CHINA> Survivors
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CHINA> Survivors
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Jiang Yuhang repaying the favor
By Qian Yanfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-12 09:52
Jiang also avoided media reports of his amazing survival as much as he could, by joining quake relief efforts as a volunteer from his hometown, Kaili county in Guizhou province, without revealing his identity. But fame still caught up with him and he became an Olympic torchbearer for Kaili last June. Members of the Chinese online community also praised him for his decision to become a firefighter. His mother, a 53-year-old employee of a vocational school in Kaili, says Jiang has not been let all the attention go to his head. "He turned down all the invitations to commercial events, unless they were for the purpose of charity," Long says. "He has his principles." "Brand-new boy" Long Jinyu says her son Jiang Yuhang seldom smiles, at least not in front of the public. But when he does, it is a smile that is unforgettable. "The boy is like a ray of sunshine," Long says. One year after the May 12 quake, when life for many victims is still tough, Jiang continues to show an attitude to life that gives his mother reason to smile herself. "He has become much more optimistic and has learned to express his love for us. He even spends time shopping with me and buys presents for the whole family. That was unthinkable in the past," Long says. "He used to be extremely introverted and seldom told us what was on his mind he is much more talkative now and even shares his secrets with me," says Long, who moved millions of TV audiences last year by risking her own life to trek hundreds of miles from Guizhou province to where her son was trapped in rubble. "He even told me there are many girls who have written to him and expressed their love for him," she chuckles. Jiang's decision to give up his previous administrative job for a totally unfamiliar and highly risky one as a firefighter was well-deliberated, Long adds. "If the earthquake has made Jiang much stronger in the face of calamity, being a firefighter would make him a much more responsible man as well," she says. Back in Shanghai, Jiang says he likes to spend his spare time reading books or playing soccer with his colleagues. But he says time also seems rather limited, since he still has "a lot to learn" about his new vocation. While he remains uncertain about his future, Jiang says it is more important now to acquire more firefighting skills and save as many people as possible. "For him, it's more than just about paying back a debt to those who saved him. He is getting more out of life ... I'm sure he will enjoy it even more now," Long says.
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