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Reconstruction workers' lives in Sichuan (2) |
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19:56, November 11, 2008 |
One of the people doing the work is Guo Shengya.
"I was quite shocked when I saw the damage with my own yes," he said. "It is a different feeling than seeing it on TV."
Guo shares a single room with two colleagues in a newly constructed, single-story shelter. He said life isn't easy.
"Once, I didn't take a shower for a week," Guo exclaimed.
The shelter, which was designed to be environmentally friendly, has solar powered water heaters. Guo said it's usually overcast in Shifang and sometimes the water doesn't get warm.
He also has problems with the infamously spicy food. So do 34 other civil servants working for the Beijing government while in Shifang. They have been stationed in the county for between one and a half to three years.
It's tough not only physically for Guo but also emotionally. His wife is in Beijing.
"When I am here, I usually talk to her on the Internet in the evening which is the only entertainment for me," said the 30-year-old.
To help him cope with his relationship and the trauma of seeing all the quake's damage, the Front Headquarters of Earthquake Reconstruction in Shifang arranged for both physical and psychological employee check-ups.
Workers also get ten-day vacations every three months.
Guo just went home to spend time with his family. He is happy about that but also proud of the work he is doing in Shifang.
"I'm glad that I can do practical work for the quake-affected people," he said.
Tang Qiang feels the same way. He said he heard a local elder passing by the work site saying, "You've really done a great job for us".
"At that moment, I felt all my efforts were worthwhile," Tang said.
The eight-magnitude quake on May 12, killed nearly 70,000 people. Some 18,000 are still missing. More than 5 million were left homeless and China suffered an estimated $123 billion U.S. dollars in direct economic losses.
Source: Xinhua
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