Me Lucky Star?

I just received a call from Hubby. He was quite excited about the interviews he just went through this afternoon for a new position. With a famous company boys both big and small dream of :-).

It would certainly send his flying career soaring. Though as usual, something has to give and it will be our family life - whatever's left of it, that is.

If he accepts the job, he'll have to live away from the kids and myself during the week. Because the town where the company is situated has no French school. But come to think of it, we see little of him as it is anyway since he travels regularly for business. And as he liked to tell me each time I complained about it, "If you want to see your man every day, you should have married the Postman..." Touché.

When I met him many years ago, he was just a French Engineer who recently switched to doing something other than R&D. Earning a French Engineer's decent salary, not more not less.

I was never a fan of Engineers. I do not share the French's enthusiasm, love and admiration for this race of humans. In France, very often, to succeed in life, even if all you want to do is sell or market, very often you would have to have an Engineering degree to start with. They don't find them "square" or boring, which when you come to think about it, is logical since they really do have a thing for Cartesians.

Myself, Doctors in white, Lawyers in black and Professors with PhDs were more likely to turn me on. But I didn't count on my Tarot reading... :-)

Actually, before Tarot, mom brought me once to a Chinese fortune teller at Clarke Quay and the guy said that I've "Guì Rén" life. Meaning that I bring meaning and fulfillment to those who come into close contact with me. Well, I certainly have been filling up quite a few stomachs if that's what he meant...

Back to Hubby and his career : ever since he married me, his career literally flew. I left my own budding career (after 2 scholarships and a few Postgrad degrees in Political Science) behind to follow him to Spain after we got married. We never looked back since, it has been one expatriation leading to another, each job more interesting, important and of course better paid than the last one. And 3 kids.

Hubby said that this is normal because I have given up my own ambitions (among them the Diplomatic Corps) and have been pushing him to fulfill his own (and mine as well). It is true that he always consults me when it comes to making major decisions about his career, and I am always on the ready to provide the pros and cons (good training - Political Science), and most of all, encouragement and all kinds of support. I mean, let's be fair. If the guy has to work, he must be motivated about it, right? Heh heh he wasn't far off the mark when he said that I am working him to the bone so that he could afford to buy me diamonds and other goodies. Well, I like having something concrete to look at every day, and retail therapy for tired and frustrated housewives works very well as long as there is always credit in the credit card.

But seriously, I've always said that if he earned less, I would have spent less. I am delicious, not delirious. The Asian in me says that what is important is that the guy be ambitious and smart. Everything else naturally follows. Normally.

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised.

So says my Tarot card from yesterday. When I mentioned that to Hubby, he started singing some tune from John Lennon and ended up by saying that I'm his Star. (grin)

I seriously do not think that money should be the most important consideration in any career. Though of course I would be the last to spit on it. I rather treasure the challenge (both external and personal) factor. Thinking (of), knowing (that you can) and wanting to stretch yourself and making it. What was the motto we were brainwashed with in Singapore? Strive for Excellence. Voilà, simple as that.

We are trying to convince ourselves that the "sacrifice" will just be for about 3 years - the amount of time necessary for him to prove himself (once again) and continue the climb. Anyway, the real hard work will be on my part - having to deal with the 3 monsters all on my own (chauffeur, home tutor, cook, cleaner, mother etc all rolled into one), with no one to complain to at the end of the day, no regular sex (shucks, to think that I married him for his libido), and no guinea pig to try my new dishes on.

On the other hand, I'll also have nobody to stop me from snacking, eating my pungent stuff, blogging all night long...and I can sleep with my babies. I do love them so very much. I tell them that they are the most beautiful babies on earth and I really believe it. :-)

The other downside though is that my vague plans to return to the workforce will have to be shelved - yet again. But I will continue learning Spanish and German, pick up Italian, and maybe do another Masters. I am thinking about Development Management. I can keep my ONG dream alive this way.

When I first met Hubby, he kept repeating to me that he expected his wife to work. Not for the money, but to remain interesting. Now of course his worst dreams have come true - I am a housewife, have put on a good 12 Kgs in the past 4 years, and I know the current price of Zucchini better than anybody or anything else.

BUT, what is wrong with living around zucchini? There are women who buy (or not at all) zucchini without knowing the price nor what to do with it. The good thing about formal education is that it gives me THE interest, ability, confidence, approach etc to deal with just about anything, zucchini included. If I want to, I can write an agricultural, cultural, economic, political, religious, sexual and whatever thesis on Zucchini, use it as a dildo, cook it (in at least 10 ways) and eat it too. Voilà. pourquoi. je suis. UNE ÉTOILE*.

*Read it with a fake British accent