Getting praised for doing completely ordinary things simply because it’s one of them doing it. “May K’yaw is significant for being the first Karen-American to win the National Potato Sack Race Finals and a brave inspiring role model for Karens”, the sort of thing that might actually really have been brave and inspiring in Jackie Robinson’s time but in the 21st century has dwindled to an old hat cliche.

(Karen as in Burmese. I was punning.)

When I traveled all around Java I saw quite a few headscarves but the only time I saw burqas was at mosques. I figured it was the equivalent of dressing in your Sunday best, they didn’t normally do that except out of religious respect at mosque. The majority of women dressed in jeans and T shirts like Westerners, which is typical in Asia. I did find it amusing to go to a beach and see locals wading in the water fully dressed. Not that I was expecting hot Muslim babes in bikinis, but still, they did look pretty silly.