I'm back at base. Thoughts on the disaster
OK, I'm home, I'm fine, I'm beginning to work through the backlog. But I've got to say something about how horrified I am by the earthquake and floods, even if there's nothing very constructive I can say. I came in and heard something about an earthquake on the radio yesterday, and I asked my mother "Where?" And she said "Everywhere." And the more I hear the more I begin to feel that way.
Despite my pretty comprehensive ignorance of geography, I do happen to know the bits of the world with cricket grounds rather better than the other bits, so my first reaction was "Thank heaven Colombo (ie the most populous part of Sri Lanka) is on the west coast, that should have sheltered it." But as I read more reports, the names are beginning to hit home. Galle, oh god, that's the Test venue under the Dutch fort. Panadura, that's the Esplanade. Moratuwa - that's where Sebastianites play at Tyronne Fernando Stadium - hell, it's Greater Colombo. This is way up the west coast.
It may seem a frivolous thing to view a world disaster in term of cricket grounds, but that's how I personalise it for myself - like the news bulletins focussing on the tourists. OK, many people here will know someone holidaying in the stricken areas, but even so it's the natural hook for the UK news services because it's easier for people to imagine what this disaster is like for the tourists. And it is terrible for tourists and locals alike. But the tourists who survive can go home. The locals who survive will be living with the consequences of this for the rest of their lives. Which, again, isn't meant to diminish the ordeal of the tourists - I've had my sister stuck in a village hit by an avalanche when we couldn't get through on the phone, and I know what my mother went through that day.
It's just terrible, I feel awful about it, and even cheering for Bangladesh's victory over India yesterday seemed somehow improper. Life will go on for most of us, however, and I will laugh at all kinds of things in the next few days. But I'll be thinking of what's happened to so many people in those lands I hope to visit one day too.
Later: Expect everyone will know this, but it's possible to send money quite easily via the Disaster Emergencies Committee.
Despite my pretty comprehensive ignorance of geography, I do happen to know the bits of the world with cricket grounds rather better than the other bits, so my first reaction was "Thank heaven Colombo (ie the most populous part of Sri Lanka) is on the west coast, that should have sheltered it." But as I read more reports, the names are beginning to hit home. Galle, oh god, that's the Test venue under the Dutch fort. Panadura, that's the Esplanade. Moratuwa - that's where Sebastianites play at Tyronne Fernando Stadium - hell, it's Greater Colombo. This is way up the west coast.
It may seem a frivolous thing to view a world disaster in term of cricket grounds, but that's how I personalise it for myself - like the news bulletins focussing on the tourists. OK, many people here will know someone holidaying in the stricken areas, but even so it's the natural hook for the UK news services because it's easier for people to imagine what this disaster is like for the tourists. And it is terrible for tourists and locals alike. But the tourists who survive can go home. The locals who survive will be living with the consequences of this for the rest of their lives. Which, again, isn't meant to diminish the ordeal of the tourists - I've had my sister stuck in a village hit by an avalanche when we couldn't get through on the phone, and I know what my mother went through that day.
It's just terrible, I feel awful about it, and even cheering for Bangladesh's victory over India yesterday seemed somehow improper. Life will go on for most of us, however, and I will laugh at all kinds of things in the next few days. But I'll be thinking of what's happened to so many people in those lands I hope to visit one day too.
Later: Expect everyone will know this, but it's possible to send money quite easily via the Disaster Emergencies Committee.