Typical Asian Parent

Sounds cliche, right? There's no smoke without fire... unless you're dealing with dry ice.

My dear mother is among millions of Asian parents. This morning, she expressed her worry about my sister's employment status to me, for the second time. For your information, my sister is happily married and unemployed.

My mother is worried about what would my sister's mother in law think. She thinks that my sister should work as she is more qualified than my brother in law. My sister is a degree holder while my brother in law's highest qualification is diploma. To me there's nothing wrong. Maybe my sister just couldn't find a suitable job. My mother thinks her in law is 'the glamourous' type of person and would look down on my sister. I have met with my sister's mother in law more than my mother. She is that "glamour" type, but she's not like what my mother thinks. My sister's mother in law knew that my father and mother are more educated than her (that's what she told my when we were chit chatting the other day). I don't know her though and through, but I know she is exited to have a daughter in law. See how she dressed my sister on the wedding reception. I must admit, my sister dressed too girly unlike the normal her. And I know if shit happens, my sister can defend herself. (finger crossing, touch wood, fortunately the desk is made of wood... knock! knock!)

I could understand my mother's concern. There's likely to be frictions between in-laws. Her mother in-law, my paternal grandma wasn't kind to her despite the fact that, she's my mother's first cousin once removed. (Yup, my father and my mother are second cousins. Both my grandmas are first cousin... typical Asian marriage) There's always dispute between the two families. From how to plant fruit trees to land dispute. And it's us, the children, are the victim of circumstance.

And worrying too much runs in the family. Worry should be our surname. Imagine my initial, A. Worry. Don't laugh. That's a real surname.

Back to the issue. Asian parents worry too much. For how you look, to what you eat. My father, who always seems to be not concern about me, suddenly asked me if my allowance is sufficient just because I lose a lot of weight back in college. (he then, lectured me on not to starve myself just to buy the latest gadget i.e mobile phones). It's clear where did I get my anxiety gene from. They think that they are capable of controlling many things. If there's an Olympic event on 'Super-controlling-parents', my money is on Asian parents to win the gold medal. Even watching 'The World's Strictest Parents' makes me laugh. They are nowhere near to typical Asian parents.

Asians hate to fail. Asian parents would, at all cost not to fail or not to let their children fail. Are Asians that scared of failing? The image of a samurai performing the Seppuku ritual comes to my mind. Westerner's think failure is mother of success... and they would start of with Thomas Edison's hill of failed light-bulbs.

So, Asian parents, stop worry and accept the fact that you can't control everything.

To read more on The World's Strictest Parents, click the link below. Honestly, they are just a kitten compared to our Tiger parents*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World's_Strictest_Parents

*To get the idea of how typical Asian parenting is, click the link below
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_Hymn_of_the_Tiger_Mother