Finally in Singapore!

After a long 8 hours on the plane including a one hour transit in Guangzhou, I was totally exhausted. It's my first time taking a plane and I wasn't sure what and what not to do. I was sitting by the window which offered me a fantastic view as we left Shenyang... and it was my first time seeing my homeland from such a high altitude. I immediately tried to recognize the various places and looked for my home but to no avail.

While having a window seat has its privileges, I felt totally boxed in as two other Chinese men sat next to me. They tried to make small conversation but I was just too confused, exhausted and depressed to entertain them. They were migrant workers too, back for a short break before heading back to Singapore to work. Sometime during the flight, I wanted to go to the toilet but was afraid to ask the men to excuse me as I was afraid of starting the small talk all over again. I just wanted to go to the lavatory and come back to sleep. I was dead tired.

When the plane landed in Singapore, a wave of fear suddenly spread through me and cold sweat started pouring down my forehead and neck. It's my first time in a foreign land and I'm not sure what to expect. Instinctively, I looked around for that lady in black who helped me and saw her some distance in front. As the seat belt sign went off, passengers started standing up and taking their hand luggage while I was still stuck at my window seat waiting for the two men to move. I was excited and worried that the "lady-in-black", whom I intend to follow will alight before I do... and I will lose sight of her. I squeezed my way out to the annoyance of some of the passengers. I also tried to recognize a few passengers so that I can follow them should I lose the "lady-in-black".

Finally, we got through customs and was at the luggage bay. My luggage was one of the last to come out which  made me even more nervous as I wondered what to do should I lose my luggage. As I followed some passengers out of the gate, I kept my eyes opened for the representative agent from Singapore who was suppose to pick me. I do not recognize them but was looking for a signboard... I saw none! More cold sweat! What next?

I hovered around the gate waiting to see a familiar sign, hopefully one with my name on it but there were none. I was tired, sleepy, hungry, sweaty... all rolled into one... and possibly smelly too after that long, sweaty flight. Finally I gave up and decided to take a seat near the gate. As I sat down, the first big tears began to roll down my cheeks... images of home flash through my mind... my chickens, my donkey, the beautiful sunrise and sunsets, my mother...

Singapore!

The agent called to say that everything has been settled about a week later and I have to leave the following week. These two weeks were the fastest two weeks of my life. Now I'm really unsure... unsure about leaving my parents, friends, my sister and brothers and a place I've grown to call home. Butterflies churned my little tummy and I could not eat and sleep. Anxiety got the better of me... afterall, I'd never taken a plane before. In fact, I've not even seen the airport at Shenyang.

The day finally came and I was to meet the agent at the Shenyang Airport early in the morning. My parents were as anxious as I was, and got up really early to prepare breakfast... my last for the next two years at home. I could sense the tension and anxiety as I noticed my mum's eyes were perpetually wet. My dad was particularly quiet. As we had breakfast of home made dumplings, my dad finally broke the silence with his wavering voice. He told me to take care and be particularly careful in a foreign country. My mum finally broke down and cried, even though she had supported my desire to work in Singapore. I ate barely two dumplings as my churning tummy did not seem to like any food in it.

Finally we walked together as a family outside as we had booked a local taxi to take us to the airport. My sister and brother will be coming with me and helping me with my luggage. My tummy was churning even harder. Tears filled my eyes and the first big drop fell like the rain, even though I had wanted to appear strong. I hugged my mum and my dad. My dad pressed something into my hand... some money he had saved up and told me to keep it with me just in case (I was later to find out that he had given me another 1,000RMB, his savings! What a dad!). He knew I did not have much. In fact, I was going to Singapore with barely 500RMB in my pocket.I had taken the agent's word that lodging will be provided and I will start work within a few days of arriving in Singapore. My pay will be SGD800 a month!

The one hour plus to the airport felt like an eternity as I engaged in small talk with my sister and brother to keep sad thoughts out of my mind. I loved my sister and I promised her I will look for a job for her when I am in Singapore.

