A case of misplaced gender identity?
Apparently, it was my relatives’ first time seeing my new haircut - even though it’s been more than a week since I decided to chop my trademark ponytail off. (And regretted the decision since.)
Aunty Olive walked into the room (where I happened to be frantically working on a report), saw my hair and exclaimed excitedly, “Brenda! Your hair! I like it! It looks so funky!”
Exclamation is an understatement. She was practically squealing.
I simply raised an eyebrow at her, mainly because well - I wasn’t exactly fond of my hair at the moment and all I wanted it to do was to regrow at top speed, pronto. So that I can tie a proper ponytail again and get it out of my neck.
I doubt she noticed my expression, as she was out of the room in an instant, announcing to everyone else in the house that “Brenda cut her hair, it’s so short now!” like as if they didn’t notice it before.
I heard the murmurs of my relatives from the room I was in, most of them expressing their approval at my new hair, commenting that I looked nice and well, full of spunk.
My mother’s voice was distinct in the background, though - I don’t like my daughter with short hair.
So typically her. So critical over my looks.
But that aside.
“What made her decide to cut her hair all of a sudden?” Aunty Olive was curious. Apparently, the conversation in the next room about my hair was still going strong.
“Well, she said she wanted to look manly,” muttered my mum, directly quoting what I’ve said to my hairdresser when she asked me the same question on Haircut Day.
Well, I was just joking, wasn’t I?
There was a sudden silence, apart from the sound of mahjong tiles hitting the table.
———
Decided to play with my visiting aunt’s (she lives in Canada and will be Singapore until end March) mind this evening.
She’s the only Chinese speaking aunt I have, and often likes to refer to cousin David and I by endearment terms in Chinese such as 小弟弟 and 小妹妹. (Translation: Little boy and Little Girl). Unfortunately, David and I weren’t quite used to it since we were usually referred to by the aunts by our names, and were growing more irritable by the second.
That was then I decided to be a little cheeky.
“Don’t call me 小妹妹 (little girl). Call me 小弟弟 (little boy) instead,” I quipped.
That was when my visiting aunt looked at me in horror.
“Why would I call you 小弟弟? 小弟弟 will be him (gesticulating wildly towards David). You should be a 小妹妹,” she exclaimed.
“Well, not so. Don’t you think I look handsome?” I grinned at her with a wink.
At that moment, the expression on my aunt’s face is just indescribable - it was a mixture of horror, bewilderment, confusion and to a small extent, amusement. David, on the other hand, already had his hand over his mouth and was trying his best not to reel with laughter.
Seriously, my relatives are sooooooooo gullible.
C O M M E N T S (3)
That’s so ever hilarious!! I hate it when hair cuts go bad as well. I’ve only had that happen to me 3 times when I was continuously jumping from person to person, and not being able to get the right cut that I want. I finally found one, but now I might be switching as they are a little expensive.
Aww… I hope your hair will grow out faster as well!
sweetie…how long is it going to be before they all think you are a butch…(remember your mum’s perception!)..haha..
LOL about your aunt from Canada haha. I ever did that to my aunt, who then scolded me and cried lol. She told me to be glad that I don’t have a “小弟弟” on me lol.