hello hello..

*sigh*...where to start?  ok, from thailand, i suppose....

an interesting time to be in thailand, with everyone affected in some way far or near by the tsunami.  we of course changed plans when we heard of the threat of cholera in the region, and went to koh tao in the gulf of thailand instead.  i talked at some length with emma and her roommates, who are the girls we were to meet in koh lanta, and the girls whose story i mentioned in the last blog. 

emma recounts they were standing on the boat, at the pier in puhket.  the boat (typically) was almost an hour late in departing.   they were going to koh phi phi.  their bags were stowed beneath, and all were waiting departure when a local man came running to the boat with a look of terror on his face, yelling, "get out!  get out!  run!!  run!!"  he was pointing behind them, to the sea.  they turned to look, and saw a mud-black wave ten meters high coming toward them.  they ran.  they ran to the village, where people were running in every direction and shouting.  people shouted, "go mountain!!  go mountain!!"  they ran, and stopped a man in a car who took them to a buddhist hermitage on the mountain.  there the monks and nuns provided food and water to the endless stream of people rushing in.  two waves followed, they know, but they did not see this from the hermitage.  later, at the airport, people were providing food and water to awaiting passengers.  some passengers were there with nothing but their swimsuits.  all had washed away~passports, clothes, bags, everything.  the airlines and government allowed people to board with no identification, and flew them to their home countries if desired.  the evacuation was swift and precise.  very impressive for a place we think has no plan in place.  hats off to the thais.

and the stories are endless.  everyone has one.  another girl andy knows was in her chair on the beach when her brother saw the wave coming from their third-story hotel room.  he screamed and yelled for her to run.  she did, to the room, and they watched while the water consumed everything below.  the water rose to the tops of the lower roofs, to just below the balcony on which they stood.  the others on the beach were not so lucky.

a wonderul woman of about 60-65 who i met in bangkok went out drinking on christmas night, and missed her 8:30 boat from puhket to koh phi phi.  she says all on the baot died.  she now prays to the heinekin god.

in bangkok, there are fliers in english pleading for blood donations, as they have no compatible blood for many of the injured foreigners.  along koh san road, the hub for tourists, there are daily updates of photos and written descriptions of the missing.  pages and pages taped along a temporary fence.  there are donation boxes everywhere in the city, makeshift drop-off sites for water and other supplies.  people walking around in bandages.  and this is only in thailand.

i know it seems abstract, something happening somewhere else and is hard to truly comprehend, and that is why i'm sharing these accounts.  my friend keith decided he cannot sit by and watch on the news while these people try and restore their lives.  it's not just money they need, they need hands-on help.  keith is flying to indonesia soon to join relief efforts there.  i will also help, either here (i'm in india now) or there with keith.  this isn't something that will be solved in a few weeks or even a couple of months.  the rebuilding of these communities will take a very long time. 

please consider coming to help.  come for a few weeks, come for a few months, come now, come in two months or five.  you choose based on what is possible for you.  keith is flying from london to indo for $110 usd, likely a rate through the non-profit, and we can find out if it's also possible to get you something very cheap.  cost of living is under $5 usd a day, probably less.  everyone and every skill is needed.  there is so much lost, so much missing, so much to do.

please contact me with any questions you have, etc.  keith is setting up a website donor bank of ppl who want to help.  i can connect you directly with him if it becomes easier.

okay, putting a bee in your bonnet there.  if you are uncertain about helping, please at least take some time to seriously consider it.  you don't need to decide today.  and, pass this and my email address along to anyone who know who wants to help.

love and peace~

karin