It’s not easy being a woman in China. In the workplace, women face the glass ceiling phenomenon, but there’s also a sticky floor, wherein women in low-paying jobs get paid less than men of equal skill level. In their personal lives, they are bombarded by images in mass media, telling them they need to be thinner, fairer, taller. While many societies promote equal political and social rights for women (China being one of them), it’s rare to see it fully implemented in practice. This entry is about when I’ve received some sort of discrimination based on my gender at the pool. I don’t have any specific conclusions or policy recommendations; this is just a story of my life in China. When I was studying in Harbin last year, I often went to Heilongjiang University’s pool. Every time I went, I stuck out as one of the fastest swimmers in the pool. I befriended the lifeguards there, who welcomed my presence every time with a smile and a wave. One lifeguard, ? (Li), in his late 40s, single, would often swim with me and race me. He always tried to invite me out to another pool he worked at during his
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Cabbie: Men should have two women in their lives. One to be by their side, and one in their heart (he meant in his pants). Me: Do you have two women in your life? Cabbie: Yes, of course. Me: What about women? Can they have two men in their lives? Cabbie: I haven’t thought about it. 我对这没有研究. Cabbie: How old are you? Me: 23. Cabbie: And you’re not married yet? Me: I don’t even have a boyfriend. Cabbie: You don’t even have a boyfriend?!? I think it’s time you put less focus on your work life and focus on finding a husband and settling down. You should let the man take care of everything, then you can stay home and relax. How great would that be? Me: Actually…. Cabbie: Cabbie: You know why women would be bad doctors? Because they’re too emotional. Let me give you an example. A woman has breast cancer, goes into a woman doctor. This woman doctor may think to herself, “I want to let this woman keep as much of her womanly features as she can, because I know it is important to her
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Two days ago, I went to the bathroom at a mall in Wangfujing. As I came out to wash my hands, an elderly woman was hunched over next to the toilet paper dispenser (some classier malls provide toilet paper for their bathrooms, though there is only one large dispenser before you enter the stalls). I continued to lather and rinse my hands and watched in the mirror as this woman continued to pull toilet paper out of the dispenser. Even after I finished washing my hands, she continued to pull on the seemingly endless roll. Finally, she had accumulated about 1000 feet and was satisfied, so she head into the stalls. Another woman was waiting to grab some toilet paper. She looked at me with astonishment and said, “What is she doing with all that toilet paper? Is she going to eat it?” Well, it was funny to me at the time…
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On Tuesday, I had this conversation: Woman at camera shop: Are you from (whispers) Xinjiang? Me: No, I’m Chinese-American. You thought I was a Uyghur? Man at camera shop: Uyghur women are very beautiful, you are very beautiful, that is why we asked you. Me: Ummm. I don’t know what goes on in Chinese people’s minds when they get all wound up in determining someone’s ethnic background.
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Today I wanted to make sandwiches for dinner, and since it’s not convenient to purchased sliced meat nearby, I went to a few places that sell 肉夹馍 (rou jia mo, meat sandwiched between steamed bread) to buy some meat. I asked them if they sold their meat separately. Me: Do you sell your meat separately? Supermarket woman: This meat is expensive and hard to cook. Me: Okay, can I buy some? How much would 10RMB buy? SW: 3 pieces Me: 3 pieces? You put more than that in one 肉夹馍, and those only cost 3 RMB. SW: This meat is tasty! It is hard to cook! I spent a lot of time making it! Me: Fuck you. (walks away) I try another place that sells the meat outside the supermarket. Me: Do you sell your meat separately? Meat man: No, this meat is expensive. Me: Why can’t you just cut some off like you were making a 肉夹馍 and just give me the meat equivalent and I will pay for it like it was a regular 肉夹馍? MM: Why do you just want the meat? Me: I want to make a sandwich: MM: Then you can bring your bread slices
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