Room With A View

This is the view from my living room! I am immensely blessed with this ever changing picture post card view every time I look out. Not one idle second if you look out, sometimes three sea planes, millionaires' sleek yachts, wooden ships from South India, huge container ships, high tech Catamarans with their tall masts will be in the vicinity!

This is the North Western end of Male' our capital island. I live on the 4th floor, so the relative vantage view is of high advantage to a serious amateur photographer like me. In this photo, right in front is a Liberian registered cargo vessel called "Tiger". Next week it may be a " Maersk" Shipping line or local Lily shipping anchored in front of my balcony.

Speed launches in their never quenched thirst for more speed will crisscross through the narrow water way between the cargo ship and the wave breakers every minute, non stop and round the clock. As all this is happening smaller cargo ships will come closer to the unloading platform and get moored alongside and parallel to the wharf.

I have always believed and stressed that one of the major beauties of our tiny island nation is that we can always ( well, almost always) see a handful of other islands whenever you looked into the horizon, or even without having to look that farther. Although only Feydhoo Finolhu and only Baross (out of the triplets; Ihuru, Vabbinfaru & Baross) is seen in this photo, I can easily see eight islands even now. When we moved into Lucky Star new building just before the Asia Tsunami, we could see from Villingili to HulhuMale (that is almost 180 degrees, people!) And about a dozen islands!! After the tsunami, the construction industry simply could not keep up with the extra ordinary demand for more apartments in Male'. New buildings came up faster than Giant Bamboo grew in its prime habitats, blocking our panoramic view little by little, drawing our attention to the remaining beauty and reminding us to look, absorb and enjoy this precious blessing while it lasts!

I shall not forget to add this; when my v good friend Siraj visited us here for the first time, he looked out and said " Sameer, you must pay for this (view) in US Dollars " !!!

Credit goes to my father who had the foresight to reclaim this land out of the sea, keep it intact and build a seven story house so that all his children can live under one roof! Thank you Dad.

Thank You, reader.