Hi everyone!
I know that some of you more well-informed individuals have heard already about the huge fire outbreak in the Shanghai downtown. I'm okay and everyone on is campus is fine. The fire began mid-afternoon in a 10 story apartment complex in the center of the Jing'an district静安区 (famous for its Jing'an Temple 静安寺).
Apparently, some of the scaffolds caught on fire and set the uppermost floor on fire. From there, the fire spread and the building was quickly evacuated. However, this evacuation did not keep 90 people from being injured and 14 deaths (a number of victims that could've been avoided).
If you don't know something about construction in China, scaffolds are not made of steel, but bamboo. Our guess (although the press would never say so) is that a worker was smoking and failed to be careful about putting out his cigarette, but the news has not mentioned the cause of the fire. The fire was put out around 7 pm last night. During the day, I saw a huge chimney of black smoke through the bathroom window (I live on the 15th floor of my building) and only at dinner did I find out what happened. I do not live far away from the Jing'an district - only 3 subways stops, so the smoke was more than visible (although the building was not). People stormed the area like tourists, taking pictures and trying to get a better view -- a reaction that I very much dislike. People dying is not something to gawk at. Where the rest of the survivors are going is beyond me. It is hard to find space in Shanghai. That being said, the building won't take long to be reconstructed. Things are built quickly in Shanghai and things move on.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Things that I roll my eyes at....
I forget to describe the usual life here and what it feels like to live in Shanghai...here's a brief description of life here:
Right now I'm living in one of the nicer dorms here on campus. Chinese service extends a gracious hand to making sure international students are well-pampered during their stay abroad. We have nice warm beds, an air conditioner (that can also act as a heater), nice showers with full time hot water, and a clean** bathroom (I'll return to this in a minute). Provided in the room is a tv, a hot water thermos (hot water tap is in the bathroom because you can't drink the water), desk with western outlets (my american plugs work!),etc....In comparison is the Chinese students dormitory, which has a less comfortable bed, slightly less space, no air conditioning unit, and no full-time service shower. Instead, at night, I often see groups of girls in their bathrobes and towels walking back from the showers (located outside and around their dorm) carrying their shampoo, etc. The hot water is timed, and the showers are of lesser quality. I'd also like to mention that this is one of the top three universities in Shanghai. So when the girls on my floor decide to smoke it up in the bathroom and leave their cigarette ashes everywhere (the sink, toilet, and on top of the toilet paper dispenser) - I have to roll my eyes. Not only this, but some people think it's okay to cook their meals (which is fine by me) and then leave the food remains in the sink or on the counter - which inevitably leaves at least 3 of the 6 sinks clogged EVERYDAY. Not to mention the toilets, which are clogged at least 4 or 5 times a day, both by people who can't take care of their #2s or by understanding that toilet systems in China DO NOT SUPPORT throwing away toilet paper. It clogs the system, and don't tell me you don't know because it is CLEARLY marked on every single door. You are just lazy and rude. Furthermore, it's not the Chinese way to go up to floor and ask for a meeting about proper bathroom etiquette, but instead accuse the person who happens to be in the bathroom at the time the maids are cleaning up the mess (3 times a day). On some days, this is my roommate, and on some days it is me.
These things can be helped. Toilet paper can be thrown in the waste basket located right next to the toilet, cigarettes can be smoked out on each corridor's balcony, food can be thrown away in the trash (instead of down the drain), and if a mess is made, it usually takes 1 minute to clean up. That way, when I want to brush my teeth or wash my face in the morning, I don't have look at a clogged sink of previous food scraps and food spittle staring back at me. Not pleasant, folks. And it hurts to know that these people don't understand how spoiled we are for being in this dorm in the first place. All I can really do, though, is just roll my eyes.
Right now I'm living in one of the nicer dorms here on campus. Chinese service extends a gracious hand to making sure international students are well-pampered during their stay abroad. We have nice warm beds, an air conditioner (that can also act as a heater), nice showers with full time hot water, and a clean** bathroom (I'll return to this in a minute). Provided in the room is a tv, a hot water thermos (hot water tap is in the bathroom because you can't drink the water), desk with western outlets (my american plugs work!),etc....In comparison is the Chinese students dormitory, which has a less comfortable bed, slightly less space, no air conditioning unit, and no full-time service shower. Instead, at night, I often see groups of girls in their bathrobes and towels walking back from the showers (located outside and around their dorm) carrying their shampoo, etc. The hot water is timed, and the showers are of lesser quality. I'd also like to mention that this is one of the top three universities in Shanghai. So when the girls on my floor decide to smoke it up in the bathroom and leave their cigarette ashes everywhere (the sink, toilet, and on top of the toilet paper dispenser) - I have to roll my eyes. Not only this, but some people think it's okay to cook their meals (which is fine by me) and then leave the food remains in the sink or on the counter - which inevitably leaves at least 3 of the 6 sinks clogged EVERYDAY. Not to mention the toilets, which are clogged at least 4 or 5 times a day, both by people who can't take care of their #2s or by understanding that toilet systems in China DO NOT SUPPORT throwing away toilet paper. It clogs the system, and don't tell me you don't know because it is CLEARLY marked on every single door. You are just lazy and rude. Furthermore, it's not the Chinese way to go up to floor and ask for a meeting about proper bathroom etiquette, but instead accuse the person who happens to be in the bathroom at the time the maids are cleaning up the mess (3 times a day). On some days, this is my roommate, and on some days it is me.
These things can be helped. Toilet paper can be thrown in the waste basket located right next to the toilet, cigarettes can be smoked out on each corridor's balcony, food can be thrown away in the trash (instead of down the drain), and if a mess is made, it usually takes 1 minute to clean up. That way, when I want to brush my teeth or wash my face in the morning, I don't have look at a clogged sink of previous food scraps and food spittle staring back at me. Not pleasant, folks. And it hurts to know that these people don't understand how spoiled we are for being in this dorm in the first place. All I can really do, though, is just roll my eyes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)