Chinese Teachers Report For Duty

Ah, what a great summer in China. I don't make much money as a University teacher you understand, so I use it carefully and wisely. Family is big deal here and to avoid relationship clashes of dynastic proportions, I shelled out roughly $200, or a third of my salary, for a round trip train ticket home.

After paying my University an exorbitant rental fee on my drab, empty apartment and electricity and water, I barely had enough left over for soggy onions, fresh spinach, tofu, rice and fruit.

Home is where, they say, the heart is. Well let me give you a little advice about that. I left my heart in San Francisco. Just a bad joke from an old song. Singing the blues, which is life's way of talking, I dutifully lugged my broken suitcase home to hearth and kin.

Whew! So much guilt, so much Duty. I am overwhelmed by the heavy burden of my family's expectations.

After fulfilling all my academic responsibilities (meaning - Pass all the students - or face the dire consequences) given to me by the University Authorities who, will for the sake of Social Stability and Harmonious Educational Reform Committees, remain faceless, nameless and totally obscure, I escaped from my prison.

It took twenty-two long, boring, tedious endless hours sitting in "hard seat" with three transfers and the stations were packed out with homeless migrants, laborers and prostitutes. People without a wing, hope or prayer. The ancient Oracle predicted this development.

Mothers and fathers formed concentric protective circles around their children to prevent thieves from stealing them. Stolen kids are a HUGE underground economy here as you may or may know. People will gladly pay large sums for a boy because they have a higher value in our NEW economy.

Human life is cheap here so Stealing, Selling and Buying children is just part of the way things work.

Speaking of work, I've gotta run because I must help mother with the cleaning, shopping and endless chores. If I don't perform my filial duties she may threaten to sell me. I'll be returning to my other life as a teacher next week after I report back for Duty and will file another report.