What makes a Grade A? - The Star

By Wong Sai Wah

Making the grade seems to be a lifelong pursuit everywhere, and it is not just in the paper chase but also in everything one does after that.

DANNY Zhong is a tour guide in Shanghai and as such is a wealth of information about China's most dynamic city, especially its people.

His first remarks as our car left the brand new Terminal 2 building of the Shanghai International Airport in Pudong was: “Did you know that in China, Shanghainese men are considered the best husbands in the world?”

My host Liz and I were stunned as well as amused by his remark.
Zhong quickly explained.

“A woman who marries a Shanghainese man does not have to do any house work.
“It is very expensive in Shanghai, and men here do their very best to keep their wives happy. The men will rush home from work to cook dinner, wash the clothes and clean the house.
“The men are worried that if their wives are unhappy they may demand all sorts of things, from new clothes to jewellery, and these things are very expensive in Shanghai.”

Furthermore, he explained, wives of Shanghainese men were doubly lucky because their husbands do not go out at night, as they cannot afford to do so in this expensive city.
He also told us of another urban legend in Shanghai that men and women were also graded based on their position and potential.

Grinning again at our puzzled faces, Zhong said a Grade A woman is one who has married a rich foreigner, obtained a foreign passport, lives overseas, and comes back occasionally.
Grade B is a woman who is married to a rich local man, especially one who owns a public-listed company, and lives the life of a tai-tai.

Women in Grade C are those married to men holding high positions in a multinational company (MNC) in China.

Grade D women are working professionals, and not married.

“The rest of the women do not even qualify to be graded,” added Zhong.

As for the men, Grade A are those who own public-listed companies, while Grade B hold high positions in MNCs, and Grade C the professionals working in local companies.

We had a good laugh at Zhong’s tale and wondered how Malaysians should be graded.
A couple of weeks ago I broached this subject with my “focus group” of girlfriends at a farewell dinner for one who was migrating to Australia.

Before we go any further, I think it best that I describe this group of women. Sam, who is now in Australia, is a marketing person who last year ended a long-term relationship.

Yvette, who holds a senior position in a bank, is single and lives with her family.
Sally is happily married but still finds plenty of time to hook up with her girlfriends.
Laura is in advertising and is about to get married to a Canadian. Pearly is single and has changed jobs three times in the past year.

Expecting to be skewered for even daring to raise such a subject, I was however pleasantly surprised by their response.

“Cheh! Malaysian men are not worth even grading,” was Yvette's initial reaction.
But Sam quickly pointed out there were some men who were of a “certain class”.
After much banter, we came to an agreement that Malaysian women were easier to grade.

A Grade A Malaysian woman would be one who is independent and has enough money to not have to depend on any man. But if she is married, it would be to a doting, RICH husband.
Those in Grade B would be those who married rich husbands and who do not have to work, while those in Grade C would be married, but would need to work.
“There is no Grade D Malaysian woman,” declared Pearly.

How about Malaysian men? Who would fit the Grade A category?
“Those who are married to Grade A women,” said Sam cheekily, to which the others nodded in assent.

Sally pointed to Laura and said: “If there were any Grade A men left she would not be running away to Canada!”

Laura quoted something I wrote not too long ago – “50% of Malaysian men are married, 30% cannot be trusted and the rest are gay!”

Looking at Sam, I told her that she would probably be a Grade A Shanghainese woman “married to a foreigner, holding a foreign passport and living overseas” now that she was migrating.
The group concluded that Malaysia was a diverse country and it would be difficult to come up with a proper grading system.

While they agreed that young women here have difficulty finding life partners, they nonetheless felt that it was just fine to be single.

“It is not as if we need them,” said Sam as a parting remark.

Deputy Executive Editor Wong Sai Wan is too old and too married to be graded.