AMID the rubble at the construction site, a red jacket stands out. As you turn your gaze upon it, you realise it belongs to a woman.
Meet Mrs Gretna Yen.
She is the only woman among three deputy project directors overseeing the construction of Resorts World at Sentosa.
And this mother of five children - one aged 25, another 17, and a set of triplets who are 15 - is also a beauty queen.
At 51, she is the reigning Classic MrsSingapore Worldwide 2007.
All-rounder: (Top) Mrs Gretna Yen overseeing construction as deputy project director at Sentosa's Resorts World. (Above) The mother of five as the reigning Classic Mrs Singapore Worldwide 2007. In November, she will take time off from work to represent Singapore in the International Classic Mrs Worldwide Pagaent in Minnesota.
Mrs Yen told The New Paper on Sunday: 'Some of my colleagues tease me when we meet people. They say, 'You must meet Gretna. Do you know that she is our beauty queen?'
'They always crack me up.'
But behind the girlish laughter is a sharp, articulate woman.
EXPERIENCED
Mrs Yen, who has been an engineer for more than 30 years, earlier worked on One Raffles Quay and the Marina Bay Financial District projects before she took on the job at Resorts World at Sentosa this year.
With 20 others in her team, the pint-sized beauty queen is overseeing the construction phrase at the Central Zone of Resorts World, which will house four hotels and the Festive Walk.
She said: 'This project is challenging because of the size. We are also on a fast track as those on site are working 24/7.
'The other challenging factors include the shortage and cost of materials, depending on the current economy.'
As we stood near the main entrance of what will be Hard Rock Hotel in the Central Zone, she also explained the excavation process in detail.
But has she faced any form of discrimination in the male-dominated industry?
Mrs Yen laughed and said: 'Oh yes. When I started in the '70s, I was a civil engineer. There weren't many women in this line then. At that time, I was working on tunnels, sewage plants and anything underground.
'During one site visit, I was stopped from entering the tunnel while my male colleagues went in.
'I suspect it had a lot to do with superstition. From then onwards, I decided to build everything above ground. Besides, it is more satisfying to see the fruits of one's labour.'
It is a different story today.
'Women in this industry get equal respect,' she said. 'We know the job like the back of ourhand.'
She works a 10-hour shift, but weekends are strictly reserved for her family. Her husband is a 52-year-old IT consultant.
The family lives in a terrace house in Hougang.
She joked: 'My kids will not let me answer my Blackberry phone over the weekends. They want to spend more time with me.
'My husband, on the other hand, does most of the cooking. He's much better in the kitchen than I am.'
Despite her hectic schedule, Mrs Yen has managed to squeeze in some time for charity work.
She hosted a Chinese New Year party for elderly residents at the Henderson Senior Citizen Home in 2005.
In the same year, she was also a volunteer and organiser for the Women's and Children's Healthcare Foundation.
Asked if she is an over-achiever, Mrs Yen responded with a laugh: 'Well, you may say so. But it's a good feeling when you set out to do something and you do it well.'
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