Friday, May 30, 2008
So Depressed
I have been lying around...
I have been leaning around...
I have been hiding in my small shell...
I have been up side down...
I have been bending my head against the wall...
even tried meditating...
I have turned my back on the world...
... so depressed ...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
BITCH! (please excuse my language this once)
I've seen the karma theory many times lately. You can find them after every piece of news of China earthquake on most news websites (CNN, BBC, CBC...). Google it up and you will see just in case you don't believe me (why should you believe me? I am from Red China). Every time I see it I tell myself 'don't get angry, don't get angry'. By now I am not angry at all. Most of these messages come from two groups of people, Fa Lun Gong and Free-Tibet. I am sure you have met them if you ever drive by Chinese consulates anywhere in the world at any given moment. The comments usually start with 'I am Tibetan. I am sorry for the victims of the earthquake, but I can't help feeling...'. Well, these tow groups are not exactly famous of their 'scientific approach', but it is not what bothers me. It is the coldness that they are almost happy it happened. There was a five-day stand off in NYC between Fa Lun Gong people and Chinese (actually FLG people are 100% Chinese too) over if 70K Chinese deserved to die (it is over all youtube).
What they are famous of is the greatest frase in human history 'Human Rights'. It is a bit ironic to me. It kind of reminds me of the case that someone murders abortion doctors in the name of pro-life. No, it is more like people who think it is right and are happy that others are murdered because they are abortion doctors. You can say I am a brain washed Chinese and I don't know human rights. Maybe you are right. Maybe I don't understand your definition of human rights. Personally I find it very hard to believe that the people who have no respect for lives would really give a damn about human right. To me the very basic human rights is to be alive.
The video below is the reporter from Sichuan TV station reporting the death tolls of all the districts. Aba District is a Tibetan self-governed district in Sichuan (kind of like the Native reserves in Canada). By 4pm of May 17th, 2140 plus died in that district. For those who claim to care so much about Tibet and Tibetans, this is the time for you to dig deep into you pockets and help out. Even if it is just for Aba district (you can put it as the restriction on your donation), we would still be very grateful. Living Buddha, care to share some of your CIA funded PR money? Oh, another humble piece of advise, if you would like to help out like Ms. Stone mentioned in the video, it would work out better to notify us instead of her.
As you could see in the video, the reporter was trying very hard not to cry on live TV. I feel China as a nation has been going through steps of depression. First it came the shock, then disbelief, stabbing heartache, anxiety and quilt for not being able to help. Everyone was on the verge of tears everyday. People were crying and laughing every time the new death toll came out and when one more person was pulled out alive. Now people are ultra-touchy; emotion is running high, and lots of people are angry. China, please hold on. We can't let some hell bent souls make us bitter. There are still millions of homeless, thousands of orphans... It is not the time to fall apart. Go China Go!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mourning
(please turn the volume down)
The busy nation paused for 3 minutes. The sound of siren and horn echoed through out the entire country. It is our way to say good-bye to the 50,000 plus family members we lost, to let the sorrow out, to turn it into hope and strength. We will remember the dead, help the survived, and build new, better and stronger homes and schools for the future.
ps. The Red Cross urgently needs more tents, formulas and medicine. Please help us...
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hope
This baby's mom was found kneeling above her child in protection. She did not survive. But she saved her baby. As long as there are moms who cares if there is God. I am sure he will grow up and become a person that his mom would be very proud of.
This is the girl who has both legs broken. That smile is the hope that keeps everyone going.
A boy with a broken arm saluting to the people who saved him. The first thing he said after the soldiers pulled him out was, 'I want some coke'! and the soldiers said, 'as long as you hold on, anything you want!'
Many Chinese families are ready to adapt the orphans from this earthquake. This little thing will end up having a much much bigger family, about 1.3 billion people. Do you think you can handle that?! :)
The word 'country' in Chinese is 国家. 国 means country, and 家 means home and family. Let's wipe off the tears. It is not the time to say 'oh how sad'. It is time to say 'how can I help?'. There are 1.3 billions of us. If we hold on tight to each other, we can get through this together!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Chengdu Diary
"All Things Considered" hosts Robert Siegel and Melissa Block are in Sichuan Province covering the massive earthquake. They continue to report on the aftermath and recovery efforts. The hosts were in Chengdu with producers Andrea Hsu and Art Silverman when the quake struck. They were preparing for a special week of China coverage that had been planned for next week. Follow this blog for regular updates."
http://www.npr.org/blogs/chengdu/
I shouldn't have read the May 14th's entry - Dujiangyan Parents' Search for Child, especially shouldn't have listened to the audio clip. I was hoping I could get through a day finally without tears.
One comment said,
Thank you, Melissa, for giving this tragedy a face, name, and story. It makes it much more difficult for those of us on the other side of the world to block it out and act as though it doesn't affect us. My thoughts and prayers are with you and everyone striving to cope with this catastrophe.
