[XBob]

186 - "So if you own your mud hut in Sri Lanka, and make eight cents a day, saving three cents a day, you are not in poverty? "

I personally had that experience once, in the Philippines. We walked over a mountain path (no roads) to get to a small fishing village on the beach.

Absolutely breath taking beauty. And I accepted an invitation to dine with one family. So, after some scurrying around, several of the children climbed coconut palms and got coconuts at various stages of ripeness, for drinks and food, the husband killed a chicken running around the yard, and another boy pulled a fish out of his trap on the beach. The wife cooked these and some of the rice from their small plot.

And as we sat down to dinner, on chairs made from tree branches, the ocean breeze wafted nicely through the walls of thier thatched, twigg walled home, we enjoyed an excellent meal, and I wondered, 'Who is rich?, me the 'rich American', or these lovely happy peoople?'.

I found out they had a family income (from selling fish and lobster) of about $80 per year.

I would love to be so 'rich'.

PS - I, as the honored guest, was treated to the best part, the 'fish head' to go with the rice. It was excellent.

[FITZ]

I would love to be so 'rich'.

Me too. It's interesting how people define poverty and wealth today. If someone has a Lexus, 3 color televisions with cable, and all that --- everyone wants to call them wealthy --- but I think you have to compare your assets (real assets --- not things you bought) with your debts and of course if you have anything left of your income after you've met your needs. It seems like a lot of people ---- and our country is living way too much in the red. I know of people who had very high incomes who ended up declaring bankrupcy and yet many people with low incomes manage to always stay in the black.