Tsunami Disaster in Malaysia and Thailand

Teen returns home to find family among quake dead

2009-10-07T02:47:00.003+08:00

MALALAK, Indonesia (CNN) -- Septiani Lenianingsih stands off to the side, away from the crowds that have gathered to watch the backhoe at work.

The land the machine is plowing through was once the village of Malalak, but it's now a mass grave.

Septiani, 18, watches silently, speaking only in whispers to her uncle who is helping direct the search for bodies swallowed up in the massive landslide triggered by Sumatra's earthquake last week.

She was at her boarding school when it all happened, she tells us. She learned from the news that her village was damaged and tried frantically to get in touch with her family over the phone. No one had the heart to tell her her family was dead.

When she arrived at the site where her home once stood in Malalak, there were no younger brothers and sister running out to greet her. All that was left in place of her home was dirt.

She was left orphaned, alone. Her young face reflects the intense sorrow she is still getting used to.

Read the full story more at the source.

Source: cnn.com

The first ever tsunami prediction to come true - Padang Indonesia

2009-10-04T21:59:00.011+08:00

The Padang earthquake and tsunami was predicted by scientists back in 2005 but did the Indonesian government do anything? Prevention is impossible, but risk mitigating measures could have been implemented, were there any?

News as reported 4 years back on Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 22:32 GMT

News Report: Scientist voice tsunami concern. By Jonathan Amos BBC News science reporter, San Francisco A US scientist studying the islands off southern Sumatra says it is very clear the region can expect more big quakes and tsunami in the coming decades.

Prof Kerry Sieh is using a GPS network to monitor land movements close to the great fault line that ruptured to produce last December's disaster.

His work indicates there is still huge strain bound up in the fault, and that this could let go in the near future.

He believes the cities of Padang and Bengkulu may be at greatest risk.

"The time is now to start mitigating for such an event," said Kerry Sieh, who is attached to the California Institute of Technology's Tectonics Observatory.

"I don't know with certainty that it's going to happen but our team is telling people on the coast that they have to expect that this will happen in the lifetime of their children."

Source: Read the original prediction here - BBC

Indonesia 7.6 Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Alert, Panic in Padang

2009-10-04T21:56:00.000+08:00

A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck off the city of Padang on the coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning and witness reports of house damage and fires.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand.The tsunami alert was canceled after no significant waves were generated.

The quake was felt around the region, with some high-rise buildings in the city state of Singapore, 275 miles to the northeast, evacuating their staff.

“A number of hotels in Padang have been destroyed,” Indonesian geophysics and meteorology agency tsunami warning head Rahmat Triyono said.

“Up to now we haven’t been able to reach Padang, communications have been cut,” Triyono said.

There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.

Local news channel Metro TV reported fires amid the wreckage in Padang, a city of 900,000, where panicked residents had run onto the streets as the quake hit. It also reported that the building of the Institute of Health Sciences in Padang collapsed in the quake.

“Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road. There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets,” said a Reuters witness in the city.

“We have received reports that many house have been destroyed in West Sumatra,” Gagah Prakoso, spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency said by phone in Jakarta. “We have deployed teams of rescuers from nearby branches to the location. We are still waiting for more detailed information.”

Large buildings had come down in the earthquake, AFP reported.

The tremor was also felt in Padang Sidempuan, North Sumatra. Hasibuan, a local, told Metro TV that house roofs were shaken strongly. People panicked and ran out of their homes and some people were still out in the street, too scared to go back inside, he said.

In Jambi, residents also felt the quake and evacuated homes and offices.

The head of Jambi’s Geophysics, Climatology and Meteorology Office, Remus L. Tobing, said he did not think the quake had tsunami potential.

Neneng, a resident in Pekanbaru, Riau, told the Jakarta Globe that she felt the quake very strongly.

“I saw the electrical wires shake and the window panes were making noises, the tremor was strong for about two minutes. I ran out of the house and all my neighbors were outside too,” she said.

There was no damage, but Neneng and her neighbors waited for half an hour before they returned to their houses.

Indonesia is situated in a belt of intense seismic activity known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia’s West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world’s most active fault lines where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate to create regular earth tremors and sometimes quakes.

Geologists have long said Padang may one day be destroyed by a huge earthquake because of its location.

“Padang sits right in front of the area with the greatest potential for an 8.9 magnitude earthquake,” said Danny Hilman Natawidjaja, a geologist at the Indonesian Science Institute, in February.

“The entire city could drown” in a tsunami triggered by such a quake, he warned.

Several earthquake-prone parts of the country hold tsunami practice drills, and the national disaster service sends alerts via telephone text messages to subscribers.

But some experts have long said Indonesia needs to do more to reduce the risk of catastrophe.

Padang needed to invest in better infrastructure, including more roads and other escape routes, said Hugh Goyder, a consultant for the United Nations’ International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, earlier in the year.

“The road goes parallel to the coast, which means it’s difficult in some areas to get away from the coast,” Goyder said, adding that in one part of the city, the only escape route is a narrow bridge.

