FW: I'm OK

[Guest guest]

Friends,

Here's a personal perspective on the Tsunami and what we can do

for its survivors. Finally heard direct from my middle brother. I guess he

was safer than I thought!!

Happy New Year,

Jerry Newport

PS: Jim, when you get back to Bangkok, say hello to the Elephants

for me!!

>From: JWNewport@...

>Subject: I'm OK

>Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 07:35:42 -0500

>

>Dear Friends

>Many, many thanks for your heartfelt concern.

>It is New years eve here in Phuket and this is the first time that the

>phone line has been operative since the Tsunami and I'm able to answer all

>your EMails.

>For the past fifteen years I've been coming at Christmas to what was then a

>sleepy little fishing village on the island of Phuket.

>Kamala Bay.

>Over those 15 years I've seen changes - many changes. Some good. SOme

>bad.

>But it always retained its charm and always drew me back.

>It was here that I learned to be alone and write. I found a little house

>and practiced that craft.

>IEvery year I would greet old friends and marvel at the changes.

>ANd every year the hard-working locals would hope that this would be a

> " good season " - for they depended on the annual tourist influx from mid-Dec

>to mid-Jan for their living.

>They'd spruce up their shops, decorate their charming restaurants, polish

>their rental cars & motorbikes and smile hopefully.

>The last four years have been deadly -

>9/11, Bali bombing,SARS,aviary flu

>Reasons for tourists to stay away in droves.

>ANd yet each year these resilient hard-working people would dig in, and

>hope that " this " year would be the big one.

>And this year - everything was in place - this year " they " (the tourists)

>were here in droves. Big smiles everywhere.

>And then came the day after Christmas.

>

>My house is on a high hill overlooking Kamala. Normally I look out over

>the bay - but this year the palm trees have grown to block the view.

>But I " heard " the wave. Heard the explosion. Heard the falling rock as

>hundreds of buildings collapsed. Heard the screams.

>

>Over 400 npeople are dead or missing in my little village alone. There is

>nothing standing (only the new Bhuddist temple.)

>I pulled my barely alive landlord and his stepson out of their ruined

>brand-new beach house.

>

>Please do what you can to help these poor people. I don't knoew what

>charitable organizations have been set up - but believe me - they need all

>the help they can get.

>So many people I know have lost everything (and everyone in some cases.)

>

>I will stay and help as long as I feel it is safe and then travel to

>Bangkok.

>

>I'm one of the very lucky ones.

>

>Jim

>