I've been going through pictures that I took on our little adventure and I wanted to share these ones that I took while on a visit to this woman's house in the Hutung neighborhood. This was when we were still in Beijing and our guide wanted to show us how a middle-class Chinese person lives. 
I kept thinking about this very dignified older woman and her nylon knee-highs, as I went to Sports Chalet to purchase cleats for Jack and then hopped over to Target to buy more (useless) stuff.
This woman raised two children in one room and her kitchen doubled as her bathroom. She shared the courtyard (pictured) with four other families.
There is no room for materialism or privacy in this household. She's been married over fifty years. How many of us could stay married that long in less than a hundred and fifty square feet? Her home is slightly larger than an American prison cell. She is retired and now receives a small income from opening her door to curious tourists.
I'm grateful for having spent time there. One of the best things about dragging Jack to the four corners of the world is to be able to show him how other people live and show him how they can actually survive without their own personal space or a bath tub, or a color television, or a remote, or a PSP and yet still manage to get some enjoyment out of life (like the two cuties we met in the park). He's only eight, but I'm hoping these experiences will seep in and nurture his empathy and his respect for the differences in our cultures. Not to mention, giving him a little perspective on life.
Missing China.
Isabelle
1 comment:
Great pictures. We didn't get to see any of that when we did our pre-trip. Hope you are well.
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