The Svelte Thai Women And The 'Won Sigh' Foreigner

出典: くみこみックス

As a newly-arrived expat in Thailand, I looked forward to seeing every thing from the Reclining Buddha to the gold-encrusted temples. But initial, I told myself, I had some critical shopping to do. With the...

I came to recognize early on in my remain in this lovely nation of Thailand, that Thai women had been not only perfectly groomed and gracious, but they were completely "svelte." I mean, how numerous much more attributes do they get? I felt like Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians.

As a newly-arrived expat in Thailand, I looked forward to seeing almost everything from the Reclining Buddha to the gold-encrusted temples. But very first, I told myself, I had some serious article source shopping to do. With the temperature at 100 degrees and the humidity fighting for leading billing, I believed the best spot to kill two birds with 1 metaphorical stone would be at an air conditioned shopping mall. Shopping has usually had a way of lifting my more than-sized spirits. I'd hoped to locate a cutesy tiny sundress that could transform my 38DD bust line and my 30 inch waist into some thing that looked "svelte."

But this wasn't just for me, this shopping enterprise. No, no. I produced it a prerequisite to always aid the nearby economy. I was directed by our hotel's concierge to attempt Robinson's Department Retailer in downtown Bangkok. "Really good clothes foh you, MaDam."

Wow, Robinsons? Right here in downtown Bangkok? It took me thirty minutes on a hot tuk-tuk ride in the piercing heat, but I made it, unscathed and ready to devote, devote, devote. As I sauntered into what I believed was the continue reading Women's Department, I stopped short. Oh, no, these need to be the teen's clothes. They're much as well small for an adult. I scanned the racks. Who wears a size two? Where am I, in the Barbi and Ken Department? I could not get these types about my thigh, significantly less my back-side.

I could see an individual walking towards me, but she looked like a teenager. Certainly she's not the salesgirl? She stopped in front of me. "Gootmoanin."

"Oh." I felt my face get hot. She looked like a sprite. She wasn't a little girl immediately after all she was at least in her 20s and certainly the salesgirl in this department. "Uh, I, ah, was Is there a Woman's department in this store?"

"Yeth." She smiled and waited expectantly.

"Oh. Nicely, I, ah, could you point me to it?"

"Mai kow jai ka."

I yanked my Thai-to-English conversation book from my pocket and handed it to her. She pointed to a Thai phrase and handed the book back to me.

"Oh! You don't recognize?"

She smiled.

"Okay. Sure. Sorry." I pointed to my effectively-fed body, whilst she watched expectantly. I then yanked on the waistline of my dress and stated, "Clothes. For me."

"Yeth," she smiled demurely although looking at her feet, "preze foroow me."

She led me to a modest alcove, where some well-fed tourists were grazing about. Sidling up to a rather rotund shopper, I asked if she knew why we were led to this separate region. "Is it because we're foreigners?"

She puckered up her mouth as if sucking on a sour gumball: "Yeah, honey, it really is cuz we're foreigner's all correct, larger-than-life foreigners!" She threw back her head and guffawed at her cleverness.

"Huh?"

"The only sizes you'll discover out there," she cocked her head towards the tiny clothes I'd just left, "are size twos to fours, and honey, that ain't us." She had herself another great laugh.

I snuck a peek about the space while she chortled, and realized that each physique standing in this room was years past these proportions.

I knew I wasn't going to like these svelte, tidy small ladies. They ought to be bulimic that is it. Binge, purge, binge, purge - they're not fooling me. Dream on, lady.

As I toured and shopped the city in the following weeks, I came to understand that the Thais had been also neat and tidy in other elements of their lives. Every single department retailer I visited in Bangkok was unbelievably pristine. Shirts and pants, towels, linens and sportswear were not only folded and stacked, but really looked as although folded by automation. All the garments concealed cardboard inserts to give them shape. No pins showing, no discover more uneven edges, just as if it were a picture on display. The dresses, blouses and shirts were neatly hung on hangers according to sizes and colors. Incredible, thinking about the litter I'd witnessed outside on the streets of Bangkok, where every single small nook and crevice harbored some sort of debris.

For us, ahem, bigger sizes, I located that anything imported was deplorably high. An imported name-brand in Thailand could be 4 times larger than one may well pay in the States. Paradoxically, Thai clothes are really inexpensive and fairly fashionable if you are less than 5 feet tall and weigh in between seventy and ninety pounds.

I made a choice then and there: Just before I left this country I would diet regime, rapidly, quit eating, quit breathing whatever it took to appear as svelte as these Thai females.

An additional eye-opener I located was that every single location I shopped, there had been at least three salespeople hovering more than me, smiling, waiing a Thai greeting. So beneficial! I'll be very cranky when I return to the States and do not get the very same service.

But back to reality. After living in Thailand for a few months, I learned the secret of the segregated clothing. The salespeople have the perfect remedy for us larger sizes. It really is referred to as "Won Sigh" which means Huge. You enter the clothing department, and unless you happen to be built like Twiggy, the sweet, smiling, ever-helpful salesgirls who all appear pre-pubescent steer you toward the "Won Sigh" department. This is where you'll discover all the loose-fitting, baggy, beachy, gauzy, hippie-seeking outfits, and all claiming to fit 1 SIZE from size 8 all the way up to Mama Cass. This is their way of saving face - yours. They would by no means dream to insinuate you were significant, fat, obese, or chubby. You just happen to fall into the category of Won Sigh.

As I departed Robinsons in my new muumuu, practically tripping more than the hemline, I got a glimpse of my reflection in the display window. YIKES! Image Hilo Hattie in strappy sandals.

(Excerpted from A Broad Abroad in Thailand by Dodie Cross, with permission).