http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,173526,00.html
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#000000 colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>China owes you </TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>By Maureen Koh</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>August 18, 2008</TD><TD width=30>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=rightline vAlign=top><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12 vAlign=top align=left>THEY are wily at times, with a reputation for being strong-willed despite their outward daintiness. They have nerves of steel with a resilience few of their male counterparts can claim to match.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2]PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>And their brilliance is being felt in sporting competition, in scholarly excellence, in business and, more gradually, in politics.
They are the China women, once shunned as second class in a supposedly classless society, dumped or killed at birth because of their perceived uselessness.
But how times have changed! They are today's China women, on a march to the fore. Hear them roar, not only in these Olympic Games, but also in every other aspect of society - in China AND Singapore.
These Games have raised their world profile like never before. Of the 27 gold medals that China has bagged so far, 17 were won by China's women athletes, from the graceful, pint-sized, pig-tailed gymnasts to the glamorous divers to the gazelle-like shuttlers.
And the world is taking notice.
Singaporeans have long taken note of their presence. Now, the names of three China-born Singaporeans are the toast of the Republic, with their historic Olympic medal win - silver or gold - within reach.
In schools, too, Chinese girls have gained a reputation for educational excellence. And in the heartlands, study mamas have long been admired - and sometimes scorned - for their self-sacrifice and resilience.
On the streets, in coffee shops, on the factory floor, they have made their mark.
Willpower
'You call it steely willpower,' Mr Yeo Kian-An, 55, a coffee-shop owner, said. 'I say it's simple aggression. These women have something to prove.'
His take: Be it here or in China, 'they know they're second-class citizens'.
'That would explain their steely resolve to succeed. And they'll go all the way to achieve that.'
Mr Yeo should know.
'So often, I end up employing a mainland Chinese over, say, a Malaysian or even a Singaporean,' he said, 'because they're able to convince me that they can do a better job.
'You can ask them to start work earlier or go home later and they're not likely to argue. (like sex slaves?)
'It's their way of surviving the competition.'
When it became clear that Singapore was on her way to the Olympic table tennis final, China-born Ruth Yang's first thought was: 'Hopefully now, Singaporeans would stop typecasting us.'
Then she heard someone remarked: 'Wah, these China girls really good.'
The 37-year-old divorcee, who runs an IT consultancy firm with a Singaporean business partner, said: 'I was so furious.'
Here to contribute
Madam Yang, who came to Singapore from China in late 2003: 'The dogged persistence that you saw of Feng Tianwei says it all. We're here to contribute - and we have that determination to succeed.'
Madam Yang, from Shanghai, means what she says. She has dabbled in different ventures - from working as a translator to tending a nursery.
She said: 'One thing you have to realise - in the past, women in China have always been oppressed. So, it's up to us to carve out the life we want for ourselves.'
Professor Fu Tan-ming, a social behavioural analyst who is based in Beijing, noted that Chinese women are more resilient than the men.
Prof Fu said: 'They have a stubborn streak in them, one that propels them forward.
'They would not think twice about packing up their bag to begin life anew thousands of miles away from home.
'Why? It's because they know they can survive.'
Two years ago, study mama Guo Weixi, 32, did just that.
Madam Guo left Shenyang province when her son Liu Peng, 8, was accepted into a school here.
Madam Guo said: 'I knew it was something I must do - if I wanted a better life for my son.
'It was not easy. And it was made worse when I found out that my husband was cheating on me.'
But she promptly picked up her life - she filed for a divorce and gained custody of her son.
She is now working as a packer at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. 'I prefer to work while my son is in bed,' she said. 'This way, I have time for him when he returns from school.'
Occasionally, when the restaurant where her room-mate works requires a waitress, she steps up to take the job.
Madam Guo said: 'Some people think it's tough, but I tell myself, I'm doing this only for my son's future. And mine.'
Associate Professor Willie Cheung, who specialises in Chinese History research in Hong Kong, borrowed a quote from late communist leader Mao Zedong.
Assoc Prof Cheung said: 'Mao once said that 'women hold up the sky', because he believed that to involve women fully in the political and military struggle would improve China as a whole.
'And that's just about half-true - I'd say it's more than half the sky.'
He pointed out: 'Look at the history books - we have Wu Zetian and Ci Xi.'
Formidable
Of today's China women, he added: 'You may think you're able to sense their strength, but until you experience it, you will not realise how formidable they can be.'
But while they are known to be strong-willed and resilient, they can also be wily - and become the stuff of sensational headlines.
The China-born wife of opposition politician Tan Lead Shake is one such example, having been charged with allegedly murdering her brother-in-law.
Wu Yun Yun, 25, a Singapore permanent resident, is said to have fatally stabbed computer engineer Tan Lead Sane, 34, on 28 Jun.
His wife, Madam Huang Mei Zhe, 34, was injured in the alleged attack in the Paya Lebar house the two couples shared.
Then there are stories about husband-snatchers - attractive women who do not hesitate to walk hand-in-hand with older, pot-bellied men.
And the quick-buck China women who walk the streets of Geylang at night, or provide massage services.
China-born Louise Lee, who is married to a Singaporean, acknowledges the infamy, while celebrating the China woman's newfound fame from the Beijing Olympics.
'I admit that a number of China women seek to make a quick buck here through shady businesses, but I sincerely hope that Singaporeans will not form negative opinions of us so readily.'
