Sichuan Quake Relief

The trip to TumenZhen Primary School was a fun day out and can be considered a serious success!

The early start time was invigorating, and the group broke with local tradition by leaving close to the original planned time. Over thirty people and more than 3 bongos (bongoes?) were transported on the maxi-bus, and the trip was blessedly free of a loud tour guide.  A brief interruption to the dozing, friendly chatter and occasional laughter was provided by the lunch break in Deyangshi.

A few noodles and Sichuan classics later, the convoy of bus and few cars continued to Tumen, arriving at 1:15, shortly after the planned arrival time.  There are still clear signs of the impact of the earthquake on the journey there, with evidence of mountainside landslides, as well as the sight of cracks jagging through many a building, and rubble is not in short supply.  However, the main road system is in place, shops and other businesses are functioning and life goes on.

We left the bus on the main road near the greenery-covered mountains and strolled down a path to the local primary school, which consists of a concrete, pre-earthquake building for the school admin and library, a toilet block, and two long rows of temporary buildings, housing the classrooms with their desks, chairs, boards and other classroom furniture and facilities.  There’s no multimedia lecture theatre with built-in hydroelectric power station and microlite landing pad, but it’s a fully functioning primary school, obviously cherished and respected by the local community.  These buildings have metal frames, filled with PVC coated thick polystyrene slabs, and boasting double-glazed PVC-framed windows.  The buildings have a solid feel to them, and I’m sure they are as temporary as the temporary classrooms our school had in the UK which hung around for 20+ years.  There are still photos on display of the school premises before May 12th ’08.  The memories of that day and significance of the rebuilding of the school were not openly touched on on this day, although in everyone’s mind.  Today was about having fun and continuing the connection with local communities.

In the classrooms and outside, the multi-talented group set up the different activities on offer as part of the fun day.  The finger painting and face painting were very popular with the crowds of kids getting involved.  The bongo-players started up their intoxicating beats and were were a big hit (drums and cymbal sound for that gag) with the kids who joined in the percussion whilst failing to batter their temporary drum kits (desks) into the ground.  As Walter, our calm organiser, pointed out, the drumming noise created a carnival atmosphere.  This was augmented by the juggling masterclasses, highly competitive bouncy ball (space hopper) races, the tug o’ war (involving at various times, almost everyone involved, sometimes not all simultaneously, the basketball with the human arm hoop (arms still attached to a live, if slightly bruised human), impromptu soccer (which then turned into ‘promptu’ soccer as things quickly got organised), the swingball (surely destined for Olympic inclusion, based on its mesmerising effect on the audience (not only on those nearly brained by the flailing racquets), guitar-playing, singing, hide-and-seek, and full-contact boxing (OK, not that).

Fun was most certainly had with the activities and by making new friends, and the local kids enjoyed themselves, too, as the photos from the day show.

After handing out cookies, candy, sweets and biscuits, there was lengthy waving good bye as the SQR bus was reloaded and the volunteers slumped into the bus’s chairs for a sleepy return to Chengdu.

Chinese translation of the above

四川地震救助组织土门镇之旅 — 2008年10月11日周六土门镇小学之旅是一次非常愉快，也可以说相当成功的活动。

大家一反常态，还没到出发时间就精力充沛的上路了。 三十余人带着三四面小鼓乘大巴出发了。 这次没有了一路上大声讲解的导游， 一路上大家有的打着盹， 有的愉快的交谈着并不时迸发出欢快的笑声。 中午大家在德阳吃了午饭， 有面条还有四川一些名小吃。 之后， 我们继续上路了， 下午一点十五分终于抵达了土门镇， 稍微比预计的时间晚了一点。 一路上地震造成的破坏痕迹还清晰可见， 比如山体滑坡， 一些建筑物上面的裂缝和破损， 以及满地的碎石。 但是， 公路主干道并没有遭到很大的破坏， 商店和其他店铺都在正常营业。

我们把车子停在了草木葱郁的大山下的大路边， 接着沿小路走到了当地的小学。 学校里一座混凝土材料的震前建筑里是学校的图书馆， 行政办公地和厕所。 还有两排临时的建筑， 里面是装满课桌椅， 黑板和其他教学设备的教室。 虽然这里没有多媒体教室， 但是它是一个功能完备的小学。 很明显当地人非常喜爱和珍视它。 这些建筑都有钢制框架， 看起来都很坚固， 在英国的学校里也有这种临时的建筑， 虽然是临时的， 但却坚持了二十多年， 我很肯定眼前的这些临时建筑也一样结实耐用。 学校里还展出着5.12前学校以前的照片。 尽管每个人的心中都留有那一天的记忆， 也明白重建学校的重要性， 但直到今天仍然没有公开的讨论研究过。 今天我们一行人的任务也只是要尽情的玩耍和与当地人交流沟通。

在教室内外， 多才多艺的小组提出了不同的活动计划。 一群孩子们参与的手指绘画和面部绘画很受欢迎。 鼓手们开始敲鼓， 孩子们也把课桌当作了临时的鼓， 一起敲打了起来。 就像我们沉着冷静的组织者Walter 说的那样， 鼓声营造了一种狂欢节的气氛。 教孩子们变魔术， 竞争激烈的单足跳比赛， 还有几乎所有人都参加了的拔河比赛， 一个人站在椅子上用胳膊做篮筐的篮球赛， 即兴的足球赛， 弹球， 弹吉它， 唱歌， 捉迷藏， 所有这些游戏也让狂欢节的气氛更加浓烈了。

这些活动和能够交到新的朋友是最有趣的， 从那天的照片上可以看得出当地的小孩们玩的也很高兴。

我们给孩子们发了一些饼干和糖果之后， 就依依不舍的说再见了， 大巴又重新载满了在座位上打着瞌睡的志愿者们驶回了成都。