A Sad Outset

It is a sad way to open my account on this blog; but there simply is no other way.

I return to my desk at 1434 (local time), precisely one week and six minutes since the dreadful earthquake struck.  This occasion was marked across China by a three-minute “silence”, which of course my colleagues and I observed.

It was by far the most haunting experience of my time here, standing shoulder to shoulder with friends, family and compatriots of the fallen.  While people stood unspoken to remember and contemplate, the silence was broken by the ear-piercing sound of car horns and fire alarms; not a disrespectful noise, more one giving the slightest insight into how horrific and terrifying this time last week in Sichuan must have been.

Shivers ran down my spine as I looked out our meeting room window onto what is usually a hectic six lane highway to see every single car stopped in its place, the only thing moving was a tear running down my colleague’s face; one of the many people personally affected.  Horns tooting, and tears running, the 三万多了 (30,000) were remembered.

One friend told me an anecdote of her remembrance shortly after the event.  She was standing at the window of an art gallery, facing onto one of Shanghai’s many building sites.  Slowly one of the cranes came to a halt, and the lone worker stood on the platform next to his operating cab.  Hard hat reverently in hand he observed the silence alone; a solitary worker showing his compassion to his comrades.

I feel guilty that had I not been here, in China, this event would have gone unmarked and unnoticed, as it certainly did in the UK; 7.28 am was undoubtedly only marked by a few solitary alarm clocks. 

It may be a sad note but what better way to embark on a journey with a country than by doing something to help. You may not previously have had an interest in China, but I urge you there is no better time.

The respect and the unity of the largest nation on earth shows much about their character; they may be criticised over human rights issues or geo-political problems but at the end of the day they are just like you and me: human.  In this globalised world there should be no “you and me”; there is only “we”, and we have a lot to learn.

中国 上海  2008年5月19日