Never likes last few weeks. My heart never have a chance to cool down. First it was revolution in Egypt where my son is now studying dentistry. For few days, we were not able to communicate with him. Sometime, no telephone, sometime no internet. The most scary times were when no internet nor telephone. While planning to take him out of that country and gathering information on security situation from the town his studying to the airport, then come the news of mass evacuation sponsored by Malaysian Government. My son was in the second last flight exodus from Egypt to Jeddah and the last flight from Jeddah to KLIA.
After few weeks at home, and the situation in Egypt seem stable enough for studying purpose, there come preparation for his departure. While preparing, and happily communicating with my daughter in Tokyo to celebrate her birthday on March 11, then the breaking news take place right in front of our own eyes. The 9.0 Mega Earthquake (2011 Tohoku Pacific Coast Earthquake and Tsunami) come right while we were speaking to her over Yahoo Messenger's video call. My wife able to see the doors swaying and the building shake, the sound of siren and advice my daughter to stay outside her hostel room until situation come to normal. After Friday prayer, most breaking news either by Japanese and international TVs shown the great effect of the earthquake and later how devastating the tsunami can be.
Looking at the ships and cars being moved by the great gush of water like small toys make my heart feel very sick. And the television footages shown some houses, factories and farmhouses covered by the hugh wave make everyone feel so sad, knowing very much there were human being out there that might be inside those ships, cars, buses, houses, factories and farmhouses that might be affected or drowned inside the mega wave. My daughter spend few sleepless nights at her hostel due to probability of another aftershock tremors but it is not as bad as her friend who got to sleep at one restaurant because she was outside during that time and all train services were stopped. Lastly, come the final blow of problem at the Fukushima power station which we hope and pray will not become another human tragedy in our life time. |
| The 9.0 Mega Earthquake and aftershock. Source: USGS |
After the fourth explosion taken place at the power station, amid all the difficulties of getting one flight ticket I decided to take my daughter out from Tokyo and she was safely home yesterday. While having our late lunch together with all available family members at a restaurant nearby KLIA, talking and explaining about how scary the tsunami effects to the Fukushima power plant can be, my daughter who is number five out of six siblings ask me to stop, simply because she cannot take it anymore to hear all those effects of the nuclear radiation to human being. She complained feel like vomiting to think about such things. My wife still not settled and simply goes into tears every time the news of the situation in Japan goes on air, feeling so pity for those elders, children and families affected by the incident.
On Tuesday, one friend of mine told me that his Tiger Grouper broodstock spawned one day before the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. He collected 24 million eggs from 6 female TGs. Some fishermen in my area mentioned that one day after the Sendai's earthquake and tsunami, the sea around our area seem to be very empty and quite, like no fish at all in the area. Is that just co-incident that almost all the TGs broodstock kept by my friend spawned a day before the earthquake / tsunami take place? Is that just co-incident that the sea around our area seem so quite a day after the quake / tsunami? I read news that some millions of sardine dead in California after the fishes swim ashore and later on dead due to lack of oxygen in the harbour basin, just two days before the earthquake. Could it be just another co-incident? We do not know the answer and what will be the effects of the quake and tsunami to life, deep in ocean and sea floors where most of our grouper species inhibits, but we know the effects to the human being that live on the surface.
To the Japanese people, my heart and prayer goes along with all of you during this troubled period. We always look at Japan as our inspiration on how a developed nation should look like and believe Japan will come out stronger from this crisis.
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