A 9.15 magnitude quake, with its epicenter roughly 600 km northwest of Padang, caused the 2004 tsunami which killed 232,000 people in Indonesia’s Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

JG, Reuters, AFP, Bloomberg

Source: thejakartaglobe.com

Major Earthquake Strikes Indonesia

2009-09-02T18:49:00.002+08:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Six people were killed in Indonesia after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday, officials said.

The quake was initially categorized as magnitude 7.4 before being downgraded to 7.0 by geological officials.

No details were immediately available about the deaths. At least 18 other people were injured around the capital, Jakarta, said Rustam Pakaya, a health ministry spokesman.

A tsunami watch went into effect and quickly expired, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

It struck about 2:55 p.m. (3:55 a.m. ET) and was centered 242 km (150 miles) from Jakarta, according the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was about 60 km (37.3 miles) deep.

In Tasikmalaya, a city in the Indonesian island of Java, some older buildings were damaged and people panicked in the streets because there was no electricity, according to a witness named Maya.
Tasikmalaya is about 142 km (88 miles) from the epicenter. Several homes in that city were destroyed and a building collapsed, the health ministry spokesman said.

John Aglionby, a journalist with the Financial Times, was in Jakarta during the quake.

"The whole building started to sway. People got very serious," Aglionby told CNN. "People left the building. But there was no sign of damage here."

About three weeks ago, a series of earthquakes - ranging in magnitude from 4.7 to 6.7 - struck off the western coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island.

At least seven people were injured and one building collapsed in Padang City in West Sumatra, officials said.

Source: cnn.com/asia

About Aung San Suu Kyi

2009-08-13T03:18:00.001+08:00

Aung San Suu Kyi (pronounced Ong San Soo Chee), Burma's pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate, symbolises the struggle of Burma's people to be free. She has been detained for over 13 years by the Burmese regime for campaigning for human rights and democracy in Burma.
Recent developments

She is currently facing trial in Burma. She was on arrested on May 14th and is now being held in Insein Prison, a prison notorious for its terrible conditions and horrific treatment of prisoners. Aung San Suu Kyi is being tried for breaking the terms of her house arrest, which forbids visitors, after an American man, John Yettaw, swam across Inya Lake and refused to leave her house. Her trial began on 18th May.

Aung San Suu Kyi has committed no crime, she is the victim of crime, yet is currently facing a sentence of 3-5 years. The United Nations has ruled that Aung San Suu Kyi's detention is illegal under international law, and also under Burmese law. The United Nations Security Council has also told the dictatorship that they must release Aung San Suu Kyi.

Political prisoners in Burma are routinely subjected to torture and often denied medical treatment. There are serious concerns for Aung San Suu Kyi's health in these conditions, particularly as she has recently been seriously ill.
About Aung San Suu Kyi

She was born on June 19th, 1945 to Burma's independence hero, Aung San, who was assassinated when she was only two years old.

Aung San Suu Kyi was educated in Burma, India, and the United Kingdom. While studying at Oxford University, she met Michael Aris, a Tibet scholar who she married in 1972. They had two sons, Alexander and Kim. On March 27 1999, while Aung San Suu Kyi was in Burma, Michael Aris died of cancer in London. He had petitioned the Burmese authorities to allow him to visit Suu Kyi one last time, but they had rejected his request. He had not seen her since a Christmas visit in 1995. The government always urged Suu Kyi to join her family abroad, but she knew that she would not be allowed to return.

Aung San Suu Kyi had returned to Burma in 1988 to nurse her dying mother and was immediately plunged into the country's nationwide democracy uprising. Joining the newly-formed National League for Democracy (NLD), Suu Kyi gave numerous speeches calling for freedom and democracy. The military regime responded to the uprising with brute force, killing up to 5,000 demonstrators. Unable to maintain its grip on power, the regime was forced to call a general election in 1990.

As Aung San Suu Kyi began to campaign for the NLD, she and many others were detained by the regime. Despite being held under house arrest, the NLD went on to win a staggering 82% of the seats in parliament. The regime never recognized the results of the election.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been in and out of arrest ever since. She was held under house arrest from 1989-1995, and again from 2000-2002. She was again arrested in May 2003 after the Depayin massacre, during which up to 100 of her supporters were beaten to death by the regime's militia. Her phone line has been cut, her post is intercepted and National League for Democracy volunteers providing security at her compound were removed in December 2004.

She has won numerous international awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament and the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom. She has called on people around the world to join the struggle for freedom in Burma, saying "Please use your liberty to promote ours".

Source: www.64forsuu.org

Key events in the life of Aung San Suu Kyi

2009-08-13T02:26:00.003+08:00

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, Gen. Aung San, who was assassinated when she was two years old, but she fell into politics almost by accident.

