sometimes the world is a beautiful place, other times...

[meitachi]

01. Reading these articles on China's earthquake and aftermath makes me cry. A lot. I'm still nervous and excited about leaving for China in 4 days, but now I'm a lot more nervous than excited, and a lot sad. I'm traveling into a tragedy.

1.5. China scales down torch relay after quake. The International Olympic Committee is giving $1 million to aid relief efforts. (And Jay Chou donated 500,000元.)

02. Myanmar also makes me upset.

03. Obama has Edward's endorsement. Edwards going for VP, y/n? (Hillary says don't pick McCain over Obama like my dad wants to do.)

04. The polar bear is now listed as "threatened" on the Endangered Species list.

World, you are sometimes so unbearably sad.

Comments

[satora-chan.livejournal.com]

I freaked out when I heard about the earthquake. My brother lives in Beijing, which isn't that close to Szechuan but he still felt the aftershocks of the earthquake all the way over there.

I like how CNN labels one of its videos as "Quake survivors dismayed." Really. Dismayed.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Did your brother move there or is he studying abroad? Either way, I'm glad he's okay. But, yeah, Beijing is something like 900 miles away from the epicenter of the quake and if they still felt it--

A lot of the articles are really inappropriately worded, I feel. I think most of the reporters have the right sentiment but are just, I don't know, expressing it wrong. But I'm liable to be slightly defensive.

[satora-chan.livejournal.com]

Studying abroad.

I feel the same about the reporters. I think they're afraid that if they use the wrong turn of phrase, they might offend someone, and they don't want that, especially after a tragedy. Thus, they try to keep it as simple and uncontroversial as possible.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

And then some reporters don't seem to have much tact at all. For example, whoever wrote this article (http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/05/14/china-quake-impact-oped-cx_dhs_0514quakeimpact.html) and titled it "Earthquake Reaction and Overreaction". And just barely a day after the actual event. At this point, it should not be about how "China marches along toward full integration into the global economic community"--it should be about the Chinese people who are suffering and struggling and mourning.

[tsumetaitsubasa.livejournal.com]

Too true. Maybe the world really is ending in 2012.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

If that's so, I hope we can make the most of the next four years. But, in a way, we should live every day like it's meaningful, right?

I guess events like this always make me reflect on the importance of life; oh philosophical thoughts.

[tsumetaitsubasa.livejournal.com]

Yep!

Yeah, it makes things seem... I don't know. Big. XD Like you realize you're just a part of something. It sometimes makes me question religion.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I'm worried, but I'm still excited, but then I feel guilty about being excited when this is so horrific and tragic. :/ But I will be careful.

::hugs:: Thanks for thinking of me.

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

1. I am glad you did not travel there this week? er, I think that made more sense in my head..

4. *sad*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

1. No, I understand what you mean and I'm glad too that I wasn't there while this happened. It's still...so sad though.

4. POLAR BEAR. I keep thinking of that awful animation from An Inconvenient Truth where the polar bear's ice shrinks into nothing.

[suxing.livejournal.com]

1. Reading about orphaned children kind of makes my heart clench up painfully. Why oh why do we have natural disasters in this world, they make me so horribly depressed. :(

And #4 makes me almost as sad as #1. Almost. Polar bearrr. ;O; </3

[meiface.livejournal.com]

1. Yeah. :/ Is your family okay?

[suxing.livejournal.com]

1. Yeah, my family's fine. They're all situated in Shanghai and even though they felt some tremors, I don't think anything catastrophic happened, thankfully. My grandparents managed to nap right through it.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I agree. :(

[emeraldcrystal.livejournal.com]

:(

I really don't watch the news enough... or surf enough internet. 1 & 4 makes me sad. T_T

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I just realized that #3 doesn't really fit with the rest of my list, lol. It was more of news that turned into a list of tragedies and, well, Obama getting Edwards' support is really not a tragedy. >_> But, um.

Yeah, I try to keep up with the news at least somewhat. Even though most of it's depressing.

[yueshi.livejournal.com]

I think it's really frightening how many naturla disasters there are, and I fear thet they will become even more.

I simply don't understand the military regime in Myanmar, why does it take them so long to take the help of others?

And I din't know about the polar bear being this threatend. That's really bad. But actually it shouldn't be a surprise, knowing that we distroy his habitat.... v__v

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Myanmar does make me upset; I've studied the country twice in two different courses, and it's hard to understand that this is happening right now and all the things I learned about it are liable to change because the military junta can dictate whatever it wants.

Yeah, global warming and associated problems is another thing that upsets me since it concerns the entire world.

And China...well, that hits closest to home.

[forochel.livejournal.com]

...please be safe. *hugs*

NO NOT THE POLAR BEARS. D: WORLD, WHY.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I will do my best. ::hugs back:: I will be extra paranoid.

Polar bears, I know. :(

[forochel.livejournal.com]

I wish I could get a good luck charm to you on time. ): KEep your money in different places, okay!

Why would anyone want to hurt them? WHY. /irrational

[thevignette.livejournal.com]

The world in general just breaks my heart sometimes.

China, in particular, just makes me feel like crying. It's the aftermath that's always the worst.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

The world in general just breaks my heart sometimes.

It really, really does. Watching the aftermath on the news really reinforces for me how very lucky I am, and makes me wish I could appreciate that more all the time.

[phasera.livejournal.com]

I saw all the breaking news about that while I was still away (the only english channels in our hotel were BBC News and CNN) and it's so horrific. It feels like tragedy is piling on top of tragedy these days. If I were the religious (or extreme Mother-Gaia) sort... I might think someone was trying to tell us something.

I have to admit, the only thing that's giving me the slightest grain of hope for redemption (of our own country, anyway) is the upcoming election. The only thing I want now is for Dem's to just finally take back the damn government. Sigh.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I really wonder if the world isn't just going to end in 2012. All the natural disasters of late have been getting worse and more frequent. :/ Cyclones and earthquakes and random hailstorms and strange weather patterns. Then again, maybe it's human-caused. But I guess that doesn't change much...

I don't hate McCain, actually, but I do want a Democrat back in office.

[ricciolo.livejournal.com]

1 and 3: What happened in Myanmar and China is scary (and also so sad). :(

4: Icecaps, please stop melting! (Argh to global warming!)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

It probably makes me a really selfish/bad person, but I'm far more affected by what happened in China, so I care more. :/ Not that I'm not appalled by Myanmar, but...yeah.

GLOBAL WARMING. :(

[ricciolo.livejournal.com]

Well, I bet part of it is because you have a more connection to China, right? I don't think that makes you a bad person.

MORE OZONE LAYER, plz.

[ricciolo.livejournal.com]

^ "have more of a connection"

Because I can totally type.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I feel a little guilty, but mostly I feel justified. It's probably worse because we also get Chinese satellite/news and so I can understand what they say and all the images and :(. It's so sad, all of it.

[ludicmelody.livejournal.com]

Reading? I actually watched the news; the images of all those people just make me want to cry. or do something.
I guess others thought the same? My school had an impromtu fundraiser for earthquake relief. I donated as much as I could without having to explain to dad why I need more money next week.

I always thought the polar bear was on the list. o.O;
& no opinion on the politics. Although I think the way things are going, Obama's going to win. =/

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I've seen news clips too, but I am more attached to my computer than my TV. Either way, it's horrific. I can't deal with the clips because then I ttly don't hear any of the news because I'm too busy crying. At least I can sort of read articles. :(

It's just...awful. But I'm really glad people are rallying to come to China's aid at this point (esp. after all the Tibet/Olympics drama).

And I ttly didn't mean to put politics on my same list as other tragedies, whoops. But yeah I think Obama's pretty secure in the nomination.

[ludicmelody.livejournal.com]

well, whatever doesn't kill them can only make them stronger
At least the next time God forbid China'll be better prepared, or something.

Totally not the right moment to make a joke, but maybe we should follow suit with Futurama: take a giant chunk of ice from some planet and bring it back to Earth so it can do it's cooling magic. But seriously, ICE CAPS, WHY? >.> I love how humans can screw things up so badly; something that took thousands of years to create is now being reduced to this. Although, I do love technological advances and stuff.

[ludicmelody.livejournal.com]

I'm loving my html blunders. >.>

[meiface.livejournal.com]

The world gives us so much reason to be sad, but we must cling to hope! That is what I say because being pessimistic is too easy. (And depressing.)