Poverty In Pudong

July 22nd, 2009 | 34 comments


Sunday, October 14, 2007

I paid ¥20 for a cab ride down to People’s Park (人民公园), ¥10 to see the Gaudi exhibit at the MOCA, ¥40 for lunch at Pizza Hut, ¥50 for a shuttle ride to the Oriental Pearl Tower, another ¥50 for dinner and ¥1o for extraneous expenses. I dropped ¥170 like it was nothing because in my mind that was only $10.

My friend (at the time) JC and I walked along the Huangpu River that night. We saw a boy in ripped rags and torn slippers. He looked about 10 years old. He approached us raising a flower in his hand and said,

“一块，一块。要不要花？”(One dollar, one dollar. Do you want flowers?)

He haggled a little. We politely declined. I turned around and watched him zig-zag his way down the path. He made sure not to miss a single couple. JC and I sat down on the stone-rimmed flowerbed and watched the boy pace back and forth under the moon light.

“一块，一块，” he would say, “一块，一块， 要不要花？”

一块 (yi kuai) was less than 15¢.

He approached us again. This time, we took the time to talk to him. Actually, JC did all the talking. I sat there while the boy told us his story. I don’t remember the details but it’s not the details that matter. It’s the bigger picture. He lived across the river. His family was poor. He sold flowers to make a living. He worked from sun up until his uncle came to get him. But it was already past 10pm. How much longer did he have to work? Then I had an epiphany. That could have been my little brother. That could have been me. It was only by chance I wasn’t born into poverty. That was the bigger picture. It could have been any of us.

Before we left JC slipped ¥50 into the boy’s hand. The boy left and I cried. For whatever reason, I’m still not sure. JC and I made plans to meet up with some friends at Attica. So I put on my happy face, paid the ¥100 cover charge and headed straight to the bar. At that particular moment, I was ashamed of myself for living the way I did. Something in me began to change. I felt it that night.

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  • http://www.growyourownwings.blogspot.com/ Michelle

    That almost made me cry. And it took me a while to figure out who JC was, lol.

  • http://www.growyourownwings.blogspot.com Michelle

    That almost made me cry. And it took me a while to figure out who JC was, lol.

  • http://sprite247.blogspot.com/ beketchai

    That’s so tough to read, especially about children and poverty. It tears at your heart to witness how the young (and old) struggle, but it seems more painful when it’s a child. I’m glad you were able to do something to help the little boy out, even if it’s just a little. Remember, a little can go a long way. :)

    (I’m slowly reading through your posts, so bear with me!)

  • http://sprite247.blogspot.com/ beketchai

    That’s so tough to read, especially about children and poverty. It tears at your heart to witness how the young (and old) struggle, but it seems more painful when it’s a child. I’m glad you were able to do something to help the little boy out, even if it’s just a little. Remember, a little can go a long way. :)

    (I’m slowly reading through your posts, so bear with me!)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for sticking around to read it all. A little goes a long way if every one does a little about it. But for me , a little isn’t enough. I’m looking to do more. Just have to figure out how. :) I hope you enjoy the rest of my posts.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks for sticking around to read it all. A little goes a long way if every one does a little about it. But for me , a little isn’t enough. I’m looking to do more. Just have to figure out how. :) I hope you enjoy the rest of my posts.

  • http://www.layyourheadhere.com/ Carrie

    A very touching story, Monica. Poverty is something that we should never turn a blind eye to, especially when we are traveling. We are all in a position to help, even if it’s just a small donation of food, clothing or time. Some countries with a high number of street kids (like Cambodia and Vietnam) have set up restaurants or laundry services which donate half of their earnings to keeping kids of the street. I’d love to see this happen in China.

  • http://www.layyourheadhere.com Carrie

    A very touching story, Monica. Poverty is something that we should never turn a blind eye to, especially when we are traveling. We are all in a position to help, even if it’s just a small donation of food, clothing or time. Some countries with a high number of street kids (like Cambodia and Vietnam) have set up restaurants or laundry services which donate half of their earnings to keeping kids of the street. I’d love to see this happen in China.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I think it’s a great idea for local businesses to donate a portion of their profits. Perhaps as a result, children will have a better chance at receiving an education, which is crucial in relieving poverty. But there’s such a great disparity between the rich and poor. Unlike the US, education isn’t free in China. Many families can’t afford to send their children to school. It’s even more difficult for migrant families, which are plenty in China.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I think it’s a great idea for local businesses to donate a portion of their profits. Perhaps as a result, children will have a better chance at receiving an education, which is crucial in relieving poverty. But there’s such a great disparity between the rich and poor. Unlike the US, education isn’t free in China. Many families can’t afford to send their children to school. It’s even more difficult for migrant families, which are plenty in China.

