the desk
Ladies, charge out into the woods and find a decent piece of wood to mark your very own territory! OK, I admit this draggy sentence does not sound as encouraging as it intended to be, but hey, I believe in every word it means. Over the Christmas holidays I accidentally encountered and then was inspired by Woolf's seminal essay, A Room of One's Own. Sadly, I somehow pictured myself as the anonymous Shakespeare's younger, perhaps equally talented sister who didn't have the same opportunities as he did. Having a natural affinity for this female reader/writer, not only did I feel genuinely grateful for the kind of privilege I have now, but also felt the need to share this burning passion with fellow female human beings. SR says that she, too, was deeply inspired after reading this piece on the bus during high school years, but she thought that there's more to be done on gender equality, such as in the Islamic countries. F mentioned that she read Woolf's work in uni, but forgot its detail. D said that having your own desk is not enough; she would ask for her own room. Together we lament over the fact that married woman seldom have a desk, a private place to write--they make do with their children's desks or the dining table. On the other hand, HY didn't show much interest in my so-called opinion, but he did say that if we unfortunately happen to live under the same roof one day, I shall have my own large, splendid desk, and shelves, too.