Tragedy in Indonesia

darskayairene · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

As for me, I'm scared with all this stuff which had happened in Indonesia last year. Several days ago they had strong earthquake again - 8,5 points. Second strong earthquake for the last several months. So many people died. This is terrible.
I became so indignant, when I've heard some tourists insisted on going to Indonesia after tsunami in order not to loose money payed for the tickets. Was it really possible for them to have a rest at place of sorrow, where the dead bodies were liyng everywhere? I don't understand this people.
I think our nature takes revenge on us for the wrong attitude to it. It would like to get rid of us in order to exist and not to die because of the harm of human activity.

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

Well, if it makes you feel any better I'll tell you my little story...my husband and I were supposed to spend the month of February in India and Sri Lanka in honor of my 40th birthday. I kept putting off buying the tickets, and then the Boxing Day Tsunami hit. We realized that part of our trip was going to be in northern India, no where near the affected areas, but I felt bad about going with the purpose of celebrating a milestone in my life when so many other people had lost theirs and so many people were in mourning for the lost. So, I cancelled the trip and took the money I was going to spend on the plane tickets and gave it all to the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, and Oxfam.

cocodrilo · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 494 Location: Western Japan

Bravo, Laura!
Darskayairene-
Certainly the changes in the weather patterns and global warming can be traced to pollution yet there is nothing we can do about the earth shifting its plates! That area in Indonesia seems particulary active at the moment and experts are saying that it wouldn't be surprising to expect more activity in the near future.

darskayairene · Joined: 29 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

Laura, your act is worth admiration. Of course, I don't assert that all the tourists were callous towards this tragedy. But the facts I've described in my thread, really took place and I was horrified by this.

cocodrilo · Joined: 12 Apr 2004 Posts: 494 Location: Western Japan

It was really strange, after the tsunami. Several weeks after it hit, foreign volunteers began to swarm to the area, many being attacked (HONEST!) as they were "taking away business from the locals". Yes, this is true! Local divers, for example, claimed they weren't making any money as volunteers were there diving and salvaging the engines of the fishing boats for the fishermen(apparently this is a good living!). In one instance, a stick of dynamite was hurled at one of the volunteers! Where do you draw the line on assistance? How can we help? Personally, I think to stay out of their way is good, and we can donate CASH to the local Red Cross and other medical associations to provide them with medicine, water and vaccines.