Reverse discrimination

Today I find myself sitting in the Study English bar (英语学习吧) as a result of a sort of reverse discrimination. Diana and her relatives are out looking for an apartment for Diana and I but they have left me behind. It was my suggestion and they just validated it.

The thought is that if I were to go with them to the apartment management office my presence would potentially drive up the the price. Unfortunately its a valid assumption. I've been aware of this, as most westerners are, since I started traveling. Also because its the same in almost all countries (including the US). As a white western person I'm constantly mistaken for someone that has a high paying job and can afford to be wasteful with money. Its an assumption that I don't mind living with (I wish we could do something about the opposite assumption) but it is interesting to find one's self "on the sidelines" because your presence could have an adverse affect.

So here I am at the Study bar (which is an actual bar designed for studying) conversing, in English, with two really nice Chinese students. I'm helping them with their English and they are helping me with my Chinese. They also validated that it was probably better that I was not involved in the rental process.