'
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Hey OP, don't pay any mind to that old lady; she's 100% an outsider. Local elderly folks are very open-minded. If you go on a weekday morning and your hands are full, they'll even offer to hold your props for you while you shoot.
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Alright, got it...
