Power Perspective
I read an article recently about power interruptions in Maryland. People were complaining that over a six month period, the power had flickered off for ten seconds or so -- more than half a dozen times. Other outages lasted a few minutes or an hour.
If only we experienced those outages in Timor!
Power interruptions are a daily occurrence. Today, the power went off around lunch time -- it's now 7:30pm and it's still off. Yesterday, the power was off for five hours -- the day before -- 4 hours -- and so on and so on.
No one seems to know why the power goes out so often.
It used to be better. It only went off on Sundays for about five hours. Now, it's daily.
But we're lucky here in Dili compared to those living in the districts. Their power is on from 6pm until midnight -- every day.
Let's hear it for backup generators!
If only we experienced those outages in Timor!
Power interruptions are a daily occurrence. Today, the power went off around lunch time -- it's now 7:30pm and it's still off. Yesterday, the power was off for five hours -- the day before -- 4 hours -- and so on and so on.
No one seems to know why the power goes out so often.
It used to be better. It only went off on Sundays for about five hours. Now, it's daily.
But we're lucky here in Dili compared to those living in the districts. Their power is on from 6pm until midnight -- every day.
Let's hear it for backup generators!
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Witness
It is not easy to write about -- I didn't actually see the taxi hit the child -- what I witnessed or heard, first, was a muffled, scraping sound -- then I saw something stuck under the car -- being dragged on the asphalt. Then, I heard frantic shouts from someone in a red shirt running toward the car.
At first, I thought it was a piece of cardboard under the car -- then it appeared to be a dog. The car didn't immediately stop and once it did -- the boy's body lay in the middle of the street. He wasn't moving. The taxi driver reluctantly stopped some 10 yards up the road. I say reluctantly because he kept slowing down and then finally stopped.
A man, presumably the father or a relative, in the red shirt, ran screaming and crying into the street and hugged the boy's body -- other witnesses stopped traffic -- and several people approached the driver -- who didn't immediately get out of the car.Still others ran to help the child.
It happened just after sunup this morning -- and there were a number of others who witnessed this horrible tragedy and came running to offer help.
I still find it difficult to believe and process what I witnessed -- all in a matter of seconds.
I don't know the details of what happened -- for instance -- how fast the taxi was moving -- although when I noticed it -- the car was moving slowly. I also don't know if the child was crossing the street or playing in the street. I did see the taxi driver's face -- just after the boy's body cleared the under-part of the car -- and from his expression -- he appeared not to know what he'd hit.
I don't know if the child survived -- although his little body appeared lifeless.
1 comments: