A mass blackout recently interrupted life in Spain and Portugal, grounding flights, cutting internet and mobile services, leaving people stranded in trains, and postponing hospital procedures. But in the midst of the disruption, an Indian man living in Portugal with his Malaysian wife and children chose to make the crisis a fond memory.
Since the power was out and they had no internet or phone access, his first concern was how his kids would survive without their screens. Rather than fret, he enjoyed the unusual digital quiet. He made tuna sandwiches for everyone and created a warm night by lit candles and some Christmas lights that were still lit. They played the board game Bananagrams and spent time together unfettered by any distractions.
Captioning the experience on Instagram, he posted, “Portugal without electricity took us back to the cave ages, which to be honest, I didn’t mind. For a short moment when the entire region was on somewhat panic mode, my first thought was: my kids are not going to have internet tonight.”
As they learned to get through powerless night, the family chose to venture out. “Then we took a walk on the dark street, star gazed and caught fireflies. I may have enjoyed it more than I would have thought,” he wrote, continuing, “Portugal powerless for 12 hours. No internet, no mobile network, no communication with the rest of the world. Our house is electric, so no cooking as well.”
The reason behind the blackout remains disputed. Al Jazeera reports that Portugal’s electricity operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN) explained it as ‘induced atmospheric vibration’, caused by extreme temperature fluctuations on high-voltage transmission lines. But Spain’s weather agency, Aemet, dismissed this theory, saying that on April 28, their weather stations detected no abnormal weather activity or sudden temperature fluctuations.
