people's republic of desire

The South Korean movie My Sassy Girl was a hit on the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many young women can identify with the film's hot-tempered, sometimes rude, yet beautiful female character. It seems the Confucian patriarchal society has finally come to the stage of embracing strong women, especially among China's one-child generations. Finding the stereotypical, submissive Chinese women in the cities is increasingly difficult.

The self-proclaimed 'spicy girl' from Hunan province, Dolly considers herself a representative of the new generation. Her idol is the sassy girl who slaps her boyfriend in the movie. Dolly, who is short-tempered and won't change for any man, has watched the film at least five times. She doesn't cook; she prefers the men to cook. She likes to wear mini-skirts and talk about orgasms in public with her friends.

She dates her English teacher, Terry, who is from Texas. In three months, she gets the shy and meek man to quit his job in China, marry her and take her to the United States.

Everyone thinks the free-living American lifestyle will suit Dolly well. But one month after she leaves, she calls her friends from a detention centre in Austin, Texas. 'I might be thrown in prison,' she says. 'I don't know anybody here to help me.'

'What about your husband Terry? He can help you.' Her friends are surprised that she is asking for help in China when she has an American husband by her side.

'He's the one suing me,' she replies.

Her friends go to Niuniu to ask for help. After all, Niuniu has been in the US, and at least can offer some advice. Niuniu makes the phone call to Dolly right away.

Dolly pours out her story. 'I tried to send a cheque for US$5,000 to my folks in China, but my husband said he didn't have a job and didn't think it was a good idea for me to send so much money. I said: 'I'm your wife, not your appendage. I can make my own decision.'

'He argued that I didn't have a job either and the money was all his. I got angry and said to him: 'We're husband and wife now. There should not be your money or my money.'

'He argued back and I got enraged so I threw my coffee mug at him. His nose was broken. Can you believe what he did the next? He called the police! I didn't expect the police to take the matter so seriously that they would not let me go home for a few days. America is a free country, why would the police interfere in my domestic dispute? Also, how could my husband be cruel to me by calling the police?' Niuniu replies: 'You hurt him. You threatened his life.'

Dolly retorts: 'But it is common to have verbal, and even physical fights between husbands and wives in China. My parents often beat each other. I know other kids that I went to school with whose parents fought too. How can he love me but leave me in the detention centre and now threaten to sue me?'

'If you love him, why did you hurt him?' Niuniu asks. She doesn't have sympathy for Dolly after hearing the story.

Dolly argues: 'But in Chinese we have the saying dashiqin, mashie - beating is a way of showing intimacy.

'Would you like it if your husband shows his intimacy by beating you every day? You need to change your temperament. Apologise to your husband and make him drop the case.

'He has always liked my wild and spicy side. Men love barbaric girlfriends. If I change, I won't be as attractive to him anymore,' Dolly protests.

'Do you think you are attractive while wearing the prisoner's uniform?' Niuniu hangs up the phone, wondering if Dolly's marriage will go bad like a pot of soup that has been over-spiced.