 One chili pepper at a time
By Linda Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-18 07:59
Paul Cabo wants to help people in Sichuan province, but first he is returning home to America. The African-American English language teacher living in Beijing is in New York this month to raise funds to help quake victims through his newly coined "Red Pepper project". "When tragedy strikes, there is no such thing as Chinese or American," says 33-year-old Cabo. "We are citizens of the earth. And we all have a responsibility to help each other out in times of crisis." The Red Pepper project - which aims to raise at least $30,000 from the sale of "Sichuan pendants" over the next month - spawned from the events following the May 12 earthquake. Cabo was lecturing a class of Beijing Olympic police officers in the capital suburb of Changping when the 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck western China on May 12. Cabo and his students watched news coverage of the aftermath of the earthquake unfold on CCTV-9's English news channel. The enormity of the disaster hit especially close to home for Cabo and his students on May 19 - when the country observed three minutes of silence to mourn earthquake victims. "Under the flag, a lot of them were crying - and it moved me," says Cabo. Cabo says his students were particularly anxious to help with recovery operations and visit hospitals and fellow police officers. "They wanted to go to the epicenter to help, but they weren't allowed, because they had to finish their training for the Beijing Olympics - and so I thought, 'what can I do?'" says Cabo. It was then that he came up with the idea to design and sell a pair of red pepper pendants to raise money for Sichuan. "Red is a very strong color. And the taste (of red peppers) is very pungent and long-lasting," says Cabo. "So, I wanted to equate the symbol with the indomitable and resilient spirit that's in all of us, as it relates to the people in Sichuan." Gold lettering on one form of pendant reads "Sichuan May 12," while lettering on the other reads "Biewangle Sichuan," which means "Don't forget Sichuan." Cabo will use the money he raises in the United States to purchase schoolbags and other supplies, including English-learning materials, needed in Sichuan. When he's back in China next month, he'll personally deliver the items to schools, hospitals and police in the province's quake-affected areas. But, Cabo insists the project won't stop there. Recognizing the region's long-term needs, he's already conjuring up future ideas. Next on his list is persuading the American alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers to play a benefit concert in Sichuan. Contact Paul Cabo at paulcabo@msn.com to purchase Sichuan pendants from the Red Pepper project. (China Daily 07/18/2008 page19) |