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#000000 colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" bgColor=#000000 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>China owes you </TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>By Maureen Koh</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=font12w>August 18, 2008</TD><TD width=30>
</TD><TD width=10> </TD><TD width=30>
</TD><TD width=40> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=font12w></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=0>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=150 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-2]PICTURE: GETTY IMAGES[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>And their brilliance is being felt in sporting competition, in scholarly excellence, in business and, more gradually, in politics.They are the China women, once shunned as second class in a supposedly classless society, dumped or killed at birth because of their perceived uselessness.
But how times have changed! They are today's China women, on a march to the fore. Hear them roar, not only in these Olympic Games, but also in every other aspect of society - in China AND Singapore.
These Games have raised their world profile like never before. Of the 27 gold medals that China has bagged so far, 17 were won by China's women athletes, from the graceful, pint-sized, pig-tailed gymnasts to the glamorous divers to the gazelle-like shuttlers.
And the world is taking notice.
Singaporeans have long taken note of their presence. Now, the names of three China-born Singaporeans are the toast of the Republic, with their historic Olympic medal win - silver or gold - within reach.
In schools, too, Chinese girls have gained a reputation for educational excellence. And in the heartlands, study mamas have long been admired - and sometimes scorned - for their self-sacrifice and resilience.
On the streets, in coffee shops, on the factory floor, they have made their mark.
Willpower
'You call it steely willpower,' Mr Yeo Kian-An, 55, a coffee-shop owner, said. 'I say it's simple aggression. These women have something to prove.'
His take: Be it here or in China, 'they know they're second-class citizens'.
'That would explain their steely resolve to succeed. And they'll go all the way to achieve that.'
Mr Yeo should know.
'So often, I end up employing a mainland Chinese over, say, a Malaysian or even a Singaporean,' he said, 'because they're able to convince me that they can do a better job.
'You can ask them to start work earlier or go home later and they're not likely to argue. (like sex slaves?)
'It's their way of surviving the competition.'
When it became clear that Singapore was on her way to the Olympic table tennis final, China-born Ruth Yang's first thought was: 'Hopefully now, Singaporeans would stop typecasting us.'
Then she heard someone remarked: 'Wah, these China girls really good.'
The 37-year-old divorcee, who runs an IT consultancy firm with a Singaporean business partner, said: 'I was so furious.'
Here to contribute
Madam Yang, who came to Singapore from China in late 2003: 'The dogged persistence that you saw of Feng Tianwei says it all. We're here to contribute - and we have that determination to succeed.'
Madam Yang, from Shanghai, means what she says. She has dabbled in different ventures - from working as a translator to tending a nursery.
She said: 'One thing you have to realise - in the past, women in China have always been oppressed. So, it's up to us to carve out the life we want for ourselves.'
Professor Fu Tan-ming, a social behavioural analyst who is based in Beijing, noted that Chinese women are more resilient than the men.
Prof Fu said: 'They have a stubborn streak in them, one that propels them forward.
'They would not think twice about packing up their bag to begin life anew thousands of miles away from home.
'Why? It's because they know they can survive.'
Two years ago, study mama Guo Weixi, 32, did just that.
Madam Guo left Shenyang province when her son Liu Peng, 8, was accepted into a school here.
Madam Guo said: 'I knew it was something I must do - if I wanted a better life for my son.
'It was not easy. And it was made worse when I found out that my husband was cheating on me.'
But she promptly picked up her life - she filed for a divorce and gained custody of her son.
She is now working as a packer at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. 'I prefer to work while my son is in bed,' she said. 'This way, I have time for him when he returns from school.'
Occasionally, when the restaurant where her room-mate works requires a waitress, she steps up to take the job.
Madam Guo said: 'Some people think it's tough, but I tell myself, I'm doing this only for my son's future. And mine.'
Associate Professor Willie Cheung, who specialises in Chinese History research in Hong Kong, borrowed a quote from late communist leader Mao Zedong.
Assoc Prof Cheung said: 'Mao once said that 'women hold up the sky', because he believed that to involve women fully in the political and military struggle would improve China as a whole.
'And that's just about half-true - I'd say it's more than half the sky.'
He pointed out: 'Look at the history books - we have Wu Zetian and Ci Xi.'
Formidable
Of today's China women, he added: 'You may think you're able to sense their strength, but until you experience it, you will not realise how formidable they can be.'
But while they are known to be strong-willed and resilient, they can also be wily - and become the stuff of sensational headlines.
The China-born wife of opposition politician Tan Lead Shake is one such example, having been charged with allegedly murdering her brother-in-law.
Wu Yun Yun, 25, a Singapore permanent resident, is said to have fatally stabbed computer engineer Tan Lead Sane, 34, on 28 Jun.
His wife, Madam Huang Mei Zhe, 34, was injured in the alleged attack in the Paya Lebar house the two couples shared.
Then there are stories about husband-snatchers - attractive women who do not hesitate to walk hand-in-hand with older, pot-bellied men.
And the quick-buck China women who walk the streets of Geylang at night, or provide massage services.
China-born Louise Lee, who is married to a Singaporean, acknowledges the infamy, while celebrating the China woman's newfound fame from the Beijing Olympics.
'I admit that a number of China women seek to make a quick buck here through shady businesses, but I sincerely hope that Singaporeans will not form negative opinions of us so readily.'
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