84
ELIZABETH L. JOHNSON
or keening done at weddings and funerals. They did little, if any, embroidery, home weaving of fabrics, or sewing: this work was generally done by specialists. The main reason for this very limited development of textile arts was, in addition to the prevailing poverty of the area, the fact that all younger women were engaged in heavy labour outside the home. While most of the housework and child-care was managed by elderly women, the younger women did most, if not all, of the agricultural work, and in addition often did heavy carrying work for wages. Many of the men were away for extended periods of time, working either in the urban areas of Hong Kong or abroad; some had local businesses, and others did not work at all. As a result, in many families, women had primary responsibility for subsistence agriculture, bearing an extremely heavy burden of work. The following is the daily work schedule 25 years ago of a woman now 55 years old, a schedule which was repeated in basic outline by many other informants.
“I got up at 5:00 and fed the baby
then I made a fire and boiled water and put rice porridge on to cook
then at 6:00 I went to carry water, making four trips to the well
then I went to the fields to water the vegetables
I cut the vegetables and took them to market
I used the money to buy food and returned home
at 8:30 we had breakfast of rice porridge
then I went to the Texaco oil company to carry kerosene
at 12:30 I came home for lunch
I worked again from 1:00 to 5:00 carrying kerosene
when I got home I cleaned the pig pen
then I went to work again in the fields
in winter I returned home at 7:00, in summer at 8:00
after dinner I bathed the children
then I carried several loads of firewood
then I prepared food for the pigs
I fed the baby and went to sleep at 11:00”
This woman had eight children. Such a daily schedule left her little time for any other pursuits. According to another woman, now 80 years old:
“When I was eight or ten years old I began to cut grass and carry firewood. I went with a group of girls, never alone. I was married when I was sixteen. After my marriage I had to work.
84
ELIZABETH L. JOHNSON
or keening done at weddings and funerals. They did little, if any, embroidery, home weaving of fabrics, or sewing: this work was generally done by specialists. The main reason for this very limited development of textile arts was, in addition to the prevailing poverty of the area, the fact that all younger women were engaged in heavy labour outside the home. While most of the housework and child-care was managed by elderly women, the younger women did most, if not all, of the agricultural work, and in addition often did heavy carrying work for wages. Many of the men were away for extended periods of time, working either in the urban areas of Hong Kong or abroad; some had local businesses, and others did not work at all. As a result, in many families, women had primary responsibility for subsistence agriculture, bearing an extremely heavy burden of work. The following is the daily work schedule 25 years ago of a woman now 55 years old, a schedule which was repeated in basic outline by many other informants.
“I got up at 5:00 and fed the baby
then I made a fire and boiled water and put rice porridge on to cook then at 6:00 I went to carry water, making four trips to the well then I went to the fields to water the vegetables
I cut the vegetables and took them to market
I used the money to buy food and returned home
at 8:30 we had breakfast of rice porridge
then I went to the Texaco oil company to carry kerosene
at 12:30 I came home for lunch
I worked again from 1:00 to 5:00 carrying kerosene
when I got home I cleaned the pig pen
then I went to work again in the fields
in winter I returned home at 7:00, in summer at 8:00
after dinner I bathed the children
then I carried several loads of firewood then I prepared food for the pigs
I fed the baby and went to sleep at 11:00"
This woman had eight children. Such a daily schedule left her little time for any other pursuits. According to another woman, now 80 years old:
"When I was eight or ten years old I began to cut grass and carry firewood. I went with a group of girls, never alone. I was married when I was sixteen. After my marriage I had to work. 1
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