* Born in Yangon, formerly Rangoon, on June 19, 1945.
* Earned degrees in philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University in England. Married British academic Michael Aris in 1972 and has two children who live in Britain.
* Rushed back to Burma, later renamed Myanmar, in 1988 to care for her ailing mother. Her trip coincided with mass demonstrations against military government that left thousands dead. She became rallying figure and helped found the National League for Democracy party.
* Arrested in 1989 on charges of inciting unrest and kept under house arrest for the next six years.
* Barred from running in elections called by the junta in May 1990. Her party won 392 of 495 seats in parliament, but military refused to honor the results, and she became symbol of Myanmar’s suppressed democracy.
* Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.
* Released from prison in 1995 but generals continued to arrest her supporters and prevent her from travelling outside the capital.
* Her husband, who had cancer, was refused permission to visit her before he died in 1999.
* Put under house arrest again in 2000, released unconditionally in 2002 and re-arrested in May 2003. Her current detention was due to expire May 27, 2009.
* Arrested on May 14 and charged with violating her house arrest after uninvited American man swam to her home and stayed two days.
* Convicted on Aug 11 of violating her house arrest and sentenced to three years in prison, which was reduced by junta chief to 18 months under house arrest.

Link: 64 for Suu campaign

Earthquake detected in Southern Sumatra

2009-07-27T17:45:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale occurred at 7.10am Monday in southern Sumatra, Indonesia, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

The epicentre of the quake was 134km southeast of Bengkulu in Sumatra and 723km southwest of Johor Baru, it said in a statement.

No tsunami warning has been issued, it added. -- Bernama

Source: TheStarOnline

Shopping for watches in Penang? To quartz or not to quartz should be the first question instead.

2009-07-23T18:37:00.007+08:00

TO QUARTZ OR NOT TO QUARTZ

A potential wristwatch collector should know that wristwatches sold nowadays are powered either by a mechanical movement or a battery. The former is referred to as a "mechanical watch" (with either an automatic or manual winding mechanism) and the latter is simply called "a quartz". There is a class of watches powered by "kinetic energy" and they will be discussed later.

Mechanical wristwatches made an appearance in the late 1700s and Queen Elizabeth I was known to wear one decorated with precious jewels. By 1928 mechanical wristwatches were outselling pocket watches.

Of course, all early wristwatches had a mechanical movement but a dramatic change occurred in 1957 when Hamilton (an American watch company) replaced the mainspring of the watch with a battery that lasted well over a year. in 1960, Bulova (another American company) made its Accutron model with an exclusive tuning fork system that was powered by a battery. Nine years later, Seiko launched its first quartz watch, the Astron 35SQ which was claimed to be the most accurate watch in the world. Timex of England followed with their quartz model, the Electric. These examples show briefly the early development of quartz technology in watches.

The 1980s saw the Japanese flooding the world with cheap quartz watches and this marked the beginning of the quartz era. With quartz technology, wristwatches are much easier to make than mechanical watches and they could be mass produced on assembly lines. This made watchmaking cheap and profitable and many new companies (including unscrupulous ones with no experience in watchmaking) jumped on the time bandwagon.

The Swiss, whose name is synonymous with watchmaking, were too much bound by tradition to be able to accept quickly the concept of a battery powered watch, consisting of a mere electrical circuit and a mundane case assembled on impersonal production lines. To them the quartz was a pariah.

They were slow to react to the Japanese onslaught but they eventually came up with a savvy answer in the form of Swatch, which we will discuss in detail in a future article. Many famous Swiss watchmaking houses also started to include a line of quartz watches in their catalogues. Names like Rolex and Patek Philippe were the early ones to have quartz watches to offer their customers but there were still a few Swiss watchmakers who looked at quartz with disdain. The famous house of Blancpain advertised as follows. "Since 1735 there has never been a quartz Blancpain watch. And there never will be. Another established Swiss watchmaker, Oris, makes only mechanical watches and advertises this fact.

However, cheaper production methods created by advances in technology are hard to resist and of the 40.1 million watches exported from Switzerland in 1992, 87.8 per cent of them were quartz.

Therefore, what should the answer be to the intending watch collector? To quartz or not to quartz?

I have learnt not to be fond of those battery operated watches unless they are of the cheap variety like those made by Swatch. After all, quartz technology has enabled watchmakers to produce cheap quartz watches and some are sold for less than RM10 each.

If you intend to buy an expensive watch, you should opt for a mechanical watch consisting of traditional mechanical parts assembled by skilled craftsmen rather than a quartz with an innocuous circuit board, step motor, resonator and a battery of unknown parentage mated together by robots on an assembly line. If you open up a quartz watch and look inside, you will know what I mean.

While the various movements of a mechanical watch are time tested and their designs well-known to collectors, the quartz movement remains a mystery. When one buys an expensive quartz wristwatch, there is no way of telling whether it has an expensive quartz movement or a cheap one. All that the quartz circuit maker will say is that the movement is "very advanced and accurate" etc and no technical details or circuit plans are disclosed.

Defenders of quartz will say that constant R & D has improved the quartz movement tremendously and batteries are now fail safe (non-leak) and that some last almost 10 years. Cartier is one upmarket watchmaker which believes in quartz and its latest quartz called 202P, is a very much improved version of its first generation quartz movement. This is used in the latest editions of the Cartier Pasha, Santos, Panthere and Diabolo.

