20 lifepulse
Finding new meanings
The Sichuan earthquake was a life changing experience
for student Fang Dongsheng. Zhu Linyong reports
B
efore May 12, 2008, Fang Dong-
sheng’s dream was to find a job in
an international trading company
and build a cozy home in a well-
developed coastal city. But all that changed
after the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan
province.
“My attitude toward life changed forever
after the devastating earthquake,” says the
20-year-old junior at West China Normal
University in Dujiangyan, a city close to
Wenchuan, the epicenter of the earthquake
in Sichuan province.
“I’ve come to see the importance of famil-
ial love and found it vital to open my heart
and reach out to help others,” he says.
A native of Wenchuan, the single child of
a working class family left his home city for
the first time in 2007 when he enrolled in
university.
Life went smoothly until that fateful day,
May 12, when he left his room on the sec-
ond floor of a three-storied dormitory for an
afternoon class. Fang soon realized that he
was experiencing an earthquake, but did not
know what to do. His roommates shouted
and dragged him to the door.
“As if waking up from a nightmare, I stum-
bled along with fellow students to the stairs,”
Fang recalled. “I guess I was scared and found
it hard to move my legs and to breathe.”
He and hundreds of schoolmates gath-
ered on the sports grounds. There he tried
to call his parents who worked at a post
office in Wenchuan and his grandparents
in Dujiangyan. When he couldn’t reach any
of them, the young man says he was “sud-
denly engulfed by panic and despair”, and he
burst into tears.
That night, he learned that the epicenter
was Wenchuan, and rescuers were trying to
reach the devastated area. “My mind went
totally blank. Panic, despair, hope, they all
disappeared for a moment. I felt like I was
on the brink of breakdown and did not pay
attention to what was going on around me,”
he recalls.
It was three days after the major quake that
Fang finally heard the tired voice of his mother
Liu Hui who had been busy with relief work
in Wenchuan. Luckily, all his family members
were safe and sound. Instead of going back to
Wenchuan, Fang decided to do something to
help others, and he joined volunteers building
tents in Dujiangyan, distributing food and
nursing the wounded.
Western duo cultivate interest in organic farms
By MEI JIA
CHINA DAILY
New Yorker Greg Lepkoff, 24, found his
future and the chance to realize his dream after
a two month driving trip across China.
“I know what I would be and what life I’d
lead if I stayed in the US,” Lepkoff says. “But
I want a different life, and the trip answered
how.”
Born in a Jewish-American family, Lep-
koff feels connected to China through food,
and the Jewish and Chinese people’s shared
emphasis on education and family.
He became a student of Asian Studies at
Binghamton University in 2005. There he
spent one year finishing a 30-page research
paper on China’s agriculture after joining the
World Trade Organization.
However, his extensive reading only made
him confused about the country he was study-
ing. “From the books I learnt of a country with
a great history and the capability of preserving
the historical heritage,” he says, “but from the
media around me I saw only bad images.”
To see the reality with his own eyes, Lepkoff
arrived at Beijing two months before the 2008
Olympics.
In October that year, while staying with a
Chinese family to refine his language skills,
Lepkoff was thrilled to learn in the news that
farmers are officially allowed to transfer their
land-use rights.
“That probably meant large scale farms
would be on a rise,” he says.
He thought his opportunity had arrived and
contemplated opportunities to trade farming
machinery and equipment.
what’snew
Action star’s softer side
In his new film Ocean Paradise, kungfu star Jet Li
takes on his first non-action role as a father whose
son suffers from autism.
The film is written and directed by first-time
director Xue Xiaolu and was made on a budget of 7
million yuan ($1 million).
Although the film is a departure for Li, as it
features no action scenes, the actor reassured
his fans that it does not mean he is giving up his
usual action roles. The film will be released this
summer.
Fang Dongsheng signs his name with other Chinese students who attended a special
program in New York to help rebuild their devastated hometown in Sichuan.
Fang Dongsheng (left) with teachers and students at the State University of New York.
“I had no time to think about my family.
We were fighting against the disaster like we
were in a battlefield,” he recalls.
His parents finally made it to Dujangyan,
traveling amid the frequent aftershocks
along damaged mountain roads.
“The reunion struck me deeply. I realized
how much my parents loved me,” says Fang,
adding that he became a true grown-up dur-
ing this time.
Swiss IT engineer Hans Galliker — who has joined American Greg Lepkoff to explore
China’s countryside — enquiring after the price of piglets in a rural market.
Hans Galliker, a 30-year-old Swiss IT
engineer, met Lepkoff in Beijing, where he
was studying business at Beijing Union Uni-
versity.