We got to the airport on time but the agent was late. But he finally arrived without so much as an apology as we had waited almost half an hour... not a long time but considering that my flight was coming up, half an hour felt like ages. My agent brought us to the check-in counter.

Finally the moment came to leave my sister and brother behind. I had to board. This was when I could not take and it virtually broke down and cried. I'd never left home for more than 2 weeks even when working in Shenyang and now I'm going to be away for 2 years. The thought just overwhelmed me. For the first time in my life, I saw tears in my brother's adult eyes as well!

Finally my agent ushered me into the boarding gate and I was all alone. I was lost and all alone. I was scared. I asked around and met a girl who was taking the same plane so kept close to her. Thinking back, while she had been helpful, she must have thought I was quite annoying... keeping close to her, when I don't even know her. Once when she got up to go to the toilet, I just went with her... hmmm!

My home in China!

Ever wondered what a typical Chinese Migrant life is like in China? Most of us from the country side still farm crops as a main occupation. My parents are both farmers and we live on a piece of land where we built our home. Our homes are not modern in any way. It's made mostly of concrete and has basic amenities by most country's standards. Some areas, such as the toilets are still made from bricks. Here is a picture of the toilets. No modern flushing system for sure.... but it serves its intended purpose well enough.

We don't have hot water or tap water and we have to get our water by manually pumping them from the ground. Ha, you may think this is ancient but recently, I was back home and it is exactly the same as when I left. While China has progressed by leaps and bounds, this is only in the city. The country side is much the same. Can you imagine being without hot water in the winter... and I can assure  you that winter is very, very cold here in Benxi.

We do have a pump system run by a generator but this is only used when we need lots of water in a hurry such as when we need ground water for irrigation. Otherwise, for most day-to-day use, we have to resort to pumping manually.

Is the water clean enough for drinking? For us, yes... but I guess that's because we've been acclimatized to bacteria present in the ground water. We boil the water before drinking them of course and they do taste different from the clean tap water in many developed countries. In fact, they have a rather unpleasant smell sometimes.

Well, I will tell you more about home every now and then... but you can see, we're used to hard work and life can be tough at times.

Finally... my passport... Singapore I'm coming!

The first thing I did after getting the necessary documents from the Agent was to go apply for my passport. It's the only document standing between me and Singapore... in fact, with it, I could go anywhere I want. Wow! Not that I have the money to do it, but the thought that I can, just because I have this little book, amazes me!

About 2 weeks after my application, I received a letter to say that my passport is ready and I can go ahead to collect it. I had to take a 2 hour bus to collect but then, I don't even care. Now I just want my passport! My ticket to freedom! The 2 hour bus journey to Shenyang felt like 2 days... the more excited I got, the slower time seemed to pass. Well, there isn't much I could do other than sleep the 2 hours to Shenyang. I closed my eyes, but my mind wasn't ready to settle down. Every "gear" in my body was running full speed... sleeping was just not possible. I decided to look out the window to enjoy the scenery as the green of the countryside slowly turned to a more grayish concrete jungle as we approached Shenyang.

It took me a while to be in the queue to get my passport but it was worth it. Once I got it, I kept flipping the pages, expecting to see lots of important notes and documents but all I see were empty pages. The only page that makes me sure I got the correct document was the one with my picture on it.

I rushed home to show off my new passport. Unsure as I am, I was still happy that I now have the document necessary to take me to almost any country I want (I did not realize back then that I needed a visa for most countries).

I called the agent to tell him that I got my passport and he then told me to be ready to leave in about 2 weeks once he gets the air tickets and other travel documents settled.

The next day, I went out an bought a nice looking pink trolley case... at a reasonable 100RMB. This is going to be my travel companion. I started writing down a list of items I have to pack. The agent gave me one as well but I was quite sure mine will be more complete. Medicine, shoes, clothes, make-up....

