Women in Traditional Chinese SocietyRoutineÃÂ I drag myself up a set of stairs and reach my door, rummage through my bag for my keys, slide one in and once again hear that familiar ÃÂclickÃÂ. I havenÃÂt even been able to catch my breath when I am bombarded with requests from my two teenage daughters. ÃÂWhere is dinner??ÃÂ ÃÂI need money!ÃÂ ÃÂYou havenÃÂt even helped me with my school project yet!ÃÂ ÃÂI want to get my nipples piercedÃÂI sigh heavily and roll my eyes. As a single mother working 9-5, I find it so hard to keep up with this demanding lifestyleÃÂ Constantly juggling work and family life is very strenuous. I feel the ageing process speeding up against my will, and I can barely recognize the woman in the mirror anymore. After cooking dinner, tidying the house, taking out the garbage and piling up the bills, I tried to eliminate my throbbing headache by massaging my temples.
English: Detail of a painted figure of a cavalryma...
English: An iron ji and iron knife from the Chines...
A Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) Chinese miniatur...Is this really how I was going to spend the rest of my life? I squirmed at the thought. I couldnÃÂt help but think how easy it must have been for my ancestors; a worry-free, stress-free life in which your responsibilities consisted of running the household and looking pretty. What did the women back in ancient China have to lose sleep over? I contemplated over this question as I got into bed. I drifted off to sleep with these thoughts still circling in my head and the longing to escape from this living nightmare swelling in my heart.
In a daze I woke up on a hard and uncomfortable mattress. Where had I fallen asleep?! This was not my $2000 Sealy mattress. I rubbed my eyes and looked around to an unfamiliar sight. I was cooped up in a small, plain room with...