Home>News Center>China
       
 

Expats worry for families, homelands
By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-03 22:42

Bhemrao Satish had been in China for only a month when last week he was hit by the devastating news that his hometown was stricken by a killer tsunami.

Sri Lanka's Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo to China talks about tsunami-ravaged areas of his country as he was interviewed by a China Daily reporter. [newsphoto]
The 33-year-old manager works at Indian Kitchen, an Indian restaurant located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing.

His hometown, the State of Tamilnadu, has racked up a death toll of more than 8,000 people, he said. Fortunately, his family was not among the victims.

"Within one hour of the tragedy, my family reached me by phone and I've been calling them ever since," he said.

Satish told China Daily that his hometown has a mixture of religions, including Hindus and Christians. People in his hometown cancelled their New Year's celebrations to grieve for the lost.

In China, for Satish and other South Asians and Southeast Asians, "there has been a lot of praying,"he said.

"We pray that more families would be spared the anguish and grief, and we pray for the souls of the dead."

Silent murmurs of prayers and quiet words of consolation have the predominant forms of expression and communication at the small Southeastern Asian communities in China. Many of these expats toil in ethnic restaurants that dot China's metropolises.

Since the disaster affected small and isolated coastal areas of these countries, most of the Southeastern Asian residents in China were spared the agony of losing family members. Still, it is painful to see television reports or read of the thousands of lives lost in home countries.

Ani's home is two thousand kilometres away from the Indonesian area most affected by the tsunami. The 20-ish chef at Shenzhen's Bali House does not read either Chinese or English. He had to talk to China Daily through Wei, the restaurant owner.

Ani says he is grateful the Chinese people have showed so much sympathy and support for his country. He makes occasional calls home to get himself updated on the situation, and he appreciates all the donations his Shenzhen coworkers have chipped in.

The small Indian community, of which Satish has just become a part, is more active. "We are planning a donation drive to collect some money for the victims in India," he said.

When talking about the outpouring of cash and support from ordinary Chinese, Satish could not contain his gratitude.

"I'm so happy about the wonderful response the Chinese people have shown," he said.

Amthan Phuphani is treated as if he is a family member by his boss, even so far away from home. "The wife of my boss is Thai and a fellow Buddhist," he said "And she leads us in daily prayer for all the people who have suffered in the catastrophe."

The 55-year-old chef at Borom Piman, a Thai restaurant in Beijing's Holiday Inn Lido, is a new arrival. Even though his family is in northern Thailand, far from coastal Phuket, he is still fixated on the latest news from his country.

Through a colleague, he told China Daily that his anxiety and homesickness are eased by his thoughtful coworkers, and by his religious faith. There is also the knowledge that so many people in China care about the suffering of his countrymen.

"It has made me feel so much better," he said.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

88 laws, regulations take effect on New Year's Day

 

   
 

Premier Wen to join tsunami summit

 

   
 

Death toll reaches 95,000 in Indonesia

 

   
 

Beijing plans charter flights across Straits

 

   
 

Forty percent of workers work as freelancers

 

   
 

Canada confirms second case of mad cow

 

   
  Chill takes its toll on elderly and children
   
  SEF chairman Ku Chen-fu passes away
   
  Nine Chinese perish in tsunami
   
  Premier Wen to join tsunami summit
   
  Forty percent of workers work as freelancers
   
  Beijing plans charter flights across Straits
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Taxes to be levied on expatriates
   
Taxes to be levied on expatriates
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 91香蕉短视频| 久久毛片免费看一区二区三区| 精品乱码久久久久久久| 国产午夜在线视频| 五月天精品在线| 国产高清无专砖区2021| hentai里番在线| 废柴视频网最新fcww78| 久久91精品国产91久久| 日韩一级片在线观看| 亚洲av成人综合网| 欧美日本一本线在线观看| 亚洲综合无码一区二区| 福利一区二区视频| 又大又黄又粗又爽的免费视频| 色老太婆bbw| 国产又粗又猛又黄又爽无遮挡| 欧美人与物videos另| 国产精品免费一区二区三区| 91香蕉视频成人| 在线中文字幕不卡| chinese精品男同志浪小辉| 少妇高潮无套内谢| 两夫妇交换的一天| 手机在线观看视频你懂的| 久久久久久a亚洲欧洲AV| 虎白女粉嫩尤物福利视频| 国产福利免费在线观看| **一级毛片在线直播| 国产精品黄页在线播放免费| 久久99精品久久久久久国产| 日韩欧美国产成人| 亚洲av无码片在线播放| 欧美一级在线看| 亚洲人成在线播放网站岛国| 欧美变态老妇重口与另类| 亚洲大香人伊一本线| 欧美成人免费观看| 亚洲大片在线观看| 欧美人与物VIDEOS另类| 亚洲另类自拍丝袜第五页|