Because B and I were wondering, since it doesn't seem that China has any obvious fault lines.
MSNBC: How China's earthquake struck
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24647213/
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Showing posts with label china. Show all posts
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Washington Post: Crises cloud China's Olympic Mood
Washington Post: Crises cloud China's Olympic Mood
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24675108
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24675108
some great pictures of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic venues
Here are some great pictures of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic venues. The Aquatic Center is especially gorgeous, and the Velodrome track is an amazing feat of structural engineering (I read somewhere, but I forget where, that the track is actually an updated and improved version of the tracks used in previous Games, designed specifically to improve performance at the Games).
I do hope, however, that Beijing won't fall into the mistake of building these wonderful buildings and then not putting the facilities to proper use by withholding them from the public, or by not giving them proper maintenance after the Games are over.
MSNBC Slideshows: Building for BeijingI do hope, however, that Beijing won't fall into the mistake of building these wonderful buildings and then not putting the facilities to proper use by withholding them from the public, or by not giving them proper maintenance after the Games are over.
http://www.msnbc.com/modules/interactive.aspx?type=ss&launch=22395142,3033005&pg=1
MSNBC: China puts quake toll at 32,477, and MSNBC: China quake victims flee due to flood fears
Oh.
....oh. Please keep everyone in your thoughts.
MSNBC: China puts quake toll at 32,477
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24690053
MSNBC: China quake victims flee due to flood fears
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24676343
....oh. Please keep everyone in your thoughts.
MSNBC: China puts quake toll at 32,477
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24690053
MSNBC: China quake victims flee due to flood fears
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24676343
Friday, May 16, 2008
MSNBC: After quake, 1-child policy causes pain
Oh.
Oh. This made me tear up.
Think not only of the children who died before they had a chance to live, who never got the chance to see out the full potential brimming within them, who didn't have the chance to experience the love and laughter of a sibling-shared childhood, but think also of their parents, restricted to one child, their sole child, the product and recipient of all their love and hopes and dreams, taken away, so in addition to losing a child to such a horrible event, they lose their only child, and perhaps some of the parents are not so young anymore. And think of the grandparents. Oh. So horrible.
We continue to pray for them.
MSNBC: After quake, 1-child policy causes pain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671025
Oh. This made me tear up.
Think not only of the children who died before they had a chance to live, who never got the chance to see out the full potential brimming within them, who didn't have the chance to experience the love and laughter of a sibling-shared childhood, but think also of their parents, restricted to one child, their sole child, the product and recipient of all their love and hopes and dreams, taken away, so in addition to losing a child to such a horrible event, they lose their only child, and perhaps some of the parents are not so young anymore. And think of the grandparents. Oh. So horrible.
We continue to pray for them.
MSNBC: After quake, 1-child policy causes pain.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24671025
Monday, May 12, 2008
CNN: China's big year anything but joyous
See, what did I say?
CNN: China's big year anything but joyous
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24583648/
China's definitely had a round of unfortunate events, and of course, we keep waiting to see how this affects China's domestic and international policies. It will be interesting to see the CCP/PRC's response in terms of relief and aid, as well as rebuilding and improving both political and physical infrastructure.
On a sidenote, if we are to consider China's dynasty system of ruling based on the Mandate of Heaven, definitely this would have given the CCP considerable cause for concern. While it is true that this rule no longer applies de jure, there may yet be some de facto vestiges, especially with the potentially tentative position the CCP holds. The CCP's hold over the PRC has been an economic one often been compared to the image of a bicycle in motion: once it stops, it will collapse. This situation is definitely one to be handled delicately, for one miscalculation, one misstep, one mishandled event could be the last straw.
Of course, this is not to say that these events signal definite impending doom for the Middle Kingdom, but it's certainly been a tough year for China, all said.
We pray for minimal casualties.
CNN: China's big year anything but joyous
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24583648/
China's definitely had a round of unfortunate events, and of course, we keep waiting to see how this affects China's domestic and international policies. It will be interesting to see the CCP/PRC's response in terms of relief and aid, as well as rebuilding and improving both political and physical infrastructure.
