"Oh - you've got a tan!", my neighbor said when I met her in the elevator the other day. "Yes", I confirmed and proudly showed her my not-so-milky-white-anymore-arms ( the result of lazy hours on the Goan beaches, remember? And even though in the shade, the skin gets some color right? ) "Why? It is not so good", she declared, shaking her head. Crazy foreigner who wants a Tan. No, no - not in India.
You see, dear reader, here in India it is about de-tanning, not tanning. It is about how to get fairer skin, lighter, brighter, whiter...In a commercial they ask " Did you get a tan this summer vacation? We will help you to remove it. Use our product". At first I couldn't believe it, and we found it hilarious. Complete opposite of what I am used to from Norway. From Norway where, just by the slightest promise of sun, people will rush out of their houses to get some sunlight, some color, some tan...
But I guess to Indians, it is as hilarious to watch westerns stretch out under the sun to get some tan. Or like an Indian friend asked " Why do the tourists want to be tanned? Don't they know it is not healthy?"
Another Indian friend told me that her mum had told her to use an umbrella whenever she went out. If her skin darkens too much, there is less a chance of finding her a husband, her mother had said.
Here in India they sell de-tanning products. Do you hear that up there in Norway: de-tanning products! They sell a body lotion in a brand which I recognize from Norway. In the commercial for it in India, they promise that it will get you fairer skin (on a scale from 1-8), while in Norway the commercial for the similar product, advertises for getting a lovely tanned "sunkissed" skin color (on a scale from 1-8).
I give up. Do we people always strive for things we don't have? Someone is making money on it though. Imagine if they started selling detanning products in Norway and tanning products in India. Ha ha. What about going for the natural look?
Ta ta from Mumbai!
You see, dear reader, here in India it is about de-tanning, not tanning. It is about how to get fairer skin, lighter, brighter, whiter...In a commercial they ask " Did you get a tan this summer vacation? We will help you to remove it. Use our product". At first I couldn't believe it, and we found it hilarious. Complete opposite of what I am used to from Norway. From Norway where, just by the slightest promise of sun, people will rush out of their houses to get some sunlight, some color, some tan...
But I guess to Indians, it is as hilarious to watch westerns stretch out under the sun to get some tan. Or like an Indian friend asked " Why do the tourists want to be tanned? Don't they know it is not healthy?"
Another Indian friend told me that her mum had told her to use an umbrella whenever she went out. If her skin darkens too much, there is less a chance of finding her a husband, her mother had said.
Here in India they sell de-tanning products. Do you hear that up there in Norway: de-tanning products! They sell a body lotion in a brand which I recognize from Norway. In the commercial for it in India, they promise that it will get you fairer skin (on a scale from 1-8), while in Norway the commercial for the similar product, advertises for getting a lovely tanned "sunkissed" skin color (on a scale from 1-8).
I give up. Do we people always strive for things we don't have? Someone is making money on it though. Imagine if they started selling detanning products in Norway and tanning products in India. Ha ha. What about going for the natural look?
Ta ta from Mumbai!
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