I am just watching some CTV1 right now and doing some lovely hanzi reviews, have a really weird schedule where I am sleeping during the day... High School Summers all over again, but not because of being hungover this time, but from wanting to study, wtf happened to me I wonder?..."But I digress"(haha)

Well anyways I'm watching some CTV1, and it hits me, I can easily tell the difference now between Chinese people and Japanese People(generally, some look one way or the other, of course, like my one friend pure blood welsh, 2 red headed parents, and he has blond hair and blue eyes. Either some cheating occurred or some repressed genes met together because I swear he is German.) But anyways, Chinese and Japanese people really do generally look different, I am surprised at the realization, also I feel that what I had always previously though of when young and ignorant of an Asian looking person I would tend to think of a Japanese looking individual, and I now can notice that Chinese people can be quite different than my old stereotype!(and speaking of the Han majority, of course the minorities in it's pop. like any have distinct features)

Just wanted to throw that out there as another noticed-side-effect of the process.
Maybe others Haven't experienced this if they are only studying one language or the other? But maybe even just watching enough of one media, we would realize what weren't typical features in the people(those in the media anyways, which are always prettier/more handsome, "but I digress")and therefore be able to differentiate?

The question remains, Do Asian people still look the same to you? If not, when did you notice the change in perception.

http://alllooksame.com/
enter quiz room.
type in random stuff when it asks for your information.
Do the faces quiz.
I got 7 out of 18.

5 out of 18. Well, at least white people look the same to them too..

Yonosa Wrote:The question remains, Do Asian people still look the same to you? If not, when did you notice the change in perception.

I think that's for people who don't know better. It's kinda the same as comparing African people with each other. Lot's of people can't see the difference between people from for example Nigeria and Congo, but they themselves can. Unless you know better and are familiar with what kind of features sets a Korean person apart from a Japanese person, you'd think they all look the same. Lot's of Chinese people for example can't see the difference between somebody from Denmark and somebody from the Czech Republic (probably American's can't either hehe) because maybe they never been around such a person or not enough to know the difference between the two. Often the first thing that pops into a Chinese persons mind when they see a Caucasian person they think he/she is either from America or Europe (Europe as a whole with British people in mind) much the same as American people seeing an Asian person and thinking Chinese first.

Asian people never looked the same now and in the past, the same as all Caucasian people also not looking the same. True, Asian(obviously referring to eastern Asia) people don't have different hair colors, like Caucasians where you could roughly make a guess where he/she'd come from, but facial features are distinct. Heck even within a country (such as China) you can see the difference between a person from Beijing or somebody from Shanghai.

I remember when I was with an American friend in Hong Kong and there was this Asian guy walking up to us asking for directions, afterwards I told my friend, he's sooo Korean, and my friend asking me, "how do you know?", and I told him he 'just' looks Korean. My friend was not convinced, so I went after the guy and said: "Ahnyong haseyo, you're from Korea right?", "Yes I am" he said.
I'm actually quite good at picking out them Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Singaporeans, Thai and Filipinos
To Asian people, Asian people well...do not look the same

nonpoint Wrote:http://alllooksame.com/
enter quiz room.
type in random stuff when it asks for your information.
Do the faces quiz.
I got 7 out of 18.

I got 8, but I think a lot of it had to do with the style of the picture, regular pictures where certain features are so overwhelming might make it easier to tell, But I missed like all the korean ones!, because, I don't really know what Koreans look like save Kim Jong Il, Kim Il Sung, and a few Korean friends I had at Univ!

Im gonna make my girlfriend play this, I want to see how she does, because she always claims she is like the IKNOWITALL of where people are from in Asia,
Bet she gets no more than 12!, I think the style will throw her off, but then again, maybe shes that good, Ill have to wait and see. She should get online soon though since she should finish eating dinner pretty soon(she's in Hokkaido, that is why she is eating dinner, an explanation for all the possible different time zones we are in)

I was searching a bit more for a fun game to pick nationalities and somehow or another came upon this obviouslly skewed poll, The pole was supposed to be for Asian Americans. Seems like the chinese people took over the poll!

Which Asian nationality possesses the most attractive physical traits?
Chinese | 27%
Corean | 23%
Filipino | 15%
Indian | 8%
Japanese | 13%
Vietnamese | 14%

Which Asian nationality possesses the most appealing personality traits?
Chinese | 31%
Corean | 16%
Filipino | 17%
Indian | 6%
Japanese | 17%
Vietnamese | 13%

Musashi Wrote:To Asian people, Asian people well...do not look the same

^ This

I think there have been several studies showing that people usually cannot tell the difference between people from a different race unless they normally interact with people of that race. Its just one of those things. Difference races have things that make them look different, but also that make them look the same. If your used to see that type of face over and over you have to learn to see the differences and similarities or they will all blend.

I would expect that anyone would get this in their field of work. I have no interested in cars. I like general shapes (big and blocky) and certain colours. Thats how I diffiencient different cars, but I can tell the difference between different flowers - because I like gardening. Its just what you get used to/need to know.

