Did you ever take a test back in grade 12 that was supposed to assess your skills and interests and tell you what career best suited you? Even though that was 12 years ago, I still clearly remember receiving my results, cursing and swearing while my friends looked on and tried to be supportive while suppressing their laughter. The careers best suited for me at the time were:
1) Anthropologist
2) Truck Driver
I kid you not.
Fast forward 4 years when I finally understood that Anthropology wasn't all dinosaurs, and I was receiving my Bachelor of Arts in the area. I've since become a teacher, but still have a lot of Anthropologist tendencies in me. People watching being a prime example. Especially on the subway. One day, I hope to put that Bachelor of Arts to use and maybe write a book. The working title will be: Underground Observances - A Look at Human Subway Behavior. In the meantime, humor me by reading my ramblings about people watching.
This weekend I was on the subway for a LONG time. Living in No-where gu, most places I want/need to go take a minimum of half an hour on the subway, so for me to say it took a long time, I mean I must have been on there for close to 90 minutes. I get sick if I try to read or knit, so, I people watch. On Saturday, one particular woman held my attention for almost 15 stops. She got on the subway shortly after me, and quickly occupied the seat directly across. Within seconds of the train continuing it's journey, the woman pulled out a make-up bag and commenced her make-up routine which included: foundation, powder, eye shadow, liquid eye-liner (at this point I was impressed as I would have blinded myself trying to do this) and mascara. Just when I thought the process was complete, she pulled out a little tube of gel. I cocked my head in curiosity and watched as she applied it to her upper eye-lid, then tucked it into itself. It was GLUE, not fun, sparkley eye gel like I originally thought.
This woman was performing a temporary version of upper eye-lid surgery. Upper eye-lid surgery is the most requested and controversial plastic surgery procedure in Korea, especially among women. It's a procedure that widens the eyes and adds a tiny fold in the skin of her upper eyelid, a feature most East Asians lack naturally. Some people say it's a cultural obsession with being "westernized" while others say it's a "girl thing" and has nothing to do with a repudiation of a persons heritage.
Either way, this episode of people watching was a real eye-opener (pardon the pun). While on some levels disturbing (especially if you ponder the reasons she may have been doing it in the first place), it also made me think about the things we as westerners do that may seem ridiculous to other cultures, especially when we've adapted it for the "do-it-yourselfer". Can't think of any? Self-tanners that leave you orange? Chemical peel creams that burn and cause scabbing? How about those lip gels that are supposed to plump your lips, giving you that poutey, bee-stung look? Similar in temporary nature, easy to do, and a fraction of the cost of collagen?! Buxom lips here I come! Mind you it stings like a b****.