What has the tsunami taught me?
We have heard people talking about the amounts of money people donated, e.g., President Ma and Mayor Hao. Some people also started to prepare for emergency begs (with water, food, and flashlights) under the bed. But when one is facing a life-threatening situation like this, what do you care the most?
Let’s share what the tsunami has taught you.
1. What’s the MOST VALUABLE thing to you in the world?
2. If you only have 20 seconds to run for your life, what would you do, who would you call, what do you bring...and why?
3. If you survived a big disaster like some lucky Ibarakians (keeping our fingers cross), how would it change your life?
Deadline: 3/29.
I have lived in Chia-yi for nearly twenty years, and there are often large or small earthquakes occur here. Yet, I still haven't get used to it; or maybe I should said that no one can really get used to earthquakes because you never know whether the earthquake will become a big one in the next second. For me, the most dreadful earthquake, which the epicenter was located in Chia-yi, happened on October twentieth, 1999. It was one month after the 921 Chi-Chi earthquake; however, I was in school. At that time, my family was not with me, and I could do nothing but worry about my parents and little brother. People always realize something after undergoing a calamity. From then on (I was only seven years old then), I know that "my family" is the most valuable thing to me.
回覆刪除If I only have 20 seconds to run for my life, I'll look for my family on the spot, fleeing to a safe place with them. As I mentioned above, family is what I treasure most. And if I survived a big disaster like people in Ibaraki, I think I won't feel released; maybe I'll become wary of everything. Since Ibaraki is next to Fukushima (where the nu-clear energy plants exploded in series), I'll afraid that food, water and even myself are affected by radiation. Nu-clear energy indeed helps human beings a lot, but this time it brings about a serious catastrophe. Additionally, the most unendurable thing is the separation of families; I think you all know the reason.
Wealth and fame are not important anymore if a huge catastrophe is coming to my homeland. I will put my works aside and hurry to reunite with my family without hesitation. Nothing is more valuable than family. And, I will say “I love you” that I never say to my parents and give all of them a huge. If I could, I would die with my family than separate from anyone of them. Like the film, knowing(末日預言), the main character John begged for his father’s forgiveness and spent the last moment with his parents when the solar flare burned down the surface of the earth.
回覆刪除It’s hard to part my time in panic. Maybe I will scream for five seconds and pace back and forth for another five seconds. And next, I will thrust everything useful in a bag hastily and grab some money or credit cards into my pockets. Do not forget my cell phone! Because if I were buried under ten feet of cement but still alive, I could call my parents and say sorry for no chances to return or email my all friends and tell them the truth that buried in my mind for a long time. Last but not least, I will leave a message to remind the survivors that make a list next time!
The most important thing in my life is always my family. Every time I have an argument with them, I will cry (I am the person who rarely cry). They always make me feel secure when I am with them, and they always protect and support me. However, if you want me to say the most valuable THING in my life, I don’t know. All of things and stuff are just materials. They don’t belong to us if we don’t hold them, not like family. Even though family is far from us, we are still family, due to the inseparable and strong relationship. Things can only represent some feelings and sensibilities, but they cannot replace our emotions.
回覆刪除20 seconds are too short. I cannot think what I should bring with me. If I got a message that the tsunami was going to come in 20 seconds, I would run as fast as I could and call my family and ask them of their safety. But I don’t think 20 seconds are enough for me to run, maybe I will just hold a tree tightly and never loosen my hands.
If I survived from a disaster, I would totally change my perspective towards life. Now I think money is important, and I really work hard and make much money. Besides, I like to buy clothing and other accessories. I think that desires are not bad. They can become the motives which make us want to work harder. Nevertheless, these thoughts would be totally changed if I survived from a disaster. I would cherish my family and my life more. Maybe I would think all of the things and stuff would be destroyed at the next moment, so I wouldn’t see money and clothes as important things. Maybe I would join charities to help more people who need more helps than I. I would say “I love you” to my family every day, because I would be afraid one of us would disappear in the world. Desires would be luxury to me. As long as I live at this moment, and I can see, I can listen, and I can feel, then that’s enough.
Debby
It seems that people all feel flustered while calamities happened. 20 seconds are indeed too short; as Ken say, we will not know what to do and will be panic-stricken in the first few seconds. Under such a rush condition, I think it's impossible to grab all the essential things we need and flee for safety at the same time. There's a saying that "Take precautions before it is too late." So, what we need is an "emergency bag". As for me, I prepared a moderate-sized backpack with the following items: bottled water and some rations for life support; cell-phone for connecting with the outside world and family members if I'm boxed up; a whistle is also useful of calling for help; some money (change included, in case the cell-phone dies; I can still use the public phones.); identification card; a flashlight; photos of my family members (If we are separated, I can show others these photos and find them). Ken has already mentioned what he will carry, and what about Debby and Ann?
回覆刪除Yes, I agree with Evita because the earthquake is so unpredictable and so destructive. I almost forget how terrifying the 921 earthquake was. What impressed me the most was that my family ran down stairs and outside was all dark.
回覆刪除Almost everyone considers family and life is the most valuable thing. We can’t see the beloved ones if we die and it is hard to bear if the beloved ones die.