Singapore, here I come!

Finally, the call....

I had been waiting for almost 2 weeks now and not a call from the agent. That little voice in me keeps telling me I had been taken for a ride. I already paid a big sum of money and looks like this time, I'm getting nothing out of it. My friends and relatives where not much help either. They told me to learn my lesson and move on.

Then when I have just about given up hope, the phone rang. When I saw the agents number, my heart almost skipped a few beats. The agent had good news for me. He said that much of the arrangements is confirmed and I need to go and pay my other 50% payment before they arrange for tickets and the rest.

Quite frankly, after all this wait and the humiliation I got from my friends and relatives, I was about to say yes to anything, just to prove them wrong!

That afternoon, I literally "flew" over to the agents office again. The agent had explained the procedure over the phone. I had to bring down the rest of my payment together with all the necessary documentation. I told the agent I do not have a passport and they said they will give me the necessary documentation to apply for one. It'll take a few weeks but that should be ok as I'm not expected to fly out till about a month later.

When I got home, I broke the good news to my parents. My dad was his usual doubtful self but my mother was rather supportive. I did sense a little sorrow troubling her that evening, as we had dinner. Despite her show of joy, she was saddened by the fact that in just over a month, I will be off to a distant country. She wondered how life will be like without her eldest daughter around. Even though I'm not always at home when I work in Shenyang, I'm still easily contactable by phone and I'm just about a 2 hours ride from home. But now... I don't even know how far away I will be! All I do know is that it is very very far and I am a little apprehensive myself.! In my whole 26 years, I've never been that far away from home, I've never taken a plane or a train. In fact, I've never been to Beijing, our capital city and I've never seen the Great Wall of China, one of the seven man made wonders of the world!

Factory Girls

I recently read an interesting book about life of factory girls in China written my Leslie Chang, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal who lived in China for a decade. This book traces the life of women from the countryside who work factories in China.

China now has more than 130 million workers and the government is frantically creating jobs for these people who's exodus from the villages and rural towns would otherwise become a big problem for the country. As it is, supply is already greater than demand, despite the huge growth in industrialization in China, depressing salary and extending working hours and aggravating working conditions.

The recent news of many suicides at the Foxconn factory manufacturing Apple iphones and other products has raised worldwide attention to the plight of the Chinese migrant workers, prompting the factory management to raise their salary by up to 20%. Unknown to the outside world, many continues to be "sweatshops" employing under aged workers, working in an unhealthy environment and putting them through long hours of work away from their homes and their loved ones. Exploitation has its limits and I believe more of these will be exposed as more and more writers pen their thoughts about the situation in China!

It is no wonder that many are jumping on the bandwagon for jobs in more developed countries such as Singapore and Japan, and despite the lower level jobs (eg waitresses, floor cleaners etc...), the salary, working and living conditions are much better than in the cities of China.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about the life of Chinese migrant workers. I consider myself to be one of these and while I try to portray a clear a picture to you in this blog, the book certain gives a different perspective of life as a migrant worker back in China.

My Sister wants to go too!

Ever since my sister heard that I was coming to Singapore to work, she wants to come to. My sister is 5 years younger than I but she is a lot more adventurous and "gung-ho" too. Unlike me, she makes up her mind really fast and when she does so, it will be very difficult to change her mind.

My sister and I are very close since young. Since I started work at 17, I've always bought her little things that she wants. She's always look up to me as "big sister" and I kind of enjoy the "honor" as well. She's a lot more bubbly than I am and now she's grown up to be a beautiful girl. Isn't she lovely?

