Shanghaiist: What China Twitterers said about the 3 minute "silence" that just took place

taihanasie

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:21:55 +0800

When someone says it is a loud moment of silence, they are not necessarily expressing disrespect for the event. I know exactly what the commentors mean. It is just a way of wondering why it was called a "moment of silence" in the first place. It isn't an expression of mirth at an "event gone wrong". Don't be so touchy.

sonyactivision

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:10:53 +0800

Call it a "Moment of honor and respect". There is something very mournful and haunting about wailing horns. Very moving.

skyline5k

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:53:59 +0800

Are you really sure they're being indignant? I said the same thing today at work, but didn't mean any disrespect. A simple statement of friendly sarcasm, and my colleagues understood it as just that. No one called me indignant or whatnot. They understood what I meant. Hard to read sarcasm, friendly or not, when it's online.

lhamo

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:40:22 +0800

My office observed the three minutes of public/collective mourning as well (I think that might be a better gloss on it than "silence"). I was extremely moved by the horns, actually. In our part of town (in Xicheng) it was VERY obvious when the clock hit 2:28. Cars stopped in their tracks and horns just went off like crazy. Suddenly. Even though I was expecting it, it was a shock to the system, like the quake must have been to those who experienced it. And it just went on and on in rising and falling waves of sound. Like the quake did. I think everybody in our office spent the whole thing dissolved in tears. Really hard to go back to work afterwards. But thank goodness we all have work/home/family to go back to. So many are not so lucky....

jenming

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:52:17 +0800

Agreed. I cannot understand how people can get indignant because this "moment of silence" didn't work how THEY thought it should. It was a "moment of (human voice) silence (while we listen to the sound of horns)", not a "moment of (complete) silence".

Les Izmore

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:43:03 +0800

Every single place that I read about the moment of commemoration said that air raid sirens and train, boat, fire engine, ambulance and car horns would sound while people stood silently. These twitter people are twits to a say the least. It was very moving to see that 95% of the people in my part of busy Shanghai stood respectfully silent. The idiots who are complaining about this should be ashamed.

yu888

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:33:16 +0800

it was certainly loud downtown where my office is and yes, it sounded like a city wailing, mourning. Touching.

nyshanghai

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:32:43 +0800

I've seen comments elsewhere in a mocking tone over the sirens and horns, which I think is really disrespectful. It's ok to question it if you dont understand it, but some people should really think before they make an ignorant comment. Death rituals for chinese people are very complicated. It is said that the soul of the deceased leaves and returns home on the 7th day, Being that it has been 7 days since the earthquake, I feel that it is really fitting for the entire country to sound off the sirens and horns simultaneously to welcome the deceased back home. I'm sure a lot of people also have misunderstandings seeing firecrackers go off by the disaster areas. Just keep in mind that different cultures have different ways to mourn the dead.

skyline5k

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:18:00 +0800

When they said "loudest moment of silence", I figured they meant it in irony. Many people realize that I hope. Wasn't so loud in my neighborhood, though I'm in the middle of a residential area, removed from heavy traffic.

james chen

Mon, 19 May 2008 15:58:58 +0800

For people who don't understand, I think the sirens are just similar to the ceremonial gun salutes for a state funeral in your countries. These sirens and horns are the mourning ways given by the whole nation to the victims. So, please keep your respect. Thank you.