You're Fat

Lao people are very honest with telling others about their appearances. I have been told dozens of times, "Teacher, you are fat." or "Today you are fat." or "Teacher, you have a big stomach, I think you are four months pregnant." While I enjoy hearing that I'm looking nice and thin much more than looking big and fat, I do appreciate their honesty.

If someone has many zits, they will tell them that they have lots of pimples. If someone has dark skin, which is considered a bad thing here, they will make sure they know they have dark skin. They are also pretty quick to compliment people on their beauty or nice white skin or perfectly shaped body. (Also, what they say is true. I could lose a few pounds. The person with a lot of zits really does have many zits.)

In America, we would NEVER tell someone they were fat. Even if that someone was complaining about being fat, we would reply with, "Nooo! You're not fat at all!" Even if he or she was.

I think we often worry too much about wanting to appear perfect or at least good enough. At home, I wanna suck in my 4-month looking pregnant belly so that I seem like I'm nice and trim and fit and that I work out every day.

When Lao people tell me that I'm fat, I feel like they're really saying that even though I'm not perfectly shaped with a rockin' body, they still love me just how I am. They wouldn't love me any more or any less if I was thinner than I am now.

So, even though I don't really like being told I'm fat, it's true, (relatively) but it doesn't matter. They love me just how I am, even though I'm not perfect.