[人在他鄉]Begging money for Earthquake Relief

[人在他鄉] Earthquake Relief
5/20/2008

今天看了我們研發中心負責海外分部的經理向公司大頭呼籲向中國地震災區捐款的信，挺感動的。其實在地震發生的第二天我們公司就有中國人寫信向高層部門寫信捐錢，但是沒有得到肯定的答複。後來這位美國人正好去北京出差，目睹了中國舉國上下的哀吊場麵，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.

我周一的時候帶了自己做的兩盒小點心，放在公司的休息室裏，順便放了賑災的宣傳單和捐款箱，我倒不指望同事能捐多少錢，就是想讓更多的人關注這場大地震，知道中國政府不是不管老百姓死活的。西方人普遍認為共產黨的國家對人民都比較冷漠無情，我就是想讓他們改變這種想法。我有同事在事發當天就跟我提起地震，表示同情，也有的人根本就沒在意，還拿地震死亡的人數和前兩年新奧爾良的颶風襲擊相比，還有的人拿了我的點心根本就不看宣傳單。總之我帶的點心最後是消滅一空，可惜收獲甚微。我倒不覺得什麽，隻要我自己做了我該做的，就行了。我也不想求別人去捐錢，說真的，平時老米同事要是說中國有一丁點不好的，我都會據理力爭，比如他們說中國汙染那麽嚴重怎麽舉辦奧運會啊，還有一次另外一個組的半個老波（他爸是波蘭移民）說中國很多婦女生活地很慘，氣得我不打一出來，痛斥他們胡說。所以在這種情況下我覺得讓人家捐錢挺難為情的，你不是說中國現在很強大嗎，怎麽一到天災人禍的時候就想起要錢來了？

早晨六點起來做的點心，中午就被全部消滅。

 


 p.s. 這個星期公司高層最後終於決定MATCH employee’s donation，打破了以往的慣例，可喜可賀。