It’s not new, but it was too good to go unlinked to:
BARTHOLOMEW FRANKS AND THE SPECIAL FEW—A STORY OF FAME AND CELEBRITY IN THE NEW CHINA
BY PABLO
CHENGDU, CHINA—Bartholomew Franks knew he was a Seriously Important Person the first time he was recognized on the street by a complete stranger.
“I was just walking around, thinking about velcro, when suddenly this complete stranger walked up to me, all smiling, and said ‘hallo.’ ” The man was a local seller of steamed buns who, Mr. Franks explains, recognized him by the fact that he wasn’t Chinese, and had a big nose. “‘Chang bizi’ that’s what he kept on saying to me, laughing. ‘Chang bizi.’ I thought it was pretty cool, so I gave him five kuai and a flourish of my hair, which is long, and flaxen”
From Long Legged Fly.
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So much for being anonymous. I think the fame is a double edged sword. One can enjoy the lime light and also one can loose their privacy due to the limelight. I have observed the this type of fame only lasts so long and in my opninion it seems like such a hollow achievement since fame is mostly ego based… But having all the women right now would be a wonderful benefit I think walking this razor’s edge could be enjoyed if one understood the balancing act that is involved with fame.
Was the five kuai for recognizing you or the buns. If you paid five kaui for buns, you got ripped.
It’s satire . . . . . .
SICK!
I’m glad he used a pseudonym for me.
although i am not Bartholomew Franks, I do often give people five kuai for recognizing me, and also for recognizing my steamed buns