Currently, my sister works in the beauty line. She specializes in doing facials and currently works in a beauty center in Shenyang. Beauty centers has sprung up by the hundreds all over China as we progress. More and more ladies find it a necessity to want to look good at work, especially office workers. Working hours in this part of the world are long (10-12 hours day) and many work 6-7 days a week. Most workers are only given 7 vacation days each year and as such, many of them don;t have the time to look after themselves. These beauty parlor are perfect places for them to relax and let someone pamper them. Well, the competitiveness of this business is good for the clients but for the business owners and employees of the beauty parlors, life is tough. Margins are low and charges are very competitive, driving many smaller ones out of business.

My sister has an ambition to come to Singapore to familiarize herself with the trade and when she has saved enough, to finally start a small business here. It's just too competitive here.

However, I told her that I will go suss out the situation and working conditions in Singapore before asking her to come over. The truth is, I know she does not have the money  to come over and like me, she probably has to take a loan from someone to pay the agent's fee. I'm not sure it is a good idea for both of us to get into such a high debt at this time, so I am using this as an excuse to discourage her from coming. I promised her that when things are moving well, I will look for a job for her so that we do not have to pay the hefty agent's fee. Or in the event that things does not work out for me, then she should not even think about coming. However, deep down inside me, I wanted her to be beside me on this long journey. Outwardly, I tried to show her that I am "cool" but inside me, I'm just a complete nervous wreck... not unlike a cool looking swan that is paddling like crazy under water!

My Documents...

I had misplaced some documents during my last visit to the agent and I had to get this to them. I went home and had a thorough search and to my surprise, was able to find some of my documents safely tucked away by my mum. That's what mothers are, aren't they? They really take good care of you and if you leave your documents all over the place, you can be sure they will keep them for you, somewhere safe and sound until the day you need them.

I have great parents and they brought me up well and instilled a good sense of responsibility in me and my brother and sister. Sometimes, as we grow up, we take them for granted every now and then... but somehow, we get back to our senses once the excitement dies down. At least I do, and I am glad, I never go overboard with them. They are always there for me, even today, far away from home, they are just a phone call away!

Here is a part of my Educational Certificate. Just wanted to show readers the picture taken when I was much younger. Look really different don't I. Well, we all do when we grow up. Sometimes, I don't even recognize myself but now I enjoy looking at my past pictures.

Putting my money where my mouth is!

This distant relative whom I called "Uncle" lives about 2 hours away by bus. Even though he had finally agreed to lend me the money, I could sense a feeling of reluctance when I was at his place. I don't blame him. He's not rich but he's better off than us. And there was no collateral, which means I may not be able to repay the money. Quite frankly, I don't even know (at that time), if the agent "took me to the cleaners" (cheated me), or if I was able to repay. What I did know was that I will do all I can to work hard and repay the debt... hopefully within the 6mths that the agent had "promised". Regardless, I did not intend to default. We may not be rich, but we are ethical and honest!

Next day, I called the agent who arranged to meet me at his office. I was told to bring all necessary documents; identifications, educational certificates etc... etc... and of course money! I had to pay a 50% deposit and once they secure a job for us, they will contact us for the other 50% before making arrangements for our travel to Singapore. I was actually given two options; Singapore or Japan but I picked Singapore as they money was "bigger" and from what I understand, the population has a high percentage of Chinese many of whom spoke some level of mandarin.

With some doubts still hanging at the back of my head, I reluctantly parted with 50% of the money. The office was not a very impressive outfit. It was small but crowded but I don't think I had many other choice back then. It wasn't even air-conditioned, but ventilated by two big fans, hanging from the dirty ceiling. I could see some cobwebs at one corner where a few geckos and a spiders prey on the few insects attracted to the fluorescent light on the ceiling.

I finally signed some documents and the agent told me to go home and wait for his call. I was a nervous wreck and shaking. Butterflies rumbled in my little tummy heightening the feeling of hunger as I have not eaten all morning. I shivered as a gust of cold air rushed down the back of my neck. I'd never felt so unsure... damn, I wasn't even sure if I'd ever receive a call or see this agent again! I've heard stories of agents disappearing overnight but then... no venture no gain!

