Chaos theory- a butterfly flaps it’s wings, a volcano erupts in Iceland, ash settles over Europe and I get 5 more days with my baby sister, SubhanAllah. Amazing, how she is in her 20s and she is still my ‘baby’ sis. Her flight was cancelled. It was routed through London.
Her email to her boss tell him why she wouldn’t be at work Monday morning sounded so fake. I couldn’t keep a straight face telling anyone why she didn’t fly out either esp. since she was travelling to Pakistan. ” Umm actually , a volcano erupted in Iceland so she couldn’t fly to Islamabad. ‘ Right…
Eyjafjallajökull-courtesy of Flicker Commons
While I gloated, 2 billion dollars were lost, millions of travelers stranded-at first Europeans reminisced a simpler time without air travel and relished the sounds of nature sans noise pollution.
But then the horror stories of people stranded- away from families, jobs, missing weddings, funerals. Imagine the ones that have run out of money. . .or those with young children. May Allah take them home safely. Mind numbing how helpless we are, yet how arrogant. Allah (SWT) can paralyze this world instantaneously.
Stranded travellers-Arturo Rodriguez/AP
At least she was in my home, she could have been in transit. She left yesterday; she will make it to her best friend’s wedding. Shaadi Mubarak N! Just saw a stranded Slovakian couple getting married in Taiwan on the news, at the airport chapel. Another one exchanged vows at Dubai Airport. No pomp or show- just simple and impromptu.
My cousin just posted this ” Dear Europe, sorry about the cloud of ash over your heads and that you can’t travel anywhere. We feel your pain. Sincerely, Gaza. This is everyday reality for Palestinians. Imagine living like that with no end in sight?
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