What the Modern Woman Wants – Essay That Won First Price In Singapore

What the Modern Woman Wants – Essay That Won First Price In Singapore
By Amanda Chong Wei-Zhen

The old woman sat in the backseat of the magenta convertible as it careened down the
highway, clutching tightly to the plastic bag on her lap, afraid it may be kidnapped by the wind.

She was not used to such speed, with trembling hands she pulled the seatbelt tighter but was careful not to touch the patent leather seats with her callused fingers, her daughter had warned her not to dirty it, 'Fingerprints show very clearly on white, Ma.'

Her daughter, Bee Choo, was driving and talking on her sleek silver mobile phone using big words the old woman could barely understand. 'Finance', 'Liquidation', 'Assets', 'Investments'...Her voice was crisp and important and had an unfamiliar lilt to it. Her Bee Choo sounded like one of those foreign girls on television. She was speaking in an American accent the old lady clucked her tongue in disapproval. 'I absolutely cannot have this. We have to sell!' Her daughter exclaimed agitatedly as she stepped on the accelerator; her perfectly manicured fingernails gripping onto the steering wheel in irritation.

I can't DEAL with this anymore!' she yelled as she clicked the phone shut and hurled it angrily toward the backseat. The mobile phone hit the old woman on the forehead and nestled soundlessly into her lap. She calmly picked it up and handed it to her daughter.

Sorry, Ma,' she said, losing the American pretence and switching to Mandarin. 'I have a big client in America. There have been a lot of problems.' The old lady nodded knowingly. Her daughter was big and important.

Bee Choo stared at her mother from the rear view window, wondering what she was thinking.Her mother's wrinkled countenance always carried the same cryptic look.

The phone began to ring again, an artificially cheerful digital tune, which broke the awkward silence. 'Hello, Beatrice! Yes, this is Elaine.' Elaine. The old woman cringed. I didn't name her Elaine. She remembered her daughter telling her, how an English name was very important for 'networking', Chinese ones being easily forgotten.

Oh no, I can't see you for lunch today. I have to take the ancient relic to the temple for her weird daily prayer ritual.

Ancient Relic. The old woman understood perfectly it was referring to her. Her daughter always assumed that her mother's silence meant she did not comprehend.

Yes, I know! My car seats will be reeking of joss sticks!' The old woman pursed her lips tightly, her hands gripping her plastic bag in defense. The car curved smoothly into the temple courtyard. It looked almost garish next to the dull sheen of the ageing temple's roof. The old woman got out of the back seat, and made her unhurried way to the main hall.

Her daughter stepped out of the car in her business suit and stilettos and reapplied her lipstick as she made her brisk way to her mother's side. 'Ma, I'll wait outside. I have an important phone call to make,' she said, not bothering to hide her disgust at the pungent fumes of incense.

The old lady hobbled into the temple hall and lit a joss stick; she knelt down solemnly and
whispered her now familiar daily prayer to the Gods.

Thank you God of the Sky, you have given my daughter luck all these years. Everything I
prayed for, you have given her. She has everything a young woman in this world could possibly want. She has a big house with a swimming pool, a maid to help her, as she is too clumsy to sew or cook.

Her love life has been blessed; she is engaged to a rich and handsome angmoh man. Her
company is now the top financial firm and even men listen to what she says. She lives the
perfect life. You have given her everything except happiness. I ask that the gods be merciful to her even if she has lost her roots while reaping the harvest of success. What you see is not true; she is a filial daughter to me. She gives me a room in her big house and provides well for me.She is rude to me only because I affect her happiness. A young woman does not want to be hindered by her old mother. It is my fault.

The old lady prayed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes. Finally, with her head bowed in reverence she planted the half-burnt joss stick into an urn of smoldering ashes.
She bowed once more. The old woman had been praying for her daughter for thirty-two years.

When her stomach was round like a melon, she came to the temple and prayed that it was a son. Then the time was ripe and the baby slipped out of her womb, bawling and adorable with fat thighs and pink cheeks, but unmistakably, a girl. Her husband had kicked and punched her for producing a useless baby who could not work or carry the family name.

Still, the woman returned to the temple with her new-born girl tied to her waist in a sarong and prayed that her daughter would grow up and have everything she ever wanted. Her husband left her and she prayed that her daughter would never have to depend on a man.

