Saturday, June 09, 2007

Just Another Culture Thing . . .

Okay, so I am interested in how other cultures do things. Last year, I was so busy with the interns, that I did not get in on the "summer" tradition. This year, I got to!

Well, this American girl made one very interesting observation as two of my friends had to go and find new bathing suits for the summer. In America, we go to a department store and choose from "tons" of suits. Here you go to individual boutiques and choose from 5 or 10 if you are lucky.

Observation one: Bikinis are the norm. The stringer the more popular! One piece suits are HARD to come by all of them look like "gramdma" suits.

Observation two: Everyone wears them even if your body should not be wearing one. YIKES! There was one 50-something woman at one store. She was looking at the bikinis, (and did not have a body for one). EVERYTHING in me was silently screaming for her to NOT get the white and brown poke-a-dot bikini! Did she "listen" to my silent cry? NOPE! She bought it!

Observation three: The changing rooms are co-ed! Imagine, trying on a swimming suit and having the boyfriend or husband of the woman in the next stall handing her clothes and giving advice as the only thing between you and these male "helpers" is a flimsy curtain . . . how intimidating!

So I am standing there, waiting for my friends to come out, watching the men helpers go in and out as well as making the security guard feel uneasy watching me to make sure I don't take anything as I am waiting for my friends. Yeah dude, I am looking to grab a bikini! My old one is no longer this year's color. NOT! :)

So this is my cultural observation for this month. I hope to give you more later!

2 comments:

Jen said...

Yeah dude, I am looking to grab a bikini! My old one is no longer this year's color.

BWA HA HA HA HA!!!!! I laughed out loud at this one. :) Thanks for sharing the experience with us ... I will try to remember this when I'm complaining about the selection here in the states. :)

Crystal said...

YIKES! That's all I can think of.