left behind

I've been this morning looking at statistics. Mostly about urban/rural population (the "urbanization of cities is not really happening since a lot of the "new urban residents" are actually not settling permanently. ) The migrant population is estimated at 140 million. Shaffer said according to the articles he's read in the newspaper 50% of kids in the country have two parents out working! and 80% have one. That's high and scary and sad. Volumes could be written on all the social problems linked with this phenomenon. But here's an especially sad example.

Sun told me yesterday about an article she read in the newspaper. A twelve-year-old boy. Fifth grade, same as her son, hung himself a few days ago. He left all his books stacked neatly on his desk at school. Came home and asked his grandfather, who was playing mahjong at the time, and was surprised and moved, if he could kiss him on the cheek. Wrote a note to his parents, who are both migrant workers out somewhere. The note talked about how sad he was each time they left.

And here's a recent article and video from the national Chinese English news program about the kids being left behind in the countryside.