Anyway, I'm wearing some beautiful bangles today that I picked up at Tait, a little boutique in Gastown. These bangles are a personal triumph. You see, my wrists have been too fat to wear bangles for quite some time, but now that I'm losing weight - over 50 pounds down now - all sorts of fashion avenues are opening up for me: knee-high boots, skinny jeans - and BANGLES!
The technician, who was Chinese, admired my bangles while she took my blood.
"Those are beautiful," she gushed.
"Thank you," I said proudly, twisting my wrist this way and that so they jingled.
"Chinese people like those," she said. "It means you should have gold and diamonds. I can't wear them - I look too bony."
"Oh really?" I murmured, not because I necessarily cared, more to be polite. I was actively trying to ignore the giant needle in my arm at that point.
"Yeah. I'm thin, I can't wear them. Old Chinese people - they like people like you, people more plump. It shows you're prosperous because you eat too much. It's good that you got a bit of extra flesh."
And, smack! Cue the back-handed compliment. Serves me right for being so smug about my bracelets.
Good for you for losing 50 lbs! I'm having a hard time losing 15. Much respect! Also, you're always beautiful no matter what size you are!
ReplyDeleteAww thank you! Right back atcha!
ReplyDelete50lbs is amazing - well done! I've done similar amounts twice in the past, and got those backhanded compliments. They suck. You've always looked fabulous, and I'm glad you've got your bangles to jangle!
ReplyDeleteThe woman does make a valid point, actually. Perspectives on weight and attractiveness revolve around the prevailing cultural attitude such as extra weight = abundance and skinny = poverty. That is, this would be the prevailing attitude if we were living in a society where there's not enough food and people are starving. But, because food is everywhere here, and no one is starving to death, this perspective doesn't work, so we end up with extra weight = you are a glutton with no self control and skinny = disciplined. It sucks but it's also pretty interesting.
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