my first rant

3/31/05 Thursday - Got a call from the desk. One of my colleagues left something for me. It was my sign. Sweet! Went to a Japanese restaurant with PS and Marat. You'll never guess what they ran out of . Rice. Can you believe it? I've never heard of an Asian restaurant that had no rice. I'm afraid a rice famine is starting to rival the Irish potato famine. Just kidding. We got there late (21:30) but still. No rice? Make another pot! Anyway, the food was good and pretty cheap. About 240RMB ($30) for three of us. The waitress told me they didn't take AMEX so I used my MAC card. I left my other credit cards in the hotel room. That reminds me, I need to get those. Anyway, as we were walking out, we saw the AMEX logo on the cash register then again on the door. They apologized but there was nothing we could do. When we left, we had to dodge some of the toughest panhandlers I have ever encountered. These women are pretty amazing actually. They seem to work in packs. I wouldn't be surprised if they share their booty. It is a Communist country after all. There are about 3 women in each pack. They hang out in front of the places where business travelers (esp. Westerners) frequent. When they see you coming or going, they start running after you. It's not a quick pace but you can't get away from them at a normal pace. They all have a bowl or cup of some sort. Some have walking sticks but I swear they are for intimidation more than balance. Most of these women seem quite Reubeunesqe so the begging business must be profitable. Marat says a good job around here pays 1000RMB per month. If they can get 30 RMB per day begging, they do pretty damn good. I imagine on a good day, 30 is no problem. Part of me wants to give these women some money but I never do. I don't give to panhandlers in the States either. I know what Jesus said about giving to the poor and "what so ever you do to the least of my people you do unto Me" and all that but I don't want to perpetuate the problem. I mean if panhandling becomes profitable, why would anyone try to get a real job? I've seen all sorts of beggars in China: kids, women, women with kids, old men (although very few abled bodied men I might add), people with arms and/or legs missing, blind people, everyone. WTF?!?! This is a Communist country. Chairman Mao and all that crap. Cradle to grave care from the government? It's all a fucking lie. Maybe there was a time when that was the case but that has ended. It's now every man for himself over here. If you get old or sick or lose your job, you're screwed. Good-bye, thanks for playing. For your consolation prize, you get an old soup bowl and your very own street corner. Most of the women I've seen have a metal bowl or cup with a handle. In Shanghai they just use their hand (unless they are blind or have no hands then they have a cup of some sort). One woman in TEDA actually had an orange, disposable plastic bowl that you get from 3RMB soup in the local convenience stores and supermarkets. BTW, I haven't seen any 24 hour stores in TEDA, these people must actually sleep unlike Shanghai.