It’s really important for people to prepare the emergency bag. It seems to be the most practical way to live and see our family or loved ones again.
Elsa’s point of view is interesting. Not only does the photo comfort you when you are separate from family but help you to identify them.
How do you think about the third question?
Just like Elsa, I will also prepare an emergency bag which has some water and cookies (and they should taste bad or I may eat them all before the earthquake), a whistle, a manual flashlight which doesn’t need batteries, and a plastic raincoat which can not only keep me warm but also keep me from rain and winds. I think Elsa’s idea is interesting, too. I didn’t think about this. However, it’s hard for me to find a photograph. We don’t have a picture since we have digital cameras. Maybe I should make some prints right away!
回覆刪除Debby
The earthquake happened on Japan and its aftermath is really heart-breaking. I hope Japan can recover soon from this disaster :-( This discussion topic reminds me that last week I’ve read a comic whose plot is stunningly similar to the problem now troubles Japan the most; that is, the nuclear radiation problem. In the comic, Tokyo has been abandoned because of the nuclear power plant near Tokyo exploded due to a serious earthquake, which disfunctioned the cooling system, thus the nuclear radiation polluted the whole Tokyo. This comic was published in 2001 or even earlier, which suggests that people do aware of the danger of nuclear power plant. However, the disaster still happened…
回覆刪除The most valuable thing to me would be those people I love in the world. Also, books, comics, notebooks, and things with special meaning to me are very important. If everyone makes a list of what s/he value, the list might be endless, or at least cover both spiritual and material things.
If I got only 20 seconds to run...well, I guess I would be too shocked to think of anything except for saving my own life. So the best way is to prepare the emergency bag first at home and always have my cell phone in hand. So that when I got 20 seconds to escape, I could immediately take the bag (if I was at home) and make phone calls while I was running. I would call my family who was not around me, and then my friends. However, I think in that short 20 seconds, it would be really nothing we could do except for saving our own life…
If I survived through such a disaster, I think my attitude toward life would be more mature. I would become more cautious and devote myself to activities which appeal to public’s awareness of such disasters.
I agree the ideas of emergency bag and pictures with Debby and Elsa, too! However, I think one problem is also very important, that is, what if the emergency bag we prepare is not around us when disaster happens? Maybe we prepare an emergency bag at home; however, we are trapped in the debris of our office building! What worse is that maybe we would be stuck in the subway on the way home when earthquake or something happens! No matter how we are prepared, there always are unexpected situations.
回覆刪除It is too hard to predict rest of my life after going through a huge disaster. Can I stay a positive and optimistic attitude toward destroyed life or keep a negative and pessimistic perspective on changeable future? No one knows what will happen. But it is never too late to make a careful preparation before a devastating catastrophe comes. Thanks Elsa for making a detailed list for us to follow. What I want to do and wish to do is establish everyone’s mental construction as well as emergency handling. Holding a cool mind and acting decisively is a critical key to survive no matter what disaster you confront with. A small preparation can save you and your life!
回覆刪除If I have a narrow escape from a destructive tsunami, I will cherish my life and my memory of being together with my family. Perhaps, I won’t be a procrastinator to pursue my dream and show filial obedience to my parents. Because I can’t forecast next second, grasping every opportunity and spending my time on people who I beloved is the best way to fulfill my life. What’s more, with the passion for the life, I want to join the group of volunteers to help people who are in need, like students live in remote village or the impoverished elder. Although I am tiny in the whole world and I can’t change my fortune, I still have a duty to make our world get more perfect and hold every time and every second to go on my own life.
Dear CCU and FJU students,
回覆刪除From your posting, I can definately see how terrified you guys were and still are when relating yourselves to the experience. This task, all of you used subjunctive mood 假設語氣.The subjunctive mood is the verb form used to express a command, a wish, a suggestion or a condition that is contrary to fact). It is hard when mixing factual statements and hypothetical expressions. Most of you did a good job. Debby, you made a coupld minor errors, e.g.,Every time I have an argument with them, I will cry (I am the person who rarely cry), and later you said "If I survived from a disaster, I would totally change my perspective towards life." You were switching between WILL and WOULD. These are minor since they were not really causing any confusions in this context. But still I thought you should be reminded a bit.
If any of you you need some review on this part of grammar, here is a pretty good webpage: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/jw!DNcvdOOfEQSucpKT7xl_YtyxQw.h7zo7HA--/article?mid=1110
For a topic like this, ideas aren't hard to express. But how we can be explicit when talking about our beliefs and thoughts would be quite challenging. Ken, you purposed a complicated philosophy "It is too hard to VISUALIZE THE FUTURE after going through a huge disaster. Can I stay positive and optimistic toward A destroyed life or REMAIN negative and pessimistic on A UNPREDICTABLE future? " Do you see how I revised your sentence? Please compare the two. I hope it helps.
Ann, I can't argue with you on "what if the emergency bag we prepare is not around us when disaster happens? ... No matter how we are prepared, there always are unexpected situations.". In spite that an emergency bag doesn't guarrentee survival, but it would be worse if you ARE at home, and you just DON'T have one when you are escaping.
But that's just my opinion.
Gina Chen