"Wow, you're so tan!" "Ohh, you're so strong!" These are two of the comments that I get a lot in Taiwan. I didn't know how to respond because they don't sound particularly flattering or demeaning. But now all I can say is "Thank you". In the result of that, I've also been thinking about the image of women in Taiwanese people's mind.
For girls in general, in Taiwan, most of them coop up indoors, read comic books, watch TV/DVD, or play computer games. They are pasty and thin fatties. And no matter how old they are, they seem to like the girlie style of huge doe eyes and pink rouge seems to be the trend since it apparently appeals to Taiwanese men more.
One time, at the gym, I was approached by a personal trainer, he said: "Wooo... you are so buff! Buff lady!" My immediate response was: "Well, it's not hard to be buffer than you." Then for the rest of my workout session, he made no more attempt in commenting.
Or I'd get this one: "Oh, you're the kind of girl that westerners like." So, let me get this straight: I'm tanned, strong, doesn't use makeup daily, have a pretty good sense of humor and an appreciation for both eastern and western culture so I'm more appealing to western men. If that is the case, I'm glad that someone, or some race appreciates this 'kind' of girl that I am.
Anyway, even though I may seem like I'm dogging Taiwanese guys and girls too much, I still think it's healthy to do what makes you happy and it is the most important thing, whether it's indoors or outdoors, being pasty thin or tanny buff. Horses for courses, and I'm a black one who can run a mile or ten.
2 comments:
Using a comic book to illustrate a blog entry? Hmm. Where have I seen that before?
Oh yeah, I remember - on my blog last week!
Just cos you are Ms Marvel incarnate, it don't mean you can rob all my ideas (that I stole from someone else... but we won't talk about that.)
hahah... actually, the idea came from a short viral reel on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPjYSay9g0
:-)
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