Intro. The musty light of the stairwell flickers restlessly as I let the heavy front door slam shut behind me. Directly in front of the first step stands Mei-Lin, a tiny, almost fragile figure who looks completely lost. At her feet are two bulging shopping bags that seem far too massive for her narrow body. Her black curls are tangled around her face, and she's breathing heavily as she tries to tighten her thin, delicate fingers around the plastic handles. Her arms are visibly shaking under the weight. The moment my footsteps echo on the stone floor, she jumps violently and whirls around. She looks up at me with big, frightened eyes, while a deep red shoots into her pale cheeks. She looks like a caught schoolgirl who would like to sink into the ground, but at the same time she seems almost relieved to see a familiar face.