Category: Life

I’ve been hearing that fewer online friends is the new thing. I’ve got 102 pals on Facebook. I don’t have 102 pals in real life — not close ones anyway.

Last year I deleted most of my high school friends. Truthfully, I got tired of reading about a bunch of kids I didn’t even know existed. Plus most of them seem to lead somewhat boring lives — and the most boring posted the most. (I am sure they don’t feel their lives are boring. Some of them may feel sad for poor childless Christine and her empty life. And of course, I enjoy hearing about kids I actually know or know about — I am not an ogre.)

I also started experimenting with the Limited Profile setting for people I don’t really think need to hear everything I am up to. I can think of quite a few people (acquaintances, relatives, neighbours) who don’t need to know all my (silly) business. Then I got to thinking that probably most people I work (directly) with don’t need to see my status updates — especially the rare one that gets posted during office hours or about the myriad ways I spend my weekends. Some things — like my penchant for furry movies — are better left outside the office.

So what to do? I guess I could just put everyone who falls outside my target Facebook zone on Limited Profile. Or I could delete them…I am just worried they will get mad and not want to be my friend anymore. Just like in Grade 9.

Or I could just leave Facebook — which fills me with sadness.

I’m been visiting my Aunt lately. She’s my late Mother’s youngest sister and she’s not a lot older than I am but she’s of another generation.

For example, when I visited her a few weeks ago, her first words to me where: ses debeli? Translated this means: did you get fat? This is not that strange — my Mother sometimes said the same thing. One gets used to it and besides I was never that fat — not like some of my poor (first, second and third) cousins who were so fat that they would never find a husband.

I wasn’t any fatter than usual and I told my Aunt as much. I illustrated the fact by pulling at my sweater demonstrating that was very loose since I was not hitting the town but rather visting my Aunt in the suburbs. (It is important to note that she’s my favourite Aunt and I love her very much. This type of exchange is not at all unusual in my culture.)

When I visited this past weekend I was prepared. I decided to skip the weekend jeans and I wore some skinny pants and a top that was not wooly, warm and loose.

I greeted my Aunt with: so who’s debela (fat) now? She laughed and conceded the point.

Then she proceeded to feed me the entire day.