some perspective...

Sometimes I stress about money. Worrying about the future, sometimes to much and tonight, I feel like I was given a sobering perspective...and reminded again that I am in China...

As you know, the company I work for has allowed me to stay in a hotel here for 2 weeks before I settle into my apartment here. A couple days ago, I came back to my hotel room and noticed that my cosmetic container was missing. The hotel receptionist later informed me that as the women who were cleaning my room, they knocked over my makeup case and my foundation shattered on the floor. At first, I found myself a little annoyed because makeup for foreigners here is apparently a little difficult to find. Most foundation is a very yellow sort of tone, where foreign skin is more pinky. The hotel staff asked me how much it might cost. I said, that it was probably around 200RMB (about $28.00CAN)

She told me that was a little expensive, but she said she would try her best to reimburse me for this as soon as she could.

After that, I left the hotel for a bit to run some errands, a little annoyed but not thinking much of the incident.

I came back tonight and just grabbed a quick snack from the hotel lobby. Another staff girl said, "Oh, I wanted to talk to you about the accident that happened in your room. You see, we don't know what to do because the housekeeping staffs salary is very low, and the can't afford to pay you the amount of your makeup..." She seemed so worried and scared to tell me.

My heart sank. Here I am, a Canadian, staying in a beautiful hotel and with a job awaiting me that is considered to above what a local teacher would make here, and I was concerned over a small, insignificant, material thing? This little, insignificant thing could mean that some one would not be getting paid that day, or having a meal with their family. Gosh. I live in China. I forget that this kind of disparity exists here. I immediately told the hotel staff not to worry a bit. I really didn't care at all. And she seemed relieved to hear that.

Suddenly, my worries and cares of the day don't seem so big. A mere inconvience to me, could mean a much bigger consequence (is that the right word?) to someone else.