I’ve grown up with a lot of pressure from family members who think that I should fix my single eyelids. They often said, “oh, you would be so much prettier with double eyelids.” To whose standards? I refused and refused for 30 years. One time, I was visiting home for holidays and I was bothered again by my mom who thinks that I’m still a single due to my single eyelids. Perhaps, she was desperate but, I finally had it at that point and I had to make a big fuss about it so it would stop at some point. I’ve repeated that I see no point getting my eyelids done and snaped off at her and we got into a big fight we never had with each other – well, we ended with “I love you” so that wasn’t so bad.) I have thin eyes, so what? Somehow it’s a part of my face and me and I’m comfortable with them. Anyway, after that incident, my mom never mentioned about it ever again. whew~

Then, I was explainig to my friends in E. Village what happened and they had no concept of it or couldn’t comprehend the difference between double eyelids and single eyelids in person. “What do you mean? What eyelids?” They honestly couldn’t tell the difference. I tried to explain but, they still didn’t get it. So I pointed some photos of asian actresses in the street and told them, she’s done it & she’s done it…etc. They still were clueless by the way. Funny.

I find the beauty of being eastern is being eastern, not trying to look like a western model you see on the TV shows. Yes, I grew up with TV shows that only showed big eyes and long blond hair girls and yes, I’ve grown up with TV shows with many actresses got their eyelids done themselves. Still, I don’t see the reason why everyone should do it. There are some asians who have double eyelids naturally and they are beautiful on their own ways. Genearlly, I find it interesting how signle eyelid comform shape and how it contains dark eyes whithin if you look close. I like looking at old portraits of women in history to see how they looked. It’s actually fascinating how beauty has changed in the society.

Anyway, for people who have no clue what double eyelids and single eyelids mean like most of my friends in New York, here is a photo that shows the difference in close up.

I’ve decided to write further on this subject. Here is double eyelids vs. single eyelids – Part 2