Ain't just the third III...

" The Earth we live in is like a time bomb, ticking and ticking, and ticking until the right time, and we will not know when is it "

When knowing less is better, i doubted it, in this case, myself and was eager to search deeper into these current and devastating issues. I couldn't help but feel sorry and sympathetic. The urgency for me to know more far outweighs the laziness for me to lay back, be unaware and let these issues slip out. Having said that, this post will be about the cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) and the earthquake that shook the ground of the southwest of China. I surfed through the world wide web to gather more information on these issues, and i would like to share them with you along with some of my personal, heartfelt comments to it. The information and pictures below are obtained from the Internet (as to the time of this post).

Cyclone Nargis was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the deadliest natural disaster in Burma's recorded history. The name 'Nargis' is a Persian word meaning daffodil. Early on April 29, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) estimated Nargis reached winds of160km/h and at the same time the India Meteorological Department (IMD) classified the system as a very severe cyclonic storm. Initially, the cyclone was forecast to strike Bangladesh or southeastern India. On May 1, after turning nearly due eastward, Cyclone Nargis began rapidly intensifying, due to greatly improved outflow in an association with an approaching upper-level trough and early May 2, the JTWC estimated the cyclone reached peak winds of 215 km/h as it approached the coast of Burma.

The satellite view of Cyclone Nargis striking Burma.

An innocent kid will be traumatised for life after experiencing this devastating disaster that devoured his home.

Beside lives, others became victims to this cyclone too.

To date, there were at least 22 464 fatalities with a further 41 000 people still missing!

Destroyed. Catastrophic destruction. But life still progresses.

On May 6, the Burma government representation in New York formally asked the United Nation for help. But in other ways, it remains resistant to the most basic assistance. 7 May 2008, the Burmese junta permitted Italian flights containing relief supplies from the United Nations, and twenty five tonnes of consumable goods to land in Myanmar. The biggest challenge at present is obtaining visas for entry into the country. Malaysia is to channel US$ 1 million in financial assistance and RM 500 000 in humanitarian aid to Myanmar. Humanitarian aid will be transported by Hercules C130. Mercy Malaysia will look into areas such as shelter, clean water, sanitation and emergency medical treatment.

Aid to help.

Donation to help ease their pain is the least we can do. I wish to help them in any sort. After facing ugly memories from this, it's a challenge to get back to their feet and start all over again. Seeing children in tears in the newspapers saddens me, seeing mothers finding for their lost child even saddens me more. The feeling is beyond imaginable.

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake is yet another devastating natural disaster. This catastrophe occured on the 12 May 2008 which a magnitude of 7.8 according to the State Seismological Bureau of China and 7.9 according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake was felt as far as to Shanghai and Beijing, and even Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Recently confirmed 11 921 deaths so far.

It was the deadliest and strongest earthquake to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake.

An injured person being saved.

The official believe some were buried alive under the collapsed buildings.

School students squatted under their desks and may be not even knowing what was going on.

Both these natural disasters put myself in a place where i want to feel safe and secure. Although natural disasters are inevitable, efforts to alarm beforehand should be done to minimise and reduce loss of objects and most importantly, life. Preparation can be made, and at least, we try. Just by looking at the pictures, i could feel the pain, the fear and the sadness faced by the victims. In many ways, i'm here feeling grateful to be alive. I'm alive, but many out there aren't. The numbers keep on increasing. I wasn't at the scene, and neither would i want to be there or experiencing it. To be alive here, is one i should be thankful of.

wc08 is saddened by the stories, and the earthquake and the cyclone victims must not give up in life!