I went to catch a movie yesterday night called the 300. It’s a movie about history and of the Persian and Spartan empires, of good looking and macho men with courage and intelligence. One particular scene caught my attention. It’s a scene when the Queen of Sparta, Leonidas’s wife gave a speech before an assembly of men and spoke eloquently and confidently and wisely about Spartan’s 300 men who went for war. Well, I thought she looked really beautiful in that scene and I like it very much that the movie portrayed this intelligent woman as the wife of a very successful, brave, intelligent and honourable king. She was not trying to take over her husband’s glory and place on the throne but complimented the husband in every way and supported him in his absence with the charm and intelligence she had.
Before you close this window or switch to reading my other posts, let me assure you that this is not going to be another feminist post or some girl who has nothing better to do but to fight for more equality. No…not here to do any of that. I just can’t help wondering if successful / intelligent men will find their intelligent wives intimidating or a crown of glory for them?
I wonder.
Do men like intelligent women? Women who can think, formed their own opinions (and I mean very mature, articulated opinions) and are independent. A girl who is certain of what she wants, how she goes about getting it and a girl who has strings of achievements in her past and still working for more. Do men want these women as their girl friends, wives and mothers of their children? Can men take it if you sit next to your wife and all attention is on her and your big bosses prefer to talk to her than to you because they are attracted to her intelligence and impressed with her oral skills and you are still proud of her? Can men sit and watch their politician wives give fantastic speeches and still clap and cheer for her? Can men handle a wife who can argue (and when I say argue that doesn’t mean quarrel, just getting in to an intellectual discourse) and formulate very mature and articulate arguments about certain issues and enjoy engaging with her arguments? And if you are a man of equal importance and who possess a string of achievements as well, will you feel threatened having to live in the shadow of your girl friend in the public square or in the small social circle? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder.
Or will men consider intelligence found in these women – SEXY? Will they be proud of her and feel really good about themselves because these women choose to be with them and not any other men?
OR
Do men prefer women who doesn’t know much and allow you to lead her and pamper her and each time you ask her a question a reply you will likely get is, “I don’t know, darling … you’re the smart one”. (Although I think many intelligent women do that pretentiously just so their husbands / boyfriends can feel smart for a split second).
If not, I think intelligent girls may not find themselves a suitable partner. The intelligent guys find them too intimidating and the not-so-intelligent ones (I’m trying very hard here to be politically correct) find them difficult to connect with.
A very intelligent girl friend of mine said this: “It’s almost like a curse if we are intelligent”.
What ya think?
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
6 months~!!!!
I wanted to put this post up much later on the 18th which marks the exact date of which I officially walked into my first job 6 months ago. But I am just too impatient and too excited to want to thank all these wonderful people who has helped me throughout my job application process and throughout my 6 months. Life is so good with them around. Here is the list of people I want to thank:
1) The Bishop and his wife for their great hospitality, care and prayers during my stay in KL for this interview
2) Pei Hsien for your sms that early morning before I left for the interview
3) Aunty Constance for her help in all that I needed to get my job done
4) Lee Sin for advising me on the Do’s and Don’ts in the working life
5) To all the EHC members who have prayed for me
6) To SY, who called all the way from Singapore to encourage me to apply to McKinsey and for sharing with me about the life there
7) To Cheemeng for his advice on L’oreal
8) Shakira for her advice on Shell
9) Peejay Garcia for being a good listener, for believing in me, for advising me on DHL and other consulting firms and above all for being with me even in my worst moments
10) To my aunt of whom I lived with during the first 5 weeks of my working life
11) To ZiBin who edited my essay. For if not for your help, it wouldn’t have got to where it is
12) Siew family for their constant love and support and to Elaine, for your encouraging words and confidence in me
13) My lovely parents for their unfailing love, and belief in my abilities
14) YL, for his guidance since the first day of my job application process, for his prayers which so touched my heart, for his mock interviews, for his words of encouragement when I needed them the most and his sage advice, his tips on the McKinsey interviews and for sharing his resources. I will not forget this one meaningful sms he sent when I was on the way to the McKinsey office, with fears chocking up my neck: “Just prayed for you. Trust not in your emotions, but on the promises of God” (This line still rings in my mind each time I am overwhelmed by emotions) and finally for all he has done and the care he has shown throughout this 6 months. Without you, I wouldn't have found myself here. My blessing to have known you as the first person who walked into my life when I began this new chapter. You have so much and achieved so much, yet you gave it all and enveloped yourself with so much humility. Thank you, again!
15) To everyone who in one way or another helped me with my career and job application process and also who has taught me life’s little lessons. Thank you all!
16) Finally, thank God from whom all blessings flow. The God who sees to my every need and the God who shapes my character and the God who wants to give me the best. Thank you, God!
