Housewife, farming, parenting and voting
Character : Bee Hung, early forties, female mother of three
Yes, it is better being a farmer now. Vegetables fetch a better price. But we are scared of the weather and the flood waters. People think wuah we are so rich oh so suddenly when the price of vegetables go up. We have to recoup for our spoilt vegetables. Fertilizer is so expensive nowadays. Everything is expensive. We need to sell. People need to buy.
All my children help me too on the farm. I tolerate no nonsense. They have to help me with my farming then finish their school work. I love them but I scold them and I cane them. I pray one day when they are parents they will forgive me. There has to be food on the table . The farm is small.
I wake up early and prepare food for the family. I cook once for the whole day. I make sure they go to school unless they need an ambulance. They must not miss school. Then there are the chickens, the ducks and my dogs and then my fruit trees and most important our food : the vegetables. They have to be taken care of like little emperors or they won’t sell at a good price.
The fertilizer, the planting , weeding, pesticides, weeding, pesticides and harvesting. It is an endless cycle.
There is so much work as a farmer, housewife and mother. Look at my hands. Do you still remember how I looked in the past? My hands are beyond redemption. I am now so tanned. Whatever color I buy to wear during the previous Chinese new Year also clashed with my complexion. Compared to my elder sister, I look almost fifteen years older.
I like to wear pretty clothes but people would laugh if I do so. I am a farmer now. I will not go to vote. At least Rm6.00 petrol to and fro from the primary school. ( polling centre ) What’s the point? I am just one vote. Whoever wins i get nothing. My husband scolded me the other day, ” Why you so excited? Who are you? We get nothing,”. In my heart I know he is right. I am just a farmer.
I tell you. I am not ashamed to be a farmer.
Bengbeng | interesting characters
Bengbeng, life is indeed hard nowadays!
Thanks for this glimpse into the life of a small holder. Hope it will make people who complain of rising vegetable prices to buy in the local market to help the farmer instead of going to the supermarkets. Then their money goes directly to the farmer.
the farmer has no license to sell in the market unless in exceptional cases
hi, i am surprised at that information. so the local market also is subject to middle men? and the farmer is at the mercy of the middle men? how awful. is there a way to buy the veg directfrom the farmer and cut out the middle men? or are the farms too far away?? After all this, i just am surprised anyone wants to be a farmer!!! and yet this old lady is one. They produce all the food, and yet end up making money for others… while doing all the hard work. maybe u can ask her why she wants to be a farmer. maybe there is no other work that a person can be their own boss without a lot of money.
Middle man is part of the economy. each plays their own function. the lady has to pay Rm10.00 ( old ancient van ) just to cross a 1.3km bridge to go to town n back not including the petrol bill. she is not able to man a stall full time in town even if she gets a license. she could i suppose sell at the native market ( once a week ) but the competition is very keen.
on the same breath the people are unable to send their kids freely to and from school as it is too expensive. so some kids walk across the 1.3km bridge daily or if they r older just pay Rm0.50×2 for a return trip for using a bike to go to school. Some take a school bus after walking over I suppose. Every trip just across the river must b planned for max returns.
I mean how many rich people are there in Malaysia who can afford to pay Rm6.00 ( saloon car ) or Rm10.00 ( van ) for a return daily trip 2.6 km across the river. In contrast the Penang bridge cost Rm7.60 i think for the 46 km plus journey to and fro. Vietnam rice still costs about Rm1.60 per kg so the Rm10.00 is more than 6kg of rice enough to feed 8.4 meals of rice for a family.
Basis for approximate calculation :
I kg = 7 cups of uncooked rice.
6kg = 42 cups of rice.
family of six per meal = 5 cups of uncooked rice
42 divided by 5 = 8.4 meals of rice for a family of six. Most families here have rice for three meals a day inclusive of breakfast. so this 8.4 meals of rice a day is about 3 breakfasts, 3 lunch, 2 dinners and a little left overs. needless to say it cuts into people’s earnings and saving.
It’s sad that the husband is being such an……..
Does he even help out? Doesn’t sound like it.
the hubby works even harder…but the housewife is another thingy extra the woman has to bear. how to slck? the give gives back proportional to effort n input u put in