God bless...

I awoke this morning with a headache. Did not sleep well last night after surfing BBCworld and Straits Times websites for updates on the tsunamis that hit the region. Perhaps I was thinking too much. This whole day for me was like a dream... Partly cuz I was tired and slightly groggy, but yet was still out on the busy streets of Orchard. Caught 'Phantom of the Opera' and for that few hours in the afternoon, my mind was not on the disaster. But, it did not last long.

Came home to watch the news and the death toll stand at 23,000 lives now, with 11,000 in Sri Lanka alone. More footage, more dead bodies, more flooding. Footage that showed the town of Galle I was at just last Sun. It's a coastal town with a fort that was built by the Dutch (and later on improved by the Portugese, British and Sri Lankans) and a lovely place that I adore. Simply because I could stand on the fort and look out at the immense Indian Ocean and shout to my heart's content.

Immense. That's what the Indian Ocean is. And it took so many lives in just a day. Or should I say, just a few minutes. The town of Galle as shown in the footage on BBC news was unrecognisable. Flooding which caused people and vehicles to be swept away all at the same time. The bus station was not there anymore. They did not show further inland. The entire place is now just a memory in my mind, albeit a sweet one. After rebuilding, it will not be the same anymore.

Went to Lonely Planet Travel forum, a site which I frequent and the fellow travellers have the following to say:

"Right now i am in chennai and can tell you that many people living / walking / jogging along the beach here did not know what hit them and by the time they realised, everything was over.The scenes were unbelievable , many dead bodies on the famous marina beach lying and many more getting washed back ashore.For those who want to help, i cannot see how they can possibly add to what is being done.Most of the affected areas near the sea shore has been cordened off.I saw large number of onlookers and the police are trying their best to keep them at a distance. I am sure the situation will be same right along the sea shore in the entire Tamilnadu.Part of Andrapradesh sea shore bordering Tamilnadu is also affected.

Fishermen folk with their families have been living for centuries on the shores.They park their boats/catamarans right on the shore.You can also see them tending to their nets in the afternoons before they get back into the sea at night.Generally they all leave in the night for fishing and get back in the early part of the day with their catch.These are the people who are the most affected.Fishing during the calm period like y'day is a major activity and many of these fishermen have not come back.No news what happened to their boats. Some of them who were on shore also had the tragic event of their hutments along with some of their dear ones washed away. Collossal tragedy!! We always depend on our requirement of fresh sea food from these folks.From here on , i have decided not to bargain with them , where ever they are, when i visit the market next.Theirs is a tough life but i have not realised how badly they can get affected in these natural calamities.

Many of us here have decided to part with our earnings to an official relief contribution fund.We will await the govt. announcement in this regard."

It's the repercussions of this calamity that will cause many to suffer in years to come. The number of lives wasted are innummerable and the homeless are countless, with over a million being displaced in Sri Lanka alone. And the way people are killed; snorkellers being dragged out over shallow reefs and then washed ashore dead; stiffened bodies shown on the TV due to drowning; fishermen out there in the seas going about their daily chores not even aware of a killer approaching them and whose bodies may never be found in the vast seas...

I feel sick. Even neighbouring Malaysia is hit with deaths. Singapore is so lucky. We are forever so sheltered. While I was walking along Orchard Road this afternoon, I was even wondering if the people round me know what's happening in the region or not. Ignorant? Or simply non-chalent?

I have friends from Sri Lanka whom Im praying for their safety now. Especially those around the coast. And got to know surfer who's planning to spend his hols surfing along the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. I pray for his safety too.

Tomorrow is Tues. I have a chalet going on and a birthday party to attend at night. It's hard to bring myself to party and have fun when so many others are out there suffering. I sent out a mass message this afternoon to many friends to pray for those involved in this catastrophe. The bday girl of tommorow actually returned my sms with a reminder for me to collect her cake tmr at a specific place and time. Insensitive? I felt so.

Perhaps I should not think too much. I went back in time to estimate that should this earthquake struck just one week before, I would be stranded in Sri Lanka. I would not be able to come down to the coastal town of Galle from the hill country in the central and I may have difficulties getting to Colombo for my flight out. This does not daunt me actually. What exactly is affecting me, I also cannot say precisely. But to the millions out there affected directly and indirectly by this natural calamity, my heart goes out to them...

I feel so drained...