She prayed every day that her daughter would be a great woman, the woman that she, meek and uneducated could never become. A woman with nengkan; the ability to do anything she set her mind to. A woman who commanded respect in the hearts of men. When she opened her mouth to speak, precious pearls would fall out and men would listen.

She will not be like me, the woman prayed as she watched her daughter grow up and drift away from her, speaking a language she scarcely understood. She watched her daughter transform from a quiet girl, to one who openly defied her, calling her laotu; old-fashioned. She wanted her mother to be 'modern', a word so new there was no Chinese word for it.

Now her daughter was too clever for her and the old woman wondered why she had prayed like that. The gods had been faithful to her persistent prayer, but the wealth and success that poured forth so richly had buried the girl's roots and now she stood, faceless, with no identity, bound to the soil of her ancestors by only a string of origami banknotes.

Her daughter had forgotten her mother's values. Her wants were so ephemeral; that of a
modern woman. Power, Wealth, access to the best fashion boutiques, and yet her daughter had not found true happiness. The old woman knew that she could find happiness with much less.

When her daughter left the earth everything she had would count for nothing. People would look to her legacy and say that she was a great woman, but she would be forgotten once the wind blows over, like the ashes of burnt paper convertibles and mansions.

The old woman wished she could go back and erase all her big hopes and prayers for her
daughter; now she had only one want: That her daughter be happy. She looked out of the
temple gate. She saw her daughter speaking on the phone, her brow furrowed with anger and worry. Being at the top is not good, the woman thought, there is only one way to go from there down.

The old woman carefully unfolded the plastic bag and spread out a packet of beehoon in front of the altar. Her daughter often mocked her for worshipping porcelain Gods. How could she pray to them so faithfully and expect pieces of ceramic to fly to her aid? But her daughter had her own gods too, idols of wealth, success and power that she was enslaved to and worshipped every day of her life.

Every day was a quest for the idols, and the idols she worshipped counted for nothing in
eternity. All the wants her daughter had would slowly suck the life out of her and leave her, an empty soulless shell at the altar.

The old lady watched her joss tick. The dull heat had left a teetering grey stem that was on the danger of collapsing. Modern woman nowadays, the old lady sighed in resignation, as she bowed to the east one final time to end her ritual. Modern woman nowadays want so much that they lose their souls and wonder why they cannot find it.
Her joss stick disintegrated into a soft grey powder. She met her daughter outside the temple, the same look of worry and frustration was etched on her daughter's face. An empty expression, as if she was ploughing through the soil of her wants looking for the one thing that would sow the seeds of happiness.

They climbed into the convertible in silence and her daughter drove along the highway, this time not as fast as she had done before.

Ma,' Bee Choo finally said. 'I don't know how to put this. Mark and I have been talking about it and we plan to move out of the big house. The property market is good now, and we managed to get a buyer willing to pay seven million for it. We decided we'd prefer a cozier penthouse apartment instead. We found a perfect one in Orchard Road. Once we move in to our apartment we plan to get rid of the maid, so we can have more space to ourselves...'

The old woman nodded knowingly. Bee Choo swallowed hard. 'We'd get someone to come in to do the housework and we can eat out - but once the maid is gone, there won't be anyone to look after you. You will be awfully lonely at home and, besides that, the apartment is rather small. There won't be space. We thought about it for a long time, and we decided the best thing for you is if you moved to a Home. There's one near Hougang - it's a Christian home, a very nice one.'

The old woman did not raise an eyebrow. 'I've been there; the matron is willing to take you in.It's beautiful with gardens and lots of old people to keep you company! I hardly have time for you, you'd be happier there. "

You'd be happier there, really.' Her daughter repeated as if to affirm herself. This time the old woman had no plastic bag of food offerings to cling tightly to; she bit her lip and fastened her seat belt, as if it would protect her from a daughter who did not want her anymore. She sunk deep into the leather seat, letting her shoulders sag, and her fingers trace the white seat.

Ma?' her daughter asked, searching the rear view window for her mother. 'Is everything
okay?' What had to be done, had to be done. 'Yes,' she said firmly, louder than she intended, 'if it will make you happy,' she added more quietly.

'It's for you, Ma! You'll be happier there. You can move there tomorrow, I already got the maid to pack your things.' Elaine said triumphantly, mentally ticking yet another item off her agenda.

I knew everything would be fine.Elaine smiled widely; she felt liberated. Perhaps getting rid of her mother would make her happier. She had thought about it. It seemed the only hindrance in her pursuit of happiness.

