I was in a hotel, watching television news in Sichuan during one of the school trips last year.

Looking back, the television screen showed the power plant on fire, the fireman trying to rescue people from the plant; the screen contrasted strongly with what we were doing: trekking on snowy mountain, visiting panda park and so on. In the midst of a rescue process, I could not offer my help, contact my friends on facebook (as it is banned in China). It was a helpless feeling that penetrated my mind.

The second thought followed: what happened to my Japanese friends, are they doing okay? Having organized Sino-Japan Youth Conference, I have developed friendship with some Japanese friends whom I treasure dearly, yet I did not know which region of Japan they live nor their contact numbers. These uncertainty and imaginary tragedy enter my mind and one scene played after another.

Other than my own shocked and worried expression, my friend’s face whitened because she had a really good friend near that region as well but similarly to me, she had no way of contacting him and checking up on him. Up till today, she still has no news of him.

That night was the first night of our project trip, we all laid on bed in silence, each with heavy thoughts glooming in our minds.

Confronting natural disaster exposes human frailty and we wonder what one can do. Should we dwell on the past on should we move on? We might not be able to resurrect those have entered the afterlife, but what we can do is to think about the friendship that surrounds you and be thankful. And to be thankful, first you start by showing it to others.