Katrina, Katrina...

Katrina, Katrina, why are you so cruel...?

Nope, Katrina is not somebody's girl friend, it is the Hurricane that strucked USA (over the gulf of Mexico) a few days ago.

I asked someone if he knew what is the biggest news in USA this few days, he replied "Iraq?", I said "Nope!". After a few tries and given a hint, he said "oh...a big wind?".

It is not just a big wind, it was the worst natural disaster USA has ever encountered so far.

The worst hit area is New Orleans. It is so sad seeing the news at CNN that so many people lost their lives and homes due to this disaster. The whole city is a total mess, It is so unbelievable to me, as I was there in year 2000 during SIGGRAGH2000 !!!

So, for the benefit of those who do not know about this, I just thought I would write a blog about this.

Thank goodness that because of the satelite and weather forecast technologies to forecast this, the city mayor ordered a mondatory evacuation ahead of the hurricane.

However, those who do not have the mean to leave, particular the poor, are stucked in the place. Many people lost everything that they have, even their lives. New Orlean is actually below sea level and is protected by walls from the water, unfortunately, part of the wall also broke due to the wind presure and water rises even after the hurricane. Fortunately, this seems to have been solved. The whole city is now flooded, since it is below sea level, the water will not go away unless it is pump out, but how do you pump the water from a whole city?

The latest news says one million people believed homeless now, without
electricity, no drinkable water, no phones (no cellphones working too), not enough police and rescue and relieve workers etc., thousands have already died, it is total anarchy there right now.

And to see all these sorrow, suffering and people dying, crying in the news, I can't help but to be thankful that in Malaysia, we do not have any serious disaster of this magnitude. What is our small flood compare with this? What is our man-made haze compare with this?

So, if you did not get bored with this blog and have managed to read until this line, please do say a little prayer for these people over there, and a little prayer for ourselves to thank for what we have, and also a little prayer for ourselves to be more content and to be more thankful for what we have.