I am woman.
I get up every day before the sun breaks through our windows. I make your breakfast and get you ready for school. I love you, my little darlings. I kiss my hubby goodbye as he leaves for work. You may not do your homework. You may be rude to me. You may cheat on me with someone else. You may beat me, you may do this daily. You all make me cry so badly. Still, I wait for you to return home every day. This is what I do. I am woman and I love you.
I am woman.
The newspapers say I shouldn’t wear such short skirts and spaghetti straps. I will arouse the desire in men and they will want to rape me. I’m asking for it, you see. My sisters who are married shy away from me; they cage their husbands like prized pigeons I would steal and devour whole. I am a slut, I am a hussy. Call me a whore, call me a termagant. I am woman and I shall do as I please, but remember this, I have feelings too, and I did not ask for this.
I am woman.
I am a shout in the dark. I will make you see what you would rather not. I want my vote, I want my seat in the bus. I have my rights, fair and forward as anyone else, and I know them. I will not allow them to disappear from disuse; I will exercise them before they are taken once more from me. I take nothing for granted. I am a voice, and I will not be silenced.
I am woman.
I believe in God. I believe in the Mother. I believe in nothing. I believe in believing. That one day, this won’t be so hard. I won’t have to explain myself anymore. I won’t have to carry this weight all by myself. I won’t have to turn away from your cruel eyes and your easy judgements; I won’t have to stare you down like a lioness. I will walk down the street and lift my head up high and have your arms around me, like a lover, like a friend, like a peer who is both different and equal and beloved for that. I will love myself.
I am woman, and this is cause enough for celebration.
Nisa, Henny & Ellyne
Today’s blog is in support of International Women’s Day (March 8). Got the heads up from Dina Zaman (author of I Am Muslim), and I must stress it’s not just for women bloggers — guys, if you are pro-women, do your bit too. Celebrate this day and celebrate the women in your life by appending the attached IWD logo and linking your blogsite to the IWD website at http://www.internationalwomensday.com.
Express yourself.
I am dedicating this day to three young women who, while they aren’t mothers yet, remind me of my mother in her steadfastness and her love. (My mom’s the coolest, by the way.)
This is for Nisa, for your love of your brother, and your contribution to the local community of caregivers of mentally disabled children and young adults. This is for Henny, for working so hard to improve the lives of your family, a stranger in a foreign land turned the most dynamic businesswoman I know. This is for Ellyne, for daring to love, for living out your passions every day like they matter, which they do.
Everything I’ve said is true except for the first bit, of course. Maybe I’m not a woman. Maybe I’ve not walked a single step in your shoes. But I salute you, for what you do, every day of your life — you travel miles for who you are and the ones you love and the small great things you believe in. Your graceful mien, your strength and your quiet tears — you are woman, and I respect you today, and every day.
.
Photo Credits: The model used in my IWD design is the redoubtable Donatella Carraglia; photograph taken by the supremely gifted Michael Aaron Stone. They make the sweetest couple ever.
78 Comments
And many apologies to Dina Zaman for riffing off the title of her new book I Am Muslim for my own piece here.
Believe it or not, it wasn’t intentional, but serendipitous. I only realised it after the fact, but I don’t mind either way. It’s a great title.
nice! very lovely post!
To thy of the sweetest soul,
Love, peace and lotsa joy unto you always always *hugs*
This is one of the nicest and sweetest post i’ve read..Thank U for understanding that we’re born different, Thank U for respecting us and Thank U for making today special for all women out there. i in turn salute you, my friend. ;o)
I love your post except have a problem with the part where you say “you may beat me”…”I will wait for you” That I cannot accept, personally having worked with domestice violence perpetrators, it’s lay a finger on me and you will never see me again. I hope you don’t mind but I feel really strongly about this, as I have co-run a court ordered domestic violence men’s group before and therefore have zero tolerance for it. :o)
Having said that, again I really do love this post and thank you for writing it.
FireHorse, i do agree with u that men shudn’t lay a finger on us..but how many women actually have the courage to run away? someone very very close to me is still with her husband mistreats her because she has 3 kids to think about..it’s sad but its true..
Now why you gotta get all emo like that :’)
*sayang Kenny* =P
I love the post~!
*soriee…miss out the ‘who’ between husband and mistreats. heheh…*
lil ms d,
Glad you like it. Like I said, I’m worried about people misinterpreting it, but if it’s okay with you, I know I’m not too far off the mark.
Lil Pixie and kG,
So sweet. Thanks.
