No matter how tough life might be, don't complain

The Shanghai Daily reported today that a poor migrant worker and his family have been living in an abandoned toilet  for six years.

In that time frame, Zeng Lingjun, now 33, created a home for himself in the restroom, furnished it with simple furniture, got married, and had a baby, who is now 14 months old.

In the space of less than 20 square meters (approx 200 sq ft), Zeng placed planks over the squat toilet and used the planks as a bed, which faced a small television set placed on a table between two urinals. He also hung a clock on the porcelain wall.

On the opposite wall, Zeng has pasted a red paper cut-out of the Chinese character "xi," or happiness - a Chinese tradition to court good luck. "I am satisfied with what I have now," said Zeng, who came to Shenyang 13 years ago with only 50 yuan (US$8) in his pocket. "Life actually is better here than where I used to rough it out."

Zeng has rented the toilet from a hostel near the long-distance bus station for 8,000 yuan ($1300 US) a year since 2006. He was also given, for free (imagine that), a space in front of the hostel where he sits on a stool and polishes shoes for 10 yuan a pair. Zeng earns about 2,000 yuan a month ($300 US) from the job, nearly double the minimum wage set by the Shenyang government.

Zeng told the newspaper that he is so content with life that he named his child "Deyi" - which means satisfying one's desire. But living in a toilet is not always as "comfy" as he describes.

Though the restroom has long been deserted, Zeng said he has to flush the toilet frequently to "wash away" the stinky odors that creep down through the pipes from the functional toilet above his home. And long-term exposure to the humid atmosphere has left his child with eczema.

Zeng said he wants to find a better paying job and move his family into a proper home. But earning extra money is not easy, as he still has to wire money home to his aging parents in the countryside and the family will soon have to spend money on the child's education.

So the next time you are complaining about life in general think about China's millions upon millions of rural migrant workers in cities and towns. Many live in undesirable conditions, have limited access to health care, education, and social security resources.