Rolex has a quartz, the Oysterquartz Day-Date Chronometer in 18-carat gold (with bezel, dial and bracelet set in diamonds) that carries a list price of RM131,083. Patek Philippe's Nautilus with quartz movements are also very upmarket and expensive watches. The Audemars Piquet Royal Oak Championship (dedicated to Nick Faldo) is a limited edition of just 500 watches and it is available only in quartz.

However, the BIG question remains. Can a quartz watch last as long as a mechanical one? My personal experience says "NO". I bought a Cartier Santos in 1981 for RM2700 and the quartz movement lasted only 5 years. The entire quartz circuit was replaced in 1986 for RM480. Another Cartier (a ladies model) bought in 1982 for RM1300 lasted only 4 years and the entire quartz movement had to be changed twice by the agents in Singapore before the watch could be put right. A Seiko "calculator watch" bought in 1980 for RM900 was declared a write-off a year later due to a faulty battery that leaked into the quartz circuit thus ruining it.

These three cases involved the early 1st generation quartz movements but I still think that quartz technology has a long way to go and the search for the perfect battery has yet to end. The watch with the mechanical movement will always remain the favourite of watch collectors. True collectors choose an item for its beauty, function and history. The making of a mechanical watch is an art by itself, from the making of the various mechanical parts to its assembly by skilled craftsmen. Many mechanical wristwatches continue to be reliable timepieces today despite having gone through decades of use.

A quartz movement is no feast for the eyes but take a look at the Patek Philippe Minute Repeater or any other complicated watches and it is to behold true beauty. Even an ordinary mechanical movement (ETA) is pleasing to look at.

Here is a story of one of my favourite watches in my collection, a mechanical timepiece made by Vacheron Constantin. I bought this watch in Zurich in 1974 and paid a small ransom for it. At that time this watch was billed as the "thinnest automatic watch in the world". I saw the watch while passing a shop window and at once, I knew I had to buy it. It was one of the most exquisite timepieces I have ever seen and owned.

I was advised that the watch should be sent back to the factory in Switzerland for servicing every two years and I did that diligently until 1990. Sometime in mid 1990, I found that the watch was running fast and I happened to be in Singapore. I took it to a shop in Lucky Plaza which had a sign to say they were authorised agents for Vacheron Constantin. They opened the watch to do the adjustments but the result was worse, the watch ran even faster. No matter what they did for the next few hours, they could not put it right.

They then contacted the main agents in Singapore who told them that my watch should only be opened and serviced in the factory in Switzerland due to the special caliber 838 movement used. The watch was then sent back to Switzerland and it came back after two months running perfectly. There was no charge for the work as they acknowledged the problem was caused by one of their sub-agent's ignorance. The company wrote me an apology and the letter also stated that the person who re-assembled my watch was the same craftsman who assembled it in 1974. I don't suppose a quartz watch will give you this kind of experience.

Remember that time is measured by fine caliber movements and not by a leaking battery.

Ref: This article was first published in the July 1993 issue of Asian Auto, Malaysia's leading motoring magazine

Source: PenangTalk.com

Note from mainadmin: Watchery has long been an interest of mine. One day I was looking around at a friend's price search site and to my surprise he actually had an Astronaut's watch listed in his database. Astronaut? Owning a watch that was designed for outerspace, imagine that, and you can own one for just USD1100, hey that isn't too bad. Not ridiculously expensive like what someone would expect. It's even cheaper than certain models of Tag Heuers. So is it truly an Astronaut standard issued watch or merely just another misleading marketing gimmick. BTW, I'm a no quartz person :)

Latest tsunami buoys deployed off coast of northern Malaysia

2009-07-23T12:44:00.005+08:00

A bunch of friends and I recently spotted this high-tech looking tsunami early-warning buoy in a beach off the northwestern coast of Penang Island. This buoy was just about to be deployed when we stumbled upon it during a weekend getaway trip to a well known but secluded beach called Kerachuterdam Beach. At least we can rest a little easier now knowing that the government is using tax payers money wisely by purchasing these high-tech contraptions which hopefully once deployed will help provide early warnings to the public of impending tsunami threats in the future.

A search on Google for the manufacturer of this tsunami buoy came up with this:

The SEAWATCH MINI ll buoy is a small buoy designed for coastal applications but it can also measure directional waves further offshore. It is well suited as a wave measurement buoy but can also be fitted with a certain number of metocean and water quality sensors.

Features:
· Small and easy to transport.
· Ideal for directional wave measurements.
· Insensitive to spinning and rough handling.
· Real-time data transfer and presentation.
· Full onboard processing of all measured data.
· Two-way communication link for data transfer and control of a number of buoys.
· Special mooring design minimizes mooring influence on buoy motions.

Source: Seawatch

Pantai Kerachut : A hidden away beach sanctuary in Penang Island

2009-06-24T17:12:00.004+08:00

Undisturbed, unspoilt & tranquility is what best to describe Pantai Kerachut. Located at the north-east of Penang Island along the Muka Head cape, it is one of six beaches in Penang National Park.

