Pretty boy Jerry not so smart + Cindy the drone
He thought he was too good for that job. Didn't like helping the elderly because they didn't tip him very well. Holy s**t. I figured he would have been a shoe-in for a spot since he was tall, attractive and spoke passable English. I figured Cindy would get chucked on the basis that she was dark-skinned, short and from a poor family. I guess the cruise line needed strong drudge help more than arrogant, pretty boys with a lousy service attitude. I may be over-simplifying things, but I would still think that job would be a great way to step into the new China and get to know the foreigner ways. Maybe pretty boy Jerry could make it another way, but for poorly educated Cindy this would be a huge opportunity to make money, help support her family and get an education. A much better chance than her parents had.
Cindy's parents were just barely making ends meet when they had their own patch of land, but after they moved, how could they make any money unless the father got a job in construction. The old guy seemed as strong as an ox since he used to work as a coolie. I wish them the best of luck. China passed those common people by a long time ago. That's an awesome dam, though. America's gonna need to buy some of that electricity in a few years. I really enjoyed the film and felt sad for the dam "victims."