THE ongoing Golden Week holiday can be a time of sad reflection for hard-working white-collar workers in China's big cities. Chen Ni, a 26-year-old with a foreign-invested company in Shanghai, said that she was feeling increasingly anxious as the holiday started. This year's break lasts for eight days, until Sunday, encompassing last Sunday's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day which fell on Monday. Though Chen mailed a package of mooncakes to her parents, who live in a remote county in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, she still felt haunted by a sense of loss. "I'm not happy at all even though I have a decent job in a big company. Sometimes, I'd rather go back to work in my hometown where I may earn less money but can often see my family," said Chen. Fast-paced city life brings great pressure to white-collar workers. Chen confessed that she works hard to forget her loneliness because she feels terrible in her spare time. However, a promising job and the opportunities that a metropolis have to offer leave Chen and many other young white-collar workers in a state of ambivalence. These workers seeking out prospects in big cities are usually busy and have little time to spend with their families. It is a dilemma for many. |
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