#Mumbaiblasts

Thursday night, around 7:00 pm, three bombs went off around Mumbai. Dozens of people died; many more were injured. Sirens wailed and lights flashed as the Mumbai authorities worked to secure three separate areas and take care of wounded people stranded across the city.

But as horrific as the news was, it was heartwarming to see how people responded. And it was fascinating to see how social media affected the situation. Facebook statuses reflected how many people were worried about India; the hashtag #Mumbaiblasts flooded Twitter.

This is not new; earlier this year, we saw the role the internet – social media, more specifically – can play in communicating globally and unifying populations.

But this time, the internet was not just used to inform. It was used to help. #Mumbaiblasts followed posts offering places to stay. Doctors volunteered their services while young adults gave rides to people stranded around the city. While news stations covered what was actually happening, the citizens of Mumbai used the internet to mobilize and recover.

I’m not going to lie; I normally feel extremely removed from these types of events. While terrorist attacks around the world are horrific and sad, I have never felt in danger. But this time, I was in Bangalore when the attack happened.

I was in the same time zone.

So I guess what I’m trying to say – in this extremely disjointed blog post; normally my thoughts are at least a tad more cohesive – is that I’ve realized I’m not invincible, that this world can be a dangerous place. But we care about each other. And technology has made us accessible, so we can help each other.

Slash, I’m perfectly alright.

Extremely Important Sidenote: HARRY POTTER RELEASED TODAY!!!!! Unfortunately, people don’t do midnight showings here, but I did go to Bangalore Centre and book tickets for the first showing tomorrow. I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!