more on east asia

I wonder why I get all these news about East Asia. Last night, I happen to watch a report on the AIDS epidemic that's slowly spreading in China. According to the report, there are more than 100,000 poeple infected with the virus which has spread over the decade through the blood-selling business propagated by local officials in the Hunan province. Apparently, these local officials of the provincial health department, encourage peasants to sell their blood. The terrible thing is that used needles are being utilized in the process. An orphanage for children of AIDS victims was set up by a carrier himself. The orphanage was able to raise a million yuan for the 52 children through donations. However, the orphanage was forced to close because it doesn't have a permit. Now the children have been transferred to a new orphanage set up by the province. But others remain skeptical and chide the government. These people suspect that the provoncial government is only putting up an orphanage for show because they realize an orphanage attracts large amounts of money. Many are fearful that because of the local officials corruption and negligence plus the people's lack of awareness, AIDS will spread in China in exponential proportions throughout the next years. (to see CBC's the full report, click here)

***Too bad I dozed off while waiting for the eclipse this morning. I was reading Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being in my bed. I've given up on seeing the meteor shower becasue the skies here in Aparri were really cloudy. I was only banking on seeing the eclipse. I awoke around 4 am to see only less than a quarter portion of the moon though my window, afterwhich I returned to the welcoming arms of my sleep. At least I glimpsed at it. I've never seen a meteor shower or a lunar eclipse before. I kind of wished I was in Katipunan last night. I would have gone to the Manila Observatory with some friends, a good ol' AtSCA mat and some chow. Oh well, next eclipse maybe.