Global General

Chinese in Haiti find safe haven

By Chen Weihua and Huo Yongzhe (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-24 10:17

PORT-AU-PRINCE: Jiang Dianwei, 37, flew to Haiti from Beijing a few months ago. He had a temporary job in a supermarket while looking for better paying jobs elsewhere.

But the earthquake on January 12 completely changed his minds. He was scared of being left homeless and hearing gun shots from time to time.

Jiang Dianwei talks to reporters while Nan Shaoqing looks on in the Wujiayuan Chinese Restaurant in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The two are among the 35 Chinese mostly from Fujian province who have been stuck in Haiti after the devastating earthquake. They will go back to China with a Chinese plane expected to arrive these days. [Photo/Chen Weihua]

"The street is chaotic and I cannot even understand the language," said Jiang, who came to Port-au-Prince with five of his friends from Fuzhou, Fujian province.

Meanwhile, Nan Shaoqing, a 30-year-old woman, also became desperate after the place where she stayed was destroyed during the earthquake, which killed an estimated 110,000 to 200,000 people.

However, when they called home back in China to tell their stories, their fear was quickly dissipated. Parents and siblings told them that China's foreign ministry has already arranged a temporary shelter in the Wujiayuan Restaurant in Petionville, an upper-class neighborhood in Port-au-Prince.

They went to the only Chinese restaurant in the Haitian capital. After knocking at the door, they were greeted warmly by Wu Yiqing, owner of the restaurant.

However, Wu, from China's Taiwan province, found that there were over 30 of Chinese coming to her place to seek refuge, more than twice the number of what she was informed by the Chinese trade office, a quasi-diplomatic institute, in Haiti.

Wu quickly told her chef to cook fried rice that night for the dozens of people, some of whom hadn't eaten anything for a long while.

Wu Yiqing, the Taiwanese owner of the Wujiayuan Chinese Restaurant, was praised by many of the Chinese who stayed and was fed in the restaurant after the earthquake. [Photo/Chen Weihua]

Wu felt sorry that she was not able to let people have a shower the first day because of water shortage. But she managed to pay several times of the normal the price to get a tank of water the next day so everyone could have a quick shower.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhensheng, Wu's business partner from Beijing, used his oratory skills to calm down the men and women in panic. Liu, manager of Beijing Shengnuodi Fashion Co Ltd, arrived in Port-au-Prince on January 9 for a business trip. But the earthquake totally changed his mission.

On Friday, Wu and Liu arranged the 35 people to join the kitchen staff in making jiaozi dumplings. "Since life is a bit boring after the quake, making dumpling is a fun group activity to get everyone involved," said Wu.

Representatives from the Chinese Foreign Ministry who came to Haiti after the earthquake have visited the place a couple of times to send food and water as well as assure the people of their safety.

The Taiwan "diplomatic" mission also contributed diesel and food.

On Saturday, Cai Wei, from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, went to the restaurant and told them that for those who want to be voluntarily evacuated, there will be a plane flying from Beijing in the coming days.

Smiles could be seen on the face of the men and women after Cai's words.

Zheng Cheng, who has a wife and four-year-old son at home in Fujian, said he is looking forward to going home after the scary experience. "Young people like me want to build a better future for our children, that's why we are looking for opportunities overseas," said Zheng, adding that he wants to achieve his goal legally, such as through labor export from Haiti after working in the country for a few years.

Zhong Guoping, who has two sons at home, also wants to go home as soon as possible after experiencing the first few post-quake days without much food and water. He even lost his passport after the house collapsed.

Almost each of them expressed their deep gratitude to Wu Yiqing, the restaurant owner. "Big Sister Wu treats us like a family member, feeds us and gives us a decent place to stay," said Jiang Dianwei, from Fujian.

"Sister Wu has also found poker so that we can kill time more easily," said Nan Shaoqing.

In fact, Wu has refused to be evacuated with other Taiwanese to Taiwan via Dominican Republic. "This is for the sake of several of my Chinese staff," she said.

She is scheduled to go to Beijing in the coming days in the plane with some of her staff and the 35 Chinese to whom she has extended her helping hands.

"I cannot leave them here alone," she said. "And I will be back to Port-au-Prince soon after the situation turns for the better."