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  • GotPassport

    Hi Monica:

    Amazing stories. Poverty is everywhere in the world. I admire your courage to keep pushing yourself to take action and educate others through your stories. Keep going!

  • GotPassport

    Hi Monica:

    Amazing stories. Poverty is everywhere in the world. I admire your courage to keep pushing yourself to take action and educate others through your stories. Keep going!

  • http://hooey.ru/ hooey

    You should probably bear in mind that this child will not get anything out of your 50 yuan. Or maybe just a yuan or two.

  • http://hooey.ru hooey

    You should probably bear in mind that this child will not get anything out of your 50 yuan. Or maybe just a yuan or two.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Maybe…maybe not. How can you be so sure?

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  • http://richardescobar.com/ Rich

    Great story, Monica. Very touching.

  • http://richardescobar.com Rich

    Great story, Monica. Very touching.

  • Aoife

    Hi Monica,
    Thanks for sharing this. I’m in India at the moment and have had a pretty similar experience. It ain’t fair that some of us have plenty and others have nothing. I’m tryin to stay positive though and think of how to help and not sink into despair at the situation. There’s lots of ways to help, and I’m sure you helped that child that night.

  • Aoife

    Hi Monica,
    Thanks for sharing this. I’m in India at the moment and have had a pretty similar experience. It ain’t fair that some of us have plenty and others have nothing. I’m tryin to stay positive though and think of how to help and not sink into despair at the situation. There’s lots of ways to help, and I’m sure you helped that child that night.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks Rich! :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Thanks Rich! :)

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hi Aoife. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I haven’t been to India yet so I can only imagine what poverty looks like that out there. I’m sure to a degree, it’s universal around the world. I completely understand that feeling of despair when you see how ugly the world can be. I constantly remind myself not to sink into to as well…even when I read the newspaper.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Hi Aoife. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I haven’t been to India yet so I can only imagine what poverty looks like that out there. I’m sure to a degree, it’s universal around the world. I completely understand that feeling of despair when you see how ugly the world can be. I constantly remind myself not to sink into to as well…even when I read the newspaper.

  • will

    The picture of the little boy, he appears to be younger than 10 years old. I’d say aboutmore like 7 to 8 years old.

    Had I seen him, I’d given him some money too. In San Francisco, i don’t give money to the bums and homeless people, cuz most of them are receiving monetary subsidizies of some from from local cities, or State funds. And the money they obtain on the street is used for booze or drugs.

    But in China, I normally give money to poor people, extreme beggers, or handicapped people.

    一快，一块，要不要花。 很高兴JC给小男儿50元。踏实了不起的。

  • will

    The picture of the little boy, he appears to be younger than 10 years old. I’d say aboutmore like 7 to 8 years old.

    Had I seen him, I’d given him some money too. In San Francisco, i don’t give money to the bums and homeless people, cuz most of them are receiving monetary subsidizies of some from from local cities, or State funds. And the money they obtain on the street is used for booze or drugs.

    But in China, I normally give money to poor people, extreme beggers, or handicapped people.

    一快，一块，要不要花。 很高兴JC给小男儿50元。踏实了不起的。

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I wish I could give to all but there are so many. I hope the boy used the 50 kuai well.

  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    I wish I could give to all but there are so many. I hope the boy used the 50 kuai well.

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  • http://apairofpantiesandboxers.wordpress.com/ Monica

    Maybe…maybe not. How can you be so sure?

  • Keius

    I used to give money in the states….until i saw this guy i gave money to go around to the back of a building and drive away in a Cadillac. In China…begging and peddling by children is a HUGE industry. I only give to cripples and sometimes little children. I don't deceive myself in to thinking that any of it's going to actually go to the child because it won't. In the cities, alot of the kids are kidnapped/abducted and forced in to this kind of living. The only reason i give to those kids is because sometimes, if they don't get enough, their handlers won't even feed them or will beat them.

  • monica530

    I've heard one too many horror stories about children being kidnapped to beg for money. I've even heard kidnappers who purposely disable the children, ie chopping off limbs, in order to make them look more pitiful. It breaks my heart and infuriates me at the same time.

  • http://www.baconismagic.ca Ayngelina

    Oh wow the first photo is haunting.

  • http://www.wild-about-travel.com/ Simon

    Very touching post. True, we forget too often how lucky we are,just because we had the chance to be born in the right side of the planet. But handling with poverty is not always easy. I saw little boys beating each other for money or other presents given by tourists. And very often children are exploited in a shameful way and giving them money paradoxically might be a way to keep them exploited…

  • Anonymous

    Yes, it is very unfortunately how unfair the world can be. It just makes it all the more frustrating when doing good for the time being can ultimately harm these children in the long run. It’s hard to just accept that.

  • monica530

    Yes, it is very unfortunately how unfair the world can be. It just makes it all the more frustrating when doing good for the time being can ultimately harm these children in the long run. It's hard to just accept that.