Fiona was all of 22; bubbling, attractive and with the British accent I love to listen to. She and her friend Rachel were with us for a month when they had come down to research on livelihood practices of the indigenous peoples of
You see them all around you; the old men and women with sagging, wrinkled skin, potbellies ( the most disgusting sight in the world is the old women who think they are very sexy, tucking in their sarees so low, revealing their balloon-y, ‘C’ section scarred, post-partum wrinkled midriffs with pothole-like navels) walking around in colours and designs that the real young would be embarrassed to wear.
This obsession with retaining youth is more evident in Kerala than anywhere else. Some have atrocious wigs (toupees) and they strut around as if they are still in their teens.
The other day when I attended a marriage, an old lady, a former colleague , appraised my bald head and wisps of grey hair and advised me with concern – ‘ Your skin is still good, Balan, you should dye your hair’. Being polite, I just glanced at her hair reeking black dye and said I am too lazy.
Why do we pretend? Nobody is fooled into believing that we are younger than our real age. I can understand staying slim and exercising; that is good for health, but this chemical paste that you apply on hair can cause severe allergies ; it can even be carcinogenic.
Age that we must; but let us do it with dignity and cheer. Let us not pretend and be an object of ridicule.
********* Balachandran V,
its probably because of a lack of self confidence.. it affects those who believed their youth was the star attraction.. who believed that their 'beauty' was what attracted the opposite sex.. and having got used to that attention.. they cant live without it.. only they end up looking hideous... we got to teach our children that beauty is what comes from within... unfortunately todays media and cosmetic industry is teaching the youth the opposite.. that external appearance is everything.. and self confidence must be derived from them... And they learn to 'Make' up.. pretending to be some one you are not... It starts early these days...
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful it would be if everyone thought the same way as you. Age gracefully. Our people get influenced by numerous things, one main culprit are our movies.
ReplyDeleteThey ape it, and we know how disastrous it is.
Is it prevalent only in Kerala? Anyway whatever you said is true to core. What about the hair fixing thing that is cropping up at every nook and corner.
ReplyDeleteInfact people around you are putting more pressure to doing such things. Now a days hair straightening has become a fashion of sorts. A lot of girls look almost the same with their hair straightened and wearing those designer specs. Where are those traditional old malayali girls.
It is a cosmetic world around us !!
What can we comment about all those who color their hair.? The black hair is bleached, painted red, brown, blasted whitish like denim?
ReplyDeleteBeing a person who sometimes dye my greying hair black, I do it not for gaining self confidence or for the lack of it.
But dyeing black on our hair, with freckles and wrinkles of brown skin and age refusing to be eclipsed well then as some of you commented it certainly it needs to be thought of.
It is all boiling down to feeling good.
Balan think of our Casnova who refuses to dye black because he believes his appeal is when he sports grey hair.
Very well said, sir! Do you have any idea how much resistance I’ve to put up against ‘hair fixing’? Friends, family and even the ones I get to know accidentally, say on a train, suggest that I should go for it. I’m with you 100%, let’s age gracefully. I wrote a piece about this rage to ‘fix’ hair sometime back here.
ReplyDeletehttp://vishadamadhuram.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html
“the most disgusting sight in the world is the old women who think they are very sexy, tucking in their sarees so low, revealing their balloon-y, ‘C’ section scarred, post-partum wrinkled midriffs with pothole-like navels”
Rapier-like, loved it.
Very well said, sir! Do you have any idea how much resistance I’ve to put up against ‘hair fixing’? Friends, family and even the ones I get to know accidentally, say on a train, suggest that I should go for it. I’m with you 100%, let’s age gracefully. I wrote a piece about this rage to ‘fix’ hair sometime back here.
ReplyDeletehttp://vishadamadhuram.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html
“the most disgusting sight in the world is the old women who think they are very sexy, tucking in their sarees so low, revealing their balloon-y, ‘C’ section scarred, post-partum wrinkled midriffs with pothole-like navels”
Rapier-like, let me say. Loved it.
Might as well have fun with it before it all fall out !
ReplyDeleteI have seen worse crowd here.Don't put it on the Mallus!There are young women here who painted rainbows on their hair.
There are people for whom appearances are important.It boosts their confidence.let them do it.
You left out some parts from your list to be dyed!
You have wonderfully presented an amusing protrait of vanity, lack of identity, and fear of the aging process. Sadly enough, all so very true.......
ReplyDelete