Rainy thoughts

The night was so hot that I perspired as if my body was doing a reverse osmosis. As if the water in my body was being rejected and told to get out. Maybe that would have made me a specimen for the world of medicine and not to mention make me famous as well. The flash bulbs and camera lights made me uncomfortable. But let’s come back to the perspiration. The reason I was sweating was because it was mighty hot. I was warned. Chennai will be hot, hotter and then hottest. It didn’t matter that it was dark and the sun was playing hide and seek.

When humans come to desperation they congregate like hens and do one thing…pray. With my body covered in sweat I figured that prayer would not only lead to good tidings but maybe relax my body as well. I closed my eyes and imagined what I wanted from God. Rain drops…lots of them…as much as I could get…as much as God could spare. When you lose water, you also lose your mind!

Many sweaty days later, I thought I heard the sound of pellets striking the ground. Was it war? Was it music? I almost tore off the window curtain to investigate. It was…rain…finally. I felt a tickle, a nudge and smelt the dust rising from the ground. My past was switched to the future. The sweat on my body beat a hasty retreat, as the rain drops were too big to mess around with. I felt sane again. I had got what I wanted.

After enjoying the initial rain shower with my coffee cup in hand I could not stop myself from going outside to feel the water that had risen in protest. Equipped with a water resistant sandal I marched out. The cool breeze greeted me. I was in for a treat. I took the water walk ahead, thinking how lucky I was to have rain to rescue me from the heat. The initial stroll was soothing, the cool water kissing my feet.

But as they say, the longer you search, the more you find. I could see a hut in water, the children standing out and staring into the sky as their home was transformed into a river tributary. Another man was squatting in front of a shop roof extension, smoking a beedi and staring at the smoke. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to find work anymore because of the rain. An autorickshaw driver was pushing his auto which got stuck in the fast-mini-flood of water that had accumulated on the road. Wonder whether his day’s savings would have to be spent in an auto workshop? I felt sweaty again……….

8 minutes 8 seconds on 8-8-08

Yesterday I had the unique experience of being part of the initiative in Chennai where power would be switched off in different parts of Chennai to raise awareness about global warming. The initiative followed Sydney and Mumbai, the cities which already did a similar thing. So at 8:00 P.M. the lights went off.

The college in which I am doing my research, the Gurukul Lutheran Theological College, also decided to take part in this unique initiative and through this declare solidarity with those engaged in creating an awareness on global warming. The greatest honour was to give a small talk on global warming to the student community.

The talk was meant to walk the community through certain familiar paths.
1. Create and maintain a green cover of trees both within and outside the city limits.
2. Educate children and adults alike about the need for being concerned about one's environment. Reward those who initiate programmes to save the environment.
3. Make friendship groups in living spaces and work places, whereby resources are shared. Car sharing and eating together can be tried out which will lead to saving fuel and money. This will be an initiative which helps in bringing about a community feeling once again instead of an individual consumerist culture.
4. Use our bodies as modes of transport. Walk and cycle more.
5. Be creative with the way we use our resources and make our purchases. Think before we buy. Calculate the energy consumption and note the alternatives.
6. Adopt trees and take care of them. If not, help people who are doing this.
7. Show solidarity with people who are fighting global warming.
8. Be a silent example ourselves.
9. Spare a minute for our children. Think of what we enjoyed and what our children will end up receiving.
10. A small step could go a long way to cool down the earth. "So switch off that light." Please!!!

The effort is to make all of us think as to what we are doing to Mother Earth. The need is to do away with destruction and encourage conservation.