Editor’s note: This Article is taken from an article in the Chinese website gcpnews.com. It is describing how the fast paced life of many Chinese people has taken its toll on the family life and the children, and how some people are reacting by saying goodbye to their professional career.

The Malaysian newspaper Sin Chew Weekly recently ran an article on the increasingly frenetic pace of the working lives of Chinese people, and how the numbers of families leading this kind of life have increased tremendously. Being busy has become the rule rather than the exception. The article is as follows:

Giving up a career for the children

I was having afternoon tea with a woman in her 40’s; brilliant as she was, she had still decided to end her professional career. During our conversation she spilled the beans on how the fast pace of modern life has affected her family.

“I have seen far too many couples where both parents are working hard and letting their child stay with their granny or a nanny. I cannot bear to look these children in the eyes because they tell me of a lonesome childhood. Because of this, I decided to gradually draw back from my professional career after the birth of my child. The father of my child is always busy and doesn’t have time for the family throughout the year. When the child is sleeping he hasn’t come home yet, and he leaves again before the child wakes up. I don’t like this kind of life where the child basically doesn’t see his father. He is also deeply sorry for being away from the family,” she explained.

Massive workload leaves little time for family life

She continues and talks about how precious the short time is when the family can finally be together. “The happiest time of our family is when we can leave this city and go travelling, living in a hotel, visiting sights, eating local snacks, walking closely hand in hand and enjoying the tranquil life – sadly though we can only allow ourselves this luxury once a year.

I have been urging my husband to spend more time with our child, as it is important for his healthy upbringing. After repeatedly stressing this fact to him, my words eventually moved him and he stayed home one weekend to play with the child. But as soon as the phone rang, he was back working at the computer.

One Sunday he took home a huge pile of work from the office. It sounds nice to say that he stayed at home with wife and kids, but actually he was at home to work, nothing else. This way he was at home but still not really there; so what’s the point?”

She further pointed out the dilemma of balancing work life in an upwardly mobile family. “Maybe you have been promoted and enjoy a higher salary, but this only means that you are going to be busier with even less time to enjoy life and spend time with the family. Our family has become a NETTEL (Not Enough Time to Enjoy Life) family. I am really at a loss of what to do,” she explained.

Not enough time to enjoy life

The word “NETTEL family” is one of the hottest words among Chinese professionals in 2011. In our present world, in which the pace of life is ever increasing, these kinds of families are on the rise. With busy lifestyles being the norm, some members of NETTEL families just can’t slow down; but what is really worrying is the fact that these people don’t see this as a problem, but rather as a symbol of their personal success.

Today’s people in China love to rush forward. This new pace can be seen everywhere: people seem glued to their cell phones – which seem to be ringing incessantly – and there’s generally a much greater urgency to get things done fast. People prefer express mail, photos must be ready for collection instantly, and taking bullet trains and direct flights is preferred over slower transport methods. When starting a business, people go for the immediate profit and want both money and fame through their dealings. When marrying, they want both an apartment as well as a car beforehand. Many Chinese are leading lives of haste and treating each day like a battle.

The slow life

I always thought that a fast paced life would lead to more money, fearing that if I didn't catch the opportunity, society would throw me aside. I believed that only what I firmly held in my hand was truly worthy. Thus, I slowly lost the capability to slow down. The essence of the slow life is to be near nature, live in a natural way and to try to have peace of mind in your dealings with other people. People say that the heart is a garden; have you asked yourself what you want to grow in this beautiful garden of yours?

Modern people could learn from the past to slow down their fast lifestyles. But ultimately, during Chinese people’s frantic rush forward in this modern age, they should stop and ask themselves whether or not they can still see the direction of their life clearly.

Source: gcpnews.com

 

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