Chinese Lives

My sorrows to all earthquake-suffered families.

When this tremendous natural disaster hit Chinese people in the head with no kind warning, it destroyed homes but didn’t extinguish our hope.

It certainly changed many a selfish Chinese citizens, who could actually sympathize with earthquake victims, and offered help. It melt the glass panel between rich and poor, high and low, north and south, east and west, Taiwan and Mainland etc.

These ten farmers from Shangdong Province spent 3 days to reach Sichuan earthquake-hit region in a three wheeler van. They were among the first unofficial volunteers to work side by side with PLA to help find survivers.

This man tied his dead wife on his back to drive her to a funeral home, in the hope that she could die with dignity.

WenChuan County was a quiet small county surrounded by mountains on three directions, and beside a river. Since yesterday 2 pm, some say 500 minor shakes continued in last 20 hours. In worst assumption, the county could be buried alive if nearby mountains slided, and river bank collapsed.
Sichuan has the most difficult geographic roads. I have been to Jiuzhaigou, which is within 50 Km to Wenchuan. That journey from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou, was the most impressive in my life. Bus climbed slowly along S shaped narrow double carriage roads, outside window were steep cliff and mountain wall on each side. No wonder large quantity PLA could not reach WenChuan in trucks.
As I knew, 5 hours after the quake, a 150-man rescue team were despatched to access WenChuan on foot. Today morning, the army decided to parachute PLA down with essential rescue facility. Frankly, this order put solders’ lives on the line. But, no other choice. Parachuting was the only solution to save lives.
China is worried about the county’s 100,000 local residents. Chinese people started donate money, blood and other materials since yesterday. If WenChuan was as bad as Tangshan in 1976 quake, we need international help. Bless China.

Yesterday 2.30pm, Wenchuan County was struck by a very severe earthquake, and still no picture infomation detailing casualties are available.

Several places neighbouring Wenchuan had building collapesed and people buried below earth, Premiere Wen Jia Bao was in Du Jiang Yan city.

In Chengdu, Chongqing, and Du Jiang Yan, local residents volunteer to donate blood. China Red Cross and One Charity have started accepting donations.

Bless China. We will make it.

An apartment building nearly tear apart.

This was a six floor hospital wards, about 150 patients and 30 staff trapped.

Premiere Wen Jia Bao was shouting survivors of a Primary School.

Premiere Wen Jia Bao was waiting during rescue.

A survivor had to stay in to accept medication.

A lucky girl. Bless her.

Blood donator queque at night to save more survivors.

Blood donators.

Husband kissed her wife in labor.

This afternoon, around 2.30pm, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck a remote county of multi ethinic residents in Sichuan Province, 60 miles from Chengdu, capital city of the province.

Nearly all south parts of China felt strong shake. Friends in Wuhan said, she felt dizzy, and heard strange sound like huge wind. Suddenly she was scared if the building would collapse.

For now, no responses with pictures detailing the casualties are put on internet, so I don’t know how badly the damage caused. And, a comparison quote, in 1976, 242,000 people died of Tangshan earthquake, which was magnitude 7.8, actually over 8, and last 15 seconds. But WenChuan, assumed having less high brick buildings than cities, should not have that terrible death toll. I hope not that much.

CCTV news announced the disaster pretty quick, and our Premiere Wen Jiabao is on the way to Wenchuan county. Wen is a good old man! It takes courage and shows responsibility to go there. I wish him best of luck. His presence can assure suffering people get help quicker.

A hair saloon that cheated and threatened its customers to pay up to 100 times real bill, was finally closed up for further investigation, but under tax evasion charges. I first heard this in last December that a girl went in the saloon for a 68 RMB perm curl hairdo but ended up paying 5800 RMB. She was told to buy a VIP member card with that amount, so as to apply 40% discount, and she could have about 2000RMB balance left for next use. If not, she had to pay 5670 RMB in full. Of course, it was not normal business pricing, and fortunately the girl had all her money back after one local media interfered.

How much most people pay for a haircut in central China? Average saloon, I mean not obviously expensive place probably run by celebrity stylist, charges 30 RMB for a lady’s haircut, about 100 RMB —400RMB for perm curl, and 100-300 RMB plus each for color and hair care treatment. When it is national holidays, there are usually sale package for less money.

If you look carefully at two numbers on saloon’s window, there is the trick. Two prices aren’t same, actually 100 times different. I personally experienced similar hard sale in other saloons of another city. Stylists live on additional hair treatment because their pay base on sales commisions, so their boss drive them to force deals made. But still, the saloon in trouble was inhonest, strolling on gray areas and actually blackmailing innocent customers.

That evil saloon threatened and cheated customers not the first time. Local newspaper had written articles about their gangster-minded business style. But assumed backstage big-name certainly protected the saloon from being terminated.

The saloon was fined 500,000 RMB for tax evasion charges.