June 8, 2008

Yesterday it rained hard, twice (once in the afternoon and again at night), the sort of rain that punctuates every Central Florida afternoon but is seldom seen in Shanghai. We were thankfully inside during both, and were able to enjoy the thunder and lightning without any of the side effects.

Today it’s wet and muggy, the rain seeming to have none of the cleansing effect that rain should by all rights have.

May 13, 2008

I woke up this morning with a fistful of e-mails in my inbox asking if my wife and I were OK. It took me a few groggy, half-awake seconds to connect their concern with the earthquake yesterday in Sichuan.

Thankfully, yes, we’re fine. Apparently tall buildings in Shanghai swayed, but our office is short and squat and, with the construction going on around it, if I did feel anything I probably just chalked it up to heavy machinery. My wife’s office is in a high-rise, but only on the 7th floor, and she didn’t feel anything, either.

Our ayi is from roughly the same area in Sichuan that the earthquake struck, though, and as of last night she had been unable to get through to any of her relatives. We hope they made it through.

P.S.: Shanghaiist is doing an excellent job covering the earthquake.

Update: My ayi got a call from her sister this morning telling her that everyone was fine.