Reining the Rat Race

Within China, millions of workers leave their homes to work in far flung factories and construction sites, suffering the separation from families and children, and patiently persevere throughout the year to provide for the needs of those left behind. Their yearlong thirst for their loved ones is quenched only by that small window of opportunity during the Lunar year when their physical presence and warm embrace shall be felt and reciprocated in a caring moment. That Lunar Year is also called the Spring Festival and it is 7 days away. And they are racing against time and very severe elements to get home for the Year of the Rat.

Facing the world's biggest mass migration of people is a hostile and unforgiving weather, bringing with it its worst condition in over 50 years. An estimated 190 million people are expected to travel by train and another 25 million by airplane; but authorities see that with the weather taking a turn for the worse, most of them will be stranded on the road and will fail to make it in time for the Chinese New Year. Where each of these Chinese citizens are concerned, they are of one mind, and they focus on only one thing: getting home is an obligation, the Lunar Year fulfills ancient obligations too for the family, and no matter how difficult it gets, reaching home is the only option. Multiply this 215 million times against the worst impact of weather turbulence, and you can see an epic collision of man against nature, in colossal proportions.

For those outside of China, the mere mention of the country or its people elicits images of vast expanses, hugeness, volumes of products, people in unimaginable numbers moving in several directions, or the cheap toys, t-shirts, shoes, clothes, food, or even lead content and contaminated dumplings. Statistics that define its growth and potential boggles the mind and misses seeing a critical fact: all the statistics were created and produced by the ordinary Chinese worker, earning US $4.00 per day working 12 to 16 hours daily, seven days a week. And here he stands in the snow and the cold, practically side by side with 215 million others just like himself, delayed for a chance to be with family and child, enduring but waiting patiently, thinking only of home, and determined to get there.

Here is a mass of humanity driven by a very human emotion to be with family, slammed by the forces of nature indifferent to their plight. If they make it home, they will be greeted by a power crisis because of frozen power grids, and paralyzed transport system due to the bad weather. The ice has destroyed crops and transportation paralysis has prevented deliveries in stores; causing shortages and inflating prices of commodities and items used for the season.The weather has already cost the economy US$7.5billion, and this is expected to rise as the storm continues.

The trains are the best chance of getting home and authorities have secured the railways to prevent riots and stampedes. Hundreds of thousands have camped out on the railway stations hoping to get a ride. Some estimate their travel time at 50 hours by train then bus, and a walk of 3 miles to get home, journey of more than a thousand miles. The Chinese government issued a request for the workers to abandon plans of returning home for the holidays due to the crisis, and employers have suggested that workers can return home after the storm has blown over. These efforts were aimed at putting a rein on the number of people who would be served by the transportation available. Reactions from the workers were lukewarm. Some said failing to come home is like "my child does not exist." Authorities were able to convince about 470,000 from flying to their destinations and were given their refunds. Most suspect that these passengers would simply look for another way to travel.

There are those who say that these problems could have been avoided if the Authorities stockpiled on coal and placed advance orders for coal from Australia. Others say that modernization of the power grids and transport systems have been delayed for so long that it has been overtaken by the volume of regular users, rendering these outdated and obsolete.

These could only be hoped for by those standing on the railway platforms waiting to get seated after 3 days. An improved weather condition today brightened hopes for the workers to get home. But forecasts remain bleak. The many faces here that represent many lives and many dreams and countless hopes might be viewed with awe or empathy, but these are human reflections with human emotions, desperate to rekindle the faith that binds them and the love that sustains their separation. Their power and endurance amidst frustration and anger is remarkable. This is a massive triumph for the human spirit.

The government's incompetence is the only real failure...........as always.

Haaarrrrwwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!