By Steve Graham Magazine Issue 13 © udonmap.com
I have just been grabbed kicking and screaming into the 21st century by my daughter who had been nagging me for months about her birthday present. She wanted Korea big eyes and she kept pestering me. What are Korea big eyes? I think I know about Udon Thani black eyes, but this was something new for me. I was about to embark on a journey of discovery.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but there are many women around town with yes that look as if they are bulging out of their heads. I thought they were sick and didn’t pass any comments when I talked to them as I found it rather embarrassing. Apparently, they are wearing contact lenses to make their eyes look bigger. They can change their eye colour too. It only goes to show that some people are never happy.
I remember David Bowie having dodgy eye colours, but I think that was a natural phenomenon; however, these women have made their mind up to go down that road too. I was concerned that my daughter might end up looking more like Marty Feldman than a superstar, so I sought out professional advice from a trusted source.
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There is a shop in Central Plaza on the second floor that has taken care of my eyesight since I arrived in Udon Thani. What I like about them is that they seem really honest and when I tell them that I am a cheapskate and want the cheapest glasses possible, they manage to come up with the goods (I can be seen around Udon Thani wearing two milk bottles held together with string).
We could have gone to the kiosk downstairs; however, there was nowhere to take an eye test and I thought it better to go to a real optician. In fact they even advised us to have an eye test first. The Kiosk is about 500 baht cheaper; however, I wasn’t prepared to take a chance with my daughter’s eyesight, even though I am sure that they provided a good service.
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Once in the shop it became apparent that it was going to cost me just under 1200 baht all in, including an eye test and all the different solutions and containers needed to complete the “big eye process.” If you pay a few hundred baht more, you can have lenses that are usable for periods up to one year. Normal rules apply, don’t sleep with them in, clean them every day and only wear them for periods of 8-12 hours at a time.
Personally, I can’t see what all the fuss is about, but this is obviously a women’s thing, so I’m not supposed to understand. One word of warning though: husbands and boyfriends need to be careful if they go out for a few beers and return home and are unprepared for the sight that may greet them. It could prove very scary and may involve a period of time in hospital to recover. You have been warned.
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),no big deal, The Girls want to look Cute, also some boys i suspect.......oldies don't get it i s'pose, coloured contacts look great also, might even get some myself.....remember when we nagged our Mums to get us the latest things..?...or what ever the craze was at the time, don't be hard on your kids....if that is her in the post they look great...and 
,he said everyone says it looks good...it looks crap.