Thai people have a staring problem. I have an obsession with people watching, but Thai people make me look like an amateur. They crane their necks, stop and then walk backwards just to stare at you for a little longer. It worked for me while driving, because my blonde hair escaping from the bottom of my helmet was enough to stop traffic and allow me to proceed. But, in life, I tired of it.
I was the only blonde girl in my city. Everyone recognized me. And for some reason, I was always fun to look at. For over two years! As far as I can tell, I didn’t change much, and I’m not all that exciting to look at. My hair is nearly the same, and always boring, my weight only fluctuated a few pounds, my clothes are solid colors, cotton and conservative, and I don’t have any weird growths on my face. So what gives?
Being the token blondie, I was a sight. Thai people couldn’t get enough of the light hair, light skin and freckles. Blue eyes that look different colors in different light were only on television, until T. Meaghan came to town. And, the entire culture stares. They stare at each other! So of course they are going to stare at someone “interesting.”
I am so happy not to deal with it anymore. It gets creepy. There was always someone looking, examining, gawking. And then, of course, there was the pointing. They would point and whisper, say or yell, “farang! Farang!” (Farang means ‘white person’ in Thai) So, for those people that weren’t already looking at me, they were now.
I am so happy to be just another American face on the streets of Saratoga. Now when I get stared at, I know that I should smile back at the cute boy, or look in the mirror for whatever might be on my face.
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