Two events dominated our time in China: the olympic torch world tour and the government's relief efforts after the Sichuan earthquake. The propaganda for both was heavy, appearing on TV screens everywhere. Almost 70,000 people died in the quake, including a horrific number of children in poorly built schoolrooms. Heart-wrenching photos showed inconsolable parents holding each other and cradling their dead children. Next to destroyed schools, children's backpacks were arranged in neat lines, brightly colored and adorned with cartoons, never to be worn again. Unbelievably sad.
