I don't normally watch television nowadays because I find most T.V shows boring or crappy like those sappy dramas where the more "exaggerated" acting gets high praise and following from the masses. Instead, I prefer browsing the net for current issues and events as well as read blogs on topics that interest me. But today is different. Today the world witnessed a great tragedy that befell one of the worlds leading nations---Japan.
In case you didn't know what happened read this.
I was busily writing a journal for my English class when my friend IM-ed me on yahoo.
"Hey did you hear about the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan?" he asked.
(obviously not I thought, a bit irate as I was in a hurry to finish my journal)
"uhm No, why?"
"You should look it up on the net"
"Oh ok, I will.." I said, wanting to end the conversation. I mean really? Earthquakes happen everyday, catastrophes happen in almost any part of the world and he just wants to waste time talking about some calamity in Japan?
And so I searched for it online, to prove to my friend that I did look it up on the net. And I was devastated with what I just read. It was like an "Oh my !!!!...." moment for me.
The earthquake which struck Japan was not an ordinary one. At an 8.9 magnitude, it can be considered "mild" compared to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. BUT STILL. Lives were lost, properties damaged and who knows what else. In any tragedy there is no "mild", "worse" or "severe" cases. There is only pain and suffering of the people who experienced it firsthand. I felt so horrified watching the scenes of the earthquake play on t.v. I can only imagine the fear, the pain and the suffering those poor people went through. Maybe if it was only an earthquake, moving on would've been easy. But an earthquake and tsunami? Especially one as powerful as that? I don't know.
According to : yahoo news
"Police said 200 to 300 bodies were found in the northeastern coastal city of Sendai, the city in Miyagi prefecture, or state, closest to the epicenter. Another 137 were confirmed killed, with 531 people missing. Police also said 627 people were injured."
Watching the scenes of the tragedy on TV broke my heart. Especially when you know that in the midst of all these are human lives. I saw a scene from a building where a girl was hiding while the tsunami waves were raging. I got to thinking, "I wonder how she must feel right now", "Where is her mother? father? family?", and I cried because I know, If i was ever in that kind of situation I would feel very helpless.
watch this video of the earthquake/tsunami tragedy in Japan.
Many countries offered aid to Japan in the aftermath of the tragedy. Presidents from Asia and all over Europe extended their sympathies to the people of Japan--even Barack Obama himself.
"More than 45 countries were awaiting a request from Tokyo after offering to help Japan deal with a huge earthquake and tsunami, the United Nations said on Friday.
Some 68 search and rescue teams from 45 countries were on standby, but the United Nations was awaiting a green light from authorities in Japan to deploy, said Elisabeth Byrs of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan to offer to help "in any way possible", the Japanese Jiji agency reported.
In a statement, Obama said: "The United States stands ready to help the Japanese people in this time of great trial ... The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakable, and only strengthens our resolve to stand with the people of Japan as they overcome this tragedy.""
The world may have been witness to a great tragedy today. But if there is one thing good that came out of this is that at the end of the day, we are not Americans, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, or Europeans but we are humans... and that alone makes us accountable for each other no matter what race we may be. We have a responsibility to care for each other and it is in these crucial times where we are most vulnerable that we become united.
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