“Our qualities complement each other,”
he says.
A former farming apprentice, Galliker
shares Lepkoff ’s passion for sustainable agri-
culture.
The friendship led to the two becoming
business partners and the pair set about turn-
ing their ideas into reality.
Subverting a cultural icon
Cross-talk comedian Guo Degang stars in a
film called The Love of Three Smiles. Yu Qian, Guo’s
cross-talk partner, plays an old lady in the comedy.
The film tells how ancient poet/painter Tang
Bohu courted the beautiful Qiuxiang, a maid in a
rich family.
Known for his talent, Tang has been frequently
portrayed as a handsome and smart young man
in films and TV. Guo’s Tang, however, is a middle-
aged rocker with feather ornaments and a Chinese
lute instead of a guitar. The film opened on May 7.
PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Two years later, Fang can speak candidly
about his experiences during and after the
earthquake, although some of his fellow
students still find it very difficult.
Fang is preparing for post-graduate
studies, but he is determined to return and
work for his hometown as he believes it is
the responsibility of the younger genera-
tion to help re-build the local economy and
infrastructure.
PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
In November 2008, they began to think
about a car trip.
“As questions accumulated, we felt the need
to explore and find out more about rural
China in person,” Lepkoff says.
With a budget of $10,000, they rented a
car, hired two Chinese girls as translator and
driver, and prepared questionnaires and small
gifts.
Having selected 16 provinces, the team set
off in February 2009, intent on covering 40
cities and counties.
Never too late to be a star
China’s older generations have also got talent.
2010 Sunshine Health: Senior Citizens Talent Com-
petition began recently, aimed at providing a show-
case for people who are over 65 years old. Any senior
citizen in the country could sign up to demonstrate
talents in singing, dancing, or playing musical
instruments. The first rounds are being held in Bei-
jing, Shenyang, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Wuhan.
Just 50 competitors will make the finals, which will
be held in the capital this October. In Beijing, there
are already 1,300 people participating.
T H U R S D A Y, M A Y 1 3 , 2 0 1 0
With this in mind Fang seized the chance
to study at the State University of New York
(SUNY) in August 2008, where he was one
of 150 Chinese students who attended a
program at SUNY which aimed to “build a
team of young leaders” who could serve the
quake-affected areas after they graduated.
The students, primarily sophomores and
juniors, were chosen from over 2,000 appli-
cants after a careful review of academic per-
formance and English language proficiency.
They studied for nine months as full-time
students at SUNY’s state-operated and com-
munity college campuses.
“I’m so grateful for what everybody did
for me,” Fang says.
A major of international business, Fang
enjoyed the courses in liberal arts the
most.
He read English poetry and Shakespeare.
“That was my first time to read an original
English novel, I enjoyed it so much! ” Fang
says.
He noticed that most American students
knew little about China. Whereas most Chi-
nese students he knew had already “accu-
mulated so much knowledge about America
before they even set foot on foreign soil”.
Recalling the happy days with his Ameri-
can professors, fellow students and some
American families who held welcome par-
ties for Chinese students from the quake-hit
region, Fang says: “This brief but eye-open-
ing exposure to society and people in a
developed country changed my mindset a
lot. I have learned to look at the bright side
of life and become more confident. Now I
find it less difficult to speak my thoughts
although I used to be an introvert.”
Nonetheless, Fang admits he is still trau-
matized by the experience.
One night last month a minor earthquake
shook Dujiangyan.
“I thought I had fully recovered from
the painful experience,” Fang says. “But I
could not help but cry loudly at midnight
and run wildly while my roommates were
sound asleep.”
Fang says he knows that it will get better.
The university has psychological coun-
selors stationed on campus. Fang and other
students often seek advice from them.
“I think it is natural that wounds deep at
heart take a longer time to heal... I am always
expecting a better tomorrow to come,” Fang
says.
“We didn’t spend even one minute sight-
seeing,” Lepkoff recalls. “We were driving
and talking with farmers, officials and com-
panies.”
As the journey progressed, they aban-
doned their questionnaires, as they realized a
machinery business was not such a good idea,
as replacing the country’s huge farming popu-
lation with agricultural machinery would only
create problems, Lepkoff says.
Instead they concentrated on gaining a
first-hand understanding of the condition of
the farmlands, the soil, farmers’ income and
education, the crops, food culture and the new
developments.
Lepkoff says that they made many friends
along the way and that in a way they traveled
by following people.
Both believe they found the answers to their
questions about establishing an agriculture
business in China on the trip.
