Grand Reflection

At this very moment, over 700,00 panic stricken families have been evacuated from their homes, hundreds of people have died and more than 25 provinces have been claimed by the flood. Everyone across the country of Thailand is impacted by this natural disaster one way or the other. They have either become evacuees, running away form the water or they're either sitting, staring at the television just waiting for something to happen. Personally, my family and I have been fortunate enough to be the ones who have been sitting in front of the television for the past month with worried lines consistently appearing on our faces, and even this hasn't been easy. Phone calls were made to families and friends, receiving news of submerged work places, factories and houses, but everyone's trying their best to cope. On some level, the flood has managed bring the people of Thailand together, each of us trying our hardest to glue back the broken pieces and make things just a little bit better. Growing amount of volunteers from all over the country are doing their part by donating food, clothing and other much needed items.


The picture above is of the Grand Palace on floodwaters as Thai residents walk through a partially flooded street near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. I chose this picture out of the thousands that were available on the flood because the depiction of the Grand Palace, the national symbol of Thailand, partially submerged in water, signifies the difficult journey the country has had to overcome. Nobody ever thought that they'd witness the reflection of the most symbolic building in the country, but here it is. To have this beautiful monument drowned in water represents the hardship residents of Thailand has had to live through, but if anything, I believe that with help our country can still be saved. 


Another spectacular aspect of this picture is its sense of beauty an calmness. This is the after shot of the disaster, taken after the worst has passed and a sense of calmness has fallen upon residents. I chose this picture because it was different from all of the rest. It doesn't depict families in distress, trudging through dirty water. This picture is important to me because it lets me know that in the midst of all this disaster, something beautiful can still be found, even if it was caused by the disaster itself. And on top of it all, it gives me hope to know that in times of distress, people are willing to put aside their time in order to save their country.