This relatively unknown place is normally frequent by locals who went there to explore the lush greenery of Penang National Park & to camp at the designated campsite near the beach. Lately, more & more foreign tourist starts to give this fantastic place, a stop over.

Perhaps, it is the charming & alluring beauty of Pantai Kerachut that makes' it, the
best gateway to recuperate from the hectic city life. There are 2 way to get to the beach. First, is by walk/hike & the second is by boat. Taking a boat will be faster & will cost you approximately RM 15 per person (one way). There will be some fishermen boat along the stretch of Teluk Bahang that can bring you there. The price is not fixed, so try bargain for a good price.

Some hotels along Batu Ferringhi also provides' boat service to this beaches. For
example, Golden Sands Resort and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa. Although, you can enjoy a more relaxing boat cruise to this place, walking has become more favored nowadays. It's because the trails to Pantai Kerachut are much simpler and so much shorter compared to 4 years back. Various signboard are put up, leading you to Pantai Kerachut, Monkey Beach, Muka Head Lighthouse and some others beaches. The walk/hike will take between 1 ~ 2 hour’s journey along the lush greenery and astounding beauty of Penang National Park.

You'll need to register before heading into the park to prepare for any eventualities in case some of you did not made it back. Registration is of course, FREE!

Some of the Flora in the forest includes Cashew nuts which are common here. Fully grown timber trees are found inside the forest beyond the coast. Fauna such as bats and birds are very common. Monkeys are a nuisance as they raided campsites for food.

The calls from a pair of resident stock billed kingfisher in the evening occasionally break the monotonous beating waves and chirping birds. Wild boars and mousedeers are quite common during low tourist seasons. Pantai Kerachut is one of the few beaches in Penang with a turtle hatchery site, and is the only beach where the Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas can be spotted. It is believed that the Green Turtle only migrate here for nesting as extensive algae are not known and found around Penang Island.

The turtle hatchery site is one of the projects taken up by the State Fisheries Department some 16 years back. Turtle eggs were obtained from elsewhere to initiate the hatchery project and 17,345 hatchlings have been released to the sea from 2001 to 2006.

Now, the beach has started to attracted adult egg laying turtles. There are about 35 green badge tourist guides who will draw up a timetable for visitors and the number of visitors will be limited, in line with the national park conversation policy. According to the Fisheries Department spokesman, the best season to watch the hatchlings would be in June and July. So, remember to jolt down this important period.

Others attractions include visiting the seasonal meromictic lake, visible for only six months of the year. The lake has two layers of water of different temperatures. The bottom layer of sea water is normally warmer than the surface fresh water. Warm saline water below and fresh water on top. The lake is just a short walking distance from the beach.

A thing to note is that, you can't find any food or drink sellers on this beach. Therefore, it is essential to bring our own. You wouldn't want to eat something from
the wild, right? And when evening comes, it is where you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the beautiful sunset, amidst the beatings of endless ocean wave coming down the shores. Enjoy your visit to the beach & have fun!

Source: www.penang-vacations.com

Holidaying in Thailand

2009-04-15T02:31:00.003+08:00

Recently Thailand has become rather a popular name when tourism is chosen as the topic for discussion, and it's not that hard to imagine why! After all, one look at its rich culture and natural resources, and we can see why Thailand has a lot to brag about itself and its "appealingness" to tourists from all over the world.

Mentioned below are some of the popular tourist attractions in Thailand.

Located in southern Thailand, Phuket is a world famous holiday destination with pictorial beauty, breathtaking beaches, amazing Thai cuisine, thrilling water sports and rich resorts for that more than perfect holiday in Thailand. This tourist spot of Thailand is known for its nightlife, seafood, romantic retreat and gorgeous coral reefs. Phuket is a very popular place for holidaymakers to visit among tourists from all over the world.

Bangkok's Canals

The capital of Thailand is world famous for its water markets and houses. Tourists and visitors on holiday in Thailand must not miss this unusual open water area with floating shops and houses. Do shop at this extraordinary water market for a whole new experience.

Tarutao Marine National Park

While you are holidaying in Thailand make sure you visit Tarutao Marine National Park, as this tourist spot offers an amazing company of plants, animals and lets you experience the best of its wildlife resources.

Suan Pakkad Palace

This tourist spot is perfect for those in love with art, as the place offers remarkable art collections. The place also lets you cherish and experience the beauty of traditional houses when on holiday in Thailand.

Temple of Wat Arun

Bangkok is known to have more than 400 temples, but Wat Arun is one of the most prominent and worth visiting one. The temple acts as a major tourist spot because of its contemporary architectural layout and unique design. Many of those holidaying in Thailand often visit this temple to capture the images on Buddha's life displayed at the temple.

National Museum in Bangkok

Bangkok's national museum is a must-see tourist attraction for those on a holiday in Thailand. The museum offers collections of striking artifacts that add a touch of true Thailand to your vacation.

