Musing on a serious note
Monday, February 9, 2009
The Au.stral.ian bu.shfires have been horrendous. My heart wrenches at the images and news reports of this disaster. I'm not going to talk about how global warming might have contributed to this Aussie history's worst case inferno, yada yada. Somehow, it's kind of past that, already.
I just know that it's scary, very scary. People were either burnt to death in their cars while trying to flee, or burnt to death in their homes.
Number 1, I think being burnt to death is one of the worst and most painful way to die. On a somewhat related note, I remembered reading sth about the first execution done by the electric chair. The person to be executed probably took minutes to die, and he probably died of both electrocution AND being burnt. The whole execution room was filled with burnt flesh, and I think it's absolutely sick and horrendous to smell yr own flesh being 'barbequed'. Absolutely revolting.
Number 2, the prospect of being trapped in a TOWN of fire is bone-chilling. Those who tried to flee probably fled too late and were being chased by fire, or were just engulfed by fires that unexpectedly changed directions. I mean, if u're trapped in a fire in say.. a HDB unit, u'd probably can escape out into the corridor if possible, and out into open space in the void deck if needed; but in this part of Au.stra.lia, there is NO way to run. Outside your house is probably the bush which had caught fire. Where to run? So I guess u've to make the decision to flee when the fires are a few km near your house. But there's always the dilemma of protecting your property (ALL that u have) and your life. Many would say, of course your life la! Well, think again. We were never in such a situation thus we could easily say that. It's like I used to think that people who live near volcanoes and floodplains stupid, in fact, way beyond stupid. How could anyone in the right mind want to go back there when they've lost loved ones to the fury of nature, the very nature who reside beside them?
It was only after a long time that I've come to fully grasp the fact of 'nature takes, nature gives too'. Nature gives life, because it provides the fertile soil needed after every eruption or so. When your whole livelihood depends on it, when it's the everything u that own right where u are, u'd want to take a chance with nature. U'd want to stay to safeguard your everything, u'd want keep going back to the place that destroyed you, because u know nature will eventually give back again.
It's kinda sad, but it cant be helped, until some alternative solution can be found. That's why sometimes I feel that I've been living in a cocoon, a safe haven where I'm protected physically and mentally. I fortunate to be born into a family and country where I do not have to make life or death decisions like the above. And I wonder, I wonder if living in a cocoon has restricted my thinking ability, whether it has made me so myopic in thinking, or whether it had made me turn a blind eye to things that should be done. I wonder if one day when I had to turn into a butterfly, would I be able to spread my wings properly? Though I would marvel at what I see in the world, but would I be shocked by the world too?
23 years...As I approached this age, I've been wondering if I've lived it in vain. No major accomplishments, nothing. It's the awkward age when u realised u really ain't a child anymore. A conversation over dinner with wx and ll quite some time ago revealed that some pple ard our age are doing masters/phD overseas. Not that I dont know about this, but it was then that hit me quite hard that these people are way ahead of life than me being still stuck in year 4. That's why sometimes when people found out my alma maters and praised me for being from such good schools, I'll just give a polite but weak smile. What's the point of being in one when u've really done nothing much? It just accentuates me of being a shell, and it does no justice to my schools. Thus, nowadays when I look at celebrities, I wonder if they are the epitome of being successful at a young age. Of course u'd say that they have a short lifespan too, so they have to start young, and that they're just extreme examples cos they are so visible in society. Perhaps, I should say that they are examples of dream-come-true, given that more and more came into the industry because they really wanted to be a star (perhaps the lure of big money played a part too). So it comes back to my question, what's my dream? Do I even have one?
That said, I hope I can find one soon!
And of course, for once, I sincerely pray to let there be rain, a needed long downpour in the bushfire-affected areas of Au.str.alia.
The Au.stral.ian bu.shfires have been horrendous. My heart wrenches at the images and news reports of this disaster. I'm not going to talk about how global warming might have contributed to this Aussie history's worst case inferno, yada yada. Somehow, it's kind of past that, already.
I just know that it's scary, very scary. People were either burnt to death in their cars while trying to flee, or burnt to death in their homes.
Number 1, I think being burnt to death is one of the worst and most painful way to die. On a somewhat related note, I remembered reading sth about the first execution done by the electric chair. The person to be executed probably took minutes to die, and he probably died of both electrocution AND being burnt. The whole execution room was filled with burnt flesh, and I think it's absolutely sick and horrendous to smell yr own flesh being 'barbequed'. Absolutely revolting.
Number 2, the prospect of being trapped in a TOWN of fire is bone-chilling. Those who tried to flee probably fled too late and were being chased by fire, or were just engulfed by fires that unexpectedly changed directions. I mean, if u're trapped in a fire in say.. a HDB unit, u'd probably can escape out into the corridor if possible, and out into open space in the void deck if needed; but in this part of Au.stra.lia, there is NO way to run. Outside your house is probably the bush which had caught fire. Where to run? So I guess u've to make the decision to flee when the fires are a few km near your house. But there's always the dilemma of protecting your property (ALL that u have) and your life. Many would say, of course your life la! Well, think again. We were never in such a situation thus we could easily say that. It's like I used to think that people who live near volcanoes and floodplains stupid, in fact, way beyond stupid. How could anyone in the right mind want to go back there when they've lost loved ones to the fury of nature, the very nature who reside beside them?
It was only after a long time that I've come to fully grasp the fact of 'nature takes, nature gives too'. Nature gives life, because it provides the fertile soil needed after every eruption or so. When your whole livelihood depends on it, when it's the everything u that own right where u are, u'd want to take a chance with nature. U'd want to stay to safeguard your everything, u'd want keep going back to the place that destroyed you, because u know nature will eventually give back again.
It's kinda sad, but it cant be helped, until some alternative solution can be found. That's why sometimes I feel that I've been living in a cocoon, a safe haven where I'm protected physically and mentally. I fortunate to be born into a family and country where I do not have to make life or death decisions like the above. And I wonder, I wonder if living in a cocoon has restricted my thinking ability, whether it has made me so myopic in thinking, or whether it had made me turn a blind eye to things that should be done. I wonder if one day when I had to turn into a butterfly, would I be able to spread my wings properly? Though I would marvel at what I see in the world, but would I be shocked by the world too?
23 years...As I approached this age, I've been wondering if I've lived it in vain. No major accomplishments, nothing. It's the awkward age when u realised u really ain't a child anymore. A conversation over dinner with wx and ll quite some time ago revealed that some pple ard our age are doing masters/phD overseas. Not that I dont know about this, but it was then that hit me quite hard that these people are way ahead of life than me being still stuck in year 4. That's why sometimes when people found out my alma maters and praised me for being from such good schools, I'll just give a polite but weak smile. What's the point of being in one when u've really done nothing much? It just accentuates me of being a shell, and it does no justice to my schools. Thus, nowadays when I look at celebrities, I wonder if they are the epitome of being successful at a young age. Of course u'd say that they have a short lifespan too, so they have to start young, and that they're just extreme examples cos they are so visible in society. Perhaps, I should say that they are examples of dream-come-true, given that more and more came into the industry because they really wanted to be a star (perhaps the lure of big money played a part too). So it comes back to my question, what's my dream? Do I even have one?
That said, I hope I can find one soon!
And of course, for once, I sincerely pray to let there be rain, a needed long downpour in the bushfire-affected areas of Au.str.alia.