From what I can see, “Introducing Myself” is an article that talks about the instability of power between the genders. The male holds too much power to the point where women were non-existent. Women lived a silent existence despite there being wonderful females who made history in literature, science, arts, and the list goes on. It seemed that no matter how much women contributed to the society, all of it did not matter as women are not men. They will not be able to climb the ladder as long as it is occupied by men. This hits home as this can still be seen albeit they are more subtle today compared to the 20^th century. In Japan, it is very rare for women to get promoted in the workplace as they are assumed to quit their job once they get married or give birth. I have also read an article early this year that touches on how gender pay gap is still a prominent issue in Malaysia and how there is not yet a law against discrimination in a workplace environment. It hurts to admit, but women are still underappreciated up until today. Other than that, I can also see that Le Guin also touched on the societal pressure to look good. It shocked me to read the line, “… if I had any real self respect wouldn’t I at least have had a face lift or some liposuction?”. It is shocking to me that women who don’t take care of their appearance are seen to not have ‘self-respect’. While I do feel that a neat appearance matters in certain occasions, it is ridiculous to link looking good to having self-respect. It is toxic expectations like this that blocks women from being comfortable in their own skin. It is as if women are accessories, it only matters that they look pretty. These expectations are not only limited to women however, as Le Guin also touched on how men are supposed to be lean and muscular. Now with social media, unfortunately, these mentality have been encouraged instead of being purged, making the priority of the majority of the people set on getting approval on their looks.

ii. They show their togetherness just by fighting on everyday basis. The foundation for their constant fights are due to gender differences since they got married in an early age they feel as if they have sacrificed their freedom . Basically two free spirited individuals tied forcefully with commitments and children under the same roof ended up fighting for their rights as a male and a female. ironically, they are the opposite version of male and female, for an example mom acts alike a man during a fight and papa acts like a woman.

Apart from that, the main issue that sparks a fight between my parents is because of financial difficulties. Usually my mum starts the shouting and loves to do the silent treatment, at the end my dad will pop up with good solution and they’ll be back together. 

iii.  Practically my parents are doing the same business under the same office roof so they have no other  choice but to reconcile just to build the business for active money flow. If not they’ll go for a date to old school bars or so- called business getaway to other states with their children left at home, thinking as if they’re still a young couple, and dance the night out with the Bee Gees. 

  

 Love. Not triangle but a Pentagon and not circle. I have no triangle love or so called as ‘kayu tiga’ but I have two complete Pentagon love. Not a circle. My family and Pillars of Islam.
I was born last, the 21^st child. My mother is Asmah, the youngest wife. Having a polygamous family is indeed not an easy one. There is no such thing as it easy to get married because in every institution must have its history. My mother was married to my father who already has 3 wifes is surely not an easy one but my father managed to arrange it well. Salute to my father because he managed to handle all wifes equally harmonily but now maybe he is not as active as before because he is getting old and older and ageing person gets their feelings hurt easily. Due to this emotional changes, he somehow become very tampered and we got our feelings hurt too. Hey, don’t take it bad yet. Allow me to continue. Yes, getting older makes him more emotional than rational, he scolded me on simple things but in every of his irrationality he will become very loving. He knows he did wrongs to me but as a father and a man, he hardly say sorry. As an action of saying sorry, he will go out and buy me my favourite food even though it is raining, and he is riding a motorbike without rain coat. Now tell me, is my father a bad unloving guy? Not at all. He said sorry in his own way and I accept it. Same goes to my mother, where my father will calm her down just like how he did to me. It is very fortunate to live in a family that practice religious immensely. Maybe not a perfect one, but we did our best as a Muslim. What bonds us is the love taught by the religion. Forgive, respect and love each other because everybody is not made perfect. Living with four mothers separately and to share a father is not easy for the 21 of us. We demand his attention and he always give it but now he is getting weaker and sadly the 21 of us are hardly reunite. My father said ‘I have given them life to live to marry to have kids of their own, and I am happy that they are all successful but I hope they do remember me who worked hard to put them where they are now’. I understand his sayings which he tried to imply that his children is becoming very far from him and might not think of his condition now. It reminds me of Hari Raya where  he always bring us all to our first mother’s house to celebrate the eid together but now he no longer did that because nobody will come back and I don’t blame him. With the flaws I have lived in, with a very fierce and loving father, an open minded and strict mother and multi siblings’ behaviour I faced, I am now a very well-developed child. I am not saying I am perfect, but with the hardships I have live through has made me a stronger girl than before. Without my ‘haphazard’ family, I would never get this far in life and I don’t plan to only be this far. Since I would not stop at this far, I am planning to go further where I would want to be a nature guide or anything related to business. Being a guide requires me to talk a lot and my ability to talk in English puts me slightly higher than other guides because most of them could only talk in Malay but there are some guide who took English enrichment to be fluent in English and we are at par. What differ us know is knowledge. I plan to further exploring nature and learn about it. If I got the chance to study further, I would like to be a naturalist, conservationist and educator  just like  Irshad Mobarak – Naturalist – Conservationist – Educator who is very famous even in Google.