Sent by Meg | 1:29 PM ET | 05-14-2008
I've learned my lesson. I admit I have been very selfish. I didn't care as much for the tragedy in Burma. The pain and suffering was just too far away to be real. Now it cannot be more real because it is physically hurting me. Some of you might not understand why I am so emotional over this. It is hard to explain. Chinese call each other Tongbao (同胞), which literally means 'people who share the same uterus, which simply means brothers and sisters. Chinese also call brothers and sisters 手足, 'arms and legs'. I cannot stop crying and screaming because my legs are broken and my arms are bleeding. Every Chinese is family no matter where they are, in China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, or whatever nationality they hold. Family members fight sometimes, and that's what happens when you have a huge family. Chinese culture is very different comparing to some western ones for example ancient Greek. Chinese had had the definition of 'country' long before we had the definition of government. Government comes and goes and so does political and religious difference. Our philosophy has always been 'family first' and 'blood is thicker than water'. That's what has gotten us through 5000 harsh years. It is really shining through in the face of disasters.Please learn from my lesson. Please don't wait until it happens to your family to give a damn. The new pair of shoes or new phone can wait. Please lend a helping hand now because their lives depend it.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Eat Bitterness
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/14/china.vause/index.html
China's earthquake victims 'eat bitterness'
by CNN's John Vause
CHE JIA VA, China (CNN) -- In Che Jia Va, survivors of the deadly earthquake that struck central China wait patiently for aid. They don't complain.
Among them is a woman with back injuries who cannot walk, and moans loudly. Soldiers eventually found the woman and took her away.
Sheets of plastic protected some of these victims from the rain that came down after the quake. But despite a lack of food, water, phone service and supplies, most of the victims were undemanding and uncomplaining -- some playing cards to pass the time -- confident they would be looked after.
The only complaint we heard was questioning why the government did not give a warning that the quake was coming, the way officials did in 1976, when an earthquake virtually destroyed the city of Tangshan, northeast of Beijing, killing at least 240,000 people.
Many of the people we ran into were still in shock. "It's horrible. There is devastation everywhere," one woman said.
There is a Chinese adage: "Eat bitterness." Or as Americans would say: "Grin and bear it." The Chinese we saw practice that well.
We've had some of the nicest people help us out. There was a guy who had a packet of cookies and wanted to share them, because we were reporting the quake story.
A woman at a gas station, which has a $13 limit per purchase, let us buy $100 worth for our two SUVs. She just came up and helped. There actually were soldiers at the gas stations to ration it out.
As my producer, Wen-Chun Fan, and I did our best to navigate around roads blocked by mudslides and chunks of debris, we saw the aftermath of Monday's 7.9-magnitude quake, the epicenter of which was about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the city of Chengdu in Sichuan province.
The quake was so powerful that homes in Che Jia Va didn't simply collapse. They were smashed apart, and under some of the rubble are the people who once lived there.
Local officials say the focus now is not on finding the dead, but rescuing the living. Survivors huddle together in makeshift tents with nowhere to go. I wonder how structurally sound the remaining buildings are, and realize the impact of the quake will be felt for years. Watch Vause describes how aid is getting to China after the massive earthquake. »
Perhaps the most poignant experience came while we were talking to the local party secretary in Che Jia Va, who gave us directions and pointed out various landmarks -- all the while keeping a stoic face. The town was once home to 13,000 people, and 3,000 are still missing, he says.
As he shows me the damage to his community, I ask how many have died. Tears flow down his cheeks, and he makes no effort to wipe them away. He says that as many as 500 are dead, including his parents, his wife and their two children.
In the midst of his anguish, there is a call over his radio. He's needed again, and he runs off -- with apologies -- to go back to work.Wedding Registry
This wedding registry might seem a bit odd. We apologize for all the possible inconveniences it might cause you. As you probably have heard already about the devastating earthquake in China. Eugene is Chinese Canadian and I am 100% made in China :P Right now the land of our ancestors and its people are suffering a great deal. We've decided to take this chance to help out a little bit in our and as well as in your honour. We can't think of any gift more meaningful for one of the most important days of our lives.
Whether you are invited or not or just a total stranger who accidentally came across this blog, please give a thought. The population of China is 1.3 billion plus. Please consider this as 1.3 billion 'Thank You'.
-------------------------------
This is done through Canadian Red Cross:
1. Go to: https://www.paypaq.com/redcross
You can also get there by going to http://www.redcross.ca/ --> Donate Now --> Donate Online in Memoriam or in Honour
2. Gift Type
Gift type: in Honour of (not in Memory of, not yet :P)
Name: Weijia and Eugene
The Honourable Occasion: Wedding
3. Choose a card type you want to send: eCard (I am sure you would like to save some trees :)
4. Send eCard ToSalutation: Mr. and Ms
E-mail address of recipient: vivi_cao@hotmail.com
Message text: your message
Your Name: your name
Your E-mail address: your e-mail address
5. Select an eCard: anyone you like6. Send Traditional Card to: disabled if you choose e-card
7. Donor Information: your information
8. Fund and Amount:
Fund Designation: China Earthquake
Credit Card Information: your card information. Minimum online donation is $5. It is tax deductible (save the receipt).
9. Submit - you are done, YAY!
China Earthquake Posters
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Please Help Us
30 years ago we lost an entire city Tang Shan due to earthquake. It is happening again and even worse. Sichuan is one province in the southwest China. You probably know it because of its famous spicy dishes. My mom's home town Chengdu is less then 90 km from the center of the earthquake. It was hit hard but it was nothing compareing to the ground zero (Wenchuan county). So far more than 12,000 people died,26,206 injured,and around 94,000 are still buried under the collapsed buildings. The 7.9 earthquake came around 2pm in the afternoon when most students were still in school in classrooms. That's why the dead toll of children is unbelievably high, and so unbelievably heartbreaking.
I am pleading. I am pleading for your help. I have donated $500 to Red Cross Canada's China Earthquake Fund. That's all I can do since I cannot be there digging with my own hands. To me it is family tragedy. To you it is much appreciated generosity. Minimum donation is $5. They are all tax deductible:
From US: http://www.mercycorps.org/
From Canada: https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/new/index.php
If money is not your style, please keep us in your mind when you pray to your higher power.
The rescue centers of the giant panda are right at the center of the earthquake as well