paradise... and hell.

shanghai is a wonderful place. it has every luxury one can imagine. villas with pools and a clubhouse, chauffeur, shopping, and the most delicious food.

with my family, reunited, I am having the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation (perhaps second to the Mexico adventure).

the only wrinkle in my lovely sojourn is the fact that admist all the luxury, unimaginable poverty and struggle surrounds me. i suppose that in addition to the weather, i have not yet acclimatised.

to speak plainly, i cannot stomach how the "haves" bitch around the "have nots". it is ugly to watch the Caucasian housewives condescend and mistreat the Chinese workers. (we all know that they are bottom feeders back in their homelands).

but the worse that i have seen so far - are the Taiwanese. funny that the only thing that differentiates the Chinese, the Taiwanese, the Oversees Chinese is a passport. And yet this little book somehow gives one a feeling of superiority. It somehow gave authority to a few to oppress, to bark, to holler, to demand, and to belittle.

the little orphans also break my heart. if i could, i would just take all of them home with me. i would give them a happy home with lots of hugs. eventhough i don't find kids very cute...