On a sidenote, if we are to consider China's dynasty system of ruling based on the Mandate of Heaven, definitely this would have given the CCP considerable cause for concern. While it is true that this rule no longer applies de jure, there may yet be some de facto vestiges, especially with the potentially tentative position the CCP holds. The CCP's hold over the PRC has been an economic one often been compared to the image of a bicycle in motion: once it stops, it will collapse. This situation is definitely one to be handled delicately, for one miscalculation, one misstep, one mishandled event could be the last straw.
Of course, this is not to say that these events signal definite impending doom for the Middle Kingdom, but it's certainly been a tough year for China, all said.
We pray for minimal casualties.
Earthquake in China kills 10,000 at latest count
A 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit China early this week, at around 2:45p on Monday afternoon, Beijing time.
News is slowly filtering in, and the numbers are still uncertain, but latest count puts the casualties at about 10,000, with figures still rising. Even with a population of about 1.3 billion, this is still a huge number. The epicenter was in Wenchuan, in Sichuan Province, on the western side of China, but apparently felt throughout most of the country, even in Chongqing, about 200 miles from the epicenter. In Wenchuan, about one-third of the buildings have collapsed.
A big problem has been that most of the roads leading to the area are in mountainous areas (it's slightly east of the Himalayas) with an unstable sediment foundation, and are pretty damaged by rockslides and mudslides, so relief and aid have been slow in arriving. An entire middle school collapsed, with about 900 students still trapped inside, although they've been slowly getting people out. About 6,000 people have been evacuated from the area, and most are afraid to sleep indoors for fear of aftershocks bringing the building down. Apparently, the shocks could be felt on the eastern and southern Chinese coast (Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong) and in parts of Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Thailand, purportedly).
Although it was reported that none of the Olympic venues were damaged by the quake, it has been a hard year for China in general, with the coldest winter bringing down its transportation system earlier this year, plus the train derailing, the Olympic torch protests, and a deadly virus attacking children last month and expected to continue through the summer; there were also the Tibetan riots, and now this.
We've been discussing it in class and are all keeping our eyes on this as further details arrive.
Update: Xinhua reports that two chemical plants in Sichuan trapped 2,300 people inside, killing 600, and leaking 80 tons of ammonia.
-----
CNN: Nearly 10,000 reported killed by huge China quake.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html
News is slowly filtering in, and the numbers are still uncertain, but latest count puts the casualties at about 10,000, with figures still rising. Even with a population of about 1.3 billion, this is still a huge number. The epicenter was in Wenchuan, in Sichuan Province, on the western side of China, but apparently felt throughout most of the country, even in Chongqing, about 200 miles from the epicenter. In Wenchuan, about one-third of the buildings have collapsed.
A big problem has been that most of the roads leading to the area are in mountainous areas (it's slightly east of the Himalayas) with an unstable sediment foundation, and are pretty damaged by rockslides and mudslides, so relief and aid have been slow in arriving. An entire middle school collapsed, with about 900 students still trapped inside, although they've been slowly getting people out. About 6,000 people have been evacuated from the area, and most are afraid to sleep indoors for fear of aftershocks bringing the building down. Apparently, the shocks could be felt on the eastern and southern Chinese coast (Shanghai, Taiwan, Hong Kong) and in parts of Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Thailand, purportedly).
Although it was reported that none of the Olympic venues were damaged by the quake, it has been a hard year for China in general, with the coldest winter bringing down its transportation system earlier this year, plus the train derailing, the Olympic torch protests, and a deadly virus attacking children last month and expected to continue through the summer; there were also the Tibetan riots, and now this.
We've been discussing it in class and are all keeping our eyes on this as further details arrive.
Update: Xinhua reports that two chemical plants in Sichuan trapped 2,300 people inside, killing 600, and leaking 80 tons of ammonia.
-----
CNN: Nearly 10,000 reported killed by huge China quake.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/12/china.quake/index.html
Saturday, May 3, 2008
China battles EV-71, a deadly child virus
China has recently been hit with an outbreak of the dangerous enterovirus-71, a form of hand, foot, and mouth disease, infecting over three thousand children and killing 24 at last count.
Officials have been ordered to crack down on outbreaks, although several have been criticized for not having taken action to report the outbreak to the public quickly enough. This is especially a concern after the disastrous SARS cover-up in 2003; this time, the Ministry of Health has been dispatched to aggressively and proactively seek out those infected instead of merely waiting for them to enter hospitalization.
