Happy Smile - A happy place called home
(4 votes, average: 7.75 out of 10)
This is a cute and innocent child we met in China in 2006. My wife and I took 7 months off and traveled many places in the grand China. We met this little boy on a boat, which took us cross the thousand islands lakes. Most passengers on board are local fish men or their families. This little boy was very interested in seeing my Nikon D70S digital camera. I took a photo of him and show him the picture on the screen. He was so happy and started giggling.
He wanted more! He started playing different roles in the cartoon and wanted me to take a photo of him. I could not really say no. He is such happy boy. We chat with his grand father. He never mentioned the boy’s mother. We only see his father smoking on the front side of the boat.
The boy is going home.
He is such a sweet boy, but is also poor and not educated very well. He tried to pickup the food from the floor and put into his mouth. We stop him and told the grand father about it. They seem to getting very used to the behavior. We gave the boy a piece of energy bar, which we carry all the way from USA for our backpack trip. He never saw such thing and start biting on the package. That cracks me out loud.
So the grand father is taking the little boy home. We looked around the lake. There are not many houses around the lake shore. We found a small boat that our boat passed. I saw a little girl sleeping in the little boat. The grand father told us. Many local people can’t afford the house, school and education, so they can only stay in the little bamboo boat. That little boat is the happy home for a family for 4.
So the boy is going home with his grandfather to have a better place to sleep. The boy is very happy to go home too.
What do we complaint about our unhappiness for? No air condition in the summer and no heater in the winter?
I am glad that I have happy place called home.
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This is the happiest blog in the world. Can you smile make my day? 
February 17th, 2008 at 4:45 am
This is interesting story in the beginning and at the same time painful to know they boy trying to eat the food of ground and especially knowing about the girl in boat. I can’t imagine this latter one. Thanks for sharing!
February 17th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Well I love the second photo of this little boy! And your post goes on to weave a much greater story, well done, Terence. I will try to remember this when I’m complaining, which is about every single day. I cannot fathom life on a bamboo boat, and I hope I never have to. But I am not so arrogant to think that it wouldn’t ever have been me in that circumstance–I was simply fortunate enough to be born into the life I have.
February 18th, 2008 at 12:23 am
@Jirel:
I can imagine if I was the one in that small boat. I will never know how I will be feeling. I think pool people many only have few worries in their life. Foods, place to stay, cloth to wear.
I believe richer people have more worries. In many case, poor people smile more than richer people.
Thank you for stopping by!
@Stacey:
Thank you for the kind words. I am not a good English story teller. I could not find some words to describe my feelings. I actually have some more stories, but some of them won’t make me smile. They will just make me cherish what I have in this live time.
Thank you too!
February 18th, 2008 at 4:46 am
This is my absolute fave pic ever!
Good work and nice blog - thumbs up from me
February 18th, 2008 at 4:51 am
@Dream Portugal:
Thank you! I like that one too. The little boy is very happy to see his picture in the camera.
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February 18th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I also think that poor ( I am sorry for saying) people have less worry than than rich one. But, I don’t like to think in this way. At least rich people are able to get the basic needs of thier life.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:10 am
@Jrel:
You are right. Rich people have the capability choose not to worry about certain thing. That’s why many of us work so hard to be someone like that.