too pretty to be an engineer?

Lumut Industrial Park, 21 April 2009, Tuesday

i got my safety shoes on(which is as big as a boat. baling-kat-anjing-pasti-mati shoes, i call it), my so-called-bullet-proof-jacket and the safety helmet.
went to the yard where the modules of da offshore platform were installed and made.
men everywhere.
they literally stopped.
and gawk.
they freaking gawked at me!

i swear, it was da most painful walk i had ever had to endure.

on the platform, some men had their handphones out, it seemed. i didnt notice coz i was too busy checking da pipelines and the continuity lines.
and they bloody hell took pictures of me!

a fellow colleague came to me and said
"maria, kau ni.. too pretty to be an engineer la"
i was so surprised by dat random comment, i just stared at him.
my mind started reeling.
"wat da hell am i supposed to do then? quit? but im in my 3rd year already.. how am i supposed to pay petronas? will mom get mad? abah?? why am i too pretty to be an engineer? etc etc.."
and i tell you, that wasnt all.
my colleague also said i was distracting his workers.
and dat he's getting stressed out coz he feels he has to look after me and himself when working.

dammit.
im a freaking burden rupanya.

Lumut Industrial Park, 22 April 2009

i tried to act professional when i went onboard.
i had my serious face on, i was very independent and i moved swiftly between the pipes and oh! i got into a separator! i was inside the vessel!! i felt like crying due to overwhelming feeling of awesomeness(pelik kan?) and i was grinning like a stupid 5 year old after dat.
mistake.
the men could estimate my age after witnessing my reaction. they assumed i was 18 years old.
so my colleague came up to me and said
"maria, gambar kau dah org distribute dah kat sini"
i was angry of course, but he was laughing so i didnt know if i was supposed to take it as a compliment or complain about it.
i decided to let it go. if they liked a belacan-faced-rambut-messy-18 year old girl, then i hope u'll get a hell of a beating from your wives.
so now these questions still linger in my mind.

am i too pretty to be an engineer?
wat da hell am i supposed to do now?