It's good to hear that you felt the majority of Chinese people you met weren't racist towards you. For British people like us the idea of living in a multicultural society is not only normal but actually something that we enjoy and should actively pursue (although it's worrying to see a rise in the popularity of parties like the BNP in recent times). Most Chinese racism is born out of ignorance (they haven't been exposed to a multicultural society in the way we have) and the bulls@#t nationalist agenda of the Party.

A city like Hangzhou which has its fair share of expats as well as foreign tourists means that you're less likely to come across the blatant staring and sniggering that you, me and other foreigners would encounter in less cosmopolitan cities. However, you also admit that you don't speak chinese therefore it's going to be difficult to pick up on everything that is being said to you or about you.

We should also be careful not to fall for too much flattery from Chinese. If i believed half of what Chinese people had complemented me on then I'd be not only the most handsome man in the world but also the greatest teacher and most proficient speaker of Chinese in the country. Oh no, wait, I am! LOL!