FireHorse and Spiffy,
I don’t condone spousal abuse at all, or indeed any form of violence towards women. My meaning here is simply that women can be so strong, that despite such ill treatment, they still go on, they still love. Kudos to you for your work with domestic violence groups, FireHorse!
kenny, of course, I know you would never condone DV. Sorry if my comment implied that. Never in a million years would I think someone as sweet as kind as you would think that. I just meant that women shud not take any kind of violence towards them. I also agree with Spiffy, that leaving such abusive relationships might be easier said than done. *Hugs* dear kenny. Ya I get what you mean by the woman being strong that way “to love against all odds” kind of thing.
Hey, Kenny - great piece of writing and so very feminist of you! Fantastic to see such proud and poetic support for Womens Day!
PS. Re the domestic violence issue, I’m reading Kenny’s take on it as satire and irony - ie a criticism of the men who think they have the right to abuse women - and as a defiance of those men. ie “you can do what you want to me but I will still stand up and fight and defy you”. Powerful stuff.
I just meant that women shud not take any kind of violence towards them.
Very true, FireHorse, and let’s hope today will go a long way into educating both parties on the issue. I’m proud to know someone like you who feels so strongly on this issue as I do.
Take my Mom for example. She may appear to be a typical conservative Chinese housewife, but she knows her rights. If anyone dares take a hand to her, well, they just might find themselves missing that hand. And both my parents made sure my sis and I knew this, that women deserve every bit of respect as men.
Hey, Yang-May!
I appreciate your thoughts on my post here. Not sure if I’m a feminist though; I worry about “-ist” labels that seem to divide more than they unite. But as far as being proud of supporting women, I’m all the feminist you can have!
And your comments may have more weight than you may imagine. At times satire may just fly over the heads of the populace; worse still, other times, it may not be satire at all. The weirdest things do happen here…
Kenny-Wennyyy,I thank thee for this oh-so-sweet tribute to all women. Nothing’s sexier than a man who’s vestigially in touch with his feminine side. I take my hat off to you, sweet sir!
Aiyoh, and I thought this post was gonna be controversial or sumthin’. Why is everyone calling me sweet? *shakes head in disbelief*
And what do you mean by “vestigially in touch with his feminine side” — huh?
kenny, sorry only got to read this today - touched down. eat, eat and eat!
Yes, I am woman and this is cause enough for celebration! Good one there!
hi…its sweet and so are you for posting it.
ahh kenny… must have stolen the hearts of many women today huh… haha!
Yes, so sweet of you. Is there a Kenny Mah Club where I can sign up??? :o)
test
Kenny Mah Ying Fye
Kenny Mah Ying Fye1
Kenny Mah Ying Fye2
Kenny Mah Ying Fye3
Kenny Mah Ying Fye4
Kenny Mah Ying Fye5
Kenny Mah Ying Fye6
Kenny Mah Ying Fye7
Kenny Mah Ying Fye8
Kenny Mah Ying Fye9
Kenny Mah Ying Fye0
Kenny Mah Ying Fye10
test
testing
tester
Kenny Mah Ying Fye test
Kenny Mah Ying Fye Kenny Mah Ying Fye Kenny Mah Ying Fye
eyF GniY haM ynneK
i want my mommy
i want me mommy
mommeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
This is rediculous. Please stop spamming my blog space here.
And I am not “vestigially in touch with my feminine side”.
I am female by birth. I went for a sex-change operation 5 years ago.
And I don’t know how to spell ridicule.
Zewt, i agree with u..Kenny sure stole and melted a lot of hearts yesterday. heheh…;o)
Aiya, what’s with the spamming. You got stalker here, Kenny?! So sweet of you to write this. If only all the men in the world are like you.
it’s either kenny has a fan stalker or a hate stalker, Lydia. heheh…;o) we can only wish that all men are like him..sighh..
Gosh! Thought I come in and check on the comments and saw my id being used! Kenny, did you track it down with the ip address?
Wah Kenny, spam on women’s day!!
Hey Kenny - that’s an eloquent and poetic piece of prose on women. Societal condemnation and prejudice against single / divorced women (para 2) probably leads to para (1) plus the expectation on women to always be dutiful, obedient, subservient, etc, esp to the husband and the implication that if there is something wrong in the marriage, then it’s the woman’s fault. (Today’s case also highlights that when a man has an affair, it’s the other woman’s fault more than his!).
Lovely piece of writing.
Kenny: Careful now, sweet sir. You’ve got a weirdo stalking you. You melted someone’s heart a bit too much with that post
Just got the chance to read your post today. You are so sweet. Thank you for appreciating what I’m trying to do. I love you so much. *Hugs*.
Power to Kenny Mah’s mom!! This spam thing is confusing, was it you who said you went for the operation 5 years ago?
FireHorse
Yes, I was born female. No big deal.
Nisa,
Thanks. You are a sweetie too.
wmv
It is hard to track ip addresses that are behind a firewall.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man my son!
