Saturday, March 22, 2008

Oregon-ing It

Amaya and I are in Oregon for a few days. I justified it by telling myself that I needed some help watching Amaya while Jake was at the NCECA conference in Pittsburgh. I kind of wanted to go to Pittsburgh, actually, but Jake convinced me that it would be very boring for me.
Anyway, I'm in Oregon, and I thought I should point out one thing that I always seem to notice when I'm here.
My face is very hairy.
Really. That's exactly what I conclude during the beginning of every trip to Oregon. My place in Hawaii has no good lighting around mirrors, and here we have very good lighting and a LOT of mirrors. I can't help noticing it. And then I go about trying to correct it.
I'll spare you the details, but it is disconcerting. I always think, Man, do people look at me and think, "there's that girl with all that face hair"?
I also wonder what kind of friends are letting me walk around, looking like this. I mean, it opens up other doors. Do I smell bad? Walk funny? Have a grating voice? Cook poorly? Have bad breath? Stuff in my teeth? What other things are people politely putting up with and then saying behind closed doors, "Geez! Can you BELIEVE that? Doesn't she realize?"
Well, yes. I guess I'm realizing. At least today, while I'm in Oregon.

8 comments:

Damaris @Kitchen Corners said...

when I'm in Brazil people constantly tell me I'm hairy. It's true though, compared to most women who refuse to even have fuzz on their legs. It helps that there are 3 places to wax all on the same block. Not to mention how cheap it is. Yesterday I waxed my legs for less than $10 bucks. YES! LOVE IT!

p.s: I never noticed your face being hairy. I would of told you if I did I'm not one to hide things like that

Smiths said...

Never noticed the facial hair before, but now I know not to ever go to your place in Oregon.

Jesse said...

thanks for adding me. yeah, my teeth have been seeming really yellow lately and the way the afternoon sun shines into our room when you're standing in front of the mirror makes the moles on my face cast shadows, which of course makes them seem way bigger than they are. i wouldn't worry about it.

Melinda said...

good thing you're in oregon where no one cares. not brazil. i've thought of that too. and i don't know if it would help anything if someone DID tell me i walked funny or talked too much or whatever. some things you can't change and shouldn't worry about.
that said, i do remember our first date to wailele when ephraim looked at me and said, you have a really big mole on your cheek. i should have said, you have a really big eyebrow. but i didn't. and i DID have the mole removed before we got married. (it came back)
AND a few weeks ago i started tutoring a very shy little korean girl, and the second time she came she began plugging her nose everytime i spoke and then she wrote "bad bred" on her scratch paper. so i now brush my teeth before she comes.
so i guess blunt people can be helpful.
and no, i don't think your face is hairy at all.

Bekah said...

You could live in Japan. Now that will make you self conscious. Ever stopped buying shoes and clothes because they don't exist in your size? I almost bought an $80 bag (red) because I figured what the heck. It's the only thing that would fit.

The looks Jesse gives me (he visibly winces and then leaves the room) while I'm removing hair reminds me how ridiculous it is to inflict so much pain on myself for something not incredibly important.

Mariko said...

Yet it seems so important, doesn't it, when you see it and know that it's there? I have a hard time forgetting it. I suppose everyone's always been nice about my facial hair (except my students, who often point out things like that when they step in way too close to me). My mom is very meticulous about plucking. She went to get her eyebrows waxed for the first time and they said, "Are you sure? Your eyebrows are pretty clean you know."
Yeah, Japan is pretty bad about that. I didn't buy any clothes for myself there, even though I saw a LOT of cute stuff for pretty good prices. Nothing in the right size. Of course, I have a Japanese cousin who is pretty big. I mean, big by even American standards. I wonder where she gets her clothes.

Melinda said...

i'm sure you all know that in samoa it's totally opposite. i feel very petite here in the land of xxxl. the senior primary girls are my size. last week i saw the biggest pair of slippers i've ever seen in my whole life worn by a massive man in the grocery store. i just sat and stared!

and no worries about the facial hair here, i think it's something to take pride in. how long can you grow out that mole hair? how about those toe nails? i guess i'll stop there.

cailin said...

Wow, I'd never make it in Brazil since I haven't shaved my legs since the day I got married. Of course there are other things I'm self-conscious about as we all are but I think you should cross facial hair off your list since I'VE never noticed then obviously it isn't important.