Statue of Buddha

The Island of Ko Samui is famous for the popular statue of Buddha. When holidaying in Thailand you must visit this island to experience the religious feel of Thailand. The place is known to draw tourist and visitors looking for the real Thailand.

Trekking at Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a renowned trekking base that allures all the fun and adventure loving tourists and visitors holidaying in Thailand. There is nothing better than trekking through forests and mountains in the north for those looking for some great scenery, thrill and adventure like elephant rides and bamboo rafting.

Best time to holiday in Thailand

The ideal time for a vacation in Thailand would be the months from December to March.

Source: Luki Johnson

Penang Attracts Visitors Naturally!

2009-03-30T13:03:00.003+08:00

Whenever I mention Malaysia to friends, they merely nod politely and change the subject. They talk instead about Bangkok's sizzling night-club scene, or the buzz of shopping in Hongkong! Well, true enough-Malaysia doesn't have that kind of razzmatazz. Nor does it need to.

It has other riches to offer.

Take, for example, Penang's Tropical Fruit Farm, and its unique Tropical Spice Gardens.

At the Tropical Fruit Farm, I join a group of visitors as they board a battered-looking truck. The vehicle pants its way up a narrow, curling road, and at the crest of a hill, overlooking the sweep of Penang Island and the Straits of Malacca, we dismount and gather around Ali, who is to be our guide throughout the tour. Although we are at a modest elevation of just 244 metres above sea level, the humidity is fierce; perspiration trickles down my neck, and my dark-glasses fog over.

However, this non-commercial orchard is well worth the sweat. Sprawling over twenty-five acres of undulating country, the Farm is also an experimental research centre. Ali is an accomplished raconteur, with a wry sense of humour, and although he doesn't go into horticultural technicalities, he introduces us to a range of curious-looking specimens: bright red dragon fruit-spiky grenades hanging off the parent cactus plant-and rambutans covered in punk-orange "hair". While it's impossible to cover 200 species of fruit in an hour, the group are nonetheless fascinated by rare varieties of betel nut palms, exotic strains of passion fruit, sugar apples-and cute miniature bananas the size of my small toe. Ali plucks pink water apples off a heavily laden tree and offers them to us; they taste slightly acrid and after my first bite, I throw what's left to a hopeful-looking crow hopping along behind us. The Miracle Fruit berry is unusual: the small crimson bead, when chewed, hoodwinks the palate, so that even the sourest lemon is tastes nectar-sweet. Naturally, everyone wants to give that a try.

There's no need to use Miracle Fruit's berries when we return to the reception area-our exertions are rewarded by drinks of sweet ice-cold mango juice and a lavish tropical fruit salad-pineapple slices, interspersed with papaya, bananas and passion fruit wedges. Durians, to my immense relief, are not in season.

On leaving the Fruit Farm, I head towards the Tropical Spice Gardens-a short drive downhill towards the trendy beach and shopping area of Bukit Feringgi. If the sun was direct and fierce at the top of the hill, I am now enveloped in green shade: a soothing world of flowering hibiscus shrubs, mauve jacarandas, lemon-fronded laburnums and scarlet flame-of-the-forest trees. Trails wind along gently sloped terraces, edged by meandering streams and waterfalls. Fan-leaved banana plants grow beside bamboo thickets and towering rubber trees, and a riot of deep blue morning glory and hot-pink bougainvillea creepers shawl the railings of miniature bridges. White and lemon orchids cling to the barks of hardwood trees.

Past the first terrace, with its profusion of crotons, cycads and ferns, (each meticulously tagged with their botanical identity), I walk up a small slope, and sit on a wooden bench. A bird whoops somewhere in the jungle foliage behind me, and I watch a ballet of royal blue-and-gold winged butterflies fluttering around a plant bearing droopy-fingered orange blooms. The afternoon air is drowsy with the hum of bees, and heavy with the scent of frangipani, mingled with the faint, but unmistakable fragrance of cinnamon. Apart from herb beds of mint, thyme, coriander and parsley, I am surrounded by a splendour of tropical spice plants-red ginger, cardamom, cloves, pepper, turmeric, nutmeg, garlic, cassia (cinnamon) and areca nut.

Although Penang's Butterfly Farm isn't unique-both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore have similar attractions-it nonetheless grabs my attention for well over an hour, As I try to capture shots of butterflies flickering like brightly-coloured confetti around me, I notice a small boy beaming with delight as a gigantic Raja Brooke, black with dramatic emerald green markings, settles on his hand. His older sister, meanwhile, is transfixed in front of a glass-fronted display window as a cocoon starts to split open to reveal a soggy-winged brand new butterfly. Apart from about 120 species of winged performers, there are other resident virtuosos. Two small horned toads stare beady-eyed at me, and a spiny stick insect freezes into camouflage mode on a brown twig. Next door, a tarantula is wooing his mate, and family life also seems to be thriving in the scorpion household, with baby scorpions shimmying around their mum. In the world of beetles, a large stag beetle flexes his mandibles (equivalent, perhaps, to a macho guy showing off his biceps?), and a long armed Scarab brings to mind a stylized Egyptian emblem.

