Help yourself to my "s'more goes blog"! You'll find trackeds and endtrials through S/SE Asia, my Pan-American overland wanderings, SoCal, and always bridges to and through the Middle Kingdom. Expect only occasional updates now from Jets, Journal, Wonder and environs.

November 30, 2004 The Great Divide    As an English teacher in Shanghai, here's how long it takes me to earn the equivalent of a day's wages for various people I know or have known. Day's wages are based on an eight-hour work day (or a teacher's equivalent) and a five-day work week.   4 hours: self as gardener in America 1 hour: self as teacher in Qingdao 30 minutes: teacher colleague in Qingdao 24 minutes: waiter at Pizza Hut in Shanghai 18 minutes: lifeguard at my swimming pool 7 minutes 30 seconds: cafeteria worker at Shanghai Public Library 3 minutes: self as volunteer on Burmese border 2 minutes 25 seconds: Bangladeshi mobile phone store clerk (12 hour day)   Is this fair? Is this right? Perhaps I'm asking the wrong questions.    Am I doing good in the world? Am I appreciating? Am I loving?    I can answer yes to all of these. Posted by: Lorenzo / 9:31 PM Comments: Post a Comment Archives November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 December 2006 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007