steel blue.
there was an earthquake earlier this week. it struck off the coast of south sumatra, and padang bore the full brunt of the tremor. so far, at least 1100 people have been confirmed to be dead and thousands more are feared to be missing, buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 and it was even felt in high-rise buildings in malaysia, singapore and jakarta.
---------------------------------
you want to know what i'm seriously pissed at?
i've read a lot of this, or something of this sort, on facebook:
"omg, you felt the tremors? so jealous..."
more than a thousand people are dead. thousands more are missing. so many more have lost their homes, their loved ones and their hopes, their dreams, their everything... and all you can think about is how 'unfortunate' it was that you had to miss out on experiencing the tremors, feeling envious of your friends that actually did?
fuck you.
once again, FUCK YOU.
you think it's all fun and games, huh? it's like a joke to you. how about try being in their shoes for once. do you know how it feels to be constantly on the alert, the thought of another earthquake striking anytime, anywhere always lingering on the back of your mind? i do not, because i've never wanted to. but you? oh no... you actually want to.
of course, the truth is, you just dont know better. stuck in your naive little bubble, taking for granted how lucky all of us - compared to more disaster-prone countries - are to live in malaysia. you do not know how fucking frightening it is to feel the ground shake under your feet, to see terrified people fleeing their homes, to see buildings collapse, toppling like dominoes.
mindless, senseless people like you... just appall me. it's disgusting how shallow you are.
i hope you get the chance, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity even, to find yourself in the middle of a disaster.
since the disaster cannot come to you, then why dont you go to it? here are some brilliant holiday-disaster destinations:
- taiwan. the pacific typhoons it experiences are really crowd-pullers, with large waves, heavy rain and high winds. most storms occur from may to november, but can also happen all-year round. remember not to bring a rain coat or umbrella so as to fully savour the effects, and make sure to ignore evacuation plans.
- california, usa and victoria, australia. california is notorious for its wildfires and victoria, for its bushfires. travellers are advised to bring along their own marshmallows for roasting because most residents would be too busy evacuating their homes to provide you with any. also, try to ignore their stares of disbelief as you admire the firestorms.
- indonesia. this is the real deal, because it is an all-in-one holiday package. earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions! oh my. best travelling period: unknown. it really depends on your luck if you want to experience the aforementioned disasters.
so, there you have it.
i hope you have a pleasant disaster-holiday, you sick fuckers.
---------------------------------
my heart goes out to all the victims and survivors of the sumatra earthquakes, of the devastated samoan islands, of typhoon-hit phillippines, vietnam, cambodia and laos, and lastly, of the sicilian floods and landslides.