Chinese Lives

As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approaches, more than 400,000 volunteers have been working at 550 street stalls around Beijing since July, providing information, emergency aid and translation services for people from around the world. A total of 74,615 volunteers will provide services at Games venues, the Olympic Village and media centers of the Olympic Games. In addition, one million “social volunteers” have been helping to keep traffic and maintain social order in the communities and townships of Beijing.

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will stimulate volunteering in the society
It is not like you want to be a volunteer, you go to an application point, and you become one. At least volunteering for the Beijing Olympic Games has strict requirements about language skills, appearances, energy and good health. All chosen volunteers are regrouped as where they work and get trained separately. News say 300 volunteers were picked from 70,000 applicants to work on awarding ceremony. They started complicated etiquette training since last August. Now time is up. I know you are all ready.

What will they wear at the Olympics Opening Ceremony soon coming?

Only in less than a month before the big day did China Sports Officials unveil the Chinese team uniform that has been secret for a while. Apparently, the uniform is out of a safe and classic concept. It is made up of two colors, red and yellow, which are also the colors of our national flag.

Some interneters think Australia’s team uniform photo shoot looks really cool, seeming they are making a movie poster. Canadian’s perhaps not our favorite type, it really reminds you it is bed time.

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.

Stop 7 Argentina

Stop 8 Tanzania

Stop 9 Oman

Stop 4 to stop 6, Olympics Torch Relay were in UK, France and USA, where Tibetan activists’ chants were loudest, and their acts most recklessly.

London, Stop 4

Paris Stop 5

San Francisco Stop 6

These pictures were taken by Xin Hua net, and I choose some to picture how Olympics Torch Relay goes.

Stop 1 Kazahstan

Stop 2 Istanbul Turkey

Stop 3 Saint Petersburg