Published: May 13, 2008 11:57 pm            

From My End of The World: The Sichuan Earthquake

CHENGDU, China — EDITOR’S NOTE: Connie Wieck is an EFL professional who has taught English in China for nine years through a Chinese NGO, The Amity Foundation. Currently, she has taken a year off to formally study the Chinese language at Sichuan University, located in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province. Connie’s hometown is Marshall, Ill. She was 60 miles from the earthquake’s epicenter.



… At first, I was going to stay put. I sat with the animals under my strong kitchen table to await the stopping of the tremors, but as the quake grew stronger and continued to shake the building, I felt it wiser to leave. I was in Taipei, Taiwan, years ago when that big quake hit but this was much more noticeable, lasted longer and more frightening.

… Outside in our courtyard area, people poured forth from the buildings …

… Once the residents made it outside, everyone settled onto benches or walkway curbs around our complex grounds and waited. Mostly, we all talked about the earthquake. Everyone has a cell phone in China so many were busily text messaging friends and family members or calling to make sure they were safe. The atmosphere quickly lifted from one of fright to one of a pleasant outing together with friends and family.

… Since no one wanted to return indoors, we all sat outside. After the second hour, however, I became bored and decided to take a turn around our neighborhood block.

Walking along the main busy city street, I found to my surprise that all the small businesses (hair salons, travel agencies, clothes stores, bookshops) were closed. The Hong Kong chain grocery store Trustmart, which never closes for any holiday, along with the 24-hour McDonald’s and KFC, were likewise locked up tight. One roadside flower shop was crowded with people, not because of flower purchases but because their TV set was on. Passers-by, street workers and bicyclists were gathered around to hear the earthquake news and murmur as the reports trickled in.

Local chain and family-run convenience stores, on the other hand, were doing great business. Lines were long as people bought bottled water, cans of Coke and Sprite, potato chips and other snack items, most likely readying themselves to hang out with friends outside of buildings.

… I happen to live across from the West Gate of Sichuan University, where I am currently studying the Chinese language. Many residents in the surrounding area (and students as well) began packing up bedding, portable stools, blankets, small tents, their computers, cell phones and bags of snacks (fruit, cakes, bread buns, nuts) to camp out on the university grounds.

… On my return from my walk, I passed the exodus of people with their sparse belongings heading down our narrow alleyway toward the university. By the time I returned to my apartment complex, it was likewise filling with families setting up for a pleasantly cool night out under cloudy skies. Still, it was the university where everyone seemed to be heading off to.

… My first-floor neighbors (14-year-old Jalin and her parents), who live across the stairwell from me, run a small streetside convenience store which is connected to our building and a part of their apartment. For the first time in years, they closed up shop … and … followed after many going to the campus. I was invited to come along so I joined the Yang family …

… On the nearby campus grounds, the usually quiet grassy areas we trekked for our walks during the daytime were now filled with people. About 400 in this small corner of the university had clustered around the open field. Most were students but there were teachers and their families as well, all who live in housing provided by the school. Some had tents; a few had their computers on. Others curled up with blankets and pillows while nearby classmates messed about with their cell phones, checking text messages or calling friends. And almost everyone was fully equipped with bags of food. Fresh fruit, cakes, cookies, shelled peanuts, cans of pop and Styrofoam take-out dinners piled up next to each group huddled together.

… Although so many were prepared to sleep out all night, I felt it safe to return to my apartment. The worst was over and since Chengdu seemed only to have experienced a shake, my dog and I went home.

… Surfing the Net and tuning in to local TV stations, I discovered quickly the devastation that resulted in areas nearer the epicenter. We were 60 miles away. Other smaller cities with buildings not built to withstand such a quake magnitude came crashing down. Schools, hospitals, office and apartment buildings trapped thousands. Seeing these images and reading reports, it’s no wonder many Chinese camped out, especially those on the upper floors.

During the rest of the evening and into the wee hours of the morning, tremors hit again and again. Those who returned to the floors above mine ended up pounding down the stairwell several times during the night, shouting “Hurry! Hurry!”



May 13

An Earthquake

Rain Dampens Spirits

Once again, our upper stories remain strangely dark as the rain comes pouring down. At present, there are 4 tents now set up in my apartment complex courtyard.

Earlier in the day, we had quite a crowd gathered outside when another large rattle at 3:14 p.m. sent everyone upstairs pounding down the stairwell at top speeds.

“Zou, Zou! Kuai, Kuai! (Go! Go! Quickly! Quickly!)” seem to be the phrases on everyone’s lips these past two days.

The tremors have been continuous all last night and all day, which I find a bit disconcerting. In Taiwan, our major quake likewise had tremors afterwards but these dissipated and were far between. It seems every 10 – 20 minutes, we have at least one that rocks my light fixtures. For awhile, people felt calm and returned to their upstairs’ apartments until the 3:14 struck. Several more strong tremblers followed after that. This caused another large tent to be erected by a concerned 5th floor family. They, however, came more prepared to pass the time. They set up a table inside and began playing mahjong, a traditional Chinese tile game famous here in Southwestern China.

        

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