I have had to wear many strange things in my line of work: a toga, a sari, a cat costume, and the list goes on. Tonight it’s a kimono. A real one mind you, that my aunt brought back from Japan for my mother years ago and which my mom was then kind enough to loan to me for use on the voyage. Welcome to Asia indeed!
One thing I hadn’t expected was how pretty I expected to feel in it. It’s oddly elegant. Though I’ll admit it’s a bit long for me, and it doesn’t precisely go well with heels so I’m reduced to my natural five foot nothing.
I never actually thought I would look good in such a thing, but I feel something like one of those Japanese dolls my Gran used to have. Very delicate and graceful somehow.
It’s nights like this where I have a heightened sense of awareness as to the oddity of my career path. I don’t know many other jobs – aside from acting of course – that would require you to don cultural attire completely foreign to your own on a regular basis.
The thing is that the kimono I am currently wearing is quite different from the others on the ship at the moment. While my mom shrugged it off as being a cheap ‘tourist’ version of the traditional (which I’m sure it is as the Obi doesn’t tie but hooks onto the back of the belt instead), it has a very classic look to it. It has no gaudy dragons or Asian symbols, just a simple pattern of blue vines on a white background, and its light enough that I’m not sweltering in my chair. I got nothing but compliments on it for the duration of the evening.
So thank you again to my mother for providing with the means not to feel like a fool!