Modern Malaysian Women

One of the most discussed topics among people my age (or at least my circle of friends) is about marriage & settling down. Of course among the intricacies talked, includes the manner of how life would be then.

F28 is one friend, who constantly wishes that she can be the new age urban housewife, taking on the all-in-one mother package, which includes the traditional components of schooling, marketing & household, with the twist of adding modern ladies’ idiosyncrasies; going to spas, shopping & other basic luxuries … of course the MAIN question is … you need to have an extremely RICH husband to float such lifestyle OR you have to inherit some industrious dynasty OR just simply strike a lottery. Such lavish dreams, huh?

While I mock the topic in jest, I seriously for one advocate for such lifestyle … and in fact, taking view of today’s kids, whom I deem mostly as spoilt brats living a generation of over materialism & granted unsupervised wealth bequeathed from working parents who takes giving out money as a form of parental ignorance guilt redemption. Coming to the point, I would very much like to have my spouse (or even myself) to take a full time parental role to nurture my progeny.

Another friend, WY, just simply acclaims, “OMG, the article is about me??”. It's so HER, hor???

Interestingly, F28 shared with me an article from the Star, which interestingly reveal that the trend for marriage has started a reverse recently, where women are starting to revert to more traditional view about life after settling down & career … and the revolution stretches even to matchmaking. Just for your information, here’s an excerpt from the article; Meet the new Malaysian woman

The new un-independents: Over the last six years, we have seen a 24% increase in women who marry young (between 20 and 29 years). Matchmaking, an age-old tradition, is now returning with a modern twist and gaining increasing popularity with a number of dating services now catering specifically to successful professionals searching anxiously for love and belonging.

While not many have the financial support to actually retire, a remarkable 52% of our respondents admitted they had definitely "secretly fantasised about quitting their jobs and becoming a tai-tai". What is more, 66% agreed that "my life would be incomplete if I didn't have a man to love me." Said one interviewee: "I remember a time when my girlfriends and I would laugh about how our moms would badger us about finding a man and settling down. Now I see a few of my friends getting married, becoming housewives or baking cakes for a living and I think that's cool."

Taking view of this, I just can’t help but to smile about this all. I’ve lived through the generation of working couples, with kids parked at in-laws or at day cares (my mum being one nanny, so I have a peek at the lifestyle). Honestly, I can’t help thinking the irony of women reversing back to the role they left in the past generation & leaving the coveted role of the corporate superwoman.

To sum it up, I know it’s a matter of time before I hear Karyn White’s song on the airwaves again … Superwoman …

Early in the morning
I put breakfast at your table
And make sure that your coffee
Has its sugar and cream

Your eggs are over easy
Your toast done lightly
All that's missing is your morning kiss
That used to greet me

Now you say the juice is sour
It used to be so sweet
And I can't help but to wonder
If you're talking 'bout me

We don't talk the way we used to talk
It's hurtin' so deep
I've got my pride, I will not cry
But it's makin' me weak

I'm not your superwoman
I'm not the kind of girl that you can let down
And think that everything's okay
Boy, I am only human
This girl needs more than occasional
Hugs as a token of love from you to me, ooh, baby