I was born with fair skin that never seems to tan.

The tan I've got now is the result of a lot of work. I've inherited many things from my mum: big eyes, clammy hands, thick dark hair and fair skin, all gifts from her.

For women, fair skin can be a natural beauty product. But for men, it's just the opposite. The fair skin on a man can make him look sissy. But for me, what's even more frustrating is that, with my fair skin, the dark circles around my eyes and the pimples on my face stand out prominently. As I can't wear make-up all the time, I once thought to myself that if one day my skin turned dark, the curse of the dark circles around my eyes and the pimples would be gone for good.

So I did what I could to get a good tan.

But my skin turned red after being tanned for just a day, like a roasted pig. On returning home my skin even began to peel. When I woke up the next morning, my skin was even fairer than before, and all soft and smooth like a peeled egg. And, getting out of bed, I felt like a chick hatching out from the pieces of skin peeling off from my body. What a drag!

One man's meat is another man's poison. Fair skin may be envy of other people, but for me, it's such a pain.

By Ying-hing Ong

*Translation from Chinese article.