My brother & his wife are currently in Beijing - the whole family is very worried about them.
Wow, sorry to hear that. I hope they are ok.
[CENTER]~~~~~~~Just got an email from Brother!!~~~~~~~[/CENTER]
We are OK but having many difficulties. My phone won't accept a SIM card and thus we can't use it in China. Bummer. Second, I have not been able to dial an international call from our hotel and the hotel desk is not very useful as they are not good with English. Third, we have been unable to get on the internet until just now. Then my bank card won't work after my first withdrawl so we couldn't even get money!! Very frustrating!!! No phone, no internet, no money, no sleep, no speak English. Remember 12 hour time difference. I will write more if/when able.
Very tired,
talked to mom - bank card won't work cuz the bank saw use in china and thought the account was compromised - bank cannot/will not unfreeze until they talk to bro -
Bro cannot talk to them cuz the phone doesn't work and he can't get any money to buy a new one. Oh and he's in friggin CHINAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH
v glad your family is ok. that is no small miracle.
Glad your bro is okay - I'd be frantic if it was mine.
I hope this doesn't sound too awful, but...
The pictures only really hit home when I saw something (irrelevant) that reminded me of my home town. All of a sudden it came crashing in on me. The idea that this is someone's home town (city?) with people's relatives, neighbours, co-workers, friends laid out dead on their home pavements.
There was a report on Somalia tonight on Ch4 news which had a similar impact on me because there was a girl on it who was days from starving to death when she arrived at a charity help point. She was 2 and a half years old. The same age as the daughter of one of our artists, who brought her into work today. She was given micro-nutrient peanut butter - shrunken stomachs can digest the protein in it - without it she would be dead. Little boys and girls starving when I am overweight, because they were born into a country ripped apart by war.
Is ignorance sometimes a better state?
I feel guilty and helpless and selfish today.
The expressions on the the face of the people in the pix are heart-wrenching. I hope they get help soon, or at least soon enough.
I'm surprised the government publicized those. A few years back, they wouldnt have.
Theyre improving though, i suppose. Just look at how Burma is blocking (almost) all aid... five, ten years ago, that would have been China too. Now, the government has programs in place to actually help the populace recover from this. The government is trying to help them, and in many cases actually succeeding from what i've heard. Theyve got a long way to go towards recovery, but the government is helping to facilitate, not block, that recovery.
On the other hand, it's government and quasi-governmental-companies that caused much of the problems. See how most buildings were left standing, while some utterly disintegrated? Corruption caused that, plain and simple. If all the buildings were to spec, and followed regulations, they wouldnt have fallen. Instead, shoddy materials were used, corners were cut, money was embezzled, and palms were greased... and that's what killed these people. When China tightens its controls on corruption, things will vastly improve.
7.8 is one hell of a quake!
I wonder why the guys in the red suits have CHINA, in English, on their backs?
So many children in those pictures...so many bodies. My god. How horrific.
Its times like these when I wish I had a big bag of money to give away. These poor fuckers. And Myanmar is a complete travesty. There's no other explanation for what's going on there other than the ruling junta *wants* its subjects to die horribly. The reports that are coming out of there are unbelievable.
First, I am fine. Most victims were in Sichuan provience. The rest China are ok.
Good news classic and Billy. Glad they are all ok.
thanks all - Good to hear you are safe too Billy!
Thanks for checking in, Billy. I hope your family and friends are all safe.
Glad to hear you're well, Billy. From the news reports we're getting here (and NPR had just sent two correspondents to Szechwan for other reasons when the disaster struck, so I'm hearing a lot of first hand reports on radio), your government is making a concerted effort to respond swiftly and, for once, openly to the world.
Our prayers are with you and all of your fellow citizens.