One of the Yahoo groups I belong to is based out of India. I enjoy learning about their culture, sense of humor, world views, and I also get some great photos every now and then. On May 12, 2008, China suffered a severe earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. That's one of the estimates of the size of the Great San Franciso Earthquake of April 18, 1906. While doing a little prep work I found this photo taken five weeks after the quake. A gentleman by the name of George Lawrence took a series of photos from kites to create this image. The view is looking over Nob Hill toward the business district, South of the Slot, and the distant Mission. The Fairmont Hotel is at the left.
A couple were preparing for a wedding ceremony at the famous 100-year-old Church of the Annunciation in Pengzhou, China. Pengzhou is located in the Sichuan province. A photographer named Wang Qiang was preparing to shoot wedding pictures for the young couple, and this was the test shot before the wedding ceremony started.
Then the ground began to violently shake:
Bricks fall from the building during the earthquake.
"'Thank God we were only shooting from outside the church!' remarked a helper."
"'I shouted to people, 'Run! Run!'' said photographer Wang Qiang.'The ground shook and we couldn't see anything in the dust.'"
"'I shouted to people, 'Run! Run!'' said photographer Wang Qiang.'The ground shook and we couldn't see anything in the dust.'"
This shot below has the wedding vail laying on the ground in the forefront. It could be taken as a bad omen for the couple, but as Wang said: "... he thought the catastrophe would strengthen the bonds of the couple who were there that day: 'Having gone through a life-and-death test,they surely will clasp hands and grow old together.'"
It's nice to know that there are people in China who see the glass as half full too.
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