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Hi all, good to see everyone again.
I was on vacation in Maine when the devastating tsunami struck in Southeast Asia. Has anyone heard if David and Man are okay? I haven't been able to stop thinking about them since I first heard!
Happy new year -- hope all is well. Maybe soon I'll let you all in on how first semester life went.
-Tom
"Whatever is sought for can be caught, you know,
whatever is neglected slips away."
Oedipus Rex, lines 126-127
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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I saw David online recently and he is fine- busy, but fine. Bangkok where he is mostly based wasn't really effected, however many people from Bangkok were visiting Phuket when the Tsunami struck. I'm sure he won't mind me quoting what he told me in our brief conversation:
David: I'm up to my ears with post-trauma crisis counseling for groups, etc. One of my clients is dead, another missing and presumed dead. It's gonna be 10,000 in Phuket. Sooo many companies have lost employees... Phuket is a favorite place for corporate group holidays... The thousands of tourists are the least of it, altho BKK's top three hospitals are full with injured. I got intervieed for CNN and asian wall street journal, so I'm keeping busy when I thought it would be leisurely time, it's lucky I got 2 days for New year's...
Me: Phuket would have been packed by a lot of ex-pats when it struck- probably moreso than just regular tourists
David: world class disasters are amazing whenever they hit, but you're right... high season is the worst and everybody else has been there and can picture what it would be like... so everybody is traumatised to a degree
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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Ena
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Getting started |
Registered: January 2004
Messages: 23
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I've always enjoyed reading David's posts and had wonder whether he was affected by the Tsunami's disaters.
Glad to hear they are fine. Please let them know they are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ena
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Thanks to Shem for fielding the initial reply and reassuring peeps about us. Nick, that map is terrific, and shows clearly why our home on the sea near Bangkok was not affected...it is on the other side of the long neck stretching down to Malaysia. Phuket got smashed cuz it's right in the path of the waves, with nothing sheltering it.
Man is very sad as one of his best friends died...he had just gotten a terrific assistant chef's position at one of the 5-star resort hotel restaurants, and was going to finlly be able to start paying us back for the school loans we had given him for a year before. His partner was not there, so is amongst the grieving thousands. The whole resort is gone, and a picture shows that the location of the buildings would be hard to determine right now.
I had one client who was lost, and many new clients as a result of my crisis work in the past 2 weeks. I feel good to be able to help, but I have not been pressed so hard emotionally since my work with those affected by the Bali bomb blasts.
THe relief workers have been magnificent. If all the offered aid comes thru, it will work miracles. But there hasn't been anything like this since Krackatoa or Vesuvius, and the full extent of the losses will never be completely known.
One example...there have been 5,000 victems identified so far in southern Thailand, and more than 4,000 still missing or unidentified. If you compare that with 3,500 deaths on 9/11 in one city in the most modern and richest country on earth, you can see why Thailand is as much in shock as the other affected areas over here. More than 3 times the number of deaths as 9/11, and meager resources to cope.
And all the dead Europeans, never realizing the dangers of a beach holiday...shockingly traumatising. My clients have so far come from 7 countries in this disaster, and one poor man was also a survivor of the Kobe earthquake. He is coping with pretty massive fears about just being alive on the planet right now, and wondering if Somebody is out to get him.
THis week I'm helping an organization reaching out to the thousands of illegal Burmese fishermen, about half of whom died. They aren't even allowed to exit their boats when docked, in case they try to jump ship and not fill their work contracts, mostly the boat owners are shady types and dangerous. You can imagine these people are the most needy of all, as they can't even apply for scarse free food and clean water right now, as they are trying to steer clear of officials and police so they can keep their jobs, such as they are...so we'll try to provide basic supplies, water, and meds going from boat to boat. So few boats remaining, tho...
But anyhow, many thanks for all the many emails I have been receiving asking after us, and also for your prayers and kind thoughts. Believe me, they really do help.
More soon, I hope! Bye for now...
"Always forgive your enemies...nothing annoys them quite so much." Oscar Wilde
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