"its ok to have body odor. its just not ok to not do something with it".
"body odor" is short for "natural body odor" (henceforth NBO) and "do something" can be understood as "put on some kind of deodorant". now that we are on the same page interpreting the related concepts, let the discussion begin. and since i have been living in vietnam for most of my life, the discussion is gonna be limited to the context of vietnam only.
an average person here, for some reason, tend to sweat less and thus, emit less and lighter body odor (if not at all) than caucasians and africans. so having NBO here could be perceived as something rather unnatural, something repugnant, weird, hated. its just so NOT ok to have NBO here. and since deodorants were not much available, popular, acceptable and affordable ten years back, i had to suffer through my puberty being picked on by my sister and cousins all the time (and this is just one thing i was being picked on for. and to be honest with you, i have a rather traumatic childhoold).
that was until i left vietnam for america. i was opened up to a whole new world where deodorants becomes the most trusted, indispensible and beloved friend someone can ever ask for. you find that little precious thing everywhere: in gym bags, in lockers, in bathrooms, in SUVs. cream, roll-on, solid, or gel, you choose it. axe, gillette, rexona, dove, you choose it next. flavors of peach, apple, strawberry, non-flavors, you choose it again. everyone is doing it - men do it, women do it, young guys do it, school girls do it and you know what the best part of it is: they dont have to hide it. people lift up their arm, rub the cool, smooth, fragrant surface against the sweaty, possibly hairy area called the armpit, close their eyes, and savor the moment. it is as normal as sex and better still, no catholics will try to persuade you that it is a sin.
fast forward. i came back home to find vietnam catching up with the rest of the world not only economically but also socially and culturally. doimoi finally welcomed the influx of deodorants. and with it the tolerance towards things not social norms (but condoms, pads and tampons are still placed in black plastic bags at the counter). i finally have the long-awaited freedom to choose my own stink stick in stores without my face getting red. i can argue which brand offers the best quality and flavors. and i have my revenge as the weather gets dismally heated and my cousins now ask to use my stick for a change.
can my home country get any better?? can my life get any better??
so yeah, my first sentence already sums up my philosophy and explains my reconciliation with life these days. not everyone is born paris hilton or gisele bundchen. so just embrace what you love about yourself (take me, i love my hair now that its curls fall loosely past my shoulders, i adore my horny little feet, and i kiss my cute tiny fingers goodnight everynight) and do what you can to improve the rest (like, i can do nothing, absolutely nothing, to make my pathetic legs actually leggier, but i might be able to pull something off to make my skin softer, and once i have enough in my savings, i can certainly get a boob job to boost my boobs from aa to dd).
enjoy!
ps: this post is meant to entertain and tự sướng. for more scientific info on body odor, please google. or you can start here.
