When I look in the mirror, I don't see a particularly odd looking person looking back at me. I consider myself about as average as average gets. However, to Filipino children who are being seen at our clinic, I must appear equivalent to someone with 2 heads. While all gawk at me, I've found they do so in very different ways.
The highly timid and shy ones will just grab onto their parent and stare with wide-eyes locked onto my every move ( I pray for them: that their eyes won't actually pop out of their heads as they appear to be on the verge of doing). The braver sort will venture a touch of the strange being in front of them. The most common touch is to sneak a hand down to my leg (usually as I am examining their other family members) and graze the hairs on my leg. I guess they think that I can't feel that. I can understand the fascination here. Filipinos don't have alot of body hair and certainly not blonde hair so sneaking a feel of this strange stuff is completely understandable. The most aggressive ones have developed a new tactic - to poke at me as if taunting a wild animal pinned in a cage. I had to draw the line at this one because I found it disrepectful (although I must admit that this interpretation is highly influenced by my "American-ness").
So when you visit the clinic (and you are welcome anytime) be prepared for some inquisitive probes, rubs, and maybe even a poke.
Ginger said that I had to clearly state that it was me who wrote this so everyone would not think she is the one with the hairy legs --because she shaves her legs (most of the time).
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