Plastic Surgery and Status Symbols: iPhones in L.A. and eyeJobs in Seoul

I ordered some Thai food when I was down with a cold at my friend’s house in L.A. last week and the delivery lady called me to find my exact address. When I came out to meet her, she was a cute middle-aged Thai woman talking to me on her iPhone. EVERYONE in L.A. has an iPhone. It reminded me of plastic surgery in Korea.

When I was about ten years old, we were visiting my grandparents’ home in Seoul, Korea and I was chatting with my uncle. He was the only person there other than my mother and father who spoke English and my Korean speaking skills were average so I enjoyed talking to him. I can now see him as the “FOBBY” Asian engineer guy in college at University of Michigan he must have been. Cute! That day I asked my uncle where my aunt was. Instead of answering me directly, he asked me this, “Christina, what would you do to make yourself most beautiful?” My ten-year-old self replied, “Lipstick?” “No,” he said. “Eyeshadow?” I was confused. “Double eyelid,” he said.  WHAT????

Apparently my aunt was getting an “eye job,” that day to give her eyelids the look of western “double eyelids.” I was horrified by the thought of my aunt cutting up her face on purpose to change the way she looked! My mother assured me that even the woman on the street corner selling vegetables has had the surgery. I checked. She was right.

Here is another popular look called “love band.” It is a technique to make you look more “charming,” by adding a little fat below the eye for a cuter, youthful look.

Is there something that you have that is your ULTIMATE status symbol? What status symbol items are on your list? I always day dream about cars.