"Pale toadstool", or Chinese about white skin.

Yesterday I go to the store in our house, the seller stacks the goods, thinks, looks at me and doesn’t stand it.
He asks something in Chinese, at first I did not understand what he was talking about.
He asks what country I am from, I reply that from Russia.
And then he points to my hands and repeats the previous phrase.
And then I understand that he asks why my skin is not white, "bu bai."

So funny. I have known this seller for about two years, but he decided to ask only now.
I had to tell him that for Russians the skin color is not important, it can be white, or not white, it does not matter absolutely. Russians love the sun, and it doesn’t matter if their white skin is tanned or tanned.
To say that Russians, on the contrary, are very fond of sunbathing, my knowledge of Chinese colloquial was not enough. Because I limited myself to what I can talk about. 😁

This is the Chinese obsessed with white skin, however, like most Asians.
The funny thing is that I practically do not sunbathe, and in itself is very bright. Meeting friends in Russia, I always get the same question, why am I as pale as a pale grebe, do not sunbathe or something, especially if I returned from Thailand, Turkey or other southern places.
Well, lately I haven’t come across such questions from acquaintances of compatriots, I have been living for many years in the warmth and in the bright sun, and after 40 many people stop sunbathing, and I have a lot of acquaintances without a tan.
But, no matter how much I tan, even when I myself seem to be tanned, I’m still pale, because I have this type of skin. She's just covered in freckles.

And about the Chinese, an interesting point.
As far as I know China, I remember the phrase "I'm not like that, I'm waiting for the tram", which was successfully used by foreigners in relation to the Chinese in this matter.
In Cambodia, Thailand and India, the same thing, as far as I know from the stories of friends.

It just has its own moments, its own mentality.
In China, if the skin is dark in color, then you are a peasant and work in the field. Whether it’s the case, white skin means, “you are lucky, you are not like everyone else, you work in the office.”
And the Chinese are trying in every way to show that they do not work in the field, but work in the office.

The Chinese men in this regard still have long nails.
Someone will say that this is for dice.
Someone in order to poke around in the ear.
Someone else will name other reasons.

Well, yes, for the convenience of turning the bones, but also an indication that his hands are not for working in the field and picking in the ground.
A trifle, but an indicator of a certain belonging to another class.
That is why all the cosmetics in China are aimed at whitening the skin.
I'm talking about all the creams before buying, I read. Because almost everyone has a whitening effect. Why do I need it?
That is why Chinese women are wrapped from head to toe, if on a moped, then in a hat, neck, face are closed, gloves are on hands.
Some on a hot day, like mummies wrapped up.
So they swim in the sea. Protected from the sun.

Well, the seller in the store simply could not resist the question: if I am Russian, why am I not so white?
Although among the Russians I am very, very white. Not an albino, but that same fair skin, which tans poorly, which quickly burns and will certainly peel off at the first spring tan.
During the massage, all Chinese women will always examine and gasp at first - gasp on what kind of white and smooth skin.

I am absolutely indifferent to the color of my skin, I am happy when I am tanning, and I am completely calm when I am not tanning.
It’s just interesting to me that for someone at a moment in life it can be very important.