So is Malaysia boring? Is Penang 'ho-hum'? This is a country where Nature is prolific and flamboyant-see it, taste it, smell it and touch it. It beguiles. It intrigues. And it draws visitors like me back time and again!

Source: Margaret Deefholts in islandsinfo.com

Video of killer waves hitting the shopping paradise island of Penang

2009-03-22T04:33:00.002+08:00

Tsunami Disaster Memorial in Banda Acheh

2009-03-18T03:36:00.003+08:00

BANDA ACEH (Indonesia) - INDONESIA opened a US$5.6 million (S$8.5 million) museum on Monday to commemorate the 230,000 people who died in the 2004 Asian tsunami.

The four-level building in hardest-hit Aceh province exhibits photographs of victims, stories of survivors and an electronic simulation of the massive undersea earthquake that triggered the 10-metre-high waves.

It also describes the tremendous outpouring of support from governments, companies and individuals in the aftermath of the Dec 26, 2004 disaster, which caused death and destruction in a dozen nations.

More than $13 billion was pledged to house and feed survivors and to rebuild devastated coasts.

The government says the museum, designed by local architect Ridwan Kamil, is an important part of the recovery process, paying tribute to those who died and explaining to future generations what happened and why.

The opening was not without controversy.

More than 700 families are still living in barracks in Aceh, which was home to two-thirds of the victims, and some were disappointed to see millions of dollars being spent on a monument.

'They should be taking care of us first,' said Anisah Tahir, 50, who has been living with her husband and two children in a tiny room in a squalid camp in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. 'We need a decent place to live and sleep,' she said.

Indonesia is located in the so-called Pacific 'Ring of Fire,' an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions. -- AP

Source: www.ap.org

Georgetown Penang Malaysia Shopping Guide

2009-02-18T03:29:00.004+08:00

Georgetown offers some delightful shopping opportunities in the form of modern shopping complexes and streets with cultural souvenirs and goods.The malls offer a range of shopping for modern goods ranging from fashion to electronics and jewellery to gadgets while the cultural shopping areas enable you to see and admire cultural designs and lifestyles of the different races in Penang.

KOMTAR
KOMTAR, which stands for Kompleks Tunku Abdul Razak, is a famous landmark in Penang and the tallest building on the island. Inside the tower is a small shopping mall that houses a limited range of goods and merchandise. What most people come here for is to take a ride up to the top for a panoramic view of the entire island, where you can see the Penang Bridge and Butterworth on the mainland.

PRANGIN MALL
The Prangin Mall is a relatively new shopping complex located right next to the KOMTAR building. The mall houses over 600 outlets in 8 levels, ranging from fashion to electronics and groceries to household appliances. This is also a popular destination for bootleg goods, especially DVDs of movies and music.

CHINATOWN
The area around Campbell road is Penang's very own Chinatown - this is the place where the first Chinese migrants to Malaysia settled. The old buildings, clan houses and shop lots are very well-preserved, offering visitors a glimpse into the history of Chinese settlers in the early 1800s'. For shopping, a lot of Chinese-centric commodities go on sale, such as jade jewellery, Rolex watches, traditional clothes, herbs, medicines to more modern products than include branded electrical products and luggage bags.

LITTLE INDIA
Situated around Lebuh Queen and Lebuh Chulia, Little India is just right next door to its neighbour Chinatown. For an Indian cultural shopping experience, Little India will amaze you with its 'Indian' sights, sounds and smells. The shops and stalls that line the streets stock everything Indian - from silk garments (sarees) to stainless steel Tiffin carriers and Indian sweets to flower necklaces. The atmosphere is permeated with the din of Bollywood music emanating from record shops and people talking and walking. Just down the street is the Mahamariamman Temple, a historic place of worship for the Indians of Penang.

JALAN PINTAI TALI (ROPE WALK STREET)
Antique lovers should take note - Jalan Pintai Ali or Rope Street stocks a large variety of antiques such as porcelain, chains, coins, glass, ceiling lamps and antique clocks. Prices are negotiable, so don't give up till you've got the price you wanted. On a side note, no one can bring out of the country any antiques under the law without permission from the export Director General of Museums, Malaysia. However, antiques brought in and declared at customs are allowed.

Source : www.penang.ws

Shop, Eat and CNY in Penang

2009-01-20T12:26:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Penang’s sizable Chinese population, the Lunar New Year celebrations in the area are especially boisterous. On the eve of the New Year, Malaysian Chinese turn up in their ancestral homes to eat, gamble, shop and celebrate with their families. Throughout the Chinese New Year season, Penang comes alive with innumerable parties and parades, but several events are particularly worth seeing if you’re visiting the area.

Chinese New Year Street Market
On January 18, the Little Penang Street Market condenses the entire Penang cultural and shopping experience into a single venue on a single day - with stalls and stores selling traditional Chinese New Year foods and trinkets, cultural performances going on in the streets, and the strains of Chinese traditional music filling the air.

