Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Had to share this....

I was so moved when I read this piece... as I am sure you will be, too. I am off to Singapore... will miss this space. See you here on monday. As I key this in, my nails are gone because Sachin is gone! And I am feeling too tense to watch the rest of the match.
Ciao for now. Catch you guys next week Have an amazing weekend!
**********************

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,
First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.
Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to
have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even
more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share
supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.
During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their jugs
and buckets.
Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in
lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an
earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."
Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens
are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.
We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for
half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.
But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not.
No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much
more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of
non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the entire group.
There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some
places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun.
People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking
their dogs. All happening at the same time.
Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No
cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered
with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.
The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them
silhouetted against the sky magnificently.
And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to
check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on,
and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from
whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking
to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they
need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic,
no.
They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is
a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is
better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the
country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.
Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed
an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world
right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now
in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I
felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as
part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of
birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.
Thank you again for your care and Love of me,
With Love in return, to you all,

15 comments:

Satish Ashtaputre said...

I have 1 request 4 u that u cover a story on SHANGHAI in china (if u have visited that place) since there r lot of talks & debates going on about transforming Mumbai like Shanghai.

Pramit said...

when a person is in trouble he is more humble......if there wouldn't have been any earthquake.....people would not have stood in line for water, rather would fight to get in line first........y cant we be humble even when we r on a good position and without trouble ???????

Anonymous said...

Shobhaa aunty,
Get Well Soon...

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Radhika Gupta said...

Harsh times unite even strangers... i hope the "crippled" japan builds itself again...

goodluck said...

You write for TOI. Many others write. I observed certain things.
You bash Sonia, Rahul MMS, Congress. Within hours, you will get more than 100 comments.
You praise them. You will get a few comments cursing you.
Poor Bachi. Inspite of her experience, profundity, she will be lucky if she gets 1 comment because she is too broad minded.
Rajesh Kalra gets maximum comments and also Tarun Vijay for entirely different reasons.
There are others like Pritish, Kingshuk etc. who get some decent numbers.
Sometimes you get decent numbers, especially if you write against the Congress and its rulers. But if you write some really intelligent stuff, no one even tries to understand.
Recently one blogger who frequents another celebrity blog wrote a virulent tirade against Italians in order to please her lion king. Voila, she got so many comments by sudden admirers. She must be feeling very happy. A very noble soul, it seems.
TOI moderators are a joke.

One thing I appreciate you, Shobhaa, is your flexibility and unpredictability. You are not dogmatic. And our comments are not moderated on your blogs here.

Buzzintown Blogger said...

Very touching mail. I agree with others that in trouble we humans become more kind and noble. Wish we all remain humble always but its human nature to have mood swings.

Prayers for people of Japan!

Regards
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चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...

Hope to see you on Monday more healthier with the wrist band gone

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing the beautiful letter.

I'm so excited you are really coming to SIngapore--will be coming to hear you speak on Saturday!!!! :)

james said...

Shobhaa, Thanks for invariably interesting writing. Could I plug my blog here? I write about Hindustani music and other topics. http://musicmumbai.wordpress.com/ thanks, james

Ashwini Sane said...

M'am we won the match! And will you be watching the Indo-Pak match with the PM?
Sad what happened in Japan, it has happened to us also with the tidal wave in south India, how soon have we forgotten that? If anyone is interested, I have written a poem on my blog, on that tragedy called Natures Wave.htttp://randomthoughtsncoffe.blogspot.com/

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Ah Ram Lee said...

I really want to express my deep condolence to people who have been suffering from the catastrophe.. All Korean are concerned also and trying to help and praying for them. The miracle will happen because belief is strong...

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