Wednesday, August 27, 2008
A world of contrast
It's crazy how different two places can be, literally a world apart. But it's even more astonishing how different the same place can be. One place that has two completely different worlds that people experience. In America, we have the homeless on the streets asking for money or food while millionaires pass by not even glancing in their direction. In China, there are the workers who pick the fields and sleep where they see fit. For example at the bus stop the other night. But one thing that really touched me happened at school yesterday when I was walking down the staircase, I saw two women sleeping on grass mats in the corner of the staircase. They were dressed in working clothes and straw hats curled up snugly, taking a snooze from their work on the school grounds. I was confused at first as to if they were aloud to be doing this, I had never seen such a thing. (I later heard it's completely normal) So I walked quietly by them trying to not disturb their afternoon nap, but what took me by surprise was the brand new Audi car parked outside the window they were sleeping under. It's black paint glistened in the sun and reflected onto the two sleeping women. I just stopped and stared and it really hit me how different one life can be from the next, depending on primarily one thing only, money. This image is something that I haven't been able to get out of my head. I'm sure it's something I will remember, a picture tells 1000 words. What a world of contrast.
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4 comments:
Contrast between people within a culture appears to be universal. It seems all humans have a desire for "something more"; more experience, more travel, a bigger house, more kids, more money, a better job, you name it. Some people get their "more" through dedication and hard work, some through luck (both good and bad), and some are just born with it. Whatever the reason, this creates the "haves" and "have-nots" and, you're right, seems to always come down to money. The great thing about America is that we all, for the most part, have a choice in the matter. Most people world-over don't have the same freedom we mostly take for granted. I believe that, as we learn more about each other, the world will become a much more "homogenous" place; cultures will blend, differences will disappear and, hopefully, our tolerance for the remaining differences will improve. Perhaps one day we can all just get along.
It's always great fun to learn about different places and cultures first-hand though. I've found it makes me appreciate not only the things that make us different, but also the things that make us the same.
ST
you nailed it on the head! i think you should start a blog!
hey em, just wondering, are you at NYIT's china campus or another school?
Yah its called NYIT-NUPT (Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunication)
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