Joyce Lau: Double Eyelids Good, Double Bones Bad

In Daisann's hilarious account of Long Hair's cosmetic sugery quandry, she relays that legislator Leung was given an offer to change his single eyelids (daan ngaan pei) to the socially more desirable double ones (seung ngaan
pei).

But the opposite is true for bone structure, at least if you are female. Someone who is naturally "daan gwat" or "single boned" is very finely built, and can eat all she wants without gaining weight. She is therefore the envy
of girls who are naturally "seung gwat" or "double boned."

This obviously doesn't mean that some girls have twice as many bones, but that each bone is twice as thick. If you are "seung gwat" that probably means you are heavy set and can't fit into the one-size-fits-all clothes at
those little discount clothing places in Hong Kong.

Of course, Hong Kong's standards for "daan gwat" and "seung gwat" are relative. I'm considered small in the West, but I am definitely "seung gwat" according to my female relatives, who point out my (allegedly) "broad
shoulders."

One family member who shall remain unnamed (lest she kill me) weighs 46 kilos and was taunted for being overweight. So if you use my aunts' standards, all of America is probably considered "seung gwat" except for
supermodels.