West Lake heroine on saving life: nationality is not the question, human is

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In mid October, the headline “foreign beauty rescues West Lake suicidal Chinese woman” appeared on almost every news paper in Hangzhou City and many online press. The rescuer left soon without leaving name or contact, Chinese folks and netizens then named her “West Lake heroine”. Her identity remains mysterious until a recent interview where she talked about her opinion about saving life.

She was first mistaken as American until later on a Uruguay news website “El Pais” did a report on that story and pointed out that she is actually a Uruguayan named Maria Fernanda who currently lives in Shanghai. Reporter then contacted Uruguay embassy in Shanghai and got an interview with Maria. Turns out, Maria was a little bit pissed by how the dozen of on-looking people focused on taking photo of her saving people instead of paying attention to the suicidal woman.

Here is the transcript of her interview:

It was a rainy day, we were walking by the lake. And suddenly in a corner of the lake, (people) from outside were watching her. We didn’t think she was in trouble, you know, it was normal, we think ok she’s fishing. But suddenly she was in the water here, and somebody has to do something. I don’t know Chinese, I couldn’t scream or something…When I was coming out from the lake with her, I saw 7 or 8 cameras taking pictures. I started yelling, in English, like “what are you doing” “she is dying and you are only thinking taking pictures”… I don’t know, I was angry, we were hurried in the water. “Please go away” It is not a show, it is not a fashion show. I felt really sad and angry. Now I am thinking there was one photographer because he was with a big camera. He was coming to comfort the woman, talking to her, he’s the only one. Everybody else was just curious about “what’s in it”. That’s it.

You know as a foreigner, jumping into the lake, and it’s like “why foreigner has to do this and not Chinese?” I understand that you as a society has questions, I can understand. But I think it is not the question, I think it is not Chinese or foreigner, I think it is a human.

Maria didn’t have a regular job in Shanghai at the moment, she lives in her friend’s. She has been living in Shanghai for almost a year before because she likes Chinese culture. Now she comes to China again hoping to get to know the country better and work in China.

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57 comments
    1. I’ve been to Uraguay before. The women there were very welcoming (easy) if you’re White. I had a fun time partying it up. Slept with a new girl every week. I did not care for the corruption, drug cartelling, or bad government though. It was also pretty dirty but that’s expected in every 3rd world country.

      Chinese women are also very welcoming….

      I don’t know why Chinese people would think she’s America, she looks brown to me. But a lot of Chinese people are aware of the Mexican population in America.

      Either way, I’m surprised that a hispanic saved that Chinese girl because Latin countries don’t emphasize compassion like Western countries do. If there were some Nordic or Western europeans walking past, ALL of them would do something because Western europe emphasizes compassion more than any other culture.

      1. “Either way, I’m surprised that a hispanic saved that Chinese girl because Latin countries don’t emphasize compassion like Western countries do. If there were some Nordic or Western europeans walking past, ALL of them would do something because Western europe emphasizes compassion more than any other culture.”

        Now that’s a COMPLETE LIE, Latin Americans are some of the most hospitable people. Western Europe does not emphasize compassion.

      2. mike, you’re an idiot or some loser who has never actually been anywhere pretending to share a fantasy life that never happened for you. latin americans are VERY compassionate people more so than most stoic nordics or western europeans (who aren’t as sophisticated as they want the world to believe). asians are much more compassionate than many europeans i’ve met. china is rough no doubt so it can be the exception, but i would choose asia or latin america over dark nordic and “sophisticated” europeans any day. asian and latin america are far more interesting while being far more welcoming, warm, honest, happy, alive. meeting new people in asia and latin america is like a special gift. they great attitudes towards strangers and travelers. much better experience than going to old (as in – stuck in the past) europe. you give us white people a bad name (or are you one of these internet weirdos who post as fake person that doesn’t eve exist?). and if i had a dollar for all these white guys that slept with a foreign girl every week…i’d be a millionaire 10 times over. it’s a joke. most of their stories are completely made up like some high school kid who says he got laid to impress friends but never did get laid. of the times it does happen, 90% of these “i did her” boasts involved LOTS of booze and in places most asian/latin women would never go.

      3. What are you stupid? You sound like the piece of trash that goes to third world countries to rape children. And your entire post shows a lack of even mild intelligence. “she looks brown to me” Are you that dumb that you think somebody is Hispanic because they are brown?

        Let me tell you something you mental midget. I’ve been to several Latin countries and I can tell you and everybody else hear that you do not the slightest clue what you speak of. Latin people are some of the most family oriented and compassionate people I’ve ever met.

        All cultures have their good and bad, as you have proven with your post, you are the later of yours.

    1. In the West, this is normal behaviour.

      If she was Chinese, yes, it would be outstanding for a Chinese, doing something for another person without focusing on making money out of it.

      1. NEW YORK (Reuters) – A New York woman who donated a kidney so her ailing boss would move up the transplant waiting list says she was fired shortly after the operation, according to a complaint she filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights.

        Deborah Stevens said her former employer, Atlantic Automotive Group, discriminated against her over disabilities brought about by complications from the surgery.

        “My gal is just a good-natured woman who’s trying to save a life and as soon as she did it, everything changed,” said Stevens’ attorney Lenard Leeds on Tuesday.

        “When she wanted to take time off, she was scolded, she was yelled at,” he said. “Instead of being sympathetic, they were very hostile towards her.”
        —————————————————————————————————————-

        In the West, this is normal behaviour.

        Chinese are so stupid, just out to make money and never doing anything for others.

        Chinese better learn from the westerners or the Chinese culture will die.

  1. folks in China automatically assuming anyone foreign-looking is from the United States? UNPOSSIBLE!!!11!

    1. The most annoying assumption that mainlanders make is that all foreign-looking people speak English. Although English is considered a “world” language, it’s still really annoying. I think I’ll start screaming “konichiwa” to every Asian person I see in the U.S.

      1. Don’t have to start doing that, they already do that. It doesn’t matter where from Asia your from, you can count with »konichiwa« »arigato« and since a few years »ni hao«

    2. >All foreigners are westerners
      >All westerners are white
      >All westerners speak English

      Stereotypes held in any part of Asia really, even the developed places

    1. That’s probably why she disappeared without leaving any details about her identity. That’s what I would have done, too. Chinese will fuck over anybody in order to make a quick buck.

      Help them. Rescue them. Yeah, because that’s just how we are in the West. But don’t trust them, even if you just saved their lives.

    1. mainland Chinese are not human in the sense that they lack human rights, democracy, or decency.

      Those people are quite barbaric. It reminded me of the time I went to Uganda and all the Africans were pissing on the street, selling drugs, or trying to cheat me because I am White.

      Chinese people also do these things, but there women make up for it 😉

  2. I understand her impulse to be pissed at people taking photos…but think of it this way, these days in this country those snaps might be what saves you from being sued by the person you’re saving.

  3. Who cares? Last time I checked Latin America is a majority Christian region with Western democratic values.

    Also, the rescuer looked damn good in those panties, just saying…

  4. I’ve been around and I can say from my experience Chinese are the coldest race I’ve ever seen.

  5. On Chinasmack they also made reference to this event, along with the other times foreigners had to ‘save’ a mainlander whilst their harmonious counterparts stood around shuffling feet. And there was this brilliant comment of the rescuers expression being “sigh…here we go again” – something along those lines! Anyway, she gave a very good diplomatic face-saving answer – just enough to read the truth between the lines!

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