[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by sabishiineko

here's the story:i was dressed with the costume of geisha when there was halloween in my country(Greece) so since here there are a lot of chinese people who usually own stores with clothes me and my friends went to a chinese store and bowed saing nihao(that is hello in chinese language) they all smiled but come to think of that afte leaving the store i was wondering if i offended them since i dressed like a geisha (japanese woman ) and i hear that china is in bad terms with japan.maybe i am overthinking it or not.i really would like your opinion on this

I would say you are over thinking things a bit.

First if the local community was celebrating Halloween, as merchants they were probably familiar with the custom of costumes even if they were not participating. I doubt they would have given a kimon a second thought beyond maybe noticing the fabric or how well you had succeeded in the image you were trying to portray.

Second, nihao (despite the linguistic discourses) is the one word of Mandarin that even when poorly pronounced by a foreigner while bowing, most Chinese living outside the Chinese mainland would understand. No matter how bad you butchered it, they would know that you were attempting a friendly greeting.

Now if you had gone in on just a random day, in western street clothes and greeted them with konichiwa, then you might have sensed some tension for apparently mistaking them for being Japanese.

At the very worst they may have thought you silly or funny and laughed at you, but surely not been offended by your gesture.