80-year-old woman sells newspaper on the street

An 80-year-old woman sells newspaper in a severely cold weather. She is smoking and shivering. Leaning on the wall of a warm take-away food restaurant, she’s heavily muffled up in an overcoat. The pictures published through internet strike many people.

There isn’t any information about the old woman’s family. All we can see is her hoary hair and her face covering in lines and wrinkles. Many people left their comments and said they were moved by the old lady’s spirit of earning her own living, which stimulated them to buy a newspaper from her and they thought she set a role modal to the young, because she’s still very diligent although at this age. But, seeing these pictures, I feel ever so sorry and shocked.

Moved!? I know, in our society, we really in need of something which will make us feel moved, but it must be true-heartedly moved. When I saw the pictures, I didn’t think of anything about how noble the example she set. What I care is why she still has to do this in such a cold weather; why there’s nobody taking care of her. Though we all have no idea about her family, her children, it’s mortifying that she’s doing this at her age.

At this age, she should enjoy her family relationships in a warm house, and her children must take care of her very well. So why is she here? Where are her children who should support her? If she doesn’t have any child, why didn’t government and related department do anything?

If that’s because her children doesn’t take up the responsibility of supporting her, civil administration department should do something to persuade her children; If it’s because there is some trouble in her family, she has to sell newspaper to earn living, related department can help her solve it through the social welfare channel in China; If she doesn’t have any child, government are obliged to take good care of her.

In conclusion, facing her, I can’t help feeling sorry. I think we should make a confession-her children (if exist) or related department or every one of us should. Do we really do well enough to look after the seniors? What they need most is caring, I think. We should take action as soon as possible. If you’re hesitated, just think that you also can’t avoid getting old…

Forbid love between teacher and student?

City College of Science and Technology University in Wuhan, China, required the supervisors to sign on the “Student Management Education letter of commitment”, which included one clause: Teachers and students can not have any love affairs. This became a hot issue. 97 supervisors signed on it till 3rd November.

I remember there used to be a teacher who was fired by the university because he was in a relationship with a student in last year. Is it really inappropriate for a teacher to have relationship with a student? A survey showed that 50% students thought it is acceptable to fall in love with teachers, while only 25% of them insisted on fighting against it.


picture 1 Lu Xun and Xu Guangping


picture 2 Shen Congwen and Zhang Zhaohe

Actually there are many romantic love stories between a teacher and a student. For example, Lu Xun(famous writer in China) and Xu Guangping(see picture 1), Shen Congwen(famous novelist in China) and Zhang Zhaohe(see picture 2). People take delight in talking about it but not treat with contempt.

In my opinion, avoiding teachers falling in love with their students seems to be a quite old-fashioned viewpoint and a little bit unethical. Teachers and students in the university are all adults. Everyone has right to pursue his happiness, especially his love. Free love is one of the most important things in a human being’s life. School forbidding teachers and students’ free love is inhuman. Just think of being restricted by others, it’s quite obvious that we will find it unbearable and we will really suffer a lot if we don’t have freedom, no matter what kind of freedom. Without doubt, it’s a torture, isn’t it? Why the school has the right to treat teachers and students as that way? It’s absurd, I think.

In the eyes of the law, this behavior is illegal. Marriage jurisprudence of China prescribes that love and marriage is personal affair and personal right and freedom. People who meet the terms prescribed by the law can fall in love with anybody you like (of course, the other side must agree), no matter where you are from, what party you are side with. If you love each other, just do it. Nobody can stay out of law, university either.

Several years ago, marriage of university students was also treated as illegal by university. But the law backed up the students, and universities had to cancel the unreasonable regulation. Well today, history repeats itself. University needs to chew upon it.