Nepal, desensitivity, and pretension

A devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the mountainous country of Nepal earlier today. The death toll has reached over 1000, people were left running for their lives on Everest as huge avalanches were triggered. 13 people died a cold, terrifying and lonely death.These people didn't deserve this, natural disasters tend to be disastrous on a huge scale, but the most deadly earthquake since 2011's earthquake in Japan, which caused the fatal Tsunami and nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Power Plant has hit a country with dangerous, difficult access which will make aid difficult to come by. It's the most deadly earthquake to hit a third-world country since the Haiti quake - from which they still haven't recovered. It's scary to think how far back Nepal may have been set. 1000 lives have been taken, simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time - the earth beneath them shook as they were crushed. Is that not terrifying? Thousands more have lost everything - they must start again - for no reason other than than because they were there. Perhaps what's more terrifying is the death toll from the Chilean earthquake on the 11th of March.

1. One person died from the 6.9 magnitude quake. I don't know who they were, but they were so woefully unfortunate as to be in that position. This has led me to believe how incredibly lucky I am. To be living in a western country.When you consider the sheer number conscious organisms on the planet, that I am not an ant, or a krill, or a maggot - let alone a human with true self-consciousness living in perhaps a pre-colonial Uganda, post-Duvalier Haiti or Nepal, now. No. I am one of a relative few living in a western human society. Perhaps if I lived in a less privileged state I would feel even more for Nepal at this time. In the western society we live in we are desensitized, this is a non-question -perhaps this isn't a bad thing - I believe it is.

I am so sorry that people, innocent normal people, have had their lives and livelihoods stolen. But in the end I have a bed waiting for me at some point. At some point I will have another meal, my life will go on. These people do not know where their next meal is coming, if their house will be safe to return to, and what they're going to do when they wake up. Emotion was evoked in me in ways I struggle to describe, but is nothing compared to what the people of Nepal, of northern India and surrounding countries feel.

Emotion is a difficult thing to understand, and when people don't feel the same emotion you feel, they often lash out at you.

Boyhood

I only recently watched Boyhood and Interstellar (crucify me amirite?) and have just finished watching Her. If anything, I've learned about myself more than anything else by watching these films. I prefer a story of human interaction than a grand adventure. I loved the absolute artistry of Boyhood - I didn't even care that it was filmed over 12 years. It may have been the best film I have ever seen. I couldn't believe such a film could engage me in that way - deep thinking ahead of deep space. Take nothing away from Interstellar though - it's a great film in its own rite, yet for some reason I cannot compare it to Boyhood. Perhaps I simply identify with it more, maybe I'm just a creep, a weirdo.

Her was a beautiful film, it tore me apart  and I felt so many different emotions through it, I never thought I would feel so afraid that a character in a film had lost someone they cared about so much. I feel that if the protagonist was more lovable (which I already thought he was, a lost soul) then perhaps there would have been a better pay off. Either was congratulations to Spike Jonze on writing and directing that.

All three are fantastic, and I believe it purely depends on the person you are as to which you prefer.

Blackout

A few weeks back, the first total solar eclipse took place in 11 years. You probably knew that already. Millions across Europe were left pissed off because old God decided to bring the clouds in for the day. 90% of Europe's land mass was covered by cloud at the time of the eclipse. The only effect was that the region got slightly darker for a few moments. No gazing at the eclipse. No opportunity to marvel at an incredible coincidence in the world: the moon being 400 times closer but 400 times smaller than the sun.

In my short life, I had never witnessed an eclipse, although I was probably alive for one, (and aside from a short reference of kids tv show: Raven) so I suppose I had overestimated its effects. I expected things to go dark as if it were the night time. Such a reality never came about. Maybe it was the clouds that changed the way the eclipse stopped light.

Truth be told I had almost forgotten that the eclipse was taking place, luckily, it wouldn't have mattered anyway.