Chinese beggar

I've been busy baking this week. Several cakes (for gifts and Ezra's birthday), peanut butter balls and the kids decorated Christmas cookies last night. I'm so tired!

Today, I was riding in the cab to bring Ezra's birthday cake to school for his friends. I passed a woman begging prostrate on the sidewalk. So deep in thought was I over this woman, I almost missed the turn to Ezra's school. But I decided I was going to do something for her.

We sang (in English) Happy Birthday to Ezra, ate cake and then Ezra and I walked back toward the street to catch a cab. But on the way, we passed a woman making a Chinese pancake. I don't know what else to call it, it's like a pancake all rolled up with vegetables and gravy and an egg. She places a big iron pan over a large cylinder that contains a fire and cooks them right in front of you. The whole thing is on a cart and she rolls around from place to place cooking breakfast in the morning. They are really good and as long as they are hot, I have no problem eating them. Ezra has apparently never seen this before and he walked over to see what she was doing.

I bought one for Ezra to try and to give to the previous beggar I had seen on the way. I hesitate to give beggars food because I've heard people don't want food, they want money. But then, I hesitate to give money because you don't know where the money is going.

We walked a long way back until I saw the woman, all wrapped up in her winter clothes, still laying prostrate on the ground, her head resting on a plastic bag to keep rocks off her forehead.

I said, "Ni e ma?" (Are you hungry?) and set the food in her bowl. Right then, some other older women walked by and said in Chinese, "Ah, she's giving her a pancake." The beggar looked up. I couldn't see her face because her head was covered in towels to stay warm and I couldn't understand her because she spoke Suzhou-nese, but I could hear the gratitude in her voice. I turned around to see what she was doing and she was opening the plastic bag the pancake comes in and was watching us walk away through her towels.

It was quite an interesting experience. It made me feel good inside to give someone something they needed but I also hope it taught Ezra a lesson in humanity.