"I don't like doing housework at all. But because of that I set up the requirements for the house keeping service from a customer's point of view," Dong says. "I believe that makes a difference."
Soap opera fan
Dong is a fan of South Korean soap operas, which have captivated thousands of Chinese viewers with scenes of families huddling around dinner tables over plates of kimchi and rice wrapped in seaweed.
"I like South Korean dramas because of the details of their family life, the elegant homes, appetizing food, traditional Asia values and an emphasis on family relations," Dong says.
But more importantly the soaps brought inspiration for a new business. Dong opened a domestic service training school in Shenyang at the beginning of this year.
"It is common to see in the South Korean dramas that a young girl would be sent to a domestic service school by their parents before her wedding in order to learn some basic skills in cleaning and cooking. I am sure there is also such demand in China," Dong says.
China's first generation of the only-children, also known as "little emperors", is now stepping into marriage. Faced with stiff competition for getting to the best schools, they have been kept away by their parents from housework to concentrate on study.
"They are expected to meet many problems when starting their own families. One cannot always live in hotels or eat in restaurants," Dong says.
Most of the students at Dong's schools are young ladies who were born after 1980. Besides learning cooking and cleaning, many are moms-to-be and come to learn baby and child care skills. Dong has an ambition to open about 200 such schools around the country.
"The hostess of a family plays a very important role. She affects the future of her child," Dong says.
(China Daily 07/28/2008 page12) |