[Note: Forgive me if what I've written seems too biased or if I've generalized too much. That isn't the intention. It's just something that's been on my mind recently.]
"Oke brandy diye chaan korao; theek hoye jaabe."
[Translation: Bathe her in brandy; she'll be alright.]
A 'concerned relative' suggested this to my mum back when I was little, as a remedy for the colour of my skin. Yeah. :L
You know, it feels rather shitty that everyone says these things about facing racism outside the country, when in truth you don't even have to look further than your own family.
Well, truth be told, it doesn't feel all that shitty now compared to back when my mum told me about the said incident. I was 10, and rather full of radical notions. Now I'm 17, and still full of radical notions, but most of them concern certain tv show fandoms and tic tac flavours.
Anyway. So a wide spectrum of emotions was felt along the course of that day, ranging from amusement to confusion to pure anger.
Anger at those relatives, who gave my mum so much flak for not producing a kid of a lighter complexion.
Anger, and frustration at myself, for not being a much more favourable colour."Oke brandy diye chaan korao; theek hoye jaabe."
[Translation: Bathe her in brandy; she'll be alright.]
A 'concerned relative' suggested this to my mum back when I was little, as a remedy for the colour of my skin. Yeah. :L
You know, it feels rather shitty that everyone says these things about facing racism outside the country, when in truth you don't even have to look further than your own family.
Well, truth be told, it doesn't feel all that shitty now compared to back when my mum told me about the said incident. I was 10, and rather full of radical notions. Now I'm 17, and still full of radical notions, but most of them concern certain tv show fandoms and tic tac flavours.
Anyway. So a wide spectrum of emotions was felt along the course of that day, ranging from amusement to confusion to pure anger.
Anger at those relatives, who gave my mum so much flak for not producing a kid of a lighter complexion.
As a kid, I always had a bone to pick with the colour of my skin. I'm not quite sure why, though. Society? Television? Other people? Probably. I thought there was something wrong with me. Why do I have to be so dark? Why me, God? Why me?
It was very unfair to me, in every sense of the phrase.
Apparently I used to ask my mum, "Ma, why is my skin heavy?"
You know, because the opposite of light was heavy and the word 'dark' was unknown to me then.
I find this hilariously sad.
As a country, we're all up in arms about 'Unity in Diversity' and the whole shebang. It's true, in that we're all united in the mutual hate we have for each other.
I just don't get the obsession with fair skin, and moreover, the disgust our country seems to have for dark skin.
White is a colour. Black is a colour. Brown is a colour. Hell, blue is a colour. Why can't we just accept the fact that they're all colours and get along already?
I'll never forget what my mum told me with regard to my so-called identity crisis. It was something along the lines of:
"You need to accept the fact that you're dark-skinned. You will face a lot of flak from society because of that, and because of your gender too. You have to learn to deal with it. You can't let the stupid comments people pass about the colour of your skin get to you. That's a weakness, and will be exploited to no end. You're the brightest kid I know. You'll do just fine. And promise me you'll stay miles away from that fairness cream crap forever."
So yes, I am dark-skinned. And yes, I am a girl. Nothing is ever going to change that.
And you know what else?
My skin colour is awesome. I am awesome.
Nothing is ever going to change that, either.
