[人在他乡]Begging money for Earthquake Relief

[人在他乡] Earthquake Relief
5/20/2008

今天看了我们研发中心负责海外分部的经理向公司大头呼吁向中国地震灾区捐款的信，挺感动的。其实在地震发生的第二天我们公司就有中国人写信向高层部门写信捐钱，但是没有得到肯定的答复。后来这位美国人正好去北京出差，目睹了中国举国上下的哀吊场面，他被深深地震撼了。
 
I write you today as a beggar. I want your help asking for money. I arrived in Beijing 6 days after the earthquake. Although no one in the BJ office has lost a family or a loved one the staff is grieving. There is a donation box in the lobby that our staffs are generously contributing to. The staff contributions are over $5000 at this time. In solidarity, American staffs have contributed over $5000 to relief efforts bringing BJ staff donations to $10,000. I think it would be a welcome gesture for our HQ to match staff donations.
 
It would mean a lot to me and it would mean a lot to the staff if our company joined some of the other corporations in helping the relief efforts. On a human level a corporate donation shows compassion. On a business level, a corporate donation boosts staff morale by showing a commitment to the country. The collected funds will be going to the Chinese branch of the Red Cross.

Yesterday at 2:28 I watched as Beijing stood still. Traffic in one of the world's largest cities stopped. Weeping crowds held hands in Tiananmen Square as all of China was silent for 3 minutes. Afterwards I went to the lobby of the R&D center and emptied my wallet into the donation box.

Our company has given me the opportunity to make a work home in Beijing. The people and the place have changed me forever. A few years ago I watched in horror as my first home (New Orleans) went under water. I have the same feeling of loss as I watch the images in the media and the aftershock on the faces. If I were younger and stronger, I would go help clear rubble. As an old fat man, I do the next best thing, I beg for relief money. There are many worthy causes to donate. Like Katrina in New Orleans, this one is personal for me.

我周一的时候带了自己做的两盒小点心，放在公司的休息室里，顺便放了赈灾的宣传单和捐款箱，我倒不指望同事能捐多少钱，就是想让更多的人关注这场大地震，知道中国政府不是不管老百姓死活的。西方人普遍认为共产党的国家对人民都比较冷漠无情，我就是想让他们改变这种想法。我有同事在事发当天就跟我提起地震，表示同情，也有的人根本就没在意，还拿地震死亡的人数和前两年新奥尔良的飓风袭击相比，还有的人拿了我的点心根本就不看宣传单。总之我带的点心最后是消灭一空，可惜收获甚微。我倒不觉得什么，只要我自己做了我该做的，就行了。我也不想求别人去捐钱，说真的，平时老米同事要是说中国有一丁点不好的，我都会据理力争，比如他们说中国污染那么严重怎么举办奥运会啊，还有一次另外一个组的半个老波（他爸是波兰移民）说中国很多妇女生活地很惨，气得我不打一出来，痛斥他们胡说。所以在这种情况下我觉得让人家捐钱挺难为情的，你不是说中国现在很强大吗，怎么一到天灾人祸的时候就想起要钱来了？

早晨六点起来做的点心，中午就被全部消灭。

 


 p.s. 这个星期公司高层最后终于决定MATCH employee’s donation，打破了以往的惯例，可喜可贺。