Damsels in distress

The one thing I cannot stand about the Indo-Arab culture that I am so proudly from is our fucked up perception of beauty. Here is a little ShayShay history lesson, to clarify where in the world I am from. My Papa is from Kuwait and my Mama is from Burma aka Mayanmar, my mother went to University in Kuwait, thus meeting my Papa fell madly in love, got married and gave birth to 3 horrendously beautiful children, the littlest/youngest one being ME of course. How else would I have become such a brat? Ha Ha. Thus, I am half from Indian decent, and half Arab decent. Although in my religion of Islam (yes, shockingly I am a Muslim, nobody said I was a good one though) you only take your fathers ethnicity, so I am a full blooded Arab if anybody asks *shiftyeyes*. I explain that my mother is of somewhat Indian decent for the readers who wonder "hmm why does she look so East Indian sometimes..." THAT is why!

Okay back to my rant.

In Indian culture to be born with dark skin is the biggest birth defect you can have! Yes I said DEFECT. It is a shameful thing to have dark skin, and you are taught to spend your entire life trying to cover it up! Forcing yourself to wear ghostly foundation to make your face whiter. The Bollywood culture preaches teens to use "fair and lovely" creams to make your skin whiter, not explaining that a) this creates MAJOR self esteem issues and b) how horrible the side affects of these chemicals on your always developing skin is.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where both my parents thought their children were ultimate beauties, and gods gifts to earth, and definitely made clear we knew it to. I'm not trying to be cocky but in our culture you need parents like that to make sure you don't grow up to be an insecure rat. Which so many of my Desi girlfriends grew up to be unfortunately. Having light skin is a sign of beauty and you can see it everywhere in bollywood. It really grosses me out. In general people from South India are known for their dark skin, and I think it is honestly what makes them so beautiful!! Their gorgeous dark skin makes their sharp features stick out even more. I find that about them to be jaw dropping .

I really hate that Indian girls feel the need to change their skin color to find beauty within themselves. I love my skin color, and if someone paid me I wouldn't change it....well that is a lie, I would so change it if it was a good reasonable sum of money. I'm thinking like a good 50 million and upwards. That is just the street whore in me thinking out loud again.

I don't think the definition of beauty lies in your skin color but more so in your features and how you present yourself. I truly believe that if YOU find yourself beautiful so will everyone that looks at you. Confidence is the most beautiful thing, possessing it can make you a deathly weapon in the game of life.

So listen up you damsels in distress!! Don't ever be ashamed of your dark coco skin, it is what defines you and makes you so beautiful. Love the skin your in. Applying chemicals to your skin to make yourself more "fair" makes you a shallow ugly person.

Live life to the fullest.