Letter to my Friend back in China:

Dear Jia Min,

How are you? Have you gotten any rest from the constant political battles? Well as you must have heard by now,
i have finally reached Singapore where i am able to find work immediately as paid for my own transportation here.

This place is much better than home as i can find work and shelter relatively easily here, although, i do miss
everyone at home. There are many other women like me, we all stay in shop houses where 4 of us would have to
share a small wooden cubicle with no windows. Although the living conditions are not very good, we still find a
way to Ensure that we are clean and tidy. When finding work, we have to go directly outside our buildings to a
place we call the ‘ five foot wayʼ where we could find Contractors that would hire us and also discuss our pays and
jobs. I am given money for transportation to the construction site i work at but i would always pocket the extra
money and wake up earlier instead and walk to the site in the hopes that i can raise more money to be sent back
to my family back home.

Although we are much more productive and precise with our work than the men are, we still receive lesser
wages than them! How unfair. At work, the ladies and I would normally measure the exact amount of concrete we
need then place them in baskets on our shoulders to be carried somewhere else. Once, i carried two heavy
baskets of concrete up a distance of two stories, the labour here is very hard and for food we eat rice Everyday
that we either bought or scavenged from the ground after it falls off shipping crates. Even the oil we use to light
our rooms are saved and instead we go out into the ‘Five Foot Wayʼ and talk to past time. Although we seem to
never run out of things to do now, i fear that Singapore is being heavily industrialised and might make all the
hardworking women with me redundant.

Yet, i must continue to persevere. To earn enough money to send back to my family whom i miss so much. Well,
its an early start to the day tomorrow. I shall end my letter here and I hope to hear from you soon! Bye!

From Jun En