到湖北荊门探亲后，写给英文读者的领英日记。

The central China oasis.

Visiting my parents in Jingmen, Hubei Province, I did grocery shopping today. Egg plants, mushrooms and string beans for lunch for the four of us came to a grand total of 10 yuan (1.48 US dollars).

“Not cheap!” moaned my brother Hualiang. Local monthly salary is about 3000 yuan - he reminded me.

The economy is slack but resilient. Joblessness among my folks is high. But people get by. Family ties go some way to soothe the pains. The savings they have made while working in the coastal regions are helping too.

There is real estate overbuild everywhere and Jingmen has not escaped the carnage. Many shops along even the main streets are left idle. Owners do not seem bothered. Many door locks are rusty.

The silver lining is that everyone, including many jobless people, has spacious housing. Many own several flats. For those of us who have gotten accustomed to tiny rooms in Hong Kong, most cities in China seem attractive. There is no slum.

The huge sports stadium the city built ten years ago has been used only once. A shame. Picture.