I can OFTEN with a DECENT certainty tell if an asian person is Chinese, Korean or Japanese. Something like 70% of the time, I have a 70% chance of guessing it right. It's not that I can tell the difference really, it's more that one can learn to make educated guesses because of certain traits which happen to be more common in one country over the other.

Almost all the time though, I go by fashion. If a person looks like they still live in the 70s, it's probably a Chinese person. If the person either looks like a grandma (but young) or is really colorful, it's probably a Korean. If said person has overly colorless clothes, it's probably a Japanese person. Obviously, this is often not true at all and there's tons of people who dress like the others, but if you're in Japan, this is the easiest way to spot the difference.

EDIT: Oh, and when I lived in Japan, I could often comment that a certain Japanese actress or whatever looked Korean and Japanese people would agree, so I think my sense is about as good as theirs are.

Tobberoth Wrote:Almost all the time though, I go by fashion. If a person looks like they still live in the 70s, it's probably a Chinese person.

Obviously you haven't been to China (or lately) and you don't know better

It's easy to tell what region someone is from when they fix the archetype of what you believe a person from that region looks like. Most people don't fit that archetype though. Also, almost all humans on the planet look the same when they smile. So all look same really do all look same. My thoughts.

Musashi Wrote:

Tobberoth Wrote:Almost all the time though, I go by fashion. If a person looks like they still live in the 70s, it's probably a Chinese person.

Obviously you haven't been to China (or lately) and you don't know better

I haven't, but my friends live there. I've also watched several documentaries made in connection to the olympics, and my opinion stands. I was mainly talking about in Japan though.

If a girl is walking pigeon toed I will go all in that it's a Japanese girl. If it turns out she isn't a Japanese girl I'll go on the next all in that the girl had a lot of Japanese influence.

liosama Wrote:If a girl is walking pigeon toed I will go all in that it's a Japanese girl. If it turns out she isn't a Japanese girl I'll go on the next all in that the girl had a lot of Japanese influence.

While I know lots of Japanese do that, isn't that something generally Asian? So it seems like it would be a bad way of spotting Japanese people in an Asian crowd.

Tobberoth Wrote:

liosama Wrote:If a girl is walking pigeon toed I will go all in that it's a Japanese girl. If it turns out she isn't a Japanese girl I'll go on the next all in that the girl had a lot of Japanese influence.

While I know lots of Japanese do that, isn't that something generally Asian? So it seems like it would be a bad way of spotting Japanese people in an Asian crowd.

No that's not something generally Asian, some Chinese friends of mine also pointed out that Japanese people (girls in particular) often walk and stand like that. We did a small test, and yes they often do. I don't know if it might be genes or part of their whole 'cuteness/insecure/innocent' (throw in a big scarf around their neck, short skirt and knee-high stockings) look.

Musashi Wrote:No that's not something generally Asian, some Chinese friends of mine also pointed out that Japanese people (girls in particular) often walk and stand like that. We did a small test, and yes they often do.

Now THAT sounds scientific.
Atleast do the quiz and post results, much better than anecdotal evidence and silly stereotypes.

nonpoint Wrote:

Musashi Wrote:No that's not something generally Asian, some Chinese friends of mine also pointed out that Japanese people (girls in particular) often walk and stand like that. We did a small test, and yes they often do.

Now THAT sounds scientific.
Atleast do the quiz and post results, much better than anecdotal evidence and silly stereotypes.

Well it ain't anecdotal, and it was what we observed and more than often it was true. I'm not saying every Japanese girl stands like that since obviously I haven't seen every one Japanese girl (would be nice though ) but it was peculiar from what I observed this was often true. So it's natural that you'd then more easily associate that with Japanese people than others. And talking about stereotyping, we all do that, either on purpose or unconsciously.

What pops into your mind when I say Chinese (or even Asian) person?
I don't think that would be a dark blond Uighur is it?
*I see some stereotyping here...♪*

Now from what I observed it might not be true, I don't know, it might be true, you don't know. But from what I've seen and not knowing else(scientifically or not, or inless you come up with something to say otherwise) yet, I'd think that way. You might say I'm being silly for stereotyping (so be it), but then again, don't we all stereotype in one way or another?

I saw this thing on tv one time, about how babies can recognize different facial features really well. They can see the different features in animal faces too. But as they get a bit older they lose that ability and just specialize on the faces around them. So this is probably why it's hard to see the difference between people who have a different set of features. I wonder if animals can tell each other apart by their faces. I kinda assumed they mostly relied on smell or something for that.

nonpoint Wrote:http://alllooksame.com/
enter quiz room.
type in random stuff when it asks for your information.
Do the faces quiz.
I got 7 out of 18.

Statistically we should be able to get 6/18 just by guessing.

I got: 4/18
Hopeless
Might as well toss the coin.

Ofcourse it doesn't mean all asians look the same - it's just not so trivial to tell what country they're from just from a mug shot. It's much easier to tell when you see them doing something.

