Chinatown – Eyebrow Embroidery and Size XXXXXXXL

photos by bookjunkie

As I was walking by this store I just had to snap a photo of a hideous black embroidered blouse. This is what is known in Singlish as clothes that are ‘Obiang’. Pronounced ‘Oh-be-yang’ it’s what we would never be caught dead wearing. It’s not flattering and it means you have bad taste. The clothes are usually gaudy or ugly. The other clothes in the store were not too bad, but I was stuck by the awfulness of the black blouse with the shiny spider-like monstrosity in the middle.

photo by bookjunkie

I love this imaginatively funny lingerie window ad that makes fun of our electronic poll booths. ERP stands for Electronic Road Pricing.  Singapore roads are filled with these deplored poll booths which collect up to $3 each time you pass through it. Motorists often curse as they pass through them as they feel that it is daylight robbery, but without them I think we would suffer stand still traffic.

photo by bookjunkie

Saw this sign at the Chinatown MRT station (our subway). I just noticed that there are no fines for bringing the forbidden durian into the trains. I guess the durian scent is so strong, there is no way you can pass through without being found out.

photo by bookjunkie

The XXXXXXXL sign board at this clothing store tickled me and also made me groan out loud. Even if you needed bigger sized clothes, the sign alone would make you hesitate to walk in. Americans have a size zero, but we have gone the other way round. My cousin who is an 8 here is a zero in the US. An XXL at this shop is probably just a medium size in the US. It is ego crushing. Shopping for clothes here is so deflating for our body image. It’s the reason why I’d rather buy clothes online or only shop when I travel. Singapore is definitely a haven for small boned, skinny girls which I will sadly, never be.

photo by bookjunkie

If you care to get your lips and eyebrows permanently tattooed on, you can do it in Chinatown. I saw many of these shops around. It’s horrifying when the tattooing is badly done. I have seen women with thinly arched green eyebrows! Eyebrow embroidery costs $80 Singapore dollars. That sounds awfully painful to me as I imagine a needle and thread as part of the experience. It’s actually a tatoo process with a dye injected only to the top layer of the skin and will only last 2 years, but it prevents those green eyebrow disasters. Another painful experience would be a lip tatoo at $240 Singapore dollars. I wonder if these lip tatoo artists can create Angelina Jolie like voluptuous smackers.

About bookjunkie

Blogging about life in Singapore & recently cancer too.
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