Rant: Big girl, small world
Chris Teh
At five foot four inches and a US size 10, I'm not exactly a giant. But in this city of diminutive four-foot-something, size 00 Asian men and women, I may as well be Godzilla.
"No size missy. No fit," say the Island Beverly saleswomen, who stock their pretty dresses in one-size-fits "all". The new XXXS label in shops that do cater to a range of shapes turns buying a "large" shirt into an exercise in humiliation.
In gyms, personal trainers have lists of "improvements" for my waist that are longer than a tai tai's shopping receipt. A yoga instructor once jiggled my extra cushioning to motivate me to hold that plank.
Hands off, lady. This ain't yours to touch.
Even health professionals are baffled by an Asian woman of my physique who might actually be healthy.
"You're obese," a nurse informed me at a check-up. Fast forward a week to when the test results are in, the same nurse, looking sheepish, says: "Actually, you're OK."
Yes m'am, I know. This body of mine ain't perfect, but it's served me well travelling across continents, hiking through jungles and climbing up a 4,000-foot mountain.
Want to know the real glut? The body shaming that's pandemic in this city. Take the Asian aunty who, after seeing my toned, size-four friend's holiday pictures, told her, "You know, you're quite a fatty." Or my colleague who refers to her average-sized booty as "birthing hips".
Women come in all shapes and sizes - yes, even Asian ones. You run your body and let me run mine.
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