There's a wall along every alley, but not all walls are alike. On some of the cleaner streets, food peddlers line the sidewalks. Grown men buy a plate of food and line up facing the wall in a squat position and quietly eat from their plates of lentils and rice.

I've seen other walls with faded messages from cartoon characters. Charlie Brown says, "HIV is spread from sexual contact." Snoopy says, "Caution! Don't ruin your life to drugs!"

I've seen people urinating on walls and throwing trash over walls. Skittish dogs and skinny men tiptoe through excrement while rummaging through the refuse on the other side.

Today, I saw woman without eyes and a man with an infected foot leaning up against a wall. Only the blind woman had enough strength to outstrech her hand to beg.

Walls here simultaneously support life and harbor decay.

Hotel Plaza, The Meridian, Imperial Palace, and The V.I.P. Intercontinental. These are the names of my walls. They separate me from the other walls. If I squat near the men eating lentils, I will be shown a sturdy seat. My education has already taught me what Charlie Brown and Snoopy have to say. And common sense tells me I can't save all the sick beggars, regardless of my skills, regardless of my compassion.

Look at your walls. Who stands near them? What do they say?