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OT: Tsunami, Earthquake . S & SW Asia
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Rivergallery
Rivergallery

Dec-26-2004 17:22

Just wanted to put out my thoughts and prayers to family and friends of all those lost, and suffering loss of life, home and general safety due to the Earthquake and folowing tsunami and aftershocks of Sundays (Sumatra time) (8:00 p.m. EST Saturday evening).. which is about 6pm sleuth time I think.

Anyway Delvin is in Singapore and he should be safe, but usually logs on daily and I haven't heard from him, and he does know people that would have been in effected areas.

So any good thoughts you want to send him, or people there feel free to add on to my posting.

HOPE if anyone else here lives in SAsia or SW ASIA are safe and everyone they know are also.

Again Prayers and my good wishes to those in that part of our world.

Rivergallery.

Replies

jstkdn
jstkdn
Well-Connected

Jan-1-2005 16:07

Well yeah it works the same here Tbird. We take better care of our prisoners, and our new arrived (moslim) immigrants, then we do our elderies (whom helped build up this country post war.)

I can see the difference you mentioned about the elderies, between my Dutch family and my late grandma. Vs what my Indonesian does for my still living grandpa. He remarried a Dutch lady, her family does shit. My family cleans, cooks, takes care of them on roster 24/7.

However, I do believe in our individualism, just as much as my indonesian family collectivism. You do need to build your own happiness, and one should not necisarily let an eldery person infringe on that. At the same time, there are other solutions. My family handles it Dutch style, as they did not take my grandpa in to their own home, as they would have if they stayed in Indonesia (not that they could have, they were boat refugees and fled the country.) But they are not hiring a nurse either. Luckely a typical Indonesian family, is quite large. :)
I mean I would not take in my grandpa in my home. But I happily take part in the roster, of doing some shopping, cooking, and baby sitting grandpa every couple of weeks.

I have a lot of friends critizing me to take care of mom, when she is doing badly. But when they talk about the relationship with their mom, I feel the luckiest person in the world.

Madame TBird
Madame TBird
Well-Connected

Jan-2-2005 09:59

So, true Jstkdn, everything you said. Here we have home health where the elderly can stay in thier own home or live w/thier kids. A nurse comes in & checks on them. If they are bad off, a nurse will sit w/them 24/7. It does take some of strain off families who choose not to stick them in nursing home. You are right that some cultures rely on extended family to help w/elderly.
Before Americans got so busy, kids would take care of thier parents. The elderly would live with them until they died. Even within the least century, this was the norm. That is sadly an era goneby & I deeply admire cultures that still believe in family values. With respect to loving & caring for the whole family. Americans relish family values, yet some things have been lost through the fast paced world we live in now.
That's sweet you do errands for your grandparents. It was funny & I know what you mean about your mom. Who are some people to criticize you, when they can't even stand being around thier own parents.

jstkdn
jstkdn
Well-Connected

Jan-2-2005 15:45

Is it just me? But most if not all of the footage I saw were mainly from Thailand, and Sri Lanka? I have been scanning like mad on CNN, the dutch news, BBC world news etc.

I heard on CNN that the most victims actually fell in Indonesia (80.000.) But I have seen little or nothing. I am so afraid they still can not be reached. And if reporters don't even make it there, I can only help but wonder if the aid workers can get there.

A piece of good news. Today on CNN there were the ambassadors of Thailand, Indionesia, and India, and I believe also Sri Lanka on (the was a fourth anyway), they all said there were for the first immediate needs now (i.e. offering medic care, food, and shelter, unfortunately not much rescue can be done) enough money coming in from North-America or Europe. Some European countries and the US also sent helicopters, which are of great help.

Unfortunately they also grilled the India ambassador why India has one of the most advanced weather monitoring systems in the world, but not something for the ocean. Don't get how you go from amount of deaths, to rescue efforts, and aid to a finger pointing game. I think it is because the presenter made this comment about aid given to India, and the ambassador proudly corrected him saying they have not received outside help, because they declined it and can take care of their own. Make the presentor look like a fool.

