The China Experience

Poverty in China is everywhere you look.  But it’s funny what hits home sometimes.  Having been here for over 8 months now, it’s not that I don’t notice the homeless people looking through bins, or see as many as 20 people living in a one room apartment, I guess it’s just that I tune it out.

Today though, as I was walking down the street, I was struck, watching two girls racing along and giggling, red plastic bags flying behind them.  I guess I should be happy that they’re so industrious, and were able to make kites from something that was laying around.  Instead I felt sad though.

I’m sure that comes from originally being from the western world.  They didn’t seem to mind that they didn’t have a fancy kite, with ribbons flying from it.  They were just happy to be playing during the week’s break from school.

Maybe it is them who have it right – making do with what they’ve got and just enjoying the moment, rather than striving to be what everyone else expects from you.