> > When I Grow Up, I Wanna Be A Tai-Tai
> >
> >
> > The last 100 years have been golden ones for the female
sex really.
> > During that span of time we got the vote, got the right
to go to
schools
> > and added university degrees and Oxford PhDs to the list
of 'Women Can
> > Do' without slaughtering, maiming or killing
anybody.
> >
> > Well, okay ... maybe a bit of illegal protesting and bra
burning.
> > Lately, we've chalked up more milestones in the business
world as
> > Hewlett Packard became the first big name tech player to
appoint a
> > woman CEO and according to news reports, more than 27% of
new
> > businesses being launched are being headed by
women.
> >
> > The result of all this history is that women of today's
generation have
> > grown up with strong ideas about being career women. In
secondary
school
> > canteens, we dreamt of careers as lawyers, accountants
and engineers,
> > earning pots of money and somewhere along the way,
meeting the suitably
> > qualified tertiery educated Prince Charming who drove a
nice middle
> > class car.
> >
> > The thought of becoming a housewife was filed away under
'Stupid
> > Hairbrained Things Which Only Dumb Females Consider
Doing'. Five
> > years, a university degree and a couple of years working
experience
> > later, some of us are finding that gulp, we take it all
back.
> >
> > Really ... all we want is to be tai-tais ...
> >
> > The truth is that working is a drudgery. Having a boss is
like having
> > PMS except it's every working day of the week (and that's
5 days a
> > week x 4 weeks a month x 12 months a year).
> >
> > Nine to five hours are a miserable experience. Paperwork
is asinine,
> > endless and sometimes, verges on pointlessness. And oh
yes, finding
> > new ways to be idle without being caught probably should
be national
> > employee pastime No 1. For gifts last year, we gave each
other
> > copies of Dilbert's The Joy of Work for laughs. Bringing
home the
> > bacon doesn't have a magical satisfying feel any more
because you're
> > too tired and brain dead to even contemplate frying it
yourself.
> >
> > You consider throwing yourself into your work and
becoming one of
> > those amazing females who makes the cover of Women @ Work
but decide
> > after taking into consideration the total loss of
personal time,
> > absolute lack of a social life and general all round hard
work you
> > need to do to achieve that goal, coupled with the glass
ceiling
> > factor, finding a good husband who will bring home not
just bacon
but
> > the whole damned pig seems the easier and faster road to
good times.
> >
> > Longing for tai-taidom doesn't mean swopping the
university
parchment
> > for the 'same druggery, different context' of housework
and
> > brood-rearing.
> >
> > Tai-taidom is about having a maid tackle all those
tiresome chores
> > and going out to coffee, high tea and shopping with your
school
mates
> > and girlfriends. It's about gym workouts with a personal
trainer,
> > having facials and and pamper sessions at the
masseuse.
> >
> > It's being able to go on a vacation at the drop of a hat
without
> > having to apply for leave, wait for it to be approved and
then have
> > your boss whine about how it's a bad time to be taking
time off.
> >
> > Tai-taidom doesn't have to be dull either.
> >
> > After all, as a lady of leisure, you will have time to
undertake all
> > the hobbies, interests and skill improvements that you
always wanted
> > to do but never had the time or money to. Read all those
books you
> > meant to read all those years ago but never found the
time. Travel
> > and see the world. Learn how to sing, play a musical
instrument -
> > write a sex and shopping novel. Tai-taidom is the chance
to discover
> > and exploit your hidden talents and well, find
self-improvement. Take
> > typing classes.
> >
> > Wait a second - weren't these the sort of exploits of
gentile young
> > ladies of the Elizabethan 18th Century? The play a
musical instrument
> > and learn how to sing is almost straight out of the pages
of Jane
> > Austen's books isn't it?
> >
> > Tai-taidom is a step backwards for women surely?
(Elizabeth Candy
> > Staunton would be rolling in a grave over this one, you
think?)
> >
> > Yes and no.
> >
> > Modern tai-tais have probably got it much better since
corsets were
> > condemned and well, Elizabeth Bennet would certainly have
appreciated
> > having the vote and being given the chance to go to
university and as
> > well as marry Mr Darcy and be lady of leisure at some
large house
> > with sprawling grounds.
> >
> > Modern tai-tais aren't tai-tais by virtue of their gender
or because
> > they can't be anything else - they're tai-tais by
choice.
> >
> > And being a tai-tai doesn't mean all the equality we
fought for and
> > the right to sit at the table and express your views
while pounding
> > the table with your immaculately manicured nails just
vanishes
> > overnight.
> >
> > Rather, it's having the best of both types of worlds that
women have
> > experienced.
> >
> > Which brings us of course to the one fly in the whole
becoming a
tai-tai
> > ointment. Alas, achieving tai-taidom is somewhat a more
tenuous uphill
> > task.
> >
> > If you thought winning the vote was a toughie, wait till
you get to
> > finding a decent good husband who makes enough money for
you to live
> > the life of a tai-tai. Need we repeat again how good men
are hard to
> > find? Even the cads and bounders are hard to come by
these
> > days.Tai-taidom is an elusive fairy tale ending that like
Cinderella
> > and Sleeping Beauty, is the exception rather than the
rule.
> >
> > The moral of the story at the end of the day? Screw the
knight in
> > shining armour or liberated sensitive new age man - Just
gimme a
> > husband who can afford to keep me in the style and manner
in which I
> > would like to be accustomed to ... and I will cook all
his meals and
> > let him put up his feet when he comes home ...
> >
> > Tai-taidom, here I come!
> >
