Devastated

I didn't read the newspapers yesterday because our office canteen had sold every copy before I arrived. I managed to scan through some headlines on the Internet and all I saw were natural disasters.

Last night, CH texted to ask if I felt any tremours. Apparently he could feel the effects of a huge earthquake in Sumatra while sitting at the balcony. Naturally the earthquake is on the front page in today's papers.

First, there was the freak sandstorm that descended upon the beautiful city of Sydney. Then Manila was innundated with the worst flood in decades. After that, Samoa was hit by a massive tsunami. And Typhoon Ketsana left a trail of destruction across Vietnam and Cambodia.

I emailed my client in Ho Chi Minh to ask if everyone's ok. Thankfully, the areas that they are in have been spared. I heaved a sigh of relief. My colleague who's in charge of collectibles voiced her relief, "Luckily! Or else I think we can forget about getting paid!"

She's being practical of course.

Reading about these natural disasters is very sobering. We often take what we have for granted but imagine the sorry state the affected areas are in now. They're out of food and homes, and they're struggling to survive. When disaster strikes, the rich and the poor are all in the same boat.