Being Blonde in Bangkok.

Oh, the joys of being blonde (or bottle blonde) in Thailand. Being blonde in Asia is quite the adventure.  
First lets discuss the joys of being beautiful blonde toddler boy.

Jack is my only blonde child.  How he obtained his beautiful slate-colored eyes and fair hair is anyone’s guess.  His older brother and younger sister are definitely going the doe-eyed, brunette route.  Since our arrival in Thailand both boys (and now Anna) have been the subject of a lot of attention.  Everyone loves these three little adventurers. But no one is more loved than sweet “baby” Jack.  Wherever Jack goes he gets cat calls and requests for photos.  I can’t blame people for wanting his photo, he is stunning, I will admit.  But I do fear the effect that this kind of constant attention is having on his little toddler psyche. Will he go home and be depressed when no one in America thinks he is that special anymore?  Will he become a diva making unrelenting demands on his mommy?  Will he be crushed by the weight of his own celebrity?  One thing is certain, we will have to start weening him from the constant attention before we return back to America.

I have asked many people in Thailand why blondes are so popular.  Some have indicated that the color blonde has religious significance.  Yellow/gold is the color associated with the Thai King and also the color of the carnations used in religious ceremonies.  I am not an expert on Buddhist traditions, so I can’t speak to this.  But I do think that in a country full of dark haired people – Jack stands out as unique.

Now to the second type of blonde-bottle blonde!  While I was born blonde, I have been dying my hair since middle school.  I contemplated returning to my natural mousy-brown, natural hair color before moving overseas but decided to stick it out.  Finding a good salon that can do blonde in Bangkok has proven to be an exceptional challenge for many reasons:  Bangkok is a large city with an overwhelming number of salon options, blonde is a difficult color to master generally, and blonde is just not that in demand here.  Then, of course, there is the language barrier.  After a few difficult experiences dying my hair various shades of “blonde”-orange blonde, green blonde, etc.  I have found a Thai stylist that is pretty good at getting the right shade of bright-NOT TOO bright- blonde that I prefer.  Although I do think maintaining my blonde while overseas will continue to be a work in progress, we are heading in the right direction!