MetaChat - When was the last time you saw the sun-rise, I mean really saw it?

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28 March 2009

When was the last time you saw the sun-rise, I mean really saw it? →[More:]Not just looking at it go by, but seeing the whole red sphere up in the air, so close to us, and yet so far away. And all the life that it protects and rears here on earth, that wouldn't be here if it wasn't for it.

Birds chirping in the early morning sun, people busy about their lives, walking, cooking, or whatever they have planned for the day. And hardly anyone even notices it, although I have seen these women, and a few men, who when they see the sun rising on their walks, they turn to it, and offer a prayer.

It's a Hindu thing, done here in India and maybe across the world, where-ever Hindus are located, and they perform this prayer with arms folded, sort of like in a Namaste position, and say their prayers... it looks beautiful to see it so early in the morning, probably the first thing you'll ever see.

post by: hadjiboy at: 00:15 | 15 comments

Thanks to my work schedule, I see the sun rise almost every day during the week. I love it, whether I'm seeing a starry sky in the winter or a softer sky the rest of the year. Earlier this week, I saw the moon rising with the sun; http://flickr.com/photos/3dhighway/3379324113/

It was a sliver of white in a sky full of pink and blue. And it was stunning.

Some days, my view of the dawn sky from the train platform is the highlight of my day.

posted by BoringPostcards 28 March | 00:53

Seeing the first sunrise of the year is kind of a big thing here in Japan. I've done it a couple of times with my wife and in-laws. Nice enough, but, damn cold and, obviously, very early... not something I'd do every year.

posted by flapjax at midnite 28 March | 00:53

Been ages. Someday soon though.

posted by special-k 28 March | 01:00

I'm rarely awake to see a sunrise, but one morning a few years ago when I lived in San Francisco I was up at 5am and noticed the pretty early morning light up the hill on my street so from about 5am to about 9am I took photos of the changing light and fog. The fog was rolling in over the hill from the west like it did just about every single day that I lived in that apartment.

When my boyfriend and I are out digging in the yard, we both stand up and lean against our shovels when a nice breeze blows. I like that practice; saying to nature, I see you there and I appreciate you.

posted by birdie 28 March | 01:11

Those pictures are so beautiful, I love the light that the sun casts on those buildings, early in the morning--great way to start your day--don't you think.

posted by hadjiboy 28 March | 01:36

BoringPostcards, I know what you mean about the Trains. On my journeys to Mumbai, by our local trains--I'd love to see the sun-rise in the morning, but wow, seeing a sun-rise with the moon already risen--what more could you ask for.

Man, the sun-rise in the New Year in Japan--yoy--now that's something worth seeing.

special-k, hope you see it soon, where ever you are.

posted by hadjiboy 28 March | 01:45

On the space shuttle camera feeds, the day after it undocked from the ISS. This photo, more or less (mostly less, because our monitors are kind of dinky.)

(I got to sit at the consoles for 4 days this week to watch the coworkers do their thing - shifts started at 5 AM and for the first three days I kept dozing off. Very embarrassing.)

posted by casarkos 28 March | 01:54

I often see the sun rising on my walk to the station at around 6am. It used to be that, around September time, I could sit on the DLR and watch it rise over east London.

I remember one morning as the DLR came through Heron Quays station, the sun was rising above the Millennium Dome and it was utterly gorgeous. I said to the woman next to me "Look at that, isn't it beautiful" and she got that "OMG, the nutter on the train is speaking to me" look on her face and changed seats.

Now, though, the view of the sunrise along the DLR and through Canary Wharf is almost hidden with 50-storey buildings that have appeared as if from nowhere over the last few years.

posted by essexjan 28 March | 02:54

Oh my god, that does look gorgeous, casarkos! Even if you were dozing:)

essexjan, I'd wish I'd meet someone who'd show me such a beautiful scene, that woman must've been crazy, good thing she changed seats--she didn't even know what she was missing--huh?

posted by hadjiboy 28 March | 04:30

I get up early enough often but we don't actually see the sun here very often.

posted by octothorpe 28 March | 07:19

I once saw the sun rise behind Mt. Shasta on a flight out of Seattle - we flew right by the mountain and then it flared up with light. Very cool. I have no pics of course.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 28 March | 08:13

I feel so fortunate that I was able to watch the sun rise over the Chugach mountains (and and set over Cook Inlet) all winter from my office. Alaska is a gorgeous, gorgeous place.

posted by rhapsodie 28 March | 20:09

Thanks to my kids, every single day.

posted by plinth 28 March | 21:07

You can say that again rhapsodie (those pictures are awesome, Alaska must be a lovely place to live in). :) That picture of Muppet Olive is great, I once (or my cousin sisters did at least) had a toy dog just like that! Ooooh, and Black is Definitely Your Colour!!!

Lipstick Thespian, get those pics, grrrr!

That's sad octothorpe, but hey--you can watch one of ours... :)

And plinth--hurrray for the kids!!!

posted by hadjiboy 29 March | 03:22

The last time was when I had evacuated to my dad's farm for Katrina and after the electricity went out we would end up getting up before the sun rose because it was so much cooler and the cell phones worked better at that time. This went on for 6 weeks then we were allowed to come back home to New Orleans.

posted by govtdrone 30 March | 07:16

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