Jiangxi Earthquake -- brief news from HTS

A message sent to wide distribution from Jenny Bowen, of Half The Sky:

Hi all,

I know that some of you have been worried about the children whose orphanages were affected by the earthquake on Saturday. Yesterday we spoke to the director of the Jiujiang (Jiangxi) institution, which is just a few miles from the epicenter. They are all fine. There were no injuries, just broken glass and some, what appear to minor, cracks in the walls. They are keeping the children outside as much as possible just in case their building is unsafe. Once the aftershocks cease and they can have the building inspected, they'll move back in. We asked them to please call us if they need anything and they thank us all for our concern.

This weekend I finished preparing photos of all of the new children in our programs who lack sponsors. There are 146 from Guangzhou, 15 from Beihai and 21 from Sanya. In addition to the 363 still unassigned from our current programs, that means that 545 children still need sponsors!

This does not mean that the children won't participate in Half the Sky programs--all children participate, whether their participation is funded or not. But those sponsorship dollars are what keep our programs afloat. Please considering giving the gift of a child or nanny sponsorship this holiday season. It costs only $25 per month, your gift will be remembered through the year with progress reports and photos and you transform a child's life. What better way could there be to honor someone special?

I'll be writing with more news soon. We're working on our 2006 calendar right now and I want to share our plans with you.

All the best,

Jenny

Local Story

Group provides comfort level for local people who adopt kids: The group is made up of families who have adopted children from other countries, families who have adopted children from agencies in the United States, and families who have adopted through Athens County Children Services. The group meets to discuss issues that adoptive families go through, and also to support each other and just visit and have a good time.

NPR Story

Dissent Grows Beyond Government Control in China: NPR senior news analyst Daniel Schorr says that China is finding it harder and harder to keep a lid on dissent.

Ladybug Clock

This 10-inch lady bug wall clock has Chinese characters for numerals.

China Provincial Orphanage Location Maps

RedThreadMaps.com provides beautiful, hand-made maps of China.

Welcome to Red Thread Maps. I'm Hendrika, the artist & lucky mom to my twin daughters from China, who are my inspiration.

My map project began as a labor of love for my twin daughters, to show them where they are from; their beautiful homeland; and has blossomed into so much more. After creating the Jiangxi map, I was so delighted with it I knew I had to do more; and my daughters love it and are proud to point to their hometown. My maps are intended to show the general locations of orphanages that participate in international adoptions. The map base is hand-rendered by me in good ole' fashioned ink. I just love using old style nib pens and ink wells. I then edit the drawings digitally. The original maps and prints are large, sharp and clear, and truly beautiful.

(Thanks Dulce from APC!)

For Tom Cruise Fans

Tom Cruise leaves ancient town of Xitang: Famous action movie star Tom Cruise runs for the filming of his new movie "Mission Impossilbe 3" in the ancient town of Xitang in Jiashan County, east China's Zhejiang Province.

News

China Resolves a Water Crisis in the North, Then Pivots to a Major Earthquake in the South: The central government, which is under criticism for its handling of the Harbin crisis, was faced with apparent devastation in southeastern China after an earthquake reportedly left several hundred thousand people without shelter.

Upstart From Chinese Province Masters the Art of TV Titillation: They called it "The Mongolian Cow Sour Yogurt Super Girl Contest," and for much of the year, this "American Idol" knockoff was one of the hottest shows on Chinese television.

A Judge Tests China's Courts, Making History: Judge Li Huijuan happened to be in the courthouse file room when clerks, acting on urgent orders, began searching for a ruling on a mundane case about seed prices. "I handled that case," Judge Li told the clerks, surprised that anyone would be interested.

Map of China

National Geographic sells China wall maps from it's webpage.

This detailed political map of China accurately shows locations of provincial boundaries, cities and towns, major highways and roads, rivers and waterways, and other geographic features. Measures 24" x 30".

(Thanks Kate from PAC!)

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Water Shortage Update

Running Water Restored to Chinese City: Running water returned to this northeast city of 3.8 million people Sunday, ending a five-day shutdown blamed on a chemical spill that embarrassed the government and highlighted China's mounting environmental problems.

NPR aired a couple of pieces on the situation:

Accident Contaminates Major Chinese City's Water: In northeastern China, a city of nearly 4 million people has temporarily lost its water supply. Environmental officials say an industrial accident polluted a river that normally serves as the water source for the city, Harbin.

Toxic Flow Leaves Chinese City Waiting for Water: A 50-mile-long slick of toxic chemicals flowing through a river in northeast China has left the 9 million residents of Harbin scrambling.