Endless waves of trouble seem to be washing over China. From late 2007 till now, nearing the Olympics. I recall late last year, China saw the worst snows in 35 years and during Chinese New Year when I tried to fly from Hangzhou to Shenzhen I was faced with the unforgettable horrific memory of people stranded at the airport, many having been sitting/sleeping in the airport with minimal hygienic facilities for days. The harsh winter affected many in China, from food prices to fuel prices. Afterwards, there came the Tibet issues, which plagued the Torch Relay. That issue barely over with, China suffered a massive earthquake in Sichuan. With this earthquake taking up the attention and energies of so many. Now southern China is experiencing flooding, although from what I hear it is mostly isolated to far away small villages, it is nonetheless saddening.
Many people I've spoken to say that perhaps 2008 is not a lucky year for China. I'm not one to believe much in luck or fate, but these do seem to be troubled times. I think for many people, and possibly even countries, you have highs and you have lows. When the lows come, they seem to all come together. Misery loves company?
Here's to hoping that this country can make it through these hard times... and come out the better for it.
The earthquake has weighed heavy on many people here in China, as far away as we are in Hangzhou. I am impressed by the reaction of so many here and their generous donations to those still suffering.
For anyone who is interested in donating, my company has posted a webpage with information on how to make a donation for China residents and overseas. Please visit this page for more information: Donate to the Sichuan Earthquake
Be sure to click on the "International Site" link if you want to make a tax-deductible donation by credit card and you are using an overseas billing address. I have already donated with that method and it worked smoothly for me.
On a similar note, before the earthquake occurred strange colorful lights/clouds were seen in the sky just about 30 min before the quake.
Over 8533 people dead. I first was informed around 2:59pm Beijing Time when my fellow American friend SMS'ed me saying he felt an earthquake at our office building in Hangzhou. Then I received another message from a colleague claiming similarly. I was at the outskirs of town at the time in a meeting and being on level ground I didn't feel anything, but my colleagues were up on the 7th floor back at the office, so they could definitely feel the shake.
Shortly after another colleague informed more people, and everyone tried to call their loved ones, but nearing the quake phone calls were not going through, possibly due to the cell towers being destroyed by the quake. After that period, we had to resume the meeting as there were no specific news coming out yet due to it being so recent. And just a bit earlier this evening, several hours after the incident, one of them received a text message saying that 900 middle school children were buried alive at school. That's just shocking... What can one say when one hears something like that? It feels as if it is a tragedy out of proportion, upon so many who's times still had so far to go. So fast, so swift, that only now it makes me think back to New Orleans, and yet I know this has taken far more lives than New Orleans ever did.
View Photo Having been very busy with work the past week, I haven't personally sensed much fervor over the Olympic Flame's arrival in China. However, I suppose I'm proven wrong.
The Olympic Flame's in arrival in Guangzhou was met with a massively overwhelming display of population overload. Today in Hangzhou, many streets and roads have been shut off. We are to receive the Olympic Flame in less than a week, and they are practicing for the trial run. I think I'll stay at home and watch TV instead.
View Photo As a very busybody, I am often on the move, seeing different sights and travelling throughout, however I hardly get the chance to sit down and to spend time to clean up the records of my adventures. (Next to the fact that I've outgrown my previous webhost capabilities. But now that I'm up on an upgraded account, I can once again resume the sharing of my adventures.)
After having arrived in Beijing during September for 2006 for my Chinese Language studies, I visited the famous and historically significant Beijing Yong He Gong 雍和宫 Llama Temple near the center of the city. I won't share here too much of this temples history as it is more interesting for you to go visit it yourself, as well as the fact that I have a horrible memory and have already forgotten what era it was built in...
Read on for photos and to see the Directory entry for this popular attraction in Beijing...
The earthquake has weighed heavy on many people here in China, as far away as we are in Hangzhou. I am impressed by the reaction of so many here and their generous donations to those still suffering.
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