This lady works with us at the MOE canteen. She is a Singaporean but she comes to work each day with a scowl and frown on her face that digs deeper and deeper into the creases of her face as each day passes. We talked every now and then, about work, about life, and just about anything under the sun, whenever there is a little time off between work. She is now past 60 and she is still working hard every day, even though she has a daughter working in Australia at the moment.
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One day, she told me that she is so tired of her work. She has to work so hard, sweep the floor, clean the place up, wipe the table etc... etc... and she envies all the office workers who just just eats and get on with life. I could literally feel her tiredness as I look at her and feel sorry for her. She said that that she laments the fact that she wasn't given the opportunity to study as her family was not well off and that she was not born smart, intelligent and into a rich family like the others she sees working in the office building where we work. She said that in her next life, she want to marry a rich man so that she never has to work ever again?
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I always tell her that what she sees is not always what she gets. I have seen people dressed up really well and driving a nice car who are actually quite broke. I have seen people who dress up in "rags" but have hordes of cash. In fact, in China, many rich people live a very humble life. It is the newer generation of younger people, who are so engrossed with buying branded goods, who value looking "rich" rather than being really "rich"! I have a Singaporean friend who once tried to help me find a job and introduced me to a lady who runs a beauty salon. She was elegant, and drives a Mercedes Benz. Recently, I heard from my friend that she is really broke and even borrowed money from her. What price do we have to pay to look good??? My friend was quite upset because this lady refuses to give up her Mercedes Benz and branded goods but expects her friends to lend her money to maintain her "high society" image!
Which makes me wonder? Is life really that easy? Every girl wants to marry the man of her dreams. Her Prince Charming to be exact. He must have a house, lots of money, be good looking, intelligent and yet have a good heart (Singaporeans often refer to it as the 5 "C"s). Well, if there is really such a person, what makes you think you are good enough for him anyway? And even if you were good enough for him in your youth, what makes you think it is going to last, if the "beauty" does not??? Afterall, despite medical advances, you still cannot beat mother time!
Do these "prince charming" people exists only in fairy tales like Cinderella?
