For those of us who do not speak or read any of the Chinese languages, independent travel in China can be difficult at best. In this image I contrast the conversational differences between locals and tourists on a Shanghai street corner. I photographed these people from the other side of the street, shooting intermittently as traffic permitted. The two Chinese women are at ease as they take chat over a fence. The seem as if they are in their own backyards, and pay no attention to the pair of confused tourists standing next to them, who seem to wondering where they are going next and trying to figure out how to get there. Their body language and costume clearly separate them from the Chinese women, even though they may stand inches apart. It came as no surprise that their gestures echoed each other. People will often subconsciously echo the body language of others.
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