Re: China, Salaries and our Wives

Anna, you are probably right. However, and aside all that pride, the time my wife will spend on the job is going to be affecting my son and me greatly. Even though my son will attend a kindergarten, i'll often have to shop, cook for him, feed him, wash the dishes, do the laundry, put him to sleep as the kindergarten isn't so great at all. A few days ago, my wife announced that she did not have a contract in her hand, but the deal was fixed. What made me even angrier was that she was lied to and according to her employment contract, she'll be paid a fixed salary of 800 Yuan plus all the monthly classes she'll teach which means she might get as much as that 1,800. Imagine that my wife could not possibly feed herself and her son as the expenses in this big city are way above whatever she'll make there. Yes, we live in a major city and so it's a shame she'll work for such little. Now, if you were me, would you do a husband, house husband and a family supporter?

I thank you and any others for their future contributions on this topic and I sure hope for your follow-up.

Cheers and beers

China, Salaries and our Wives

I have been reading and hearing a lot about the fast local development and rising salaries. I've just read an article about some foreign companies on mainland that are considering moving out due to the rising local labor costs. Looking around I see so many locals barely making 1,500 Yuan monthly. Even the ones with their local degrees are on such monthly salaries and stunningly the major cities' employers aren't shy to offer just as much.

My local wife has just been offered a teaching post at a public school and as she's been at home for so long, due to our demanding two year old son, she wants to work so much again. So, she accepted a humilating offer of 1,700 monthly. Humilating because she's got a degree and she is a locally certified English teacher with more than 5 years teaching experience. I am stunned by both, the offer, and my wife accepting it. I have even contemplated a divorce, but I love my son too much to do so.

Why am I so irrational? My son's about to join a kindergarten where they've offered me a 60% discount. It means I'll ONLY have to pay 800 Yuan monthly for his fine local education. Yet another question raises and that is how can so many other locals afford to pay so much? Aside that and the fact that I make enough to support my family, I am still absolutely puzzled by the local trend.

Cheers and beers to our local wives at home or at work :)