the mania

I have been following on the tsunami disaster, quite so often lately. And, there's one, coincidentally, on the CNN, as I type, this UNICEF guy...droning on, about the International Relief Effort. Call me a freak, hee..so often when theres a fine time, I would be switching channels from CNN to BBC to CNA to the papers and then to the Internet, just to follow-up on the news. :)

Apart, from the re-planning of economic infrastructure and the enforcement in curtailing the epidemics and what not -- there is nothing new to see, except the devastations of lives lost, the sorrows in the staring at the unseeing eyes of the surviving victims. And its hard to picture how one is to continue living on the disfigured land, with lost landmarks, lost homes and lost loves. It is unimaginable.

My mum, mentioned that one of the places affected, that is Nagore is her forefather's land. Oh well, I've never mentioned that I'm part of a Dravidian descent. But doesn't think, that her relatives(which she probably wouldn't have known)would be affected since its supposed to be further in(she gave some complicated tongue-rolling word of a province district..that I will not attempt to spell). No, she doesn't speak that language and I do not look one bit like any Dravidians...after all the mixed bloods.

Not that nationality means that much anymore, ancestry, i suppose. So many people are part this and part that. One could be Polish, but has maternal descents from an Ibo diplomat, so...when one reaches Africa, one looks quite Polish, and when one goes to Poland, one is rather African. But in the end, one couldn't care less about either. Oopss..side-tracking.

The news gathered how the Indonesian meteorologists wasn't able to detect the quake; how there was no forewarned to the nations living near the Indian Ocean. And how, the tragic masses could not distinguish between a normal wave of a high tide or a tsunami. The tell-tale signs of ocean water receeding suddenly for the repercussions of mega-high tides to come. I think, if there were early warnings people could keep away. If there was some knowledge on tsunamis; they would know when/how to run for their lives and not to observe and anticipate the coming killer waves that would eventually, mercilessly take them away. A friend, even had a skewed perception, of death by awe. Ironically true. There is so many ifs and buts, that one could generate from, but one could only plan and predict, and have no control over what would happen. And, this in turn, was just fated to happen.

And here I am, so fortunate that Singapore is protected between Malaysia and Indonesia, from any tsunamis, twisters, typhoons etc. But you'll never know, where a natural disaster may strike. Just hope and pray, that nothing disastrous could happen.

And the last, is just hopeless optimism, the mania of being one.