A Chinese woman in her 30s is drawing attention for supporting her family by operating her own excavator decorated with Hello Kitty and pink accents.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on Nov. 30, Zhang, a 35-year-old woman from Heze in Shandong province in northern China, operates a Hello Kitty excavator at construction sites. Zhang painted the entire vehicle a bright pink and adorned it with Hello Kitty decorations.
Online, Zhang is called the "excavator queen" and has attracted about 23,000 followers. She said she began learning to operate excavators in 2019 but did not choose the job entirely of her own accord.
"I started to make a living. My husband tricked me into working in this industry," Zhang said jokingly.
"It's an era when women drive excavators, so I didn't think the machine itself had to look masculine. That's why I customized it in pink," she said, adding, "The manufacturer only offered yellow excavators, but they painted it pink at my request."
Explaining why she decorated the excavator, Zhang said, "When you face cold, dusty machines and worksites every day, it's easy to get tired," adding, "So I did this to cheer myself up and be happy."
She added, "Who decided excavators must be yellow? I want to break stereotypes," and "I wanted to reflect the hidden romance and wonder in my life onto the machine."
When her husband complained about the pink customization, she said, "I told him there's no price on my happiness." She emphasized, "Driving this excavator makes me feel completely different."
Zhang also praised her husband's looks online. "In return for my handsome husband's appearance, I can take care of all the housework and my job," she said, adding, "He doesn't have to worry about anything."