an educated tai tai?

before i logged on, i had many thoughts in my mind. i had wanted to write about thoughts i gathered from service this morning, views about this afternoon's leadership training session, the hype of the 'shag bands', the changing weather...

but as i read the new paper today, a headline hit me. something which is close to my heart. and those friends who are close to me would have heard so much about the title of this post.

All I wish when I leave university is to be... A graduate housewife
The New Paper, 1 February 2004

She will get the grades for her business degree. She will probably score herself a well-paid job. By all accounts, her life seems set to revolve round power lunches, power dressing and the heady heights of the corporate world.

Yet, this 21-year-old says she will drop all that as soon as she gets married. She'd much rather stay home and make babies.

A poll by The New Paper on Sunday revealed that, like her American counterpart, undergraduate Ong Lianjuan may well be the New Woman from Gen Y. Instead of the career woman trading blows in a corporate boy' club, the new modern woman dreams of a loving husband, a five-room HDB flat and three healthy children.

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hmm... doesn't that sound familiar? just before i finished school, people were asking what i would want to be after i got my degree. it started all as a joke. i would kid them and say "i want to be an educated tai-tai"... and jon would always give me this strange look in the face.

note: graduate housewife is not the same as an educated tai-tai. but after long thought, i have come to the conclusion that in singapore, it's unlikely for many people to be a tai-tai, unless they find a husband who can bring home about $8-9k monthly. so a "graduate housewife" title would be good enough for me, although i still prefer the ring to the words "educated tai-tai".

anyway, in the past few months, i have heard similar answers from friends and acquaintances. so i wasn't alone. i totally agree that there is a growing number of women who are treading a path towards this goal. as the article suggests, many aim for such a married life to commit their lives to having more children. as for me, i think many, like me, have had enough of the fast-paced, hectic life in singapore. and such a dream would allow one to slow life down a bit, take time to smell the roses and concentrate on less than 5 things at one time.

life in itself is full of complications and winding roads. isn't it enough that we have to wear many hats at one time, and juggle many balls simultaneously? add to that need to feed the baby, wash the laundry, catch up with the news (and sometimes drama serials) on tv, make sure the sheets are clean, keep in contact with friends, attend family gatherings... wow! no wonder people suffer from burn out! how much can we do in the 24 hours we have in a day?

and now, i come to a new thought that crossed my mind. what happened to God? how are we going to squeeze out time for Him? amidst our busy schedule, it is so easy to make the excuse that we have not time for God, except on Sundays, when we "perform" our weekly obligation to attend church. once in a blue moon, i wonder if only we can live the lives of our forefathers. tilling the land, tending the animals, doing chores in house, appreciating His wondrous creation. i'm sure they had more time to themselves.

i'm not propagating that women should leave the workforce and stay home to take care of the family. however, i'm driving home the point that life is not just about studying hard, getting good grades, graduating with a valuable degree, landing in a job with high prospect, earning lots of money, providing the family with a comfortable life (plus luxuries thrown in, if possible), and retiring in a serene resort home. though these are important, they are not essential to living life to the fullest.

fulfilling your responsibilities is what we should do. as a Christian, as a son / daughter, as a grandson / granddaughter, as a father / mother. then comes the million dollar question: what is the priority ranking of our responsibilities? let me leave with you a verse...

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33