1) The Bishop and his wife for their great hospitality, care and prayers during my stay in KL for this interview
2) Pei Hsien for your sms that early morning before I left for the interview
3) Aunty Constance for her help in all that I needed to get my job done
4) Lee Sin for advising me on the Do’s and Don’ts in the working life
5) To all the EHC members who have prayed for me
6) To SY, who called all the way from Singapore to encourage me to apply to McKinsey and for sharing with me about the life there
7) To Cheemeng for his advice on L’oreal
8) Shakira for her advice on Shell
9) Peejay Garcia for being a good listener, for believing in me, for advising me on DHL and other consulting firms and above all for being with me even in my worst moments
10) To my aunt of whom I lived with during the first 5 weeks of my working life
11) To ZiBin who edited my essay. For if not for your help, it wouldn’t have got to where it is
12) Siew family for their constant love and support and to Elaine, for your encouraging words and confidence in me
13) My lovely parents for their unfailing love, and belief in my abilities
14) YL, for his guidance since the first day of my job application process, for his prayers which so touched my heart, for his mock interviews, for his words of encouragement when I needed them the most and his sage advice, his tips on the McKinsey interviews and for sharing his resources. I will not forget this one meaningful sms he sent when I was on the way to the McKinsey office, with fears chocking up my neck: “Just prayed for you. Trust not in your emotions, but on the promises of God” (This line still rings in my mind each time I am overwhelmed by emotions) and finally for all he has done and the care he has shown throughout this 6 months. Without you, I wouldn't have found myself here. My blessing to have known you as the first person who walked into my life when I began this new chapter. You have so much and achieved so much, yet you gave it all and enveloped yourself with so much humility. Thank you, again!
15) To everyone who in one way or another helped me with my career and job application process and also who has taught me life’s little lessons. Thank you all!
16) Finally, thank God from whom all blessings flow. The God who sees to my every need and the God who shapes my character and the God who wants to give me the best. Thank you, God!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
I was on His mind
It has been a almost six months since I started with the first official job of my life! Phew…how time flies. Many things have changed since that day and looking back I have God to thank for.
I still remember vividly the first day I walked into this office for my interview – the fear, the excitement, the curiosity, the warm pat on the shoulders by my friend and the words of encouragement he gave, the intimidating questions, the mind boggling puzzles, the air, the scent, the worry, every thought. Oh all still so vivid in my memory!
It was a great 6 months. I met so many people, learned so many things and learned so much about myself too. Although not every day is a rosy day, it was through those not-so-rosy days that I truly learned about life and myself. This has been the industry I wanted so much to be in when I was studying in the university and so far I still have no regrets. I am not sure what the next 6 months will hold for me but I will trust the God who holds my future and who pays attention to shaping every detail in my life. Recalling the past 6 months, it reminded me again about how I am so enveloped by God’s love - seeing my every need is taken care of and ensuring that I am taught the lessons He wants me to learn and above all for placing CDPC as my family here in PJ/KL, people that I can always fall back to.
Here’s a song by Hillsong, I’d learned to love. A high school mate wrote it on the school blackboard one morning during my high school days and I just ignored her and the lyrics of the song (thinking she must be silly or too emotional). It rang again when I was watching a play at DUMC about a year ago. Now it meant so much to me, ever since I begin my working life and all the experiences I had, living here in PJ and KL. I hope it will do the same to you:
Before the world began,
You were on His mind,
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son,
Everything was done…so you would come.
Come to the Father,
Though your gift is small,
Broken hearts, broken lives,
He will take them all,
The power of the Word,
The power of His blood,
Everything was done so you would come.
Nothing you can do to make Him love you more,
And nothing that you’ve done could make Him close the door,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son
Everything was done so you would come.
I still remember vividly the first day I walked into this office for my interview – the fear, the excitement, the curiosity, the warm pat on the shoulders by my friend and the words of encouragement he gave, the intimidating questions, the mind boggling puzzles, the air, the scent, the worry, every thought. Oh all still so vivid in my memory!
It was a great 6 months. I met so many people, learned so many things and learned so much about myself too. Although not every day is a rosy day, it was through those not-so-rosy days that I truly learned about life and myself. This has been the industry I wanted so much to be in when I was studying in the university and so far I still have no regrets. I am not sure what the next 6 months will hold for me but I will trust the God who holds my future and who pays attention to shaping every detail in my life. Recalling the past 6 months, it reminded me again about how I am so enveloped by God’s love - seeing my every need is taken care of and ensuring that I am taught the lessons He wants me to learn and above all for placing CDPC as my family here in PJ/KL, people that I can always fall back to.
Here’s a song by Hillsong, I’d learned to love. A high school mate wrote it on the school blackboard one morning during my high school days and I just ignored her and the lyrics of the song (thinking she must be silly or too emotional). It rang again when I was watching a play at DUMC about a year ago. Now it meant so much to me, ever since I begin my working life and all the experiences I had, living here in PJ and KL. I hope it will do the same to you:
Before the world began,
You were on His mind,
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son,
Everything was done…so you would come.
Come to the Father,
Though your gift is small,
Broken hearts, broken lives,
He will take them all,
The power of the Word,
The power of His blood,
Everything was done so you would come.
Nothing you can do to make Him love you more,
And nothing that you’ve done could make Him close the door,
Because of His great love, He gave His only son
Everything was done so you would come.
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