Luck Be A Lady

For the first time in my life I have become conscious of how a "lady" should act and ironically find myself abiding by these societal norms when in view of the Romanian public. Obviously back home I was well aware of how a "True Lady" should behave but always scoffed at the old school traditions that I have always viewed as ridiculous and slightly demeaning. In turn, I have constantly attempted to be my own kind of lady. So why now? Why fall to the mercy of the traditional gender roles of Romania that are far more restricting than those I've experienced back home?

First and foremost, I think as a foreigner I'm quite hypervigilant to all behaviors - male and female. Out of respect and as a guest in this country I try to follow suit; even if I think it is silly. I'm often surprised and sometimes amused by the actions that induce the response, "nu e frumos pentru femei (not good for women)." Secondly, demonstrating a similar behavior makes it a bit easier to be a part of something, to blend in, when in almost every other aspect of my life I do not.

Therefore, I suppose it would only be safe to say that I have become a "faux lady" in the streets. On the other hand, that sounds like another name for a lady of the night...but you get the drift. When it comes down to it, I'd like to think that I'm at least being viewed as respectful by those I am currently living amongst.

Now mother...by no means has this done the job of the Finishing School you always threatened to send me to or the ballet class you DID send me to in 5th grade on account of my ungracefulness. As you can see, that clearly did wonders! There's nothing like a husky girl in a tu-tu to emotionally scar you for life.