This picture is frightening. I've been thinking how to write about this, and I've been avoiding the pictures because pictures affect me so much (to this day I haven't seen the 9/11 footage for the same reason) but my mind is definitely occupied with the topic. I still haven't found the right words either.
Oh, the words are there ... except the scope of this tsunami's damage is staggering. Natural disasters have become more noticeable and seemingly more spectacular when they destroy populated places.
If the word "irony" can be used, this tsunami struck a country where almost everyone has a camera - and that makes the news reports spectacular. More importantly, all the vids and photos now aid scientists as they evaluate wave and water damage.
If there's good news there are few countries in the world with the will, drive, resources and heritage to cope with this disaster and, Japan is, to me, tops on that list.
They will repair and rebuild and in doing so they will advance our understanding of the oceans, build better security and warning systems and their cities will rise from the rubble and become model cities - examples for all coastal cities to learn from as global weather changes and sea rise, reshaping all coast lines.
I have watched every news report I could during this disaster, I feel that I need to watch, to absorb the magnitude of the damage to try to understand. I still don't. Words just cannot (for me) describe the awesome power of nature. And if you can't find the words Julie, I surely cannot even hope to try. My thought is also that if any culture can deal with this and learn from it, the Japanese will. corinne
All the photos I've seen are just so surreal. And then trying to get my mind around what it must be like for the people living through it...it kind of dumbfounds me.
But you are right. We're good to remember the power of nature and keep in mind that there is little we can do to control that power.
I grew up in within reach of hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast - nature indeed wins out.
March 17, 2011 at 7:18 PM
[Image]
photo credit new york times
you know how i adore photos of ships, but this one made my blood run cold. imagine you were in that building right there beside the bulbous bow and you look out and you see said bulbous bow and it crosses your mind that that's not quite normal and that something must be dreadfully wrong (someone call the P&I club!!). it's clear that this rather large bulk carrier was simply picked up by the tsunami and placed up on the quay at a port in japan. and that's quite chilling.
the whole thing is chilling. and i haven't really found the words to write about it, but that doesn't mean the earthquake tragedy and its aftermath in japan haven't been on my mind. it seems to me a reminder that nature will win out. we may think we control it and order it, but it will have its way. and there won't be anything we can do about it. except maybe hope we'd built our nuclear power plant with different, more tsunami-proof technology. and if anyone would have done that, you would have thought it would be the japanese - they're the very embodiment of technology and order, aren't they? but nature will win out. every time.
and i continue to struggle to find the right words. and i continue to think about the people of japan.
5 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formThis picture is frightening. I've been thinking how to write about this, and I've been avoiding the pictures because pictures affect me so much (to this day I haven't seen the 9/11 footage for the same reason) but my mind is definitely occupied with the topic. I still haven't found the right words either.
March 17, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Oh, the words are there ... except the scope of this tsunami's damage is staggering. Natural disasters have become more noticeable and seemingly more spectacular when they destroy populated places.
If the word "irony" can be used, this tsunami struck a country where almost everyone has a camera - and that makes the news reports spectacular. More importantly, all the vids and photos now aid scientists as they evaluate wave and water damage.
If there's good news there are few countries in the world with the will, drive, resources and heritage to cope with this disaster and, Japan is, to me, tops on that list.
They will repair and rebuild and in doing so they will advance our understanding of the oceans, build better security and warning systems and their cities will rise from the rubble and become model cities - examples for all coastal cities to learn from as global weather changes and sea rise, reshaping all coast lines.
March 17, 2011 at 3:27 PM
I have watched every news report I could during this disaster, I feel that I need to watch, to absorb the magnitude of the damage to try to understand. I still don't. Words just cannot (for me) describe the awesome power of nature. And if you can't find the words Julie, I surely cannot even hope to try. My thought is also that if any culture can deal with this and learn from it, the Japanese will. corinne
March 17, 2011 at 3:46 PM
All the photos I've seen are just so surreal. And then trying to get my mind around what it must be like for the people living through it...it kind of dumbfounds me.
But you are right. We're good to remember the power of nature and keep in mind that there is little we can do to control that power.
March 17, 2011 at 4:23 PM
I grew up in within reach of hurricanes hitting the Gulf Coast - nature indeed wins out.
March 17, 2011 at 7:18 PM