If you want to replace us, go ahead. Pick out all the pieces of Chinese onion from the dishes favored for centuries by the Chinese, and do please replace us with, say, cabbages.

But the rebellious thoughts have to be contained in our boiling hearts. When the boss has had enough, we have to carry our briefcases and broken egos to begin another day of hard work.

Outside, however, we soon come back to our senses. Except for us, it seems like everyone else is irreplaceable.

My wife recently suffered from an eye disease. The doctor said she needed radiography. But the hospital didn't have the special substance used for radiography. In fact, it cannot be found in any of the country's hospitals.

We asked if the expensive substance could be replaced but the doctor said it couldn't.

A few days ago, we had a plumbing problem and so we called a company dealing with such emergencies. Carelessly, the young lad stuck a metal tube into the sink. In less than a minute, voila! He hooked out a ball of dirt.

For his trouble, he asked for 150 yuan ($20).

My God! Is there any special technology involved in this? The lad said yes, it was simple. "But do you have this tube? Weren't you eager to get the sink working again? There are queues of families waiting for me!"

Fortunately, I have found that there are other ways that I am irreplaceable. Just now, my young son moved his tiny fingers off my keyboard under my solemn stare. Thank God! I am the only Dad in the world for him.

(China Daily 03/05/2008 page20)

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