Devastation, destruction, death, loss, debris, bodies, stench, survivors, homeless, orphans, rubble, ghost towns, crushed, voices of survivors now silent, fear, tremors, after shocks, tons of concrete, heavy casualties, victims, trauma of the undead, ravaged, last rites

This is in the memory of the 20,000 (maybe 30,000) people that died in the Gujarat earthquake.

(This morning there was a strong tremor of scale 4.3 in the South in Bangalore, where I live. It gave me a taste of the real thing)

Oh, Avy.

Grief, sorrow, anguish, distress, sadness, woe, bereavement, heartache, depression.

Sympathy, pity, empathy, understanding, condolence, compassion, commiseration.

Dear Avy: I have only been in LA area two years. Praise the Almighty, so far only a couple times a big dog scratching a flea under my bed.

Avy, Having close friends, and former next door neighbours, from Gujarat, my thoughts are with those who suffered. My father's family escaped the Quetta quake of 1935, and where I live we are waiting for our city to destroyed gain as it was in 1931. Salaam alaikum

My sweet Avy,
Thanks to The Supreme Being that you are safe; heartache;
heartbreak; this can't be happening but it is. Hoping with all my heart that our beloved sunshine warrior's loved ones
are all right: I do not know where in India they are...

> so far only a couple times a big dog scratching a flea under my bed.

It is a strange situation, which turns the phrase "in the safety of your home" on its head. You feel more safe outside your own home - on the streets.

..but thank you all. Not that it makes any difference to the victims or survivors, but it makes me feel better they got a mention on AWAD.