I'll Take That As A Compliment

Just a couple funny anecdotes I thought I would share.

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to meet with the American Ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.  It was really interesting to here her talk about Liberia, the country's future and path to development, and partnership with the States.  She was both impressive and personable - not at all intimidating!  After about a 20 minute meeting as we were leaving, Olu mentioned to her that I am getting ready to begin my PhD and that I just graduated with my Master's degree.  She laughed and said, "Master's?!  You barely look like you could have graduated high school!"  I thought I finally looked at least 20 years old, but according to the US Ambassador I'm apparently still a teenage look alike.  I had a good laugh after that one!

My other favorite "compliment" often comes from my Liberian friends.  Before the personal story, a brief cultural note... In Liberia, it's not really offensive to describe someone as fat.  When describing someone, if they are even a little bigger, people have no qualms about saying "she's fat."  It's like if I said "she has short hair" or "she's tall."  It's really just a description, and not seen as a derisive term.  In fact, it is often intended as a compliment... being fat means you're eating well, which is a good thing. 

Alright, back to the anecdote.  Coming to Liberia everyone speculated about how skinny I would be when I returned home and how much weight I would lose.  So, you can imagine my frustration when all my clothes began fitting much tighter after a couple months here.  Over Christmas break I began to really notice my new "insulation" so I made a conscious effort to eat better and exercise more.  At the end of Christmas break when I returned to school I was greeted by a compliment; "Oh, you're looking good."  "Thanks!" I replied.  "I can tell you ate plenty over the break."  "Thanks..." I said once again, this time in a slightly more dejected tone.  My favorite example of this kind of "compliment" was when one of the girls on the basketball team came up to me, grabbed the fat on my arm, and said, "you're getting big!" 

While these kinds of "compliments" would be pretty awful if received in the States, I have tried to take them in stride.  It's just an observation!  I love that, in Liberian culture, having a bigger body type is not a bad thing.  Having some meat on your bones isn't a source of shame... it's just an attribute.  Despite my initial dejection at receiving these kinds of compliments from my Liberian friends, I tried not to let on that I saw this fact as less than ideal.  The States have shared enough of their culture - both good and bad things - already... I won't rush in the need to spread the obsession with the "perfect" body type. 

Yes, this is a random post... but I find these stories funny and hope you will too!