Hi Richard,
Shu (蜀) is the short form of the Si Chuan province (四川), where an earthquake disaster happened lately. The event reminds me a story that I learnt when I was young.
In the rural area of Si Chuan, there were two monks. One was rich and one was poor. They both had a common wish, which was to pay a visit at least once in their life to the holy land at Nan Hai (南海), a place of thousands of miles away.
The rich monk said, "I have been planning this for many years. I will buy a ship sailing down the river to fulfill my dream. However, it is just too difficult to achieve. What will you rely on for your journey?" The poor monk said, "Well, all I need is a water bottle and a begging bowl." The poor monk started his journey several days later.
The poor monk walked and begged along his way. He took a year to Nan Hai. He achieved his goal and his wish was fulfilled. He took another year to walk back to Si Chuan. After he was back, he met the rich monk and told him all the happenings in his journey. The rich monk was ashamed.
Richard, don't be your own enemy. Nobody knows if the rich monk had ever been in Nan Hai at the end. Many people make big plans but don't have the courage to implement them. In the story, the rich monk had more money than the poor, but this did not necessary make him better.
With love, Patrick