Deepest Sympathies

I've been procrastinating my blog so I'll reblog about the past few haps later. Here now, I'd like to extend the greatest of sorrows to those who lost their loved ones and homes in the unexpected earthquake cum tsunami. Losing someone precious to nature is quite unfair as no one can possibly be blamed. No culprit can be brought to justice.

Seeing pictures of those clinging to dear life before succumbing to their untimely ends disturbs me a great deal. Because this was a new phenomena to occur especially in Malaysia, a lot of those perished were innocent, curious onlookers who wanted to find out what the white foam gathering out at sea was all about. But before any of those could turn and run, it was all but too late. Not long ago, I had a great holiday in Redang and while playing with the waves near the shore I could feel the currents slamming into me and dragging me back in. That was a tame wave barely half a foot high compared to the monster waves measuring as high as 8m crashing into people and pulling them out into the ocean.

I'm fortunate enough not to personally lose anyone in this tragedy but I somehow feel that I'm cherishing more of life now than I ever have. As I read CNN online, the total death toll in Asia has risen to 116,000... my heart just sank. Nature when at its best can be the most beautiful, priceless ever creations like rainbows after rain, the reflection of the moon off the sea on a clear beautiful night, the misty smoke from the river caused by plunging temperatures. It can be the most cruel of all with such devastation of the tsunami phenomena.

I thought our PM, Pak Lah deserved a pat on the back for urging fellow citizens not to celebrate the coming new year, but to pray for the perished, missing and the homeless. Although Malaysia suffered the least of most affected nations, Thailand on the other hand weren't so lucky. Having been to Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi, I just can't imagine the devastation it went through, wiping out everything in sight..It is now a pile of debris at this once bustling, well-known island. Newspapers showing stiffed bodies littering the shores of the popular beach reduced me to tears at how these people were enjoying their hard earned break, but fate decided otherwise.

As we usher in the year 2005, I'd like to extend my deepest sympathies to those involved in the unfortunate calamity. Our thoughts go out to you all. Be strong, as life goes on...