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October Rain and Unsung Tales, ready for the Recycle Bin Ahmed Naseer Malé October 2002 As I cross the narrow paved street, early October rain glistens, giving the night a dreamlike setting. Street lights, headlights of passing cars and the ever-present motorcycles mingle with pedestrians of all colors, predominantly South Asian. Natives of Malé go about their secluded lives, as America and Iraq beat up each other with rhetoric; the UN monitors as an untrustworthy umpire. Coffee shop talk lingers on the usual disillusionment and depression engulfing us all. The only cheery note comes from a TV screen. The President, wearing a sporty check shirt speaks in a sweet savory tone. His nonchalant admission of the dire straits that the tourist sector is experiencing is wrapped in pleasant expressions focused on future prospects. In the background, chic fashion statements and creature comforts preoccupy the affluent in Malé. In extremely cramped quarters civilized people would not even call homes, more unfortunate souls tolerate and endure the cruelties of an overpopulated small island city, ruled by a despotic regime. Shops decorated in 21st century interiors offer East Asian fashion wear, lingerie, exotic perfumes, cell phones and electronic goods to the hungry horde of shoppers lost in blissful disquiet, amid sounds of Ali Rameez's crooning honey-filled voice intermingling with the constant chatter of gossip and traffic noise. Above, angry dark monsoon clouds dance the dance of rain. Ramazan, the holy month of feasting is ahead, as is Republic Day, November 11th. Inhabitants in the other 201 islands scattered north and south of Malé, are waiting with baited breathe as they reflect on an uncertain future, quite resigned to the horror of today. The slight drizzle broke into a downpour as CNN interrupted my thoughts, censored bytes that echoed violence and the cry for help across the Indian Ocean. October may be a month of pain... top

Maldives Culture is an independent internet magazine of Maldivian cultural issues.
Editors and translators: Michael O'Shea and Fareesha Abdulla, Australia
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