Where I once lived....

Dujiangyan... never thought I would see that name in print. It is a small city in China. Not worth mentioning. Nothing really interesting about it (I believe there is some really old aquaduct there?!?!) And now it is all over the news. That is the "small" city in China where I lived 13 years ago. I would wager money that the school I taught at is one of the schools where buildings collapsed. The building I lived in was only a few years old, but it looked as if it had survived WWII bombing. I lived on the second floor of a five floor building. When the rainy season hit one night, I was awakened to water falling on my bed. Through the light fixture in the center of the room. I rushed around my room, trying to find dry spots to put things I owned (like cd player, pictures, books)... things that would be damaged by water. I never asked how the person above me fared during this storm. I was just astounded that I had a leak in my ceiling on the second floor!

I am a bit worried about people who I knew for only a short period of time in my life. People who I didn't keep in touch with over the years. Are they alright? Did they survive the quake? Most of my students are no longer in school, but some of them lived in the area. Are they alright? This earthquake has really hit me. I keep thinking about Dujiangyan... the city, the way everyone stared at us (being the only westerners in a small city of is it 6 or 8 million people?). Being the tallest person standing on the bus (if you know me, you will know that I am not at all tall!). I remember trying to find postcards to send to friends and family, but there were none to be found. I had to buy my postcards in Chengdu.

This has stirred up a lot of memories; things that I have/had forgotten. The people I worked with were all very kind. I am praying for you, Dujiangyan, from someone who has actually set foot on your streets...