The Svelte Thai Women And The “Won Sigh” Foreigner
I came to apprehend early on in my stay in this pretty nation of Thailand, that Thai women were not alone perfectly groomed and gracious, however they were actually “svelte.” I beggarly, how abounding added attributes accomplish they amuse? I felt love Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians.
As a newly-arrived expat in Thailand, I looked forward to seeing everything; from the Reclining Buddha to the gold-encrusted temples. However aboriginal, I told myself, I had some austere shopping to accomplish. With the temperature at 100 degrees and the humidity fighting for top billing, I idea the top put to annihilate two birds with one metaphorical stone would be at an air conditioned shopping mall. Shopping has always had a action of lifting my over-sized spirits. I’d hoped to acquisition a cutesy small sundress that could change my 38DD bust border and my 30 inch waist into something that looked “svelte.”
However this wasn’t aloof for me, this shopping matter. No, no. I fabricated it a prerequisite to always advice the community economy. I was directed by our hotel’s concierge to best shot Robinson’s Branch Store in downtown Bangkok. “Too pretty clothes foh you, MaDam.”
Wow, Robinsons? Appropriate here in downtown Bangkok? It took me thirty minutes on a ardent tuk-tuk drive in the piercing heat, however I fabricated it, unscathed and ready to spend, spend, spend. As I sauntered into what I idea was the Women’s Branch, I stopped short. Oh, no, these must be the teen’s clothes. They’re even also baby for an man. I scanned the racks. Who wears a amount 2? Where am I, in the Barbi and Ken Branch? I couldn’t amuse these styles encircling my thigh, even less my back-side.
I could look someone walking towards me, however she looked love a teenager. Surely she’s not the salesgirl? She stopped in front of me. “Gootmoanin.”
“Oh.” I felt my face amuse ardent. She looked love a sprite. She wasn’t a small babe after all; she was at least in her 20s and obviously the salesgirl in this branch. “Uh, I, ah, was… Is there a Woman’s branch in this store?”
“Yeth.” She smiled and waited expectantly.
“Oh. Able-bodied, I, ah, could you mark me to it?”
“Mai kow jai ka.”
I yanked my Thai-to-English discussion textbook from my pocket and handed it to her. She pointed to a Thai phrase and handed the textbook back to me.
“Oh! You don’t accept?”
She smiled.
“Okay. Certain. Sorry.” I pointed to my well-fed body, while she watched expectantly. I then yanked on the waistline of my dress and said, “Clothes. For me.”
“Yeth,” she smiled demurely while looking at her feet, “preze foroow me.”
She led me to a baby alcove, where some well-fed tourists were grazing approximately. Sidling up to a rather rotund shopper, I asked provided she knew why we were led to this seperate world. “Is it as we’re foreigners?”
She puckered up her mouth as provided sucking on a sour gumball: “Yeah, honey, it’s cuz we’re foreigner’s all appropriate, larger-than-life foreigners!” She threw back her mind and guffawed at her cleverness.
“Huh?”
“The alone sizes you’ll acquisition outside there,” she cocked her mind towards the little clothes I’d aloof left, “are amount twos to fours, and honey, that ain’t us.” She had herself another acceptable beam.
I snuck a peek encircling the space while she chortled, and realized that every body standing in this space was age former those size.
I knew I wasn’t going to love these svelte, tidy small women. They must be bulimic &ndash that’s it. Binge, purge, binge, purge - they’re not fooling me. Air castle on, female.
As I toured and shopped the megalopolis in the next weeks, I came to apprehend that the Thais were again neat and tidy in other aspects of their lives. Every branch store I visited in Bangkok was unbelievably pristine. Shirts and pants, towels, linens and sportswear were not alone folded and stacked, however indeed looked as though folded by automation. All the garments concealed cardboard inserts to accord them shape. No pins showing, no uneven edges, aloof as provided it were a picture on affectation. The dresses, blouses and shirts were tidily hung on hangers according to sizes and colours. Astonishing, considering the litter I’d witnessed out on the streets of Bangkok, where every small corner and crevice harboured some sort of debris.
For us, ahem, larger sizes, I begin that anything imported was deplorably aerial. An imported name-brand in Thailand could be four times higher than one might pament in the States. Paradoxically, Thai clothes are too inexpensive and absolutely stylish &ndash provided you’re less than five feet big and weigh between seventy and ninety pounds.
I fabricated a accommodation then and there: Before I left this nation I would diet, quickly, abdicate eating, abdicate breathing; whatever it took to attending as svelte as these Thai women.
Another eye-opener I begin was that every put I shopped, there were at least three salespeople hovering over me, smiling, waiing &ndash a Thai greeting. So accessible! I’ll be too cranky when I give back to the States and don’t amuse the identical supply.
However &ndash back to absoluteness. After living in Thailand for a hardly any months, I learned the secret of the segregated clothing. The salespeople accept the complete idea for us larger sizes. It’s called “Won Sigh” &ndash acceptation Vast. You enter the clothing branch, and unless you’re built love Twiggy, the candied, smiling, ever-helpful salesgirls &ndash who all attending pre-pubescent &ndashsteer you toward the “Won Sigh” branch. This is where you’ll acquisition all the loose-fitting, baggy, beachy, gauzy, hippie-looking outfits, and all claiming to fit ONE Amount; from amount 8 all the action up to Mama Cass. This is their action of saving face - yours. They would never air castle to insinuate you were big, fat, overweight, or chubby. You aloof happen to fall into the category of Won Sigh.
As I departed Robinsons in my fresh muumuu, almost tripping over the hemline, I got a glimpse of my echoing in the affectation window. YIKES! Picture Hilo Hattie in strappy sandals.
(Excerpted from A Broad Overseas in Thailand by Dodie Cross, with permission).