woman, woman, woman...

One of my AsiaLink colleague, Jim, was leaving yesterday for a new job in La Trout university. He is appointed as a Japanese/Chinese culture study lecturer, and will start his teaching as well as academic research in March. The whole AsiaLink centre staffs headed down to have a farewell lunch on lygon. During our table talks, Marylou, my supervisor, was telling me about her life and job as a senior lawyer in Hong Kong. She earn heaps of money, in sacrificed, she had to work 15 hours a day, seven days a week when a big project was in hand. She warn me that although the live in Hong Kong was wild and feverish; it was the place only suitable for young and enthusiast. She left Asian after ten years and returned to Australia and becomes a senior sectary for AsiaLink. In her mid-thirties, single, living in a share house (I assume she spent most of her earnings on glorious Branded clothes and holidays around Asian while she was a lawyer), still hanging around pubs in weekends, no plan for marriage; she had once got a restless life yet choose to be simple in the end. Is this what I want? As a female, it is always hard to balance life and work. In my feminism theory, the more a woman want to achieve, the more she has to give up. Marylou, Junie are the modern talents trapped in their high-pressure work with greenbacks in their suits; while Polly gave up her job and marries a nice man with limited money and infinite love. I don’t know which role I would choose to live. Housewife would certainly not for me, yet giving up family is also impossible. Woman, woman, woman!

I may not leave Australia as planned. I might stay on to look after my grandma. I would not set my heart at rest if I left her alone in this foreign country, knowing the futileness help from my uncle and aunt.