no laptop is unloved, but they can sit idle for a while. so i borrowed this one for the weekend to update a few things.

however, i didn't want to post anything like this: bomb blasts have taken place in two cities i identify closely with.

late friday night, a bomb ripped through a shopping mall in suburban helsinki, killing at least 7 people and injuring 80 others thus far. although initially thought to be a gas accident, it soon became apparent that the myyrmanni mall in vantaa was targeted by someone to take out as many lives as possible. the last time i was finland, i stopped by this mall with my uncle and cousins on our to his place, one of the few malls in finland. finland doesn't experience any strife normally, and although speculation runs about whether it was a terrorist act, this is frightening news.

then, i just saw footage of the aftermath from two car bomb explosions in southern bali, killing 54 people and injuring hundreds so far (this number, sadly, will rise), although numbers are sketchy. one was detonated outside an honourary american consulate building in denpasar and the other outside the sari club, which is a popular tourist destination deep in the party district of kuta beach. the fire then spread to another club in this tightly packed part of kuta and imperiling more lives. although indonesia is a highly volatile area, bali has usually been spared from any major acts of violence, partly from its status as a top tourist destination and partly due being more hindi or balinese rather than muslim. however, both targets are heavy foreign areas and problems can hop from island to island.

i was in bali two years ago as part of a trip to visit my brother whilst he was studying in singapore and southeast asia and i can attest that bali is one of the most gorgeous places on earth i've visited. we stayed close to kuta beach, in a simple motel a few steps away from the ocean. one cnn newscaster spoke about the people who struggle for a living in the area and one of them broke down crying, saying that their way of life is gone, as people will now be scared to visit the island. i can sympathize greatly since their life is hard and i'd go back in a heartbeat when i have a chance.