Road of no return
Whether it's separation or integration, Taiwan girls or Taiwan mothers, the move to Shanghai is a road of no return.
For most of the single Taiwan girls, although they do not have issues with a husband or children, their biggest abiding concern is the great event of their life--marriage. Most Taiwan girls, because of the gap in living standards and value systems, are not willing to take up a relationship with a local boy, and long-distance romances are a difficult matter.
"A little while ago I was thinking about asking for a transfer back to Taiwan," says Tiffany Tien. On the one hand she felt there was too much work pressure in Shanghai and in addition her boyfriend in Taiwan wanted her to come back. Nevertheless, after giving it some thought, she felt in Shanghai she had the responsibility of supervising a section and returning to Taiwan would not necessarily mean a similar spot would be open or there would be a comparable opportunity to get experience. The idea of resigning and returning home was once more rejected.
"I have already made plans to stay here a long time," says Chun Shui Tang manager Erica Liao. The market hinterland in Taiwan is too small--it limits development. There are more opportunities in Shanghai and without any entanglements she can go for broke. As for marriage, well, just let it happen naturally!
The choices Taiwan girls make echo very well the survey results of 104 Job Bank. For Taiwan women in the workplace, the priority of their heart's desire is: work, money, family. Self-realization and work values have long surpassed love and marriage. When Taiwan girls first arrive in Shanghai they all miss home and can hardly wait until they get some vacation, when they always immediately fly back to Taiwan in high spirits. But after a while this flight back home that wastes a whole day with its circuitous and bothersome routing makes them step back a bit and gradually they tend to prefer traveling and spending their vacations in China.
"Changing planes is really tiresome." Last year for the long Chinese national day vacation Liu and another Taiwan girl, Tang Shun-ling, decided to go together to Inner Mongolia. The five-day trip cost them RMB5,000, and they had a great time.
"For Taiwan mothers, Shanghai is also a road of no return," says Chang E. Taiwan mothers give up their jobs and bring their children to live and depend on their husbands--this is really an even bigger risk than that taken by the Taiwan girls. If the husband is the boss, his control over his own career will be fairly substantial, but if he is employed as a manager then there is a lot of agonizing about whether to go or stay.
Some Taiwanese managers bring their family to Shanghai, then not long after are reassigned back to Taiwan and wife and children have to return. There are also those who have been sent to Shanghai and are later assigned to Beijing or Chengdu while the mother stays in Shanghai with the children and the husband once again becomes a frequent flier. Even stranger, there are some men transferred back to Taiwan headquarters while the wife, used to the leisurely life in Shanghai, decides to stay there on her own with the children.
Taiwan girls and Taiwan mothers dream of Shanghai... can their beautiful dreams be realized? It all depends on the person. Overall, there are gains and there are losses, the bitter is mixed with the sweet, and it is hard to do justice to this complex situation in just a few words.
Taiwanese in Shanghai:
Shanghai Municipality:
Land area: 6,340.5 km2
Population: 13.055 million
Taiwanese residents: 500,000 (estimated)
Taiwanese-invested businesses: 1,600
Websites popular with Taiwanese:
TWGOCN: www.twgocn.com
Pudong Mamas' Park: www.pudongmama-tw.com
Taima Club: www.taimaclub.com
Taiwan Women's Blog: www.tmtsblog.com
1881 Taiwan Professional Women's Society: www.1881tpws.org
Gentlemen Club: www.gentlemenclub.cn
Schools for Taiwanese children:
Shanghai School for Children of Taiwan Businessmen
Shanghai High School, International Division
Shanghai Community International School
Jing'an School (Shanghai International Studies University)
SMIC Private School (Semiconductor Manufacturing Int'l Corp)
Shanghai's Bund is as eye-catchingly glamorous as Shanghai's women.