Beggars

There are many beggars in Shanghai but there seem to be only two types: the walking ones, and the sitting ones. The walking ones are usually older and they will come up to you, and tug on your sleeve, or touch your arm as they shake their cup/container at you. The sitting ones are more distressing. They are the mothers with children; the disfigured; and the amputees. Two young boys, both without both arms, were on the Bund (streetside or in the pedestrian underpass) on Sunday and Tuesday. As we walked past yesterday, Kitty said that it was best not to give money to these young boys; she explained that they had probably been stolen by bad men, who had done them harm, and were making money from them. It had occurred to me that it was quite strange to see two young boys, both with both arms amputated just below the shoulders. How sad a life.