Also the stupid presenter started grilling the Indonesian ambassador if it was true that Moslim countries, except for a small fee from the Saudies donated nothing. It was quite embarrassing for the Indonesian. Sure I would like to say "there you go Indonesian moslim terrorists, where are your friends now." But still.....we are talking victims whom have nothing to do with terrorism. Grrrrr.
Also grrrr that the Middle-East barely donated anything.

Apparently in Thailand 50% of the victims are tourists, mostly western Europeans. Make sense, as the vacation spots were hit.

Madame TBird
Madame TBird
Well-Connected

Jan-3-2005 18:30

Yes, that was my intial frustration that the media seems more focused on the wealthy tourists than anything else. It has aggrevated me to no end. They seem to choose to ignore the population that actually lives in this region & they are the ones that literally lost all they have. Thier family & friends, homes, jobs etc. It has affected thier entire way of life. While a majority of vacationers only lost out on a good holiday. I know some perished. Not to sound cruel. Thier families back in thier homelands were not nearly as unfortunate as the islanders etc. Can the media NOT SEE the whole picture??? These people not only lost thier spouses and or children. In some cases nearly thier whole extended families perished. Yes, it's sad that some tourists are gone. I have hard time feeling as sorry for them as I do the people that lived in these areas. I really wish the media would shift the attention from the resorts to the populations that are really devastated. Saw yesterday where Thialand's beaches are open again. So, it's time for the media conglomerates to move on. I want to know so bad how the Indians, Sri Lankans, Indonesians, etc are really coping & what is being done for them.

Madame TBird
Madame TBird
Well-Connected

Jan-3-2005 18:37

One more note: The media & poiliticians can be so uncouth during times like this. That is crude to ask about things not really related to the disaster. It is also to late to hound the Indian government about could've, should've would've. How can anyone imagine the chain of unfortunate events that would befall them. Besides. Even with a warning system in place. You can't convince me that a mass exodus could have been accomplished within a 2 hour time frame. It would have been impossible. I would think it would take up to an hour to get a plan underway & activated. That would have left only an hour to inform & evacuate millions of people. How could they have gotten the word out in remote area that don't rely on tv & radio. Get real okay. Good sentiment but it would not have made that much of a difference. I love my country but, the US leaders (except Bush) can think of some stupid things sometimes. the blame game is not going to work on this one.

jstkdn
jstkdn
Well-Connected

Jan-3-2005 18:50

I was horribly shocked 2 days after the disaster they filmed on one of the Thai beaches. Tourists were actually sun bathing. Not only is this HIGHLY inappropriate, but think.....you probably lie on top of a few dead bodies.

The Thai government stated they are sure they can rebuild the tourism there. And though I do feel I need to go, once things are up and running, in support. But is it just me? The image of all of those people would haunt me lying on the beach and swimming in that particular spot of the ocean they perished.
Strangely, I do think I could get over working in the world trader center, with thinking a lot about the people that died, but without the ick facter. But I think lying on the beach, and swimming in that ocean just has an ick factor to me, although it may sound rediculous.

I got an email from my friend in Sumatra. They were actually in Medan. But as his wife had a lot of relatives in Nias, they packed up and went there, they tried to contact Holland but could not at the time. They left note with the embassy, but the embassy messed up in the mayham. He and his wife are alive, but most of her family has perished. He just got his dream job as CTO in Singapore of an internet company, and now asked for permission to take an absence of leave, if not he will quit his job. To be with his wife, and her family. I mailed him back, if there would be use for me to fly over and help. Will let you know what happens.

Madame TBird
Madame TBird
Well-Connected

Jan-12-2005 10:19

Hey, didn't you say you were from Java? My husband told me Java had a pretty bad tsunami some years ago. Were you there then?

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