where thoughts materialise.

So we're into the sixth version of my blog after the last version hung around for a year or so.

Now, a bit of info on this image. This photo was taken one lovely spring afternoon, featuring the iconic Old Well from the UNC Chapel Hill campus. I would like to think of this image as a tribute to my time in UNC Chapel Hill, the awesome friends I made and the memories I now hold dear.

A milestone in my life indeed.

I've dropped the tagboard cos its useless and taking eons to load. But thanks to Angela who helped me set it up, I still do like and will miss the pink interface.

So yeah, it's the sixth one you fellas!

Yours.

27 April 2008

you know you miss my older entries

October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Blame it on my hectic weekend of merry making, I feel almost abashed to admit that I only knew of the catastrophe that struck so near home only on the morning of 27th. Never since the September 11th attacks have I seen the headlines of The Straits Times printed in font so oversized.

"Giant waves kills thousands in Asia", it screamed out.

All I saw then were still photos. I only managed a glimpse of video footages this evening as I was channel surfing between CNA and Channel 5.

"Bodies line beaches and homes are obliterated following strongest earthquake in 40 years", the sub headline reads.

I went through photo after photo of dead bodies piled, shoulder to shoulder; and photos of vehicles slammed into buildings, wrecked houses and all. These images soon registered numbness.

"MORE than 10,000 people are feared dead or missing and millions displaced as the strongest earthquake in the world in 40 years unleased flash floods and giant waves...", the articles reports on.
(As of present, those dead and missing stands at a staggering 38,000.)
(Edited to add: Death toll stands at 55,000 as of morning of 29th dec.
Death toll stands at 68,000 as of afternoon of 29th dec.)

Its true. As my eyes grew accustomed to images of destruction and death, such ubiquity breeds a sense of familiarity, then normality and ultimately, indifference.
Which shocked me of course. I was going through these pictures on CNN.com as if I was eagerly flipping through a photo album handed over to me by a good pal who just came back from vacation at paradise Phuket.

"Paradise resort turns into nightmare island - Tourists scramble to get out of harm's way in popular Phuket", The Straits Times 27th December Pg 6.

Very often we read about such calamity and all remember are statistics, numbers and big words like "apocalyptic", "devastation and destruction" or "morgues overflowing with bodies". All these we read through our minds without really understanding the true meaning written between the lines: that is, lives lost, parents dead, siblings deceased, children persished and a gloomy future ahead for the survived.

"THE SEA IS COMING INLAND!", The Straits Times 27th December Pg 4

And a truce was agreed upon Jarkarta and Aceh rebels to allow military aid into the province. How ridiculous.
I wished we didn't need a disaster like this to remind us that there are bigger things in life than killing each other or going to wars. I wished it was unnecessary to feel the pain of chaos just so we treasure peace.
But that's us humans, we never learn, except the hard way.

"IT WAS a peaceful sunny morning. (But) just as we were rounded up to get back on the boat, the sea vanished. The three guides had never seen this before. But as suddenly as the water had vanished, it came rushing back again..
..I was more afraid than I had ever been."

nimgnoy let the night fall at 8:33 PM

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