Steet Girls in Sheunghai

My dear friends,
 
I am now in Hangzhou, leaving Sheunghai yesterday. I have been sick for the last few days, coughing all the time. However, I can still manage to go places. I have visited the Sheunghai Library, there I found some old version of the Iesop's Fable tranlations. It was translated all most 100 years ago in 1910, but the thoughts are still not very clear nowadays.
 
The next day, I have visited the Lu Shin tomb and his memorial exhibition. It was a large garden, with the great man lying in the deepest part, quiet and lonely. Now they are going to get rid of his influence, it could be a major change in the Chinese culture.
I have stayed in the pond side for a long while, thinking about all this matters. I cannot say, this is not a good time, as meditatmg in the tomb of someone you know so well,  is but a chance so rare in life. I saw small fish come up to find food, but I have none. I  was coughing so often, and think what would happen to the fish if I fell into the water.  Crowds of people were around somewhere away, they are singing the Chinese folk songs and dance.
 
In my way back, I planned to take the underground railway back home. It was a short trip, need changing line for only 3 times. However, that happened to be the peak hours. I found I was in the middle of a large crowd, and I am not sure if I went into the car could I come out in the next stop. So I decided to stay there, coming up to the road surface again. It was the People's Square.
 
I had some simple dinner there. After the dinner, it started raining again.  And it was dark.
 
I was walking in the "Walking Street" in Nanking Road. I kept remembering the old song : "The good 8th regiment in NanKing Road"  Now the place had been turned into a major shopping place, with department stores on both sides of the road.
 
I was approached three times by the girls.  Some asked me whether I am foreigner. I said I am not, and I said I have no money. They followed for a while and left. But it  was the third time most unforgetable. 
 
It was dark then, I was waiting taxi on the road side. No taxi stopped. I waited and waited. Then the two girls came.  They looked young, but pale. They asked me could I help them a bit. My answer was as usual, I said I have no money. They said, they are from some where, and now they are hungry. I ran my hand into the pocket and get some coins, only a few rmbs , and gave them. When they turned away, I saw the girl lowered her head and counted the coins carefully. It was this action kept me thinking for a long time. The picture kept coming back. I can still see how she counted the money. It must be ture that they are hungry, and i regretted not to give more.  May be my friends would  ask:  How much more will you give them? And here comes the old stories again. May be my friends can still remember the Indian begger boy and how he drank from the road side ditch.......
 
Yes, I can give them more, from a coin to a life.
 
 
I remain,
 
Yours,
 
Leechard
 2010.7.20
 
 Notes:
Next time I will tell you how I attended a Catholic Church in Sheunghai..... If I found the internet cafe again.
 
 P.S.  Peggy, thanks for the idea. William,  thanks for the idea. I will write more.
 
 
 
 

---

Hotmail 是採用 Micorsoft 安全性技術的免費電子郵箱 現在就使用