She was happy now. She had everything a modern woman ever wanted; Money, Status,
Career, Love, Power and now, Freedom, without her mother and her old-fashioned ways to weigh her down...

Yes, she was free. Her phone buzzed urgently, she picked it up and read the message, still beaming from ear to ear. 'Stocks 10% increase!'

Yes, things were definitely beginning to look up for her... And while searching for the meaning of life in the luminance of her hand phone screen, the old woman in the backseat became invisible,and she did not see the tears.

“The Future Belongs To Those Who Believe In The Beauty Of Their Dreams”

India today SEX & MARRIAGE survey

A total of 2563 couples between 21 and 50 years of age, across 11 cities were interviewed in this survey. The respondents belong to three age groups: 21-30 yrs, 31-40 yrs, 41-50 yrs from the middle and upper middle class families.

55% men prefer the “Man on top” position, while 19% like the “Women on top”
50% of couples believe sex is a source of pleasure.
26 % of those who had LOVE marriages admitted having extra marital affairs.
19% of couples prefer sex in bathroom, while 8% prefer in the kitchen.
10% of the respondents had sex with their fiancée before marriage, while 5% had oral sex.
39% couples say they watch porn with their spouse.
11% say they use sex toys to stimulate their partner.
19% say they talk about sex over phone or Internet.
33% men say during pregnancy they have sex in the first trimester, while 25% in second trimester and 23% all the time.
18% accept they had extra martial affair.
23% of workingwomen admit to have affairs with their colleagues at work.
76% feel its their right to have sex with their spouse.
42% homemakers say they have sex to please their spouse.
41% in the 31- 40 age group say they are forced to have sex.
32% males feel their spouse is less attractive after childbirth.
39% couples postponed having children for professional ambitions.
15% married men admit to gay fantasies.
80% of couples prefer arranged marriage than love marriage.
69% of respondents claim they did not have sex before marriage.

Difference between a Virus, Trojan Horse and Worm?

The most common blunder when the topic of a computer virus arises is that people will often refer to a Worm or Trojan Horse as a Virus. While the words Trojan, worm, and virus are used interchangeably, they are not the same. Viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses are all malicious programs that can cause damage to your computer, but there are differences between the three, and knowing those differences can help you to better protect your computer from their often damaging effects.

A computer Virus attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from one computer to another, leaving infections as it travels. Some viruses cause only mildly annoying effects while others can damage your hardware, software, or files. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. It is important to note that a virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program) to keep it going. People continue the spread of a computer virus, mostly unknowingly, by sharing infecting files or sending e-mails with viruses as attachments in the e-mail.

A Worm is similar to a virus by its design, and is considered to be a sub-class of a virus. Worms spread from computer to computer, but unlike a virus, it has the ability to travel without any help from a person. A worm takes advantage of file or information transport features on your system, which allows it to travel unaided. The biggest danger with a worm is its ability to replicate itself on your system, so rather than your computer sending out a single worm, it could send out hundreds or thousands of copies of itself, creating a huge devastating effect. One example would be for a worm to send a copy of itself to everyone listed in your e-mail address book. Then, the worm replicates and sends itself out to everyone listed in each of the receiver's address book, and the manifest continues on down the line. Due to the copying nature of a worm and its ability to travel across networks the end result in most cases is that the worm consumes too much system memory (or network bandwidth), causing Web servers, network servers, and individual computers to stop responding. In more recent worm attacks such as the much talked about Blaster Worm, the worm has been designed to tunnel into your system and allow malicious users to control your computer remotely.

A Trojan Horse is full of as much trickery as the mythological Trojan Horse it was named after. The Trojan Horse, at first glance will appear to be useful software but will actually do damage once installed or run on your computer. Those on the receiving end of a Trojan Horse are usually tricked into opening them because they appear to be receiving legitimate software or files from a legitimate source. The Trojan horse itself would typically be a Windows executable program file, and thus must have an executable filename extension such as .exe, .com, .scr, .bat, or .pif. Since Windows is sometimes configured by default to hide filename extensions from a user, the Trojan horse is an extension that might be "masked" by giving it a name such as 'Readme.txt. exe'. With file extensions hidden, the user would only see 'Readme.txt' and could mistake it for a harmless text file. When the recipient double-clicks on the attachment, the Trojan horse might superficially do what the user expects it to do (open a text file, for example), so as to keep the victim unaware of its real, concealed, objectives. Meanwhile, it might discreetly modify or delete files, change the configuration of the computer, or even use the computer as a base from which to attack local or other networks - possibly joining many other similarly infected computers as part of a distributed denial-of-service attack. When a Trojan is activated on your computer, the results can vary. Some Trojans are designed to be more annoying than malicious (like changing your desktop, adding silly active desktop icons) or they can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system. Trojans are also known to create a backdoor on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Unlike viruses and worms, Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.