This is doubtless bound to draw unwanted attention to several topics that China may not particularly want highlighted, especially with the Summer 2008 Olympic Games looming near. Among these are bound to be it's tight control over public access to necessary information, an appallingly sub-optimal public-health system, and the organization of a proper response team, among other considerations.
Officials note that more cases may soon arise, as the disease's peak season hits in June and July; however, one hopes that this will lead to improved conditions and response in the present and the future, as local officials purport to be checking up on and working to improve overall sanitation and ensure food/water safety conditions to limit the spread of the disease.
View the original article here:
China combats deadly child virus
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24441417
Officials have been ordered to crack down on outbreaks, although several have been criticized for not having taken action to report the outbreak to the public quickly enough. This is especially a concern after the disastrous SARS cover-up in 2003; this time, the Ministry of Health has been dispatched to aggressively and proactively seek out those infected instead of merely waiting for them to enter hospitalization.
This is doubtless bound to draw unwanted attention to several topics that China may not particularly want highlighted, especially with the Summer 2008 Olympic Games looming near. Among these are bound to be it's tight control over public access to necessary information, an appallingly sub-optimal public-health system, and the organization of a proper response team, among other considerations.
Officials note that more cases may soon arise, as the disease's peak season hits in June and July; however, one hopes that this will lead to improved conditions and response in the present and the future, as local officials purport to be checking up on and working to improve overall sanitation and ensure food/water safety conditions to limit the spread of the disease.
View the original article here:
China combats deadly child virus
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24441417
Friday, April 18, 2008
places to eat in Shanghai
As compiled from info from my study abroad at FUDAN UNIVERSITY, SHANGHAI
Some (but not all, :]) great places to eat in Shanghai (feel free to let me know of any I've missed)
* Near Fudan University Campus
--street food: chow mein for 4 kuai, fried rice for 5 kuai, ma la tang (spicy hot-pot) for anywhere from 3-10 kuai, savory crepes for 5 kuai, grilled squid, lamb skewers for 1 kuai, "chinese hamburgers" for 5 kuai, endless selection, right outside the dorm gates from 10p-2a; great post-clubbing food, midnight munchies cure.
--Muslim noodle: HANDMADE NOODLES, 24 HRS A DAY, BETWEEN 4-7 KUAI A BOWL, WITH THE NICEST STAFF ANYWHERE. 'nuff said.
--Gil Wonton: Great selection of wontons in hot soup; there are vegetable and meat wontons; my favorite was mushroom/pork at 6 kuai a bowl, and the Happy Family Special (ten unique wontons from their selection), 7 kuai. They also deliver in record time, and the owners are really nice
--Tairyo Teppanyaki in You Yi Cheng, 5th floor: Actually, not one of my favorite places to eatactually, I'm not terribly fond of it at all, but a great deal nonetheless: for 150 kuai per person, all you can eat/drink teppanyaki/sushi/dessert/sake/beer/soda/juice; great for holding large groups since each table seats about 10 and they have several of these tables, and take reservations.
--Lillian's Egg Tarts on Wu Jiao Chang ground floor: OMG, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PORTUGUESE-STYLE EGG-TARTS IN THE WORLD-- warm custard, like golden sunshine, glows in a light, flaky crust; tastes like happiness, :) TRUE STORY.
--Xiao Long Bao by Banana Bar: the famous Shanghai xiaolong bao for much less than you would get at Yu Garden; I think 2 or 3 kuai gets you 6 or 8; not the best, but good for a quick lunch
--Ajisen Noodle in Wu Jiao Chang: not one of my favorites, but good for Japanese ramen, with big servings; popular with my friends
--Hong Kong restaurant on 3rd floor, Wu Jiao Chang: Great for herbal/medicinal soups in the Cantonese tradition; other foods are good too; highly recommend the steamed fish and steamed vegetables
--The alleyway down HanDan Lu: filled with little cute shops and restaurants; great for lunch after class in Building 6
* Further from Fudan (not quite as helpful, since I don't really remember the names, -___-;;)
--Bellagio, near XinTianDi: Taiwanese food, v. good. Even has oyster omelet, pig gut vermicelli, braised pork over vegetables, and other Taiwanese dishes; good for curing that hankering for Taiwanese food in Shanghai
--City Diner: Not the best Western food ever, but when you get the hankering for Western food, this place works. IT HAS TABASCO. And it's open 24 hours and in the middle of the city near the clubs, great for post-clubbing
--CPK/Element Fresh, near the Ritz Carlton:
--Whisk: AMAZING CHOCOLATE DESSERTS.
