Cold Start to Year of the Rat
Mickey Mouse characters are on the window of my office staring at me. More decorate the windows all around the offices. They include Chinese characters wishing a “Happy New Year!” Yes, it’s Spring Festival season, or the Chinese New Year. And it’s the Year of the Rat; hence mouse characters are prominently displayed in most decorations.
But the start of the New Year celebration has been difficult for many. Heavy snowfall has blanketed the mid and eastern sections of China and crippled transportation and power services. They say that yesterday over 100,000 people were stuck in the Guangzhou train station awaiting trains to the north. Many trains have been delayed for more than 24 hours. And the conditions even in Guangdong Province here in Southern China, are not too enjoyable, particularly when you have to wait outside in a never ending line for a train. It is cold and wet! Highs are reaching 45°F and dipping into the high 30’s at night.
I have not been warm in a week. I’m sitting in my office with extra coats and layer on layer of clothes. I’m even wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers hat, just because a guest left it for me, and it keeps my head warmer. I would wear gloves if I could type with them. All because buildings here have NO HEAT! None! Zippo!
How these people cope in this weather and with no heat is beyond reason. But they seem practically unaffected. They just go along like it is no big deal. Many store fronts are just that. They are a front which is open to the elements. But no one seems to mind. Amazing.
It might not be so easy for many later this week. They estimate the number at the Guangzhou train station might peak at 600,000 sometime this week as more workers start on their trek home. You see most employees are considered migrant workers. They work at a plant but maintain their home back from their roots. And come Chinese New Year, they all want to go home. Many have already started the long arduous march home. On the first recognized day last week, 53 million passengers filled buses in the nation. Another 200 million will travel by train and plane. That’s like moving everyone in the US.
Next week I go to Thailand for the New Year. I’m working at our new factory there. But at least I will be warm!
Labels: Chinese New Year, Dongguan, Life in China, snow, Year of Rat
It’s All in The Numbers
Numbers can be mind numbing sometimes; especially when you hear numbers around here with over 1 billion people.
Northern China has been impacted by a lot of snow recently. Hubei Province got up to 30 cm of snow, or almost a foot. Over 9200 homes have been toppled by the snow! Can you imagine the outcry if that happened in the US?
In the meantime, the economy has been racing along. It expanded 11.4% in 2007, even though that rate is slower than earlier in the year. Of course, the recent stock woes hit here too. The markets have been down decidedly before finally rebounding Tuesday. In Hong Kong it was even up almost 11% yesterday.
In another surprising number, a farmer was recently compensated by the government after having been attacked by a bear. There were 997 such attacks last year in China! Where? I can’t imagine a bear surviving with this many people. But I don’t want to visit the attack area either!
Back here in Dongguan, the city just got recognized for having 213 days of haze last year. Of course, you know why don’t you? Smog! Yes, over half the year you can’t see the mountains due to intense smog.
In Beijing they hope to have 256 “blue sky” days in 2008 by actions they are taking. That will be 10% more than in 2007. Of course, they are counting on those 25 days as being during August when the Olympics will be in Beijing! Let’s hope the actions spread down here to increase our “blue sky” days too! If we have a 10% increase, that will be 168. That is not even close to the number of “blue sky” days they hope to have in Bejing! Shows how bad it is around here, doesn’t it!
Click on any of the underlined blue comments to see more detailed reports.
Labels: bear attacks, Beijing, Dongguan, Life in China, pollution, smog, snow