Added into the mix, what is called a blended threat? A blended threat is a sophisticated attack that bundles some of the worst aspects of viruses, worms, Trojan horses and malicious code into one threat. Blended threats use server and Internet vulnerabilities to initiate, transmit and spread an attack. This combination of method and techniques means blended threats can spread quickly and cause widespread damage. Characteristics of blended threats include: causes harm, propagates by multiple methods, attacks from multiple points and exploits vulnerabilities.

To be considered a blended thread, the attack would normally serve to transport multiple attacks in one payload. For examplem it wouldn't just launch a DoS attack — it would also install a backdoor and damage a local system in one shot. Additionally, blended threats are designed to use multiple modes of transport. For example, a worm may travel through e-mail, but a single blended threat could use multiple routes such as e-mail, IRC and file-sharing sharing networks. The actual attack itself is also not limited to a specific act. For example, rather than a specific attack on predetermined .exe files, a blended thread could modify exe files, HTML files and registry keys at the same time — basically it can cause damage within several areas of your network at one time.Blended threats are considered to be the worst risk to security since the inception of viruses, as most blended threats require no human intervention to propagate.

Combating Viruses, Worms and Trojan Horses :

The first steps to protect your computer are to ensure your operating system (OS) is up-to-date. This is essential if you are running a Microsoft Windows OS. Secondly, you should have anti-virus software installed on your system and download updates frequently to ensure your software has the latest fixes for new viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses. Additionally you want to make sure your anti-virus program has the ability to scan e-mail and files as they are downloaded from the Internet. This will help prevent malicious programs from even reaching your computer. If this isn't enough protection, then you may want to consider installing a firewall as well.

A firewall is a system which prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall can be either hardware or software. Hardware firewalls provide a strong degree of protection from most forms of attack coming from the outside world and can be purchased as a stand-alone product or in broadband routers. Unfortunately, when battling viruses, worms and Trojans, a hardware firewall may be less effective than a software firewall, as it could possibly ignore embedded worms in out going e-mails and see this as regular network traffic. For individual home users, the most popular firewall choice is a software firewall. A good software firewall will protect your computer from outside attempts to control or gain access your computer, and usually provides additional protection against the most common Trojan programs or e-mail worms. The downside to software firewalls is that they will only protect the computer they are installed on, not a network.

It is important to remember that on its own a firewall is unable to get rid of your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and a good anti-virus scanning software, it will add some extra security and protection for your computer or network.

Real soldiers !!!!!!!

You stay up for 16 hours
He stays up for days on end.


You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.



You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.



You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.



You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.



You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.



You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.



You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.



You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.



Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.


You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.



You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.


You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.



You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.



You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.



You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.



You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.


You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.



You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.



You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.



You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.


See who's life is hard, salute the real heros.

SOUP RECIPES

VEGETABLE WANTON WITH SPRING ONION SOUP! 

Ingredients For the Wanton Case
½ cup Maida (wheat flour)
2-3 tbsp white oil
¼ cup corn flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 egg, salt to taste

Ingredients For The Filling
2-3 tbsp sprouts (green moong / matki)
2-3 sprigs spring onion
½ tsp Soya sauce
¼ tsp ginger-garlic paste
Freshly powdered black pepper
a pinch ajinomoto (Mono Sodium Glutamate)
6-8 cups water
1 tbsp corn flour
Salt to taste

Method
For The Filling
Par-boil the vegetable sprout. Alternately, you can use pre-cooked/left over sprout. Drain the water and mix loosely with ginger-garlic paste, Soya sauce and 2 tbsp. finely chopped onion with a few leaves.

For the Wantons
Knead the wheat flour along with corn flour adding oil, baking powder, salt and egg to a stiff but smooth dough. Add a little water if required. Make small balls from the dough and roll them to thin small circles, put about 1 tsp of the filling, shape into round pouches giving a light twist at the neck, leaving the ends loose.

