Well I have arrived in China and have to say that I am absolutely, completely and ridiculously exhausted. I think I need to invent a new word that describes what I feel. If you have been tracking my movements over the last 20 days, I have been to 12 cities and 5 different countries over 4 continents. And it doesn’t look like I will be getting too much sleep here. I arrived in Chengdu which is a major city in China but its not westernized in the same way the Beijing or Shanghai are. NO ONE speaks English. I mean, not a word. And it seems that I am the only white person for days, let alone the only blonde in a sea of black hair. The locals look at me with complete and utter curious and are not shy to stare. I’m constantly checking to see if I have a booger hanging out; its an interesting and sort of uncomfortable feeling that I am sure I will be used to without long.

Chengdu was effect by the earthquake but not majorly. The epicenter is about 2-4 hours from Chengdu. Most of the seriously injured are in hospitals in Chengdu, every hospital is absolutely packed to the rafters with patients on all manner of makeshift beds in hallways, reception areas, footpaths – anywhere. The idea of personal space or privacy does not exist, it is way beyond that and seems completely unnecessary in this time where survival isn’t taken for granted and health or comfort are an absolute luxury.

From Chengdu I had to organize a lift to Shi Fang which is very close to the epicenter and where there are hundreds of thousands of homeless and many injured. Not easy organize a car to an unknown destination in a city where not a word of English is uttered. I have a translation book, but it seems that the accent is just as important as the words because no matter how hard I try and pronounce it they look at me like I’m crazy.

I was busting to go to the toilet and with no obvious signs I had to ask. The book said it was something like TEI SHUI. Easy, right. No. I tried every variation “te shui, tee shoo, tay shooey, the, shway….” Sometimes motioning and acting out the action just works a lot better. And seems to get a few well needed laughs from the locals.

A three hour drive and extremely rocky drive later, and I was in Shi Fang. I was driving in a car but the road was so ridiculously rocky it seemed more primitive and uncomfortable than what I imagine a horse and cart from 1743 would feel like.

Once in Shi Fang, its like a ghost town. There are some people walking through the streets but every single shop is closed and either boarded up or covered and shut out with security roller doors. Every single street and corner seems desolate. The colorful and varied street vendors that China is famous for are no where to be seen. It is still to early for normal operation and most people, if still alive, are still in mourning.

Through previous disaster relief work that I have done, I know of a Buddhist Monk who is in Shi Fang. He is staying at a Buddhist Monastery and so I go meet him there. Master Ti Tong is extremely gracious and helpful. He has a translator and so we talk about what is happening, what the locals need and how I can help. He invites me to stay at the monastery. No one is actually living inside the monastery or dorms as there is still a lot of fear that there could be further earthquakes. So there are hundreds of open tents set up on the dirt grounds surrounding the monastery, so Ill set up there somewhere.

Ill check in when I next can and tell you the latest.

Cheers,

Carly Crutchfield