| Blogs > swallowtsui > Hopping Swallow 鍋爐焰焰 |
|
Sad Faces - Scenes of Night Last night I sat in an outdoors restaurant (Tai Pai Dong) in Gongbei area, the Zhuhai border area adjacent to Macau. I sat alone there waiting for my bro., strong wind brushing along. One little tried to approach my table but the waiter dismissed him. I noticed a skinny figure w/ a dirty,gloomy face moving foward while dragging a self-made wooden trolley. On the trolley lied a shabby woman who I supposed is the 's mother... I sat there, still alone and waiting. Eaters in group from Macau ate happily there, occassionally interrupted by shoes brushers,who are mostly middle aged men and women w/ dark, sad faces. Then three w/ guitar made contact w/ a table next to mine. Guys at the table kept teasing these singing-sellers. The deal was done at RMB20 for 3 songs. Little May was sung first , guitar chord accompanied. The singer girl just sang and seldom spoke, the other two pungent, responsible for negociatiion. Finally, the 5-6 guys walked away with the 3 girls, probaly to Karaoke. A waitress began to clear off their leftovers while a shoe-brusher with dry, dark skinned face hastened to grasp the unfinished half glass of beer on the table to his mouth. He was so thirsty, tired that he totaly ignored the waitress's warning, "Pour to your own tool, don't use our glass, not good if customers see you..." I sat there,trails of food smell in the air, lights glittering. This was a lively market. Mobile fruit vendors voiced out. Shoe brushers moved around from table to table, humbly promoting their service but rarely accepted. These kinds of scenes not only can be seen in the night, but also in the day, not to mention those disabled beggars crawling on the floor, those little pulling yr clothes asking for some money with an adult aside, in the street corners, in front of the customs house, in the place that tourist heading for legal gambling and glamourous life. They are to the extent that we cannot distinguish who is real beggars who is not. We are numb. Guess they, these people living in the crack, mostly from the north or west, should be offered better choices and get a share on state's robust economy development. Why the gap is so big? |
|||
|
This world has the ability to do away with ALL poverty - it lacks the 'will' and as long as it is driven by greed, these sights will persist. Yes, I feel sad when I see this sort of thing too. Earlier this year on a skiing holiday, I watched some hotel staff at the rear of the hotel 'selling' the contents of the dustbins to the poor people in the village. They could have just let them help themselves but greed kicked in.
| ||
|
Gary, I do not have answere neither. I have lost of chances seeing and feeling these scenes and people. Eeverytime my heart is torn apart, in contradiction. There is discovery by Chiniese media that some of the beggars take begging as a job, some become millionare and build luxury houses at home; that some kids are kidnapped and made cripple and under control of mafia...(if this is true, police should take care of them.) I do not know whether offering several Yuan can help. If we do want to help, we should get rid of the root that attribute to this situation! Yet I do try to distinguish, I honor those get paid through work, even little and humble, like the shoe-brushers, music/song sellers, vendors... Our society needs to observe these and work out a more fair social system. I am glad that Government has started to.
| ||
|
Gary, Happpy that you enjoyed yr trip in China. Chinese people are really nice to guests by showing you their true hearts. I do not have answer neither. I have lot of chances seeing and feeling these scenes and people. Eeverytime my heart is torn apart, in contradiction. There is discovery by Chiniese media that some of the beggars take begging as a job, some become millionare and build luxury houses at home; that some kids are kidnapped and made cripple and under control of mafia...(if this is true, police should take care of them.) But I am sure these reporting is a sand in the sea. If one has better choices, one would not choose to live on the streets. I do not know whether offering several Yuan can help. If we do want to help, we should get rid of the root that attribute to this situation! Yet I do try to distinguish, I honor those get paid through work, even little and humble, like the shoe-brushers, music/song sellers, vendors... Our society needs to observe these and work out a more fair social system. I am glad that Government has started to.
|
