How is the city of Chattana different than what Pong had imagined in the novel, A Wish in the Dark?

Pong imagines Chattana to be an incredibly wonderful place filled with light and opportunity. When he arrives there, however, he discovers that only the wealthy and fortunate live like that. The city is divided with the wealthy living on the West Side. The East Side is a slum where the poor live. Many are desperate for their next meal, even when they are fortunate enough to work two jobs.