Softening stance of two Koreas

Iwas glad to have read in the wire reports last week that North and South Korea are on the verge of a “break through” in their peace talks for a unification of the two countries without the added interference or “help” of other foreign countries. I have always believed that North and South Korea can and should resolve their differences between themselves. After all it was the interference of other countries that led to their split during World War II. It only makes sense that they need to resolve a long history of bloodshed and anger amongst themselves. I truly think it’s the only way any form of peace talks or unification could possibly work.

The enigmatic leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, is no stranger to the media. Many of his multiple rants often times come off as crazy and his word war with United States President Donald Trump is certainly something to be concerned about, but his desire to bring the two Koreas together definitely makes sense. Just recently, North Korea mentioned it would be sending a delegation of athletes to the Winter Olympics being hosted by South Korea and that the two groups of athletes would march together and one Korean delegation. This is definitely a big step as this would have been unheard of years ago. It could be a sign of thawing relationships?

Perhaps we may yet see a unified Korea in our lifetime. I know that there is a lot they are going to have to go through and it is most definitely an uphill climb, but nothing is impossible if people really try their best and really want to achieve something. I still remember when East and West Germany were finally reunited. I still remember seeing the Berlin Wall come crumbling down and families on both sides were finally reunited. It was a long time coming and it only made the country that much stronger. Even after all that they have been through; Germany is now a leader in the European Union and doing better than ever. If there was ever a country that proves that you can always rise from the ashes, Germany is definitely one.

Hopefully the two Koreas can find their own light at the end of the tunnel. At this point they have to reach positive outcome on their own. It was the interference of other countries that brought them here and they are going to have to find their own way out.

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I sincerely hope that Mt. Mayon does not fully erupt as most volcanologists predict. The perfectly cone shaped volcano, which is one of the most active and most beautiful on record, has been spewing ash, smoke, and lava for the past two weeks alerting and awing the people in the surrounding towns and even around the world. I know I have been captivated by the images of the volcano being shared in the media and online. So many of them are so amazing that they hardly look real and it almost makes you forget, for a split second, that the danger is real and that this beautiful force of nature could get ugly really fast.

In fact, experts say that should Mayon erupt, it could devastate surrounding areas within minutes. In fact, tens of thousands of residents in nearby areas have already been evacuated and the Albay authorities have declared a no-go zone around the volcano and will remove, by force if necessary, any remaining people who have refused to evacuate. I hope they are able to get everyone to safety. After all, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

So far, there have been no deaths in the days since Mayon began belching flaming lava and stones into the air and I hope that this statistic remains the same throughout this emergency. However, it’s understandable that while the people have evacuated to safety they are still concerned with how they are going to live every day life and survive during this calamity.

Many farmers and workers have been reported leaving the evacuation centers during the day to go back to tend to their

farms and their livestock in the vicinity of the volcano and along Mayon’s lower slope. When questioned about this many said that while they are fearful for their safety they also have to be pragmatic about their situation and that they didn’t know what would happen to their livelihood if they didn’t find a way to make it work. After all, no one can predict if or when Mt. Mayon will erupt and many men and women feel they can’t just leave the source of their livelihood unattended while they wait to find out what is going to happen.

As much as I want people to remain in the safe zone, I can certainly understand why they are worried. It’s difficult to tell people they have to stop working with no time frame in mind. While their safety is the main concern they also still have responsibilities and families to feed and bills to pay. They can’t just let everything go without any type of plan in mind. It’s not an easy predicament to be in and the fact that there is no feasible timetable other than “wait and see” makes it even harder.

I applaud the local government for doing everything they can to get people to safety and make sure that everyone is okay in this time of crisis. However, is there anything we can do for people who are in this predicament to help keep them afloat while they wait it out? The volcano is still active and while we are all praying that Mayon eventually calms down, there is no guarantee of if and when that is going to happen. There has to be a way that people can be assured that in the end they will still have some kind of a life to go back to.

My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the vicinity of Mt. Mayon. May she calm down and go back to rest and may the lives of all those affected by this astounding act of nature get back to normal as soon as possible.