Lepkoff believes the nation’s agricultural
policies encourage the growth of an enormous
amount of organic farmland. “China’s policies
are really helping the people,” he says.
“The Chinese countryside offers huge
potential for development,” Galliker adds.
They both agree that the real potential is
in sustainable and environmentally-friendly
farming, and the pair have begun trading
organic fertilizers. Now they are planning to
expand the business.
Lepkoff says that he plans to stay in China
for at least five more years. “I know China will
be a part of me for the rest of my life,” he says.
Galliker thinks that he will stay for ten.
In 2011, the pair will begin another tour of
the country, this time for six months.
Sequel for pop teen show
The actor Li Yapeng is better known as the hus-
band of diva Faye Wong, but 12 years ago he was a
popular idol, thanks to the TV teen drama Cherish
Our Lover Forever. He is likely to repeat his earlier
glory in a big screen sequel to the show, which will
start shooting soon.
Li will join hands with Xu Jinglei, the leading
actress of the TV show. The story is set 10 years
after the story ends in the TV series. The film is due
for release on Valentine’s Day next year.
CHINA DAILY
C H I NA DA I LY
Cantonese tongue
twisters turn into
plot-twisters
By GUS TATE
FOR CHINA DAILY
Standing on the peak of Taishan, hold-
ing a camera for a newlywed couple from
Shenzhen, I heard the woman suddenly
yell to me in Cantonese.
“Excuse me?” I shouted over the wind.
We had been chatting for several minutes
already, but only in Mandarin.
“So, you don’t understand Cantonese,
then?” The woman looked unimpressed
as she took the camera and put it back in
her purse. “I thought you said you lived in
Guangzhou!”
I was unprepared for this response. Chi-
nese people are usually
flabbergasted that I can
speak even a word of
Mandarin. I managed a
meager excuse about it
being too difficult, but
the couple had already
HOTPOT turned to leave.
Cantonese is infa-
mous among foreigners for its inscru-
tability. Judging from cadence alone, an
overheard conversation in Cantonese
could easily be construed as a heated and
potentially violent argument.
Cantonese slang is also notoriously
prolific and idiomatic. And the tones
— are there six, eight, or nine? How am I
supposed to learn a language whose native
speakers can’t even agree on the number
of tones?
Still, the woman’s remark was an
unpleasant reminder of how little I had
learned during my first year in Guang-
zhou, so I enlisted my roommate as a
study buddy. We found a tutor, bought a
textbook, and our journey began.
As it turns out, Cantonese is hard.
Barrels of fun, but mentally exhausting.
Despite the noble efforts of our teacher,
we’ve only succeeded in internalizing a few
fun-to-say but way-too-specific sentences
and structures.
My roommate, for instance, is an expert
at assuming an air of exasperation while
asking: “How can you say such a thing
here?!” (Lei hai dou gong maai di gam
ge je?!)
I, meanwhile, have mastered the frivo-
lous outburst of a restaurant patron when
asked if he would mind sharing a table:
“Sitting with others? No way!” (Tung jan
dei maa toi aa? Ngo dei m dzai gaa!)
Problem is, the opportunities to use
these phrases in the presence of native
Cantonese speakers are relatively rare. It
wasn’t until my dad came to visit that I
finally had a perfect opportunity to flex
my skills.
After meeting my father at the Hong
Kong airport, we decided to grab a quick
dim sum before taking our train to Guang-
zhou. The restaurant was full, so we took a
number, nervously checking our watches
as we waited. The hostess called our num-
ber. I leapt toward the desk. She gestured
toward a large table already occupied by
several diners.
“Li dou dak m dak aa?” (“Is this table
alright?”)
I was torn. Of course we didn’t mind
sharing a table. Besides, we were in a
rush and couldn’t afford to be picky. But
every fiber of my consciousness wanted to
blurt out the phrase I had already honed
to perfection. I couldn’t help myself, so I
sang out, practically exploding with false
indignation:
“Tung jan dei maa toi aa?!” (“Sitting with
other people?!”)
The hostess blinked.
“Super!” I chirped merrily, sitting down
in a huff, motioning frantically for my
father to join me before the hostess had
time to consider what a weird, bipolar
customer I was. Like I said, barrels of fun.
In all seriousness, I don’t regret spending
hours filling my head with Cantonese. At
the very least, it has taken this dialect that
I hear on the streets and transformed it
from mere static obstructing my Chinese
education into music enhancing it. I highly
recommend studying the local dialect, at
least casually, especially for those look-
ing to expose themselves to a whole new
dimension of embarrassment.
LI MIN / CHINA DAILY
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