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No real reason to feel guilt over wealth gap

By Xiao Hao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-27 10:56

Ensuring the success of the American boss's China trip is so exhausting that I splurge by flying to Sanya with my partner for a three-day mini-vacation.

It is our first trip to Sanya. We stay at a well-known resort. Unlike the massive chain of hotel complexes along the beach of Yalong Bay, this one is tucked inside a small bay, far from tourists; inside the gated compound, the rooms are spread out over the hill, and huge pools, quietly hugging the rooms, lure us to jump in whenever we are not in bed.

The tranquil infinity pool on the beach is especially appealing. The water flows outward gracefully, as if into the palm trees and the sunset, while classical music plays from hidden speakers. I am mesmerized by the view, and also by the music - it reminds me of my teenage years when I would listen to such music and imagine just such a perfect experience, immersed in warm water and staring at the setting sun. And like a true liberal, I feel a bit guilty - do I deserve the luxury that I can finally afford?

The waiter comes with our $10 drinks. After some chitchat, we learn that he is from Sichuan province, and this is his first job after graduation. He makes 1,200 yuan ($175) a month, in addition to free room and board provided by the resort. The 15 percent service charge on the bill, he explains, actually goes to the hotel. The waiters only get the tips guests leave on the table. So the food staff conspire to cheat the hotel - whenever guests pay by cash rather than charge to their rooms, they pocket the cash.

The mischievous smile on his proud face, set against the last rays of the setting sun, makes me feel even more guilty. We are from the same province, speak the same dialect, and here I am, spending more on a hotel room that each night costs more than his monthly pay. If sipping on lattes while talking about donating to wikipedia is a typical Western symptom of liberal guilt, am I experiencing its Chinese variant?

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