Rockin' and Rollin'

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the Tibetan region of China on Wednesday. CNN reported that about 15,000 homes were brought down in the Yushu County of the Qinghai province, and more than 100,00 people have evacuated the area.



On Saturday, the Dalai Lama offered words of comfort, and even though he is too far separated to be there, he wanted the people of the area to know that he is praying for them. The Dalai Lama has been in exile since 1959, after a Tibetan rebellion against China was attempted. He appealed to governments so that he may be able to offer support and assistance, CNN reported.

I think that in times of crises, it is important for countries and regions to come together and help those who are affected. It is devastating to me to know that there are so many that have lost everything and yet little aid is being given to them.

Take the earthquake in Haiti that happened almost a month ago. You can turn on the TV and still see commercials requesting donations and other aid. Even college campuses put together care packages to send to those in need.

But soon after the earthquake faded from the news, Chili was hit by an equally strong quake that also triggered a tsunami. Yet this quake was virtually ignored by the media, and I challenge you to find commercials seeking aid for these people.

Now China has been hit by yet another quake that has displaced thousands, and has killed almost 1500. It is good that at least some powerful leaders are stepping up to help those in need, and we should all be more aware of what is happening in the world.



photos from CNN.com and hollywoodtoday.net respectively

Plastics in the Ocean

I’m stepping back from the East Asia topic this week to talk about something that affects us all, plastic pollution. Everyday we use plastic and most of us disregard it as something normal, but after that plastic leaves you house, where does it go? Perhaps you recycle it, in which case it goes to a recycling plant where it is cleaned and prepped for reuse, or you may throw it away, where it goes to landfills.

But invariably some of the plastic we throw away flies out and will drift toward the ocean.

As a San Diego native, I grew up on the beach, next to lifeguard tower 14, and I will bet you that at some point when you walk along the beach, you will come across some sort of plastic. Once that plastic hits the water, it is only a matter of time before it ends up in the ocean and gets caught in one of the currents that will take it to the middle of the Pacific, to a place dubbed The Garbage Patch.

Some describe it as a floating island of garbage, but experts on it say that it is more of an underwater conglomeration of junk. They estimate that it is twice the size of Texas. Most of the plastic that is swirling around are the little balls that are the base for every plastic product.

Animals come to the patch and eat the plastic, because they think it is food, often they die because of the plastic buildup in their stomachs.

Now, I’m not preaching to you, telling you that you should stop using plastic and switch to something more biodegradable, I use plastic everyday too. I drink out of plastic cups, throw my trash out in plastic bags, write with mechanical pencils and so forth. But this is something that everyone should be aware of. I guarantee you, the next time you throw that piece of plastic away, you’ll think about it.

Unusual Dining

Themed restaurants are starting to become more popular all over the globe. In Taiwan, the phenomenon is expressed in some unusual ways.

CNN posted a video a few days ago about the wacky ways people are dining in Taipei.

The video features a hospital theme, where diners drink beer from IV bags and crutches and x-rays line the walls. There is also an airplane dining experience, where diners can choose economy, business, or first class without having to pay more.

I think that these types of themed restaurants are something that could really catch on all over the globe. It offers people the opportunity to do something different. Personally, I would love to dine in an airplane with some extra space and without the turbulence. Maybe someday there will be one such restaurant here.