Japanese Magnolia

Just before setting out on this afternoon's photographic safari, I watched some of the video footage of the tsunami catastrophe in Japan. The wave sweeping across Sendai airport was horrendous. Watching farms and farmland being engulfed by a wall of water that tossed an 18-wheeler around as if it was a child?s toy was frightening.

I sat for a moment feeling quite numb. In the face of such scenes of destruction, getting out to take a photograph for today's blip seemed so pointless and inconsequential.

But then I thought to myself, life goes on.

The human spirit has an endless capacity to overcome disasters in all shapes and forms, to pick up the pieces, rebuild and restore whatever the destructive forces, be they natural or man-made, have torn asunder.

The people of New Zealand are in the process of dusting themselves down and getting back to a semblance of normality after their recent earthquake. I saw somewhere that today's earthquake in Japan was 1000 times stronger than the one that hit New Zealand a few weeks ago. It is almost beyond human comprehension.

So I set out with my Ricoh with the aim of trying to capture something meaningful to try and embody the disaster that has befallen Japan. Anything else would have seemed trite.

Yesterday, I happened to see a Japanese Magnolia just coming into bloom and thought it would be a suitable subject. The tightly furled bud expresses optimism for the future and that the devastated area of Japan will once again blossom.

Earlier in the day, I happened across a post in the Sigma SLRTalk forum of DPReview. I won't bother with a link but quote it:

This couldn't have happened at a worse time. Of course we are all relieved that nonone [sic] at Sigma has been hurt, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who is worried about the effect the tsunami may have on the release date of the SD1 when he (Kazuto Yamakai, the chief operating officer, Sigma Corp.) says, "Some damages to machines and facilities." What if the machines in question are the ones used to produce SD1s? If so, the release date may have to be pushed back till late in the year!

On second thoughts, given the egregious and selfish nature of the post I will provide the link so that you can see it with your own eyes.

It also shames me to have to say that the poster, DaSigmaGuy, is British. I checked out his profile and I am sure you will all agree that he looks the dick, sorry ladies, his post would imply.

I sometimes wonder whether a lot of people in this increasingly materialistic and selfish world have got their priorities completely and utterly wrong. And the day when people of the ilk of DaSigmaGuy gain ascendency is the day that I will be more than happy to quit this mortal coil.

With all this recent seismic activity on the Pacific Rim, I would be a little fearful if I lived in California. Could the San Andreas fault be primed to shift yet again?

I think all our hearts go out to the people of Japan on this sad and tragic day.