Pammy and Lulu come to the little cosmetic shop Armei is running, next to an Asian grocery store in a popular plaza. The three haven’t met for a while and they have quite a lot of catch-up to do. The customers are scarce and the cosmetic store is not doing very well these days. People are not going out as much. Also the need for cosmetics plunges when most of people wear masks.
“Remember Jennifer? Ivy’s daughter. Ivy’s my boss at the Ivy Training Center.” Lulu says.
“Wow, of course. You brought her here several times. And I gave her good discount on your behalf.” Armei says.
Jennifer has always made her mother Ivy proud. She’s kind, very sociable, and a wonderful Asian American girl. Most of them, the second generation, stay away from women of their mother’s generation who are the first generation immigrants, but Jennifer is different. She is very much at home with Lulu, Pammy, and Armei–this has delighted everybody. She found such a great job in midtown Manhattan six years ago after college that Ivy couldn’t help throwing a barbecue party in her honor.
“Jennifer was scheduled to get married this summer, but suddenly without warning, she and her boyfriend broke up. Just like that. Can you believe that? I am glad I haven’t bought the wedding present for her. It saves the trouble of returning it. Now her mother is asking me if I know some nice boys who are willing to date Jennifer. Do you know anybody?” Lulu says.
“Wow, I wish my boy Sam is of Jennifer’s age. I would love to have such a daughter-in-law.” Pammy jumps in. “Well, Sam is too young.”
“Ivy is worried. Jennifer is 28 and an old maid by Ivy’s standard.” Lulu says.
“Well, this is not the old village where Ivy came from, wherever that is. Girls got married at 18 in Ivy’s days I bet.” Pammy says. “I mean nowadays in New York, 28 is a good age.”
“You know New York is a weird city. It is said the number of women are twice as much as men. It’s a fierce competition to get a man here.” Lulu says.
“Are you sure? Is it really so unbalanced? Where did you get such a statistics.” Armei asks in an incredulous tone. Lulu has too often voiced her unusual opinions that Armei’s customary practicality and common sense do not agree with.
“Is it because most young men move to Boston, Texas, or West Coast to pursue high-tech jobs?” Pammy asks. “I mean many Asian boys are doing high-tech related jobs and of course they are scarce in this area.”
“New York is a bad place to find a date for women of all races, but it is especially bad for minority women.” Lulu’s academic training has enabled her to sum up things like that.
“A beautiful but useless theory. What can Jennifer do?” Pammy asks.
“Move to Silicone Valley or Texas.” Armei says.
“Did you hear that there’s this famous female architect who’s a lesbian? Is that because of the scarcity of men?” Pammy asks.
Haoyan Do 
At first I was incredulous at the lesbian comment. Turning gay because of a shortage of the opposite gender sounds absurd! Then I remembered: in prison, men will engage in homosexuality because the are no women around, so….
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Thank you for your visit and comment. Pammy often has strange turn of mind…
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That’s what I call the usual banter.
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Thank you.
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Asian parents are obsessed with marrying off their children when they reach a certain age. Great story!
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You are so on the spot. It is so true. “Human existence can only take one predefined form. All other forms are abnormal and should be eradicated.” Says one typical Asian parent.
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So true indeed!
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Haha really enjoyed this one. What is it with immigrant parents and wanting their kids to get married??
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I know several immigrant parents who are eager to marry their children off even if their own marriages are acrimonious and non-communicative.
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My mother is trying to hook my sister up with people as we speak lol.
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I can just imagine how she’s worried about her two girls get over-educated and missed the chance of getting the best shot with men.
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Lol precisely.
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So breezy and engaging these vignettes..great going👍🌹
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Thank you, Shammi, always. You made my day. A lot of love and hugs for you and your family.
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You have a gift for capturing dialogue.
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Pammy strikes again!
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Oh Pammy’s final question actually breaks my heart. Is she really clueless or just trying to overlook such a glaring reality of life. I like the colourful banter and the advice thrown around. Seems so funny and natural. Great writing. 🙂
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I was trying to portray Pammy as someone who’s trying to learn new things and a little less conservative than her environment. Still this little bit sometimes is not that easy. I am trying to find an interesting way to approach the glaring reality of life as you put it, but so far I am still trying. Trying not to be so serious while still writing about the serious issues is hard. LOL. Thank you for your encouragement.
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I like how you portray serious issues in a lighter way. It really is a realistic take. Many people are actually quite clueless in life. I think one must always move ahead with some laughter in the heart and lively chatter on the lips. 🙂
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I agree totally. Yes, laughter is the best way to deal with the clueless and ridiculous world.
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A great post – I love how you’re using real life examples, it is sad though how men usually get the stereotypical high tech jobs!
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Thank you, Zainab. That’s very true. And how many women get the stereotypical low paid dead end jobs.
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Keep writing
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