Black

Last week Shanghai experienced a once in 300 year event.  There was a full solar eclipse, best visible from China. Tours were booked to view this once in several lifetimes event and everyone from taxi drivers to hawkers in the subway were talking about it.

Unfortunately it rained in Shanghai on Wednesday morning, so I was unable to view the eclipse in its glory.  I took the subway to work because of the rain and when I came to the surface it was pitch black - midnight kind of black- definitely not a typical weekday morning.  I went up to my office building and slowly watched over the next ten minutes as it got lighter and lighter and then day continued.

I watched the news that evening and the city had taken unprecedented measures to control the effects of the eclipse.  Streetlights were turned on, thousands of extra police and crossing guards were stationed, at airports planes operated under night protocols.  All for an event that lasted in total about 30 minutes.  No major accidents were reported and all were safe.

After viewing the switch from light to darkness I understand why in ancient times people feared the world was ending. The total lack of control and disappearance of the sun reinforces for me that there is something greater and reminds me how little my troubles affect the movement of the earth around the sun.  A good lesson from the blackness.

G