I have a door curtain (noren) printed with a famous picture. A gift from a Japanese friend, Hiroki Kageyama san. This is a very famous picture and it is called ‘The Great Waves of Kanagawa’. It is a wood block painting made by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). Why is this picture so famous? The picture depicts the great force of nature. It shows huge harbour waves (okinasumi) towering over small boats and even smaller people. The artist was very clever. He put the snow capped Fuji-san in the background. He made the mountain very small, as if about to be swallowed by the water.
I have seen this picture before, printed in books, on t-shirts, postcards etc. In fact you probably have seen it too. Like you, I never paid much attention to it. But now this picture is very powerful. Everyday it reminds me of how strong and terrible nature can be.
Early morning on 26th December 2004, the big cousin of such a wave came crashing onto the shores of 8 countries. His name - Tsunami. Within a short period Tsunami-san killed more than 350,000 people, made an equal number homeless and damaged an unaccountable amount of properties. This killer was the result of a very big earthquake in the Indian Ocean just west of Northen Sumatra. Now Malaysians are so frighten of earthquakes and giant waves. Imagine that.
Two days ago, on the 29th March just after midnight another earthquake struck almost the same place. Although this time the force is lesser yet the shock waves reached the Malaysian Peninsula. Maybe we were so spooked by the previous tragedy, many Malaysian rushed out from their homes onto the streets when they felt the tremors. Fortunately no one died and only minor damages were reported here. This is enough to make everyone worried about the next big one! The government is talking about setting up earthquake guidelines for new buildings. This is all very new and strange to us because Malaysia never experienced earthquakes and such. I slept through the whole incident. LOL.
Whenever I go into the kitchen I still look at the curtain. To think that someone, in a foreign land, had 170 years ago warned us to take heed of nature. Somehow I did not hear the roaring waves, drowned in my everyday domesticity and pettiness. Sigh.
2 comments:
Well, animals and insects have keener senses than human. I guess they are more aware of changes in ground temperature and movements. So whenever there are seismic activities they would be the first to react.
Going back to nature is not the answer. It is just changing the symptoms and not the cause. I think it is better if we use our senses to cultivate 'awareness'. About time we listen more, look beyond the illusions, feel the insides and be part of the changes.
This is a classic case of 'the grass is greener on the other ...'. I think we are just oh so easily seduce by some glossy travel brochure of green verdant vales and gleaming azure seas. Rural area has their own brand of noise - insects, animals, wind etc. They are just equally intruding as cars, stereos and blabbers. What is important is the mind ......... if you can still it you heard nothing even in the eye of a tornado.
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