China Dolls

Taking a quick glance at the news these days, you'd find the hot trivial topic of the day revolves around the issue of having domestic maids imported from China to ease the shortage of labour here. After all, these days everything good seems to be made in China ( including hottie Huang Xiaoming! ).


Made in China
Unfortunately the response varies with surprising loud cries of horror coming from the married women of the household who fear cuckolded husbands running into the perfumed arms of their winsome china doll maids. Rather than welcome the helping hand in the kitchen, these women ( including supposedly well educated MPs ) are taking up militant arms against admitting these foreign Shanghai Sweeties. Seriously, so much for women's lib and bra-burning. Even supposedly confident modern working women in my workplace fall apart at the mere mention of the elusive Fuzhou Filly - or even that Dalian Darling.

Hence this surprising conversation in our pantry.

Paul : What's wrong with them taking maids from China?
Ninny : No no... they will steal our husbands. Very very bad.
Paul : Seriously? And how would they do that? Magical love happy potions?
Ninny : Hee hee. Of course not. They pretty pretty girls who can cook tasty dishes mah. Sure win over man's heart.
Paul : That easily? Your husband must be one seriously gullible fellow.
Ninny : Man's heart through stomach mah.
Paul : And you still want such a faithless man who leaves his wife and kids for a some chinese dumplings?
Ninny : Men will be men mah.
Paul : Why stop at the maid? You think he won't stray at the workplace? You think he won't go out with his little secretary?
Ninny : Don't say liddat lah.

Seriously. I was hard pressed not to wring her bimboesque neck. Not sure where Dr Ninny actually hung her medical degree but I believe it must have fallen into a faraway ditch somewhere along with her modicum of brains and self respect.

My mother would have been insulted.

Sometimes I wonder how women of today actually think. With women's lib and equality long established in the workplace, I've always come to assume that the glorious girls of my generation are strong, self-possessed Lil Miss Independents secure of their position in the world. Guess I was wrong.

Fear and insecurity over the pretty Chinese maid leading the naive men astray? Do the ladies have so little regard for themselves that they think their husbands will leave them that easily? Turn their backs on their marriage for some sweet sour pork and some fantan fanny? Have I actually accidentally stepped back into some bygone era when women were treated as mindless chattel to be figuratively clubbed and dragged home, simpering concubines numbered by the dozens and dragon wives were positioned by rank in the household?

And how does a committed relationship work without trust? When the suspicious wife automatically works out the assumption that her husband will stray at the least temptation! Seriously. If you're gonna live with a man you think will cheat, I suggest you get rid of the poor maligned bastard immediately. He certainly deserves better than to be branded an adulterer even before the deed.

Haven't even started on the fact that they actually believe the majority of these Guangdong Gals actually come here to steal their husbands. Come on, a few rotten apples doesn't mean the whole crop's a goner! What an insult to Chinese women. And has everyone actually forgotten the fact that our ancestors actually attempted pretty much the same thing - travelling far and wide to find work in newer pastures? I doubt anyone ever dared accuse my grandmother of being the other woman before her arrival.

But I figure it's alright. If the ladies over here think that competition from some Lanzhou Lovelies and Harbin Honeys would tempt the local heterosexual men too far, I think the government should consent to having Chinese male labourers taking their place then. I certainly wouldn't mind having a delicious Huang Xiaoming lookalike playing naughty maid in my household :)

And if my husband strays with the Shanghai Stud, I'll just kick the adulterous pair out on their collective arses and replace him with a cuter maid. :P