Sanlitun Urchin

The Bar Street Massif will know what I'm talking about - the group of dirty young children that roam around Sanlitun pestering foreign bar patrons for donations. Newcomers to China find it difficult to ignore them. But hard nosed sceptics such as myself see it as it is: a scam and what could only be a vicious cycle. Give them the message that a living can be made by scrounging loose change off the laowais and the slim chance for upward social mobility grows even slimmer. When they are old enough, or more accurately no longer cute enough to beg, the adolescent ex-child beggars recruit young urchins to take their place.

Now they usually leave me alone, or even if the dare to venture near me I bark "I'm Chinese! I ain't giving you any money!" or something to that effect. But that particular night I was especially inebriated and was sitting outside Fish Nation watching my friends making a nuisance out of themselves. I thought it would be amusing to whip out the digital camera and take some drunken photos. I caught the attention of one of the urchins who gave me a good telling off.

Urchin: You cannot take photos of me!
Me: Why not?
Urchin: *hesitates* You must pay me if you take a photo of me!
Me: *feigned shock* Why must I pay you?
Urchin: *looks over his shoulder at the big kid for moral support* Because I'm hungry.
Me: Well then my friend you should go to school.
Urchin: Just give me 10 kuai. I'm hungry!
Me: *looking hurt* Nobody gives me money when they take photos with me.
Urchin: ..............
Me: Look, you must go to school to learn and get an education. Then, one day, you may even get a job that pays you TWENTY KUAI a day. How about that?
Urchin: *face lights up as he struggles to grasp with the concept of 20 kuai - don't think he can count that far*

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my good deed of the month. :)