Quaking in terror

First Haiti and now Chile. Earthquakes seem to be coming in quick succession to cause mass death and destruction. So many lives lost, all that rubble. Its like Mother Nature is poking fun at us. We build and we build and it all comes down with one small crack.

Its quite ironical to think that I am sitting here with my laptop, wireless internet, electricity and full water supply. I can easily look down on a homeless person or a person dwelling in the slum and be grateful to God that I wasn't born in those places. However, if an earthquake struck, would it really matter? Its mind-blowing to think of the transition. One moment you're sitting in your perfect house, the next moment, you're on the road. No food, no water, no possessions to call your own! It is simply unimaginable.

Although completely incomparable, I remember experiencing a mild seismic shock in Pune. I distinctly remember I was sitting in my college reception. Suddenly the ground started to shake. It lasted barely a few moments and nobody even noticed anything unusual. But the moment when the ground shook, I remember being absolutely panic stricken. It is extremely necessary to immediately find a door-frame to stand below or something to hide under. The first 2 seconds though, it is complete disbelief and panic. In Chile there are still aftershocks coming through at Richter scale 6. What a recurring nightmare...

Not to forget when massive seismic shocks struck closer to home at Bhuj. I was in Dubai that time but I remember our school had collected funds to send help to the stricken areas. When nature decides to play, there is really nothing man can do apart from pray and hope for the best. My heartfelt condolences to all residents of Haiti and Chile who have lost their near and dear ones in this devastating tragedy.