Sunday 3 August 2014

Independence, Sexism, Wars. A whole lot of rambling honestly...!

What should one make of everything that's going on in the world as of late? Fatal plane crashes, war between Israel and Gaza, Gareth Morgan wanting to eradicate cats from NZ entirely, NZ land being sold to Chinese buyers, Ebola in Africa. It seems like the whole world is in a bit of a shambles - especially when one crazy guy wants to eradicate every cat from the country just to save the native birds - oh please.

But really, I'm questioning what this is all about? There's the Chinese who have tonnes of money but no land who want to buy the land off kiwis who have tonnes of land but no money. There's an out there crazy disease spread in Africa - but two Americans who caught it have been taken back to America just to receive the treatment that is not available in Africa (seriously?). Who on Earth knows what Gaza and Israel are fighting about, all I know is that civilians are suffering and it just seems all very pathetic. What has the world come to? I guess the rest of us can all sleep happy in our beds, because rest assured - somebody will create an app that will sort everything out! *claps hands ecstatically*

Of course, of late I have been considering the possibility of a WW3 and what will exactly happen. The youth of today will be hauled off the couch and sent out to fight. But they won't be fit, they won't be healthy, the boys will all think it's fun and games because they do this all the time on xBox and the girls will probably have a tantrum about the whole thing and expect that stomping their feet will get them somewhere. Right now all my mind is seeing is a whole heap of people out there having a war with their smartphones and tablets. Bang bang - oh wait, my battery is dead. Crap.
     Even though I pride myself in being and acting all "grown up and mature" I think the world is soon going to turn into something even I'm not prepared for. All I know is that I'm not handing my cats over to Gareth Morgan to kill. End. Of. Story.

I WILL go down fighting.

A few weeks back a documentary called Gloriavale was on TV. It was about a part of New Zealand that nobody really knows about and there is a community there who seclude themselves from the world (probably for the very reasons mentioned above). I think there are about 500 (?) of them living there now. They live together, each family has about 10 or more children (children are a blessing), they do everything together. The women do womanly duties like cooking and cleaning and the men run the dairy farm, do all the building and maintenance etc. Nobody gets paid, all the money earned by the community, goes into the community. They live for God's Will. They do everything for God's Will.
     Mum and I actually agreed that yeah, that'd be a pretty cool way to live. No stress, no worries. Nothing. Of course I'm not too sure about having no independence - as it's all very sexist and women are ranked under the men. Yes, they learn - they follow NCEA. They marry within the community. I believe that if I was BORN into that sort of lifestyle, then who wouldn't enjoy it? If that's all you've known, but even though I agree it'd be a good way to live, I don't believe I could stand to not be able to do what I want to do. There's no freedom to read any book you like, a woman couldn't choose to milk the cows over doing the cleaning. I think I'd prefer NOT to have 10 or more kids or stand for being below the men. Just couldn't do it, although it would be a good way to live. I also don't think I'd like it as they didn't appear to have any pet allowances there...

I stand for equality, which is why I strive to work as hard as guys do to prove myself worthy. Recently we were asked to do a job for a lifestyler - digging up flax of all things. Originally it was organised that two of the guys would go down there to do it, but as you know, things change and my brother was sent down with one of the girls we've recently employed. We thought it was going fine, but when Mum introduced me to the client and suggested that I would also come down the next day to help get the job done, the client got a bit miffed. "I was told that two blokes would do the job," said she. Mum and I ended up leaving for home again without really having said anything in return to that comment, and it wasn't until later that I realised how absolutely peeved I was! It was the continued comment that really got to me, which went something like, "I know my own strengths and I know that women just can not cope with this sort of job." - while gesturing at yours truly. How. Jolly. Rude! I'm glad I refrained myself at the time, from calling her an utter cow, but later on I couldn't stop thinking it!
     There have been so many occasions where I've been doing something that apparently seems a little too hard for me and one of the males has offered they help me or do it themselves. Of course Dad and my brother would never dare say this sort of thing to me, it's always another member of staff, or a client or somebody and it drives me mad! I'm not little! I'm not going to snap! I am VERY capable. Do you think perhaps, that I should carry around a sign whilst doing a job a male would do, that declares that I do not want any help? Would you think that maybe this will make them realise? No, I don't think so either.
     Which is why I love my job so much at the moment - the farmer never ever offers me help. He's seen me lugging buckets of milk, seen me lifting calves off the trailer and into the pen, seen me milk difficult cows and he never ever helps me out which I'm eternally grateful for! Yes, the Brazilian that works there once 'rushed to my aid' when I picked up a calf that was, quite honestly, as light as a feather. However all I could do was smirk when I saw him struggle in with the larger calf. I think now, what happened was that he wanted to take the smaller calf instead! hehehe oh dear.


Yeah, I wasn't really sure what to write today, but this has helped - getting it all out of my head.

9 comments:

  1. hi ya Kayger, thanks for your comment at my blog, always good to meet new friends here in NZ. I've just added your blog to my links :-)

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    1. It definitely is good too find some bloggers in the same area :)

      Thanks!

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  2. Whoo-hoo, you go, girl!!!!

    Gloriavale looked rather neat (especially the girls' long hair; I was officially jealous), but there is no way I could live in complete servitude to the men. Did you hear his vows to her at the wedding? Loving her was the *last* thing on his list. I mean, even if it wasn't first, it should at least be a very close second. I agreed with many of their ideas with courting, though. I'm actually following some of those rules myself with my boyfriend.

    Blokes need a reality check. What girls don't have in strength, we make up for in determination and creativity in providing a solution that we can balance out. Guys are all brute strength; girls are strength with flair. Some teenage girls are so stroppy, but we farmers get in, get down, and get the job done (while still looking good, even covered head to toe in mud. :P)

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    1. Exactly! I'm positive I could never live a life of servitude to a husband in that specific respect. But their long hair is pretty cool!!

      Hmmm, so maybe that's what the actual problem is? They can't handle the fact that I can do their job, and look good all at the same time when they know full well they can't. Hahaha thanks Xj :P

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  3. Wow everyone's talking about that Gloriavale. Haha I'll look it up sometime ;) :P

    True that women can do most things, but don't forget to support your local chivalry, Kayla! ;)

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    1. haha yep you should! :)

      Oh yeah, I do like to support them on the odd occasion - but I don't want their heads to grow too big! :D

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  4. I was so surprised to see Gloriavale hit the media. :P I did some research into it at the start of the year and even emailed the guy, am thinking of checking it out. So much values there to be admired, but I can't quite agree with the exclusion. It encourages the whole religion is dividing thing which is unfortunate and the people don't have free choice as that is all that they know. It's definitely a controversial topic but at the same time good on them. Totally agree with you on the sex ism thing and equality! You go girl girl, good on you!

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    1. Hi Victoria :)
      I think you would enjoy watching it - but I had never thought about it being a controversial topic until you mentioned it. But now that you have, I see how it is. It's funny because they said on it how they're so much better off because they're not out in the world going through heaps of "bad" experiences of the "bad" world we live in. But at the same time...they're not seeing the world for what it is at all. If something happened and they all suddenly had to leave Gloriavale I'd hate to think about the consequences of their sheltered lifestyle...
      See you tonight!

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