For the Soup
Boil water in a large pan. Drop the wantons one by one very gently and boil till they rise on top and change colour. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Add a few drops of oil to keep the wantons from sticking to each other. Make a smooth paste of corn flour and pour this in the boiling soup. Simmer for a while. Cut the remaining onion leaves into 1" long pieces and add to the soup. Add ajinomoto (Mono Sodium Glutamate) and salt to taste. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and serve hot with chilli-vinegar sauce.

STEAMY DELIGHTS

All of us like to cuddle up and stay warm as it rains. Take note of these easy to prepare recipes that you could cook up anytime.

Mushroom Soup 
Ingredients

200 gms fresh mushrooms
2 medium sized onions
300 mls milk
2 bay leaves
5-6 peppercorns
4 cloves
2 tbspns butter
1 tbspn refined flour (maida)
¾ cup fresh cream
Salt to taste
½ tspn white pepper powder
A pinch nutmeg powder

Method of Preparation

Clean and wash the mushrooms. Slice four to five pieces. Roughly chop the remaining mushrooms and onions.

Boil milk along with bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves. Strain and keep the milk. In a pan melt the butter. Add chopped onions and chopped mushrooms and cook till they are soft.

Add the flour and sauté till there is no raw flavour coming from flour, taking care that the flour does not get burnt.

Pour the milk slowly and stir continuously to avoid lumps from forming. Cook for five minutes. Puree the mixture when a little cold.

The soup should have a smooth texture. Bring it to a boil, correct the consistency by adding more milk if required. Add the cream (reserving a little for garnish), salt, pepper powder and nutmeg powder. Stir well, serve hot, garnished with mushroom slices and cream.

Onion Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 large onion
1 small sprig spring onion
1 medium potato
1/2 piece ginger
1 florette garlic
1 blob butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp sugar

Method of Preparation

Chop the spring onion finely and keep aside. Crush both garlic and ginger.
Chop the potato and onion into large chunks. Pressure cook till soft.
Blend in a food processor till smooth. Sieve
In a pan heat the butter.
Add the ginger and garlic and fry till light brown.
Add the chopped spring onion and stock (prepared above).
Add salt, pepper and chilli sauce as desired.
Serve steaming hot.

VEG SOUP
Sweet corn soup

Ingredients
• 1 cream style corn tin
• ½ tbsp ajinomoto powder
• ½ tbsp Soya sauce
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• Salt to taste
• Chillies in vinegar and chilly sauce to serve finely cut French beans, carrot gypsium.

Method

1. Boil sweet corn with 4 cups of water
2. Mix corn flour with ½ cup of water, when the corn mixture boils add cornflower mixture and boil for to minutes. Add salt and ajinomoto powder and mix well.
3. Boil French beans and carrot in water adding soda-bi-carb.
4. For 5 minutes and remove from the water.
5. Cut finely 8to 10 green chillies and add 4 tbsp vinegar and keep it for 3 or 3 hours.
6. Keep the prepared the corn soup in a bowl, add Soya sauce, chilli in vinegar, chilli sauce and mix, decorate with vegetables and gypsium.

Hot And Sour Soup

Ingredients
• 1 Carrot (cut thin & long)
• 2 pieces French peas (cut thin in shape)
• 2 tbs sprouted moong 1 tsp Soya sauce
• 1 tsp corn flour 1tsp chilly sauce
• 1 tsp oil ½ tsp vinegar
• ½ tsp ajinomoto Salt to taste

Method
Fry carrots, beans, and moong for 2 to 3 minutes add two cups water as it boils put Soya sauce, chilly sauce, vinegar, ajinomoto, salt and let it boil for 5 minutes. Add corn flour and boil and serve.

Hot Cheese Soup

Try this delicious & easy to make soup for today’s dinner.
• Potato - 2 medium size - cut into 1-cm cube
• Onions - 2 medium size - chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium size - cut into cubes (no seed)
• Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon powdered
• Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cheese - Two rectangular cubes - sliced thinly
• Sugar - 1/2 teaspoon
• Butter - 1 teaspoon

Method
Melt butter in a non-stick pan. Add onions, potato and tomato slices. Stir for a minute. Add 4 cups water, chilli powder and pepper powder. Lower the heat and simmer till the vegetables get cooked. Add sugar, salt and cheese. Serve hot with bread toast.