March 2011

It has been raining all day. In fact, it had been raining daily for past week or so. So unlike March of past years. March should be filled with sun bright days with little rain. Difficult not to notice and admit our weather has changed. Global warming?

Although we are just into March, this year has seen much turmoil and disasters.

Civilians uprising. There's unrest and uprising spreading across middle east. Started in Tunisia, we saw the unexpected happened in February - President Mubarak deposed, no longer presides over Egypt. Uprisings spread to Bahrain, Yemen and Libya. Now, buoyed by victory in neighbouring country, Libya's rebels are rising hard against its dictator. Oil prices on the rise.

Natural disasters. Earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. In February, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake killed at least 65 and caused severe damage to buildings. On 11 March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred near Japan's coast. The ensuing tsunami was massive, killed thousands in Japan and triggered tsunami alerts in countries along pacific coasts such as Hawaii, Indonesia, etc. It left millions in Japan without electricity, water and transportation in winter.

The tsunami caused massive destruction that will take years to rebuild. It created a nuclear crisis in Fukushima nuclear factory - potential nuclear meltdown. Citizens within 20km had been evacuated. A brave group of 50 workers remained in the factory, fighting to prevent meltdown. I salute the 50. You will find many footage of the tsunami on YouTube. They are extremely disturbing. It also leaves you in awe of its speed and destruction power. The black waves of sludges crashing over barriers, toppling ships and covering fields looked like evil black smoke that stretches its hands across the land, enveloping all in blackness. Our prayers goes to Japan, may they find fortitude and hope within and without.

And this is just March.