Skin Colour Complex

              Wow, it has been a long time since I've blogged, mainly due to exams. And I apologize for that, but now that they're almost over and I just have two more papers to do I'm feeling quite free. Well for me, during exams is when I have all my profound realizations and thoughts. I'm not sure if it's me deliberately trying to limit my mind to certain perimeters that it eventually breaks loose and starts thinking of the most useless, irrelevant crap, or because I just don't want to study. Either way, I have all these thoughts, but I have to lock them up till exams are over and I can rant to you all until =D Well this post is on one of those random thoughts: Skin Color!

             You wouldn't believe the impact that skin color can have on a person's life. And yes, we live in the 21st century ; interracial marriages are the flick and people actually want to be tanned these days! In this modern society being fair skinned isn't the only trait of beauty, whether you're pale as snow, or black as ebony; you're beautiful. But darlings, that mentality is far from realized in Trinidad!

             Living in Trinidad and being of brown skin, I can assure you that having dark skin makes you feel nothing more than an ugly duckling. Yes, despite this skin color revolution that seems to occur globally, our small Trinidad is still blind sighted to it. And yes there are those who have come to accept their beautiful skin after some heartaches, and those who have loved themselves all along, but trust me when I say there is a countless many out there who hate being 'dark' and who go to far ends just to have that fair radiant skin of a Bollywood actress. I'm serious, when I say people will try all kinds of shit to lighten their complexion, we're talking face creams; Vicco tumeric creams, Ashe skin whitening, Emammi Naturally Fair, Fair and Beautiful [This name pisses me off, because it just suggests that you need to be fair to be beautiful] and home made pastes of saffron and tumeric and someone will even take the chemical route of bleaching their skin, despite the harmful consequences that follow. Some people wax themselves thoroughly to appear fairer, as you know hair, especially black hair, can make you look darker than your skin actually is. Yes homedogs, I know the works because I myself wanted to be fairer once upon a time, but now I've come to accept my skin color and who I am. And yes I use a lot of products on my face, because I'm not condemning beauty products, but mainly to brighten my complexion. And there's a big difference people ought to know about brightening and lightening. Lightening your complexion is basically bleaching and what not to become fairer, and approach white on the color scale. [I'm trying to not go all technical in this, so please excuse the repeating of words etc. lolz] whereas brightening is adding a glow to your already established skin tone, and that makes all the difference because skin is only bright and glowing if it's healthy and properly maintained.... and well that my friend is beautiful skin! Healthy skin is in, no matter the color.

This just shows the difference, when her complexion is brightened.

               But we wouldn't find the need to go to such extents if such a large importance wasn't place on skin color. In Trinidad, I feel like people judge you as soon as they see you, just based on your skin color. If people see a fair Indian they automatically associate that person with traits such as beauty, intelligence, wealth and class, where the opposite would apply if they saw a dark Indian,where they would associate them with being ugly or not as pretty, not that smart, coolie, poor etc. Where do we get off on judging people not only by physical appearance, but by just one physical trait?! And yes this mainly applies to Indo-Caribbeans, because I feel that they have the biggest issue with skin color. I believe that this can be associated with two aspects. One is that in India the highest caste would be people of fair skin, whilst the lowest caste would be of dark skin [ I'm not too keen on all the details, because I don't want this to be longer than it might be lolz, but Google, if you want more accuracy], therefore light skin would be admired, held in great esteem and respected etc. The other point includes colonisation and indentureship, where the Caucasian man was in charge, and therefore being white once again played a role in people being at the height of the societal strata. But people, you need to wake up and realize that that was the past and today is a new day! And well basically, assholes you need to stop putting so much emphasis on skin color or else I will slap yuh upside yuh flickin' big ass head! =D People may think that I'm just saying this because I am dark, but if that was the case I would consider fair people to be ugly, but no I think everyone's beautiful regardless [tis very true, you just need to open your eyes and see it]. I mean some people don't know how to wear the right colors for their skin tone... but that's a next post.
                What irks me the most is that Trini people [mainly Indos] place a lot of emphasis on marrying/dating someone fair skinned.... because they are held in esteem for no valid reason, just their skin color. Both guys and girls do this like there's no tomorrow! If you're fair skin then you're considered the sexiest shit to ever walk this island, and well if you're Caucasian then you're sexier than the sexiest shit. And I just get really sick in my stomach when people actually say that they want a white man or woman. Like honey, yes there's nothing wrong with white people, but you have to realise that white people are people too.Just like Trinidadians, they are bad white people, there are good white people, are there are those in between. Just because their skin is white, it doesn't mean that they're better than any black or brown person you've ever met, the only difference is that their skin is white.... and white is just a color [or the absence of color :O?! lolz ] You must realize that white people can hurt you just the same as a Trini person, or even worst than you've ever hurt before. You need to get over your dumbass self and realize that there is so much more to a person that just the color of their skin. And if you're one of those people who pray every night to meet a white man/woman and you only date fair people because you're that 'awesome', seriously eff you, because you have no decency in you. At the end of the day the people who want a white woman/man and place so much importance on it, are black or brown, and basically you need this person to feel better about your dumbass insecure self, because you feel like effing shit being the color that you are and you need this white person to make you look better and feel better about your own self. Because by yourself you're just brown! [ and we all know the adjectives that are associated with that] but with a white person at your side, you think you appear better. But no, you're just an asshole, using that decent man/woman who deserves much better than you! plus if you're that insecure about yourself, you shouldn't even be looking for a relationship, cause that just isn't going to work.And Trinis, let me get this straight ok, when you go around saying that you don't like Trini people and you don't want to end up with a Trini guy/gal, how you want a white person, you sound like a friggin dumbass! Because you know what?? YOU'RE A TRINI TOO!!!! [and no effing amount of vacations to America is ever going to change that!!!] So basically if you don't want to date a Trini, then who the eff is going to date you?

Thank for your time, feel free to leave hate comments or what ever, but this shit is true. And for those of you who have heard me say that I don't like Trini guys and think I"m being a hypocrite, I mainly say it because most of the Trini guys I've come across have managed to be jerks to me, but I'm still open to the idea, and that doesn't mean I don't like colored people =) okay? okay! Feel free to hate, especially that set of people who this post is dedicated to. =D