Spunky septuagenarian soldiers on

IS seeing beauty in the darkest situation - and a spunky sense of humour - what separate artists from mere mortals?

Ten years ago, sculptor Han Sai Por was involved in a serious bus accident in Southern China. She had gone to a remote stone quarry in search of raw materials. On her way back to the city, she rode an overnight coach outfitted with makeshift beds.

She remembers: "I couldn't sleep that night, so I laid in bed, admiring the landscape. At some point, the bus began speeding up on the dirt road. Suddenly, the bus veered out of control and toppled over. I was lying on the side that it had tipped to, so the luggage and other objects fell on me. Some people fell on me too - well, actually it was just one woman - but it felt like more.