Two articles on china.org.cn have me oddly concerned:
Yeah, alright, I long since gave up expecting China to live up to its Marxist principles, but still…
…these two articles reek to me of rich city folk seeing maids as just another commodity to be bought and sold.
And that, dear reader, is fundamentally wrong in any country or culture.
I suppose it is too much to ask rich city folk to raise their own children.
Anyway, I say a nanny-shortage is a good thing. Judging by these articles, it will force rich city folk to go some way towards paying something approaching a decent wage to people they normally see as little more than domesticated animals, and perhaps even treating such people with a modicum of respect.
And besides, Spring Festival is approaching. It’s the most important festival in the Chinese calendar, a time you are supposed to spend with family. Why the hell is anybody complaining of a nanny-shortage? Shouldn’t they welcome the departure of their nannies as an opportunity for their nannies to fulfill familial obligations and as a chance to spend time with their own children without outside interference?
Yeah, I know, I’m being silly. Again. But those headlines and the articles they headed really rankled me.
I saw recently from local stats that officially I count as a rich person in Chengdu. Should I have a nanny? Or should I buy some children to justify employing a nanny? Perhaps I could get the nanny and the children as a package deal – buy the children and get the nanny for half price. It’s a hard life being officially rich.
BTW, I note that you still have Xin Phoenix listed on your blog roll instead of Green Bamboo.
Changing the blogroll now.
Thanks.