Ubiquitous

Destruction, Death, Survival, Love

// May 24th, 2008 // 10 Comments » // Music Monday, Wordless Wednesday

Yes, I know it’s physically impossible to have Wordless Wednesday and Music Monday categories on the same day (which ironically enough is NEITHER of those days…), my categories need fixing.

The beginning of this week were official days of mourning in China. Imagine the nation standing still with only foghorns, car horns, and sirens in the background for three minutes. That’s what happened at 2:28 PM Monday. I’m just touched by the humanity of it all - newspapers and websites donning a coat of grey and black in mourning, journalists breaking down in tears in the middle of live reports, the leaders going to the front line, children’s bodies found with pens in hand as they had no time to react, clocks stuck at 2:28, a man saying “thank you everyone” when he was lifted out of the rubbles after three days, only to pass away minutes after.

In Beijing, after the three minutes of silence, people erupted into cheers that haven’t been heard in Tiananmen Square in… ever (video)? I find that Chinese people don’t usually go out and cheer for something they love, especially their country, so this is rare and historic indeed!

I guess the pictures can speak for themselves.

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Beichuan Secondary School, taken a day before the earthquake at a seniors event. Two thirds of the people in that school would not be alive the next day.

Newspaper covers collected in a collage, the giant words mean “Mourning” (source)

Migration - a couple carrying everything they owned to move to a new place.

Rest in peace.

Oh god.

Candles surrounding the words Wenchuan, the county at the epicenter of the Earthquake in Sichuan.

Every bit counts. Donate to the Red Cross today.

Awww <3

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Praying for Sichuan

// May 14th, 2008 // 18 Comments » // World for the Week

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Chinese province of Sichuan on Monday afternoon, with the epicenter at Wenchuan country. Death toll has risen over 14 000, and I expect it to hit 20 000 soon. I think the most devastating part about this whole ordeal is that thousands of children - both in elementary schools and high schools - were killed because school was still in session.

The end of this video from CNN made me cry. The reporter was interviewing the Party leader for one of the worst-hit counties. The guy has been running the rescue efforts for the entire area and seemed like a capable leader. When asked how many has died, he becomes emotional and the reporter tells us that the earthquake killed the guy’s parents, wife, and 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.” It’s amazing that a man who has lost everything still has the energy to save his community. Bless him.

I hate mixing politics into everything but it’s heart-wrenching to see individuals out there insisting on standing in opposition to China in all matters. So Prime Minister Wen went to Sichuan personally within 48 hours to reassure the people that help is on the way (pfft, what the hell did George Bush do after Hurricane Katrina?!). So HOW. DARE. PEOPLE. reprimand Wen from joining in all the relief efforts? FYI, the author apparently sees no reason for the PM to go there other than for propaganda purposes. Dude, Sichuan is not “thinly-populated”. The “small” county at the epicenter has 30 000 people. It takes a truly ignorant person to think that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake isn’t going to leave a mark. I think the author in question retracted words in a later post after I left a rather scathing comment. Bastards. Thins like this show the worst of people, and the best of people. This is an excerpt from an article by CNN’s John Vause, very powerful.

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. (Source. All the wonderful comments below the article are also really inspirational and reflective of how people’s attitude have changed since CNN’s biased reports earlier this year)

They say after 72 hours, the chances of survival will be slim. My cousin has friends in Sichuan. I’m praying for their safety and the safety of hundreds of thousands trapped or out there bearing the cold. There are also ways we can help the relief efforts in both China and Myanmar.

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