Memoir | Was I Too Fat? | Part V of VI

Joined by an all-male team of United States Air Force members, whom I fondly called my “Mission Impossible team,” I set off on my adventure as a global traveler for the U.S. Department of Prominence to Asia.

While in Asia, I planned to enjoy a shopping spree. However, I had no idea I was about to encounter a significant cultural shock as I explored the world of women’s dresses!

Pants are not my thing; I prefer the elegance of dresses and skirts.

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We landed on a military base in Singapore City, Singapore, and the Singaporean military officer informed us that we should not litter or jaywalk while in the country.

I thought, “Hmph, they don’t have to worry about me being disobedient to the laws of a foreign country. I saw the movie “Midnight Express.”

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After checking into the hotel, we decided to meet in the lobby and walk to a restaurant for dinner. We shared a plate of French fries and chicken wings until our food arrived.

I ordered pork and beans, spareribs, a large salad, and a slice of chocolate mousse cake. My food was seasoned well, in fact, it was so good, that I was licking my fingers!

The mere thought of that dish is making my mouth water as I pen this story.

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The following day, I headed out to shop for dresses. After leaving the hotel, I stopped to sit on a bench to look at a map of the radius around the hotel so I could shop at the retail stores nearby. While sitting on the bench, three transvestites’ women walked past me, so I said,

“Hi!”

The trans women stopped, looked me up and down, and one woman said,“Hey, honey! Where are you from?”

I eagerly said, “I am from Washington, D.C.”

The women sat down on the bench with me and chatted like birds on a clothesline. We decided to go to McDonald’s a short walk from the hotel. We ate, laughed, and shared our cultural differences. We hugged one another goodbye, and I told them it was a pleasure to have met them.

They responded in kind.

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I started walking to the stores that were on the same block as McDonald’s. I entered a small women’s clothing store that was filled with beautiful blouses, skirts, and dresses. I felt like I was in paradise of dresses!

I saw a few dresses that I was excited to try on and purchase. I asked the salesclerk for a size 12 in the black sheath dress that hung so elegantly on a satin hanger. The woman salesclerk simply said, “No, no, we don’t carry that size.”

I quickly asked what size was available.

The woman said, “No, you are too fat. We don’t carry your size.”

At that point, I was surprised and saddened, so I departed the store.

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I walked to another women’s shop on the same street. That store told me that they only sold women's dresses and skirts in sizes 0, 2, 4, and 6.

I was shocked and disappointed, again.

The salesclerk kindly explained that Asian women are generally petite, while American women are perceived as larger, hence why they mainly stocked smaller sizes.

This information reassured me and helped me comprehend why all the dress sizes were on the smaller side.

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Later that night, my Mission Impossible team and I gathered for dinner. I opted for a small salad for my meal because I was considered too fat!

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