--Visage and Sugar (two different places) in the French Concession/XinTianDi/Hong Kong New World Plaza Area: Also fantastic places for great desserts
--Paul's Bakery, XinTianDi: The famous Paul's bakery comes from France to set up a branch in Shanghai; lovely breads and baguettes
--Crystal Jade Garden in XinTianDi: Great upscale Chinese food
--This one tapas place; can't remember the name, but it was AMAZING.
Of course, this list is merely a sampler of all the great food we had in Shanghai, but I highly recommend you go out and discover your own list of favorites to add to mine!
Some (but not all, :]) great places to eat in Shanghai (feel free to let me know of any I've missed)
* Near Fudan University Campus
--street food: chow mein for 4 kuai, fried rice for 5 kuai, ma la tang (spicy hot-pot) for anywhere from 3-10 kuai, savory crepes for 5 kuai, grilled squid, lamb skewers for 1 kuai, "chinese hamburgers" for 5 kuai, endless selection, right outside the dorm gates from 10p-2a; great post-clubbing food, midnight munchies cure.
--Muslim noodle: HANDMADE NOODLES, 24 HRS A DAY, BETWEEN 4-7 KUAI A BOWL, WITH THE NICEST STAFF ANYWHERE. 'nuff said.
--Gil Wonton: Great selection of wontons in hot soup; there are vegetable and meat wontons; my favorite was mushroom/pork at 6 kuai a bowl, and the Happy Family Special (ten unique wontons from their selection), 7 kuai. They also deliver in record time, and the owners are really nice
--Tairyo Teppanyaki in You Yi Cheng, 5th floor: Actually, not one of my favorite places to eat
--Lillian's Egg Tarts on Wu Jiao Chang ground floor: OMG, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PORTUGUESE-STYLE EGG-TARTS IN THE WORLD-- warm custard, like golden sunshine, glows in a light, flaky crust; tastes like happiness, :) TRUE STORY.
--Xiao Long Bao by Banana Bar: the famous Shanghai xiaolong bao for much less than you would get at Yu Garden; I think 2 or 3 kuai gets you 6 or 8; not the best, but good for a quick lunch
--Ajisen Noodle in Wu Jiao Chang: not one of my favorites, but good for Japanese ramen, with big servings; popular with my friends
--Hong Kong restaurant on 3rd floor, Wu Jiao Chang: Great for herbal/medicinal soups in the Cantonese tradition; other foods are good too; highly recommend the steamed fish and steamed vegetables
--The alleyway down HanDan Lu: filled with little cute shops and restaurants; great for lunch after class in Building 6
* Further from Fudan (not quite as helpful, since I don't really remember the names, -___-;;)
--Bellagio, near XinTianDi: Taiwanese food, v. good. Even has oyster omelet, pig gut vermicelli, braised pork over vegetables, and other Taiwanese dishes; good for curing that hankering for Taiwanese food in Shanghai
--City Diner: Not the best Western food ever, but when you get the hankering for Western food, this place works. IT HAS TABASCO. And it's open 24 hours and in the middle of the city near the clubs, great for post-clubbing
--CPK/Element Fresh, near the Ritz Carlton:
--Whisk: AMAZING CHOCOLATE DESSERTS.
--Visage and Sugar (two different places) in the French Concession/XinTianDi/Hong Kong New World Plaza Area: Also fantastic places for great desserts
--Paul's Bakery, XinTianDi: The famous Paul's bakery comes from France to set up a branch in Shanghai; lovely breads and baguettes
--Crystal Jade Garden in XinTianDi: Great upscale Chinese food
--This one tapas place; can't remember the name, but it was AMAZING.
Of course, this list is merely a sampler of all the great food we had in Shanghai, but I highly recommend you go out and discover your own list of favorites to add to mine!
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