| Liu Ling, Zhu Yuan and Ting Ting (names changed) | | | | the luxury of asking them such questions in part |
| are tour guides who double as office workers at | | | | as a writer and in part as something that is |
| the travel agency where they work. All three are | | | | considered acceptable in China. People rarely think |
| smart, intelligent, pretty and in their twenties. | | | | twice before asking if one is married, their age, |
| They dress well, have their hair done every once | | | | salary or whatever else. If at all anything is |
| in a way and smoke cigarettes three times the | | | | considered unacceptable, it is reference to things |
| price of the ones I do. Mine cost me 4 Yuan a | | | | sexual. The test is passe.'Four hundred yuan', Zhu |
| pack and theirs about 13.They are all energetic, | | | | Yuan answered. I was shocked. That equals a little |
| ready to smile and generous. And, they all | | | | more than fifty dollars a month. My former English |
| welcome me with a musical 'Lao shi' (teacher). I | | | | major students from a three-year college in |
| am not their teacher but I, on occasion, have | | | | Guangdong, now, after three years of work |
| given them some very basic English lessons. I was | | | | experience earn ten times the salary these |
| introduced to them by their boss Deng Yi (name | | | | vivacious young women earn. I wonder if |
| changed), an old friend.I dropped in to their office | | | | knowledge of English makes such a huge |
| this afternoon after a stroll around the city centre. | | | | difference. After a few moments of reflection I |
| They welcomed me with warm smiles and the | | | | ask them about their education and I learn that |
| hao ting (pleasant sounding) 'lao shi'. Deng Yi | | | | they studied high-school but did not go to college |
| wasn't in so I chatted with them for a while and | | | | or university.'What about the salary of the |
| soon it was 6.30 PM, closing time. Before they | | | | restaurant waitresses. What do they earn?' I |
| closed up they invited me to join them for dinner. | | | | enquire. Liu Ling remarks, a sardonic expression on |
| Lonely as I was I wanted to join them but said a | | | | her face, 'More than we do'.I feel a strange |
| polite 'no thanks'. They insisted and I accepted | | | | sadness and lose my appetite. The crabs, the |
| gladly.We got into a cab and drove to a | | | | numerous other dishes fail to attract my attention |
| street-side restaurant, a 'daipadang', housed in a | | | | as I reflect on the way things are in our world.All I |
| tent. On the way, Liu Ling said they (the three of | | | | can utter is, 'You need to study more to better |
| them) could down 4 jins (2 kgs.) of 'xia' (crabs) | | | | your lives.'I think about Deng Yi's colourful |
| between them. That sounded impressive, | | | | evenings at expensive restaurants, Karaoke bars |
| especially since I am mostly a vegetarian.We | | | | and night clubs and the pained expression on her |
| stood outside the tent for a while as Liu Ling, Zhu | | | | beautiful face. And, then I think about Liu Ling, Zhu |
| Yuan and Ting Ting looked at the fare on view | | | | Yuan and Ting Ting's meagre salaries, benign |
| inside a glass-cage - a variety of vegetables and | | | | looks, generosity and vivacity. I think about my |
| meats that they could choose from. I watched | | | | salary and the difficulty I have making ends |
| the dapaidang boss's wife and a fuyuan (waitress) | | | | meet.I think about China and India and the rest of |
| scissor the legs off the crabs as they picked | | | | the world. I feel I know more about life with each |
| them out from a large plastic bowl, filled with | | | | passing day but less about China with each |
| writhing crabs awaiting their ignominious end. After | | | | passing experience."I don't understand China, I |
| the legs, they cut their heads off and then pulled | | | | can't understand China,' something whispers |
| out their entrails, collecting them in a smaller | | | | inside...Rajesh Kanoi (Jack) is a published writer, |
| plastic bowl.Later, as we sat inside sipping on our | | | | now living and working in China. Many of his |
| beers from little plastic glasses held in plastic | | | | short-stories, poems and articles have been |
| cup-holders the conversation veered to their | | | | published, including a book of short-stories, 'From |
| work. I asked them about their hours of work | | | | China With Love' (Lipstick Publishing). |
| and on an impulse, their salary. I allowed myself | | | | |