A Sore Thumb: Ways for a Chinese girl to stand out?

[Kid Charlemagne]

Here's the problem: she needs to stick out based on being seen in a single performance. One of the other PCs needs to have seen her perform and - from the one performance - be able to remember her a year or two later.

I see... How about tattoos? That might be a good one. If any of the people noticing her are chinese, then large feet might make a good distinguishing mark. Being exceptionally tall for a Chinese girl might work, too. If you can come up with a good (possibly mystical) explanation, ghost-white hair would be spooky and memorable.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

She could have a snake tail instead of legs. And six arms. Combine that with the big breasts, red hair, green eyes, and Portuguese accent, and I think you've got something.

Perfect! How could you forget that?! ... but, it doesn't all fit in my description section of the character sheet.

 

[RangerWickett]

I am reminded of a story my friend Rob told me. Once he was asked what his ideal woman would be. He jokingly replied, "A 14 year-old, red-headed Asian Catholic school girl."

A year later he was drunk on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. He looks up across the street and sees a gorgeous red-headed Asian woman, her hair looking natural, not dyed. He points her out to a friend sitting next to him on a bench, and then he staggers over to her.

"Pardon me," he says in the way he has of being hyper eloquent when highly intoxicated, "but I just wanted to make sure, ma'am, is your hair naturally red?"

She smiles to him and nods. He nods back, impressed.

"And, ah, you are Asian, if I am correct, right ma'am?"

"Yes," she says, laughing at how polite he's trying to be.

Rob hums in approval, then nods and staggers back to his friend. He sits down on the bench and says, "She's an Asian red-head alright."

His friend cheers, and tells Rob to go back and talk to her. Rob shrugs, stands up, takes a drink, and weaves his way through the crowd back to her.

"Pardon my interruption again, ma'am," Rob says, "but . . . would you happen to be Catholic?"

"Yes I am," she says. "Um, why?"

Rob chuckles and waves a hand dismissively. "Oh, no reason. Thank you, ma'am."

He weaves his way back through the crowd, and again sits beside his friend. "And she's Catholic," Rob adds.

His friend is amazed at the coincidence, and he reminds Rob of the last criterion of his perfect woman. Rob nods, stands up, and walks casually over to talk to the woman once more.

"Hey," he says, a bit flippantly, dropping his polite act. "Are you fourteen?"

The woman looks to one of her friends in confusion, then shakes her head. "No. . . . I'm twenty-three."

"Ah," Rob says, disappointed. Then, "But wait. That means once you were fourteen, right?"

" . . . yes."

Rob perks up instantly. "Egg salad. Well, happy Mardi Gras."

And he turns and walks away.

 

[Darmanicus]

Also - she needs to stand out of a group of tumblers so that someone would remember her a couple of years later. Something really eye catching.

She could have a false eye that pops out whenever she does something too acrobatic!

 

[John Morrow]

Not exactly... what with the railroad being built and all. Lots of Chinese (male and female) around.

I'm not sure there were all that many female Chinese around. The ratio, to my knowledge, was very male-heavy. The Chinese also faced some pretty harsh descrimination in the West and were actually murdered in some places by lynch mobs (see the reference to the "Anti-Chinese League" in the movie Tombstone). For example:

http://www.pbs.org/becomingamerican/ap_prog1.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse/frontierlife/essay11_4.html

The second link contains this telling quote:

"By 1883 [...] there were over 100,000 Chinese men and 6,000 Chinese women living West of the Mississippi."

Combined with this quote in the first link:

"Even after the Civil War, most of the Chinese women in the U.S. were brought here as virtual slaves to work in brothels and saloons catering to the bachelor communities of Chinese men. For them, it was a cruel life of subjugation -- prisoners of their gender, poverty and lack of status."

...that leaves awful few really free Chinese women in the West.

Also - she needs to stand out of a group of tumblers so that someone would remember her a couple of years later. Something really eye catching.

Back to your original question, I have a Taiwanese/Chinese friend who has freckles. Distinctive without being too overt.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

...that leaves awful few really free Chinese women in the West.

I'd never contend otherwise - was just pointing out that there were, in fact, Chinese women in the West and that she wouldn't be as distinct as need be based on that fact alone. Especially b/c the campaign has more of a "Shanghai Knights" feel than a "Real Life" feel. There were enough to originally inspire the character concept.

I've spent a bit of time reading about the Chinese railworkers - spent several units on them in various American history classes - ah how I love being a history major. It's a little after my focus (colonial American), though...

Thanks for the info - great reading for buffing up on the era for the game!

 

[John Morrow]

I'd never contend otherwise - was just pointing out that there were, in fact, Chinese women in the West and that she wouldn't be as distinct as need be based on that fact alone.

Fair enough, but since Chinese women really don't all look alike, its possible for an American to recognize a Chinese girl without being able to point to any single odd feature. She is simply recognized for who she is, though that's not very cinematic.

Of course you could also play on the stereotype of the American who can't tell two Chinese girls apart and simply asks every Chinese girl he meets if she was the girl he remembered from that acrobat show. In this case, he simply gets lucky and actually finds her but it could create some opportunity for humor if he keeps thinking that every Chinese girl they run into looks like her, especially if they ever run into a Chinese community. In that case, something in her act would have stood out, not her appearance.

Another option there is that the other characters know some other Chinese girl (perhaps the daughter young daughter of a Chinese man that they know) and ask your character if she's that girl. Wanting help, your character says, "Yes!" even though she isn't that person. In that case, they might not even realize she's an acrobat and such but will think she's some other girl. It also gives the GM some plot hooks for later, if they run into Chinese people who do know the other girl -- or the other girl, herself.

Especially b/c the campaign has more of a "Shanghai Knights" feel than a "Real Life" feel. There were enough to originally inspire the character concept.

Also fair enough. In that case, a distinctive feature probably makes a lot of sense. Just pointing out that you could also play on the rarity angle if you really wanted to.

 

[Darmanicus]

Come on, ya know the false eye's good!!!

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Y'know, Ranger, my preference for young, Asian redheads is something of a standing joke/point of mockery for my friends. Tell your buddy he isn't alone

I like the glass eye, too.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Here's the problem: she needs to stick out based on being seen in a single performance. One of the other PCs needs to have seen her perform and - from the one performance - be able to remember her a year or two later.

Wardrobe Malfunction.

(go with the large breasts)