I am gathering materials for my book, and came across this story I wrote years ago. It made me laugh...
Hope it makes you laugh too.....
Things that make you go “Hmmm..”
Hairy Armpits by Heike Boehnke-Sharp
Recently, sitting with my French girlfriend at a Border’s café drinking tea, I asked, “Has anyone ever asked you if all French women have hairy armpits?” She burst out laughing and asked me “WHAT?”
I had to explain. Being a German native, having no accent to give me away, only a very German name, I have been asked more than once since moving to the U.S. if it was true “that all German women have hairy legs and armpits”. At first, I thought I did not hear the question right, but after the third time I started answering “I don’t know, do you want to check mine?”
Although this fits into the same category as all German women should be blond, blue-eyed, and named Hilda, I wonder where the hairy notion comes from? I can picture a Geography lesson on Europe: “and this little dime-sized country is Germany, land of the Oktoberfest, Lederhosen, Arians, and women with hairy armpits.”
To answer any questions, I am not blond, blue-eyed, and yes, I have shaved since I was about 14.
To think each culture and European women have a trademark that is world renowned: Spanish women are known to have temperament and the Flamenco in their blood, Italian women are sensuous and stylish like Sophia Loren, Sweden has the Nordic beauties, France has the women of fashion and grace, England has the creative women who start trends, Greece the Goddesses, Portugal the influence of the Brazilian wonders, Holland the cosmolites, and Germany, well we have the Brunhilde’s with hairy armpits.
Hmmm….Labels: german, hairy, images