Getting things into perspective

My previous post on being miserable in a dumpling restaurant reeks with maudlinness. Let's put things into perspective.

• At least I am not one of the 62,664 people who died in the Sichuan earthquake two weeks ago.


• Or of the 350,000 who were injured.


• Or of the 23,775 who are missing, believed dead.


• Or of the 45 million who have been adversely affected.

Bad weather, impossible terrain, "quake lakes", landslides, and hundreds of aftershocks hamper the concerted rescue efforts. Only this afternoon, an aftershock measuring 6.4 occurred - just imagine the fear this would generate to the fortunate survivors who are so traumatised anyway.

There are remarkably poignant and harrowing stories emerging. Like under the rubble of a school, the bodies of two teachers, each found protecting three students below them. Those students mercifully lived. Now those teachers are heroes.

What is noteworthy is the apparent openess and round the clock reporting by the government news media channels prompting considerable ongoing international aid which is being gratefully received - this of course is in stark contrast to the the 1976 earthquake at Tangshan which killed about 200,000 and at that time the government refused to acknowledge that any earthquake had occurred.. Ah, the days of the Bamboo Curtain.

It was interesting to note that one report grimly notes that two provincial officials were remiss in carrying out their official duties and were "punished". (That'd be the end of them.)

Three days of mourning were declared last Monday, and three minutes of silence at 2:47pm competed with the proclamation that trucks, cars and ships should sound their horns as a mark of respect. I was in Qindao at the time - the effect was quite eerie. There now exists a remarkable sense of nationalism, which will culminate in the Olympic Games in August.

Although 45 million people have been adversely affected, the other 1.255 billion in China are now getting on with their lives.

A worthy slideshow can be found at the China Daily website. Photo: China Daily