Decision Time!

I could not sleep that night, thinking,"Should I or should I not?".I thought about missing my friends and family in China. But I also remembered what my mother told me once when I was younger. She said, "Often in life, we have to give up something to get something else better!" I asked her opinion and she supported my idea of going away to earn a living. My dad was not as supportive though, because he knew that if I were to go, I'll have to borrow money from someone to pay the agent fees, as we definitely do not have the money ourselves. Even if each family member put in all of his/her savings, we still would not have been able to come up with that amount. Such is the situation at home... we live hand-to-mouth each day but we get by.

Finally I decided that I have to go. It's a sacrifice I have to make to give my family a better life. However, first, I have to decide how and where I am going to come up with the hefty agent's fee!

I have a distant relative, an "uncle" who is reasonably well off...or at least more so than we were. I decided that he may be able to help me. The banks won't lend me any money and I am afraid of using illegal money lenders. In China, they have a reputation of harassing your family and loved ones when you're late on payment. I immediately called my wealthy uncle and explained to him the situation. He was reluctant to help but somehow that day, I summoned all my convincing power and managed to convince him to loan me 50,000 RMB. I was ecstatic when he finally agreed. That afternoon, I immediately made the two hours bus journey to get the money from him. My mind was made up... I was going to Singapore and nobody's going to talk me out of it! I was determined to give myself and my family a better life!

Follow my star...

After a week, I still wasn't sure if I did the right thing. After all, I feel quite comfortable in my hometown, where I have friends and I am familiar with everything. My stomach churns when I keep thinking of what I got myself into.

A week later, the agent called and said that there is a job working in a cafeteria and asked if I wanted the job. I went down to meet him and he told me about the job. There's promise of an initial pay of SGD800, with 13th month and bonus for good performance. After 3 months, I'd be eligible for a pay raise, although he did not say how much. Oh, and accommodation is provided!

I quickly turned the figures in my head. SGD800... wow, that's about 4,000RMB, more than 4 times of what I will be getting back home!

The agent's fee is a hefty 50,000RMB (almost SGD10,000)! That hurts! I asked why so much, and the agent said it covers return airfares, documentation etc... etc... I've never saved that much in my whole 26 years, so how am I going to come up with the money. The agent applied pressure... if I wanted the job, I have to pay in 2 days or he'll have to find someone else.

I never felt so pressurized! Stressed out! Cold sweat! He told me to go back and think about it and come back to him in two days. Before I left, he ran me through a little motivation talk again; I could pay back in 6months and come back with a big pile of savings after 2 years!

I've always wanted to run my own little stall selling clothes... my mind started to wander as I walked out into the cold morning breeze!

The Beginning...

I came out to work when I was 17 where I started work as a salesgirl in a small boutique in my hometown. I came from a farming family in the city of Benxi and earning money in farming was not easy. The weather was harsh and winter can be freezing cold. As such, I decided, against my mother's wishes, to stop school and start work.

Even as an employee, my salary was only 800RMB (approx. USD100) per month. It wasn't low by China's standard by I now know that it is very low compared to the more developed countries. Things were cheap back home. I could buy a blouse for 20RMB and have a meal for 3RMB.

It was only at the beginning of 2008 that a friend pulled me along to listen to an employment agency's sales talk in Benxi. They touted the benefits of working in Singapore, where we could earn as much as 10 times more than what we were earning back home. They were good sales people. They even help you calculate your return on investments showing you how you can recover your agent's fee in less than 6 months and thereafter it's all yours to keep. They showed you that after 2 years, you could come back with almost 50,000RMB (USD4,000) of savings to start your own business or do whatever you want with it. This sum of money will take me almost 14 years to save (...if I can save 300RMB every month which is not easy back home!).

It all sounded so rosy and many people fell for it. At the end of the talk, rows of people queue up to sign up. My friend and I were among the crowd who queued. We did not know what we were getting into.