Beijing Postcards-3 - Living in the Streets

I was told by my Beijing office counterpart, the average household income in Beijing is USD2900 for a whole year. The streets of Beijing seen from a tourist eyes is definitely not the common sight. On alleys, you will see the occasional beggar, which contributes to the high unemployment rate.

I was told by my chinese teacher, that the graduate getting a job in the service sector is a big deal. She came from a university degree to be a language teacher. Some came all the way to malaysia to be foot masseurs and are very contented with the salary.

My colleagues were given USD100 for a meal allowance one night. I told them, that this was a third of a whole month household income. They should be thankful. We should all be thankful.