While her peers are starting their careers in air-conditioned offices, 22-year-old Eliza Lee is mincing garlic and taking orders.
For the past two years, she has been helping out at a food court stall that sells a quintessentially Singaporean dish - chicken rice.
But Miss Lee is not doing it for the extra cash. The younger daughter of parents who own a bag-manufacturing business does not need it.
They have another daughter, 25, who runs a food business.
Instead, the "L" word is why Miss Lee is on her feet for 10 to 15 hours every day, seven days a week.
Her 32-year-old fiance, Mr Michael Poh, owns the stall.
She is so determined to share her man's burden at work that she deferred the final leg of her university course to help out at his stall.
Miss Lee, who studied at a top secondary school and a polytechnic and has a bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism from the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), has to study for about six more months before honours can be credited to her degree.
The prospect of being a hawker's wife has never bothered her, she says.
"In fact, our 10-year age gap was more of a concern," she says with a laugh.
That mindset is rare among women her age.
A wedge between blue-collar workers and office executives still exists. When it comes to picking life partners, most university graduates would not consider blue-collar other halves.
Mr Poh declines to reveal exactly how much he earns each month, but it is enough to maintain a comfortable lifestyle for his parents and fiancee.
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that is why, it is not a good idea to marry off after just a few months of dating... it takes years to accomodate each others' differences... when we are married. It is no longer about me me me... but rather, it's about us us us.
But after a few years of marriage, they find that their husband not helping in housework, hang out with buddies often, drink beer like it is FOC, smokes, only look for her when in need etc etc.
Real life not like TV serial.
I am not referring to this couple specifically. Just speaking generally.
i know some cases where local hawkers "married" foreigner-wives from neighbouring countries to "enlist" their help in running their hawker stalls only to find that they eventually abandoned them (the husbands) & the stalls for their home countries!
a very lucrative business always, (hygiene are usually compromised) since everyone has to eat, it's best that hawker aspirants be he or she know what to expect to save one from many a tear!
ha..ha!
no, not really!
maybe should listen to yours
and so are all the sg graduate gals!
ha..ha!
Title very misleding.
Hawker's wife....meaning one work for someone.
Shouldnt the title change?
Degree holder, 22, happy to be owner's hubby chicken stall.
So you think she should listen to both your advices instead ?