Sunday 29 March 2009

Earth Hour

I called home at about 4:30PM (Dubai time) to check on my wife and kids. I was imagining that they would in the dark in our home in Klang and I thought it would be good for story telling in their dark hour. Well, the story telling in the dark is a thing in the past, I guess. Not for my wife and kids as they were waiting outside the cinema for a movie show. They participated the Earth Hour by simply not being at home. Nevertheless, I did get a story from my son, Hadiff. This is how the story goes.

" Once upon a time, there was a cowboy. That's me! The cowboy lives with the king, that's papa and the queen, that's mama. The cowboy found a chicken (not hen, mind you) that lays egg. The egg becomes golden egg. So the king and the queen live happily ever after, thanks to the cowboy. The end. "

We asked him why his sister Aimi did not play any part of the story. He said cheekily, " Oh, she's just a cow ".


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A friend of mine thinks Earth Hour is nothing more than a cheap, feel good gimmick. He speaks his mind clearly in the FB. I guess he has seen enough to see another coming.



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Another friend of mine was too eager to get the Earth Hour started that she got herself ahead of time by 24 hours and thought she had missed it. Luckily, she expressed herself in FB and someone else pointed out to save her Earth Hour.


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We all have our different take over this matter. I was there at The Walk watching the event. A reporter from Gulf News asked me what I think about the event. I said, "it's for a good cause. It may be a gimmick, but it's a world wide gimmick that unites all those who are concerned in conserving the Earth. There are many children coming here tonight and this gives the parents something positive to talk about to their children". I am not sure what may come out if they ever decide to put my quote and photo on the paper tomorrow. We'll see.

So, Earth, if you're reading this, I hope you enjoy your happy hour as much as the people who love you.
By the way it rained in Dubai during the Earth Hour, at around 9PM.



Preparation before the Earth Hour - The big words 'EARTH HOUR' being laid on the beach

The sitting arrangement for some important earthlings during the Earth Hour



The sitting arrangement for the little earthlings who would be doing the colouring work


Voila! The big words 'EARTH HOUR' glow in the dark for aliens to see

Moments before the Earth Hour at The Walk



During the Earth Hour at The Walk - can you see the aliens living above us? Ha ha ha



Before the Earth Hour at Dubai Marina

During the Earth Hour at Dubai Marina - Any difference? You tell me...



The Emaratis sing in the dark



Others eat with and without the lights



It's better to be hopeful rather than be hopelessly ignorant, I think.



They don't give free things in Dubai that often but tonight I get free T-shirt and refreshments too.


7 comments:

ms.d said...

me and family participated in earth hour, we switched off the lights for 1 hour!!! and some of our neigbours did too..but some of them maybe forgot or they just being an ignorant...

anyway, i wish i could join the walk during the earth our in capital square near jalan ampang,and capture the KL night scene without lights on... haihh pity me...i can only see them in the news...

that earth hour t-shirt!lucky u!

[danial][ma] said...

hej! Jumper...i am still in the dark since 19:30 yesterday...just another hour to go before the sunrise!

Jumper said...

ms.d,
Good for you and your family. If you continue doing what you have just done or at least having the awareness at the back of your mind, you are with us all who want to make a change for the Earth.

I used to have a Japanese manager who always switch off the lights whenever he left his office for meetings, breaks etc. Now in Dubai, I work in an office where managers have no room at all and our meeting rooms have sensors to switch off the lights when they sense no movements at all. I'm sure you're a smart young lady who can do better....


danial,
Enjoy the darkness :-)

Inah said...

hopefully it wont be just a gimmick..further plan of action should be undertaken too!!

i have doubt in this kind of campaign as i reckon it would be just temporary stuff..i hope for a long term plan in order to avoid the climate change

ohh well, better something than nothing yeah..perhaps it will be used to nurture the habit of switching off the light ;)

panjang pulak komen..heheheh..sorry ye

Roti Kacang Merah said...

heh heh your son the cutest and wittiest dude ever... wonder where he gets the traits from ;-p

hey jangan lupa post the cutting up here should you get your famous-moment in the papers ;-)

Syamsulfaiz said...

Hi jumper,

I enjoyed your son's short story. Simplicity is beautiful.

I joined the Earth Hour call by switched off all lights, got out and enjoyed a plate of very good roti canai and teh tarik in Naif Road. The restaurant was dimly lit... if that counts wahaha..

Jumper said...

Inah,
We hope the same thing.
I just learn recently that the whole thing is started in Sydney.
So you guys down under has a lot to shout and shake about it...


RKM,
This is my theory based on my observation from my own experience; though it may not be applicable in others' cases.

When my wife was pregnant with my daughter, we lived with my mother. My wife felt restricted and she bottled a lot of feelings. So we have Aimi, who is inexpressive and keeps her feelings unspoken. When my wife was pregnant with my son, we live in our own house and towards the end of her pregnancy, she joined this long Gomen course at a resort and she was really happy being there. So we have Hadiff, the expressive and outspoken dude. Sometimes can be over too.


Syam,
The thought of having something simple but delightful is very tempting. In my head now, I have a clear image of that 'very good roti canai and teh tarik' you mentioned.