I never really realized how big of a role eating food plays in my life until I began this fast. I may be tiny, but I eat ALOT. Usually, right when I get home after going anywhere, the first place I go to is the fridge, or to the microwave, or to the stove. After I got my food, I would spend at least a half hour to maybe even an hour eating and refilling. Now, its so different. It’s like I have nothing to do anymore. Now, as soon as I arrive home, I grab another bottle of Gatorade and go upstairs into the computer room and hide away as food gets cooked or warmed up in the kitchen. These past weeks, the computer room has basically turned into my bunker, and I end up having extra time that I dont want. I’m so used to taking my time and eating my food, that it kind of feels like I have nothing else to do in life.
Again, I’d like to say that I’m so lucky to be worrying about having extra time from not eating. The people I fast for, my own Thamil people who are suffering back there, are not only consumed with the thoughts of what to fill their bellies with for each meal, what to drink to quench their thirst due to the hot, humid, tropical climate, but also, how do they survive the next round of bombs being fired at them from the sri lankan army. They worry about how to protect their children, how to survive the next hour, how to stay strong when they are constantly humiliated by the government’s “valiant soldiers,” who rape Thamil women. They may even think about how to leave the concentration camps known better as “safe zones” or no-fire zones, where the government repeatedly attacks poor, defenseless Thamil civilians. I’m lucky enough to only have to worry about “what are my plans for the upcoming week,” while my people back there are trapped thinking “how do I survive the upcoming week.” I never thought I would appreciate even a grain of rice as much as I do now. I cant wait to start eating again, but I know that it’s even worse for our people back home, who are struggling to survive these conditions, who are a lot more weaker, and skinnier physically than I am, which is what fuels me to go forward. Everyone who has expressed their support at some point during this strike, and The media coverage and reporters, bloggers, and interviewers who have brought attention to our cause are greatly appreciated by me, as well as all of the members of our group. I hope that this nation will get more involved in assisting our people with humanitarian aid into the affected regions, instead of fueling the genocidal government’s more oppressive measures against Thamils.