Like many out there, I have developed a bit of an insecurity about heading out to a nail salon to get a pedicure. I think it’s ever since my discoloured-big-toe-nail-but-not-fungus phase… but let’s not talk any more about that, OK?
For others, however, this insecurity appears to have a lot to do with the fact that they think the technicians are talking about them. Or more specifically, about their festy feet.
American comedian Anjelah Johnson discussed the topic in her controversial standup routine that quickly went viral and is still doing the rounds on social media. While it has been deemed slightly offensive, it was, unfortunately, very relatable.
Many of us have suspected that the nail techs are judging us, but it’s always hard to tell when someone is speaking a different language with their colleagues. That is, until someone close by can understand the language!
‘Joking around in their own language’
That’s exactly what happened to one Perth woman who decided to treat her girls to a manicure in the city recently and got the shock of her life when it was confirmed. They ARE talking about us!
“So I am multilingual. Sure, I’m not perfect, but I can hold convos. I try (sic) to treat my girls to a manicure and some new nails in the big city, that was my plan… Instead, what I got was nail salon workers joking around in their own language about who wants to touch the disgusting white people’s hands,” the mortified woman shared on Reddit.
So what was being said exactly?
“Apparently they couldn’t agree with whom, so they kept swapping around (it was like an inside joke to them), running away from us mid-nail painting as if we had an awful smell,” she continued.
“I am a tradie, I understand my hands aren’t the nicest looking, because I have to use them to earn a living. I didn’t expect to be called a white pig for thinking it would be amusing to my girls if I joined them in getting manicures.”
Among the names she believes they were calling her and her girls were “disgusting pigs,” “cows,” “animals,” and “small d–k.”
While the woman didn’t name the salon, she admitted she now knows how some people feel when heading into similar salons with non-English speaking workers.
“I look white to non-white people and I look not-white to white people, probably why nobody expects me to speak another language,” she shared.
“I got a little taste of the treatment to non ethnic looking people and now disillusioned that since they usually are at the receiving end of racism, they would be better.”
People were quick to hit the comments thread to share that they, too, have been in a similar position but found a way to make light of the awkward situation, just like Frank Costanza in a much-loved Seinfeld episode where he supports Elaine after a similar experience.
“I know that feeling cause I look white to my Asian counterparts but look Asian to my Western friends. What I do is butt into the conversation in the same language,” someone laughed.
“I’m multilingual too, and I love not letting on that I can understand what people are saying until after the fact. I know it’s kinda sneaky, but it can be pretty satisfying,” another chimed in.
And another Aussie shared: “I once went to get a pedicure at one of these nail places when I was too pregnant to reach my toes. The workers sat around saying different variations of ‘shoot me if I ever get that fat’ to each other. The kicker is that I am unmistakably 100% Asian but because I speak with a very ocker Ozzie accent, they stupidly assumed that I didn’t speak the mother language.”
‘I always find it uncomfortable’
The Aussie mom certainly wasn’t laughing after the experience, admitting that she was so embarrassed, she resorted to putting sunglasses on halfway through her treatment. But others found the story hilariously relatable.
“Sometimes I absolutely reckon the masseuse is hollering about how large my rolls are to her mates outside. Good for her. Gotta laugh or you’ll cry,” someone commented.
“I always find it uncomfortable when people speak in a different language around me; my stepmom used to do this,” another added.
One Kidspot mom said she, too, has always found the experience of getting a pedicure uncomfortable for this same reason.
“I don’t mind people speaking their native language, but when you’re a client wanting a professional experience in a professional environment and are already self-conscious about getting your toes out for a treatment, you can’t help but think they might be talking about you,” one mom said.
Others said that they don’t get pedicures at nail salons such as this for various reasons, while another mom said she has never found her experiences to be negative because her technicians are English-speaking.
“The place I go to mainly has English-speaking technicians – so maybe that’s the reason why they say nothing about my feet – until I leave!” she joked.
Read the full article here