Musashi Wrote:

nonpoint Wrote:

Musashi Wrote:No that's not something generally Asian, some Chinese friends of mine also pointed out that Japanese people (girls in particular) often walk and stand like that. We did a small test, and yes they often do.

Now THAT sounds scientific.
Atleast do the quiz and post results, much better than anecdotal evidence and silly stereotypes.

Well it ain't anecdotal, and it was what we observed and more than often it was true. I'm not saying every Japanese girl stands like that since obviously I haven't seen every one Japanese girl (would be nice though ) but it was peculiar from what I observed this was often true. So it's natural that you'd then more easily associate that with Japanese people than others. And talking about stereotyping, we all do that, either on purpose or unconsciously.

What pops into your mind when I say Chinese (or even Asian) person?
I don't think that would be a dark blond Uighur is it?
*I see some stereotyping here...♪*

Now from what I observed it might not be true, I don't know, it might be true, you don't know. But from what I've seen and not knowing else(scientifically or not, or inless you come up with something to say otherwise) yet, I'd think that way. You might say I'm being silly for stereotyping (so be it), but then again, don't we all stereotype in one way or another?

What kind of walking is this? I dont understand, could you explain or link to a funny video or picture?

Musashi Wrote:

Tobberoth Wrote:

liosama Wrote:If a girl is walking pigeon toed I will go all in that it's a Japanese girl. If it turns out she isn't a Japanese girl I'll go on the next all in that the girl had a lot of Japanese influence.

While I know lots of Japanese do that, isn't that something generally Asian? So it seems like it would be a bad way of spotting Japanese people in an Asian crowd.

No that's not something generally Asian, some Chinese friends of mine also pointed out that Japanese people (girls in particular) often walk and stand like that. We did a small test, and yes they often do. I don't know if it might be genes or part of their whole 'cuteness/insecure/innocent' (throw in a big scarf around their neck, short skirt and knee-high stockings) look.

Yes, this is true. Probably as a result of sitting seiza.

vosmiura Wrote:

nonpoint Wrote:http://alllooksame.com/
enter quiz room.
type in random stuff when it asks for your information.
Do the faces quiz.
I got 7 out of 18.

Statistically we should be able to get 6/18 just by guessing.

I got: 4/18
Hopeless
Might as well toss the coin.

Ofcourse it doesn't mean all asians look the same - it's just not so trivial to tell what country they're from just from a mug shot. It's much easier to tell when you see them doing something.

I think a nonstylized mug shot might be better! Those Chinese people were dressend In (STEREOTYPE WARNING >_<)what I believed to be a very non Chinese fashion! So I missed them! But I got 8, but I think I would've got at least 12, with plain mug shots, I got most of the Japanese right too, I think I only missed one or two of them, haha. I can tell they're JAPANESE FROM THEIR YELLOW SKIN!, but seriouslly what is with that stereotype about the yellow skin. I honestly don't see it? Yellow skin, When I think of yellow skin I think of the Simpsons.

But has anyone thought of this before: Japanese men tend to be tan, while Japanese women are often super white(I understand that it comes from their idea of beauty that fair skin is beautiful or what not)? I think tanner Japanese women would be sexyyyyy though? Guess they don't think so except for the "I forget what they're called, want to be African Americans with blond hair Japanese types" they tan themselves to death and use paint stuff to be dark skinned... I would prefer something less extreme though...

The number to beat now is 9 out of 18 for the website. I only got about half of them right. Even though I'm Chinese I got all of the Chinese ones wrong. Funny I could barely notice the differences...

yukamina Wrote:I saw this thing on tv one time, about how babies can recognize different facial features really well. They can see the different features in animal faces too. But as they get a bit older they lose that ability and just specialize on the faces around them. So this is probably why it's hard to see the difference between people who have a different set of features. I wonder if animals can tell each other apart by their faces. I kinda assumed they mostly relied on smell or something for that.

I heard the same thing occurred in sound, i.e., babies can hear different phonetic features really well and can catch all phonemes of any language. But obviously adults can't hear foreign sounds without practice.

I also heard babies had absolute pitch but soon lost it.

Yonosa Wrote:What kind of walking is this? I dont understand, could you explain or link to a funny video or picture?

It's just that when they stand still their feet is slightly turned inwards. I haven't paid attention if this is also the case when they're actually walking though.
But that's just my 'scientific based on anecdotal evidence' opinion, I'm 'silly and stereotype'.

nonpoint Wrote:Atleast do the quiz and post results, much better than anecdotal evidence and silly stereotypes.

得别为你，满意吗？

I expected to do better though, mixed up mostly Japanese with Korean

I just had to include this one:

I know my food though the kitchenware gave most away
(that sushi had Gimbap written all over it!)

Working in the tourist industry, I can usually tell by body language an Asian person's nationality before hearing them speak. There is one thing Japanese women do that is a dead giveaway. When calling attention to a friend/relative, they will raise their arm about chest high and flap their wrist.