Keep warm this winter, my dear friend!

It is said "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". Sometimes, this seems to be all too true. While teaching English in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, for several years, I noticed an old couple whose workplace was my gate.

They worked so hard, all days and all hours. They collected rubbish and brought it to the spot near my gate where they sorted, stacked and bundled their finds. Every time I passed by, they would smile big toothless smiles as we began to exchange greetings.

What really caught my eye was that during the blistering summer days, the old fellow would be crouched in the shade of the gate, reading. Reading is my own passion, so I felt even more kinship.