1
How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, ‘n’ how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they’re forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
How many years can a mountain exist
Before it’s washed to the sea?
Yes, ‘n’ how many years can some people exist
Before they’re allowed to be free?
Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind,
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?
Rows and floes of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons evrywhere
Ive looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on evryone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
Ive looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its cloud illusions I recall
I really dont know clouds at all
Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As evry fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way
But now its just another show
You leave em laughing when you go
And if you care, dont let them know
Dont give yourself away
Ive looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
Its loves illusions I recall
I really dont know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say I love you right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
Ive looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say Ive changed
Well somethings lost, but somethings gained
In living evry day
Ive looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all
Ive looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its lifes illusions I recall
I really dont know life at all
We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day
We shall all be free, we shall all be free,
We shall all be free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day
We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I am an orphan on God’s highway
But I’ll share my troubles if you go my way
I have no mother no father
No sister no brother
I am an orphan girl
I have had friendships pure and golden
But the ties of kinship I have not known them
I know no mother no father
No sister no brother
I am an orphan girl
But when He calls me I will be able
To meet my family at God’s table
I’ll meet my mother my father
My sister my brother
No more orphan girl
Blessed Savior make me willing
And walk beside me until I’m with them
Be my mother my father
My sister my brother
I am an orphan girl
When you walk through a storm
Keep your chin up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At he end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown.Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone,
You’ll never walk alone
Whoever it is, please kindly stop SPAMMING now.
hi,
i realised that being a woman u r born strong,life can throw all sorts of fruit at u and u will somehow made lemonades,jams,pickles…..etc.there will be war going on, a mother still worry about food, laundry and never give up hope.being a woman somehow u r resilient,courageous and willing to go the extra mile or km.
Actually, I think it is a very courageous thing to do. I am just so glad you are part of my life.
Hei, did you go to the Bloggers Party, how wazzit? Hope you had a good time, got pictures?? :O) Have a great weekend!
Thanks, FireHorse.
Being a transgendered person ain’t easy especially in a conservative society like in Malaysia. It was much better when I was in Germany.
Hi Kenny, I found your blog through WMW. A great writer you are…I wish I can write like you. Thanks for writing such a nice piece for March 8th. I was in Beijing on a business trip and had a half-day off…but in the US, they don’t even observe the day…go figure.
Kenny! I was referring to your feminine emotional side!I didnt know that you had gone for the procedure! But I believe that all men should be in touch with their feminine side and try to understand women better and the world would surely be a better place! The spamming is rather distracting laa but whatever it is your post is a great tribute to all women and I thank thee for that!
The Quiet Storm, FireHorse, enar arshad, and all readers of Kenny’s blog…
the comments posted are NOT from Kenny. as far as y’all know, Kenny has his body balance training going on this weekend and has no time to reply to his comments.
i’m extremely upset that somebody has decided to spam Kenny’s site and also to spread untruths about him..this has gone too far..>:o(
Please stop all this nonsense!
Good Lord! This is really awful!When will he be coming back then
The Quiet Storm,
i’m guessing he’s still resting after his training..i don’t know when he’ll reply to his comments..probly today or tomorrow..*shrugs*
The real McCoy is back! For those wondering which ones are spam comments, here’s a list so far:
Comments # 22-45, 55-64, 67. [The spammer pretends to be wmw and me.]
How do you tell the difference? The real me will not only have my url but also my photo next to the comment. The spammer can duplicate one but not both at the same time.
Read the next post (My First Time…) for the whole story.
Adoi, so drama…
Here’s another one for you. I work past 12 midnite everyday. Sometimes till 2. Sometimes 3. My car’s the only one parked in the silent carpark. The guards turn off the lights at that hour, and it’s pitch darkness as I use my cellphone light to guide my way to the car. The guards say it’s computerised; they can’t do anything. My male bosses know of the situation, but not once have they voiced their concern that I’m walking to my car in my office complex alone in the dark. I’m not asking for sympathy; after fighting so hard for equal rights, I suppose a woman shouldn’t complain about walking alone in a dark carpark. But in the light of women’s liberation, human decency seems to have disappeared as men seek to protect only those who appear ultra frail and weak. I am a woman. So I don’t have an ultra feminine figure or the skin of a young rambutan, but I am no different from any other person out there who wants to feel protected. I suppose where I am right now, I will have to figure out a way to help myself, but think of the other girl who may look like me, but is timid and afraid. Who will protect her?
I’m pissed off with those who think they’re championing our rights, but as it turns out, they’re just championing a certain population’s rights. Definitely not mine.
I’m gonna have a beer now.
Lyrical Lemongrass,
Hope you enjoyed that beer. I think I need one too myself…
I am woman too.
**ps: NOT spam..
Michelle
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