We've had a few people who have heard the news of the recent (last Thursday) earthquake in China write to us, wondering if we had been affected by the quake and if we were safe or not. For those of you who have the same idea of Chinese geography as we did before coming over here, (i.e., slim to none), we'd like to reassure everyone that the earthquake happened in Qinghai province, around 450 miles to west and slightly north of where we are in Sichuan, and that we are indeed safe and sound.
When the earthquake happened, we were coincidentally traveling in a Tibetan area of Sichuan, though, like I mentioned, quite distant from the epicenter. In fact, because we were out being tourists instead of watching TV or checking the internet, we didn't hear about the quake until Saturday night. Checking up on the new now that we're back, our prayers are going out to the people in Yushu and the surrounding affected areas of Qinghai.
Since we were away for what was essentially a long weekend, we're now plunging back into classes and lesson planning, but we'll be around more in the coming month or two and have a chance to catch up on this blog and contact with people Stateside. In the meantime, thanks to all for your concern - always good to know we're in people's minds. Also, if you're like us and feeling more connected to events in the world lately, Sichuan Quake Relief has people on the way to Yushu, and is a great place to donate if you'd like to make a difference.
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