Seeing a photo of a grey-hair guy, on bike and backpack, riding home with bouquet of flowers in the front basket, reminded me of International Day of Women.
There is no doubt, according to an Australian’s observer, that women are bosses here in Vietnam.
Tiger Mom.
To punctuate this point, I was sitting at an outdoor cafe at 7:30 AM, when three different women, on bikes, taking turn showing up for work across the street.
Despite traffic congestion, pollution, heat, and child-care, they were on the dot.
In fact, I did not need to verify this point.
I lived with a few: mother, sister, cousin, nieces and wives.
The women I know have been remarkably strong, resilient and yes, slightly masculine in the sense that they did not mind the menial work.
Now, with I phone, I pad and scooter, they are on a level playing field.
multitasked, multi-talented and multi-facet.
Women respond to stress much better than men.
Phone companies love female customers: they chat, text, and send pics.
When e-commerce fully takes hold here, we can be sure that women will spend a chunk of change online.
Still at early stage of mass market, Vietnam , and its female consumers, are well on the way to fulfill life’s dream: motherhood, madness (shop till they drop) and yes, meditation.
My mom showed me that these two extreme can co-exist. In fact, they need each other to balance out a person, a woman at that.
On this Women Day, let’s salute that we all come from the same Womb, and Technology finally erases the inequality of the sexes (caused by agrarian culture and industrialization). Two Vietnamese women came to mind: one at the Pentagon, invented heat-seeking bomb, and the other, in the US Air Force , known for precision strike.
I wish a lot of luck on those husbands whose wives have out-achieved their dreams. May they seek comfort in the company of good men who do not succumb to madness, but to meditation. A woman’s glory is also a man’s joy. Just have to update your version of software. Think different. Collaborate and not compete.
Thang Nguyen 555 