Insight, Meditations and Reflections

A Chinese survivor of the earthquake sent his American friend this email last Wednesday. I have edited out the personal information of the correspondents. The American friend and recipient of this email has visited China on several occasions.
 
Thank you so much for your loving messages. We are now living in a nightmare. Having stayed in the open since the terrible quake which nearly break down our condo buildings, we feel too much exhausted and benumbed by scare and lack of sleep, so throwing ourselves to the mercy of Earth like many others this morning we ventured to climb up to our apartment on the 10th floor(no elevator now) to cook our breakfast and turn on to the Internet for news(as we can only get government-permitted reports).

So here I find your messages, and my family feel so much warmth and love from you, dear. Now everything is in shortage, vegetables, milk, even bottled fresh water.People live in panic and restlessness. Just like the aftermath of a war or the sight after an explosion of atom bombs.Luckily our condo remaains basically undamaged and can still be safe to dwell in.But many many citizens have their houses destroyed, including my relatives in Dujiangyan City.

The only grandson of someone I know, a boy of 11, was buried deep under the debris of their classroom building, and only yesterday the dead body of the lovely kid was excavated out.....Oh! I hope it won't last too long before we can get back to normal life. Do you still remember the grand temple by the river side of Dujiangyan where my whole family took you sightseeing? An important part of it has collapsed. Too many people died or got injured.

Well, I have to close this message now as again the afterquake comes and we can feel the slight shaking of the house...