Friday, June 02, 2006

Deaths

As many of you know, Indonesia met with another tragedy, just a year plus after the tsunami. An earthquake tipping 6.3 on the Ritcher scale shook Yogyakarta, toppling buildings and houses and of course, inevitably taking away the lives of the innocent.

How many of you will want to live in a place you call home but is so vulnerable to natural disasters? I'm pampered and live in safety because it's Singapore we're talking about, and I feel bad about this because I do not have to suffer. Kids as young as four are going out to the streets in the Indonesian city begging for money. I'm here spending and trying to refrain from being too superficial and buy all sorts of branded products.

Erina is not really a very generous person. I won't go to the extent of donating my coins and get a flag or buy 3 packets of tissue for a dollar, which Yi Xin will. I have enough money to spare I think, but being paid little always comes into my mind and make myself just want to have enough to save. And spend of course.

It aches me to know that there are a lot of children and the elderly exposed to the elements by an accident no one wished to happen, and I am of no help here, only know how to earn as much money as possible and to blog.

At least 6,234 people were killed, 46,000 injured and more than 139,000 homes destroyed in the temblor, which devastated large swathes of Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces. - CNA 2 June 2006 1311 hrs

There are 46 000 people who needs food and shelter. Obviously hospitals do not have enough space and people do not want to stay indoors. How long more will they take before their homes will be built again and their lives are totally normal again?

The tsunami already gave Indonesia a big blow, the President,
Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono has got a lot of things to do. Now, we have the earthquake. Mount Merapi is threatening enough. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. I really admire the President to be able to tide through all these with his country, along with aids from several different countries. But it is his spirit that kept many of his people going too, as what I read from the papers.

Somehow I wonder why when the Earth was formed it couldn't be perfect enough to not have natural disasters. I wonder why they had to exist in the first place. I wonder why those people die and not others, do the victims really deserve it? What if among those killed are young people with huge aspirations for their future? Why do they die? People lose their loved ones because they are not lucky enough to escape nature's wrath. Whereas in Singapore, deaths may be a consequence of illnesses like diabetes, heart attacks, etc. This may sound cruel, but they did not keep themselves healthy enough to live longer and spare their family members the agony of losing someone they love.

A recent picture of Mt Merapi, with lava trickling down its slopes. How safe can this be?

One thing I have to understand is that, no one asked for such things to happen. Everyone will die eventually, we can't have people from the years Before Christ living till today, we'd have a population problem. As well as environmental problems.

I went for a relative's wake yesterday (I didn't go to work) and she was to be cremated. It was my first time at Mandai Crematorium, and I really hate to be there. Who will like to go watch coffins being sent into the furnace anyway.

The sai-gong did some rituals at the Service Hall, and after that we were shuffled to the Viewing Hall (sounds like the airport) to see the coffin being transferred into the furnace. As in, you really see the fire light up and the coffin being carried there by machine and the door closes. It was really...really scary. I don't know what vocab to use, but the cries of the children and grandchildren and relatives and friends of the dead left a deep impression in my mind. I really regretted going, decided to go since I thought it was respectful if I'd just go. Moreover I've never seen a cremation before, so might as well not work. I was imagining and thinking a lot during the service, and I was so scared. It's like...not just burning paper or anything but of your loved ones and it's very...very cruel.

I thought about it, since I'm so big sized and occupy such big space throughout my life, I'd get cremated after I die. Gives me a chance to save space.

But really la. When you die you won't feel a thing, so when you get burnt it won't hurt. The ones who are hurt are those who see the coffin being sent in and feel the pain. Sigh..it's just so scary.

Too scary for a first time.

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