Let a smile be your umbrella.
Women in China, much like women in California or Florida, believe that pale, fair skin is absolutely beautiful. Suntans and even freckles are signs of ugliness … so they always carry umbrellas everywhere they go to shade them from the sun.
September 24th, 2006 at 12:10 pm EST
Hey Lance!!! I hope you are getting settled in and comfortable with the new culture!!!! Your blogs are great and are giving a great look into the Chinese way of life :o) I love that I can read tomorrow’s blogs today!! Take care!!! Blessings, jules
September 25th, 2006 at 2:47 am EST
well at least they will not die of skin cancer
September 25th, 2006 at 9:03 pm EST
Hi Lance, Enjoy the colorful pictures.Thanks ! Please set up an I-Chat on this blog (umbrella) as I have not been able to catch you. Just leave a specific time. I need to communicate with you soon. LOVE MOM
September 25th, 2006 at 9:03 pm EST
Hi Lance, Enjoy the colorful pictures.Thanks ! Please set up an I-Chat on this blog (umbrella) as I have not been able to catch you. Just leave a specific time. I need to communicate with you soon. LOVE MOM
September 26th, 2006 at 4:08 am EST
i really like that umbrella
September 26th, 2006 at 8:19 am EST
me to
September 26th, 2006 at 8:35 am EST
i was just thinkin… in the summer (when i get slightly tan and have tons of freckles) i’d be really ugly in china
September 26th, 2006 at 10:23 pm EST
We’re all “ugly” in China … even the skinniest American is considered “fat”. It’s actually quite entertaining … it illuminates how silly the cultural norms of beauty really are!
Mom, you haven’t been able to reach me because I haven’t been online. I’ve been traveling a lot lately, and when I’m home I’ve not had much time to go to the Internet bar. We’ll connect one of these days!
September 29th, 2006 at 7:32 pm EST
I’m with traci on this one - not only is that umbrella cute, but it’s one more reason Asians live longer on average. And the diet there has to have something to do with it. Although this pollution thing… not sounding so good!
September 29th, 2006 at 8:08 pm EST
From a western perspective, the diet here is definitely not healthy … everything is literally drowned in oil, fat, MSG, sugar, and spices out the wazoo. But in a lot of ways, the lifestyle here, though it seems abusive (pollution, smoking, sanitation, alcohol, slothfulness), is pretty healthy … it stretches the body.
Plus, all that stuff makes the food taste fantastic, right?