Whiplash

You know those moments when you overhear something or see something out of the corner of your eye and you do a double take, thinking, “Did I really see or hear what I thought I did!!!” I had one such moment this week that had be double taking so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.

I was sitting at my desk (cubicle sort-of). Two women were chatting behind me and I overheard one of them say, “I just wish I could put on another 10 kilos.” Was I hearing right?? “Put on”, not “take off”, and “10 kilos” not “10 pounds”?? This woman is no wasting away waif, she is what I would politely suggest, a very healthy weight. Now, asking a woman about her weight would be anathema in Canada, but this isn’t Canada and I just couldn’t believe my ears. So I plunged in where wiser men might fear to tread.

I survived.

The woman was most gracious and went on to lament that she just seemed to have plateaued at 70 kgs. She had once been up to 72 kgs but had been unable to maintain that weight and was now back down to 70 kgs.

I gained a whole new appreciation and insight into Precious Ramotwe’s off repeated refrain concerning “traditionally built African women” in Alexander McCall Smith’s, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

And that is all I have to say about this.

~ Benno ~