The Street Market takes place on Upper Penang Ring Road, just across from the E&O Hotel.

Chinese New Year Open House 2009
Penang's government will hold a Chinese New Year Open House at Campbell Street on the 29th of January, from 6:30 to 10:30 in the evening.

If you want to see traditional Chinese performing arts, this is the place to go. Lion dances and Chingay performances will compete for your attention, just as you're sampling the delicious food that comes with any Chinese New Year celebration!
Chinese New Year Cultural & Heritage Celebration 2009

Chinese New Year celebrations in Penang are most boisterous in Penang's historical district, where the locals are proud of their city's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On February 1, a Chinese New Year Cultural and Heritage Celebration will be staged along Armenian Street, Cannon Street, Ah Quay Street, Soo Hong Lane, Acheen Street, and Chulia Street.

The celebration will feature some interesting activities such as a treasure hunt and a Chinese New Year cooking demonstration.

The Celebration will organize "Seven Towns" featuring the different cultures that have made Penang what it is today: Hokkien, Canton, Hainan, Teochew, Hakka, Wushu, and Malay. Visitors can wander through each "town" to explore the different cultural traditions of the city.

Different civic organizations also play a part in the day's cultural events: clan groups such as Khoo Khongsi, Lim Khongsi, Cheah Khongsi, and Yap Khongsi will present an opera show and a series of cultural dances.

Source: about.com

Interesting post-Tsunami take on Penang

2008-12-26T17:28:00.003+08:00

When I was interviewed by a local press on whether the tsunami justifies a second link for Penang - presumably to allow Penangites to flee - my first reaction was that even the media had been hit by the tsunami of paranoia!

It seems to me that there are some interested parties who are cracking their brains to push their pet projects, by hook or by crook. I told the serious sounding journalist that there are at least two ways to answer the question: first, there are many ways to address the danger from tsunami - eg, warning from bay watchers were enough to get hotel guests off the beach. What we need is to extend this life-saving service to all beaches.

Second, the second link need to be compared to the efficiencies of other transport investments such as public transport before we can jump into it. This is not a joke because a day before - and a day after the tsunami - another group of journalists from Kuala Lumpur dropped in and asked in all seriousness, “How long will Penang Island stay up in the sea?” I replied that Penang’s hills go up to 3,000 feet above sea level and if they are flooded, surely much more would be flooded in the mainland!

These are two real-life stories from my tsunami experience. However, there is a palpable sea-phobia in George Town. People are officially warned to stay away from the sea. From now on, the sea which inspired so many poets in history, has become a menace.

Such thinking may be short-lived but it has certainly been exploited by some interested parties to get rid of anything they don’t want by the seaside. For example, the seaside heritage, Koay Jetty, is given more doubts after the tsunami, even by some of my better friends. But such doubts somehow is not extended to the new flats which will be located exactly where the jetties now stand!

Now let’s get the fact right - the heritage area is not facing the open sea which is vulnerable to another tidal wave attack. But what if it was? Does this justify the heritage’s removal - after all, the jetties (there are seven in all) have been sitting there for over 100 years without any hassles? I think a pro-heritage position would be more likely to justify some shelter for it than to demolish it!

If anything, the tsunami danger should warrant the chief minister to rethink his town planning to line the seashore with high-rises which inevitably will mass people and property onto the potentially dangerous shore line. One factor offered by some observers about the high death toll in Thailand is that some of the hotels there are located too close to the sea.

It can be said that heritage buildings had been there for historical reasons outside the control of its original builders - but the builders of these modern flats are not similarly constrained, and thus there should be more accountability for their choice of location.

If the sea-front heritage were to be demolished because of the tsunami, it would be a shame - the jetties were there precisely because the earlier labour force of Weld Quay were not given any land to build their homes. They - and their offsprings - had gone through the thick and thin of living on the sea. It seems odd that the current ‘compassion’ to these dwellers must come with a condition that these heritage buildings be demolished.

It seems that there is an unspoken wish, over and above the flat builders’ obvious vested interests, to erase this sad part of George Town’s working class history as if they are not happy to let more generations to be reminded of how the `founding fathers’ had not been able to provide their labourers some decent land to build a secure home.

If this official thinking is allowed to prevail then truly our history is on for a clean-up, not by the tsunami from the sea but from the modern version of the same wickedness and exploitativeness of the `founding fathers’.

Source:www.malaysikini.com

4th Anniversary of the Tsunami Tragedy

2008-12-25T14:56:00.002+08:00

It has been 4 years now but memories of that fateful day still lingers on for many.

A lot has changed for the citizens living in Penang Island as since then the Malaysian government has built a concerted Tsunami Early Warning System in places like Penang Island, Langkawi Island and Kedah.

The victims in Tg Bungah Penang where their houses were totally destroyed by the tsunami 4 years ago have since moved into a new apartment block that was constructed by the government, ironically still located in the same site where the tsunami had actually struck. However, safety considerations have been incorporated into the design of the building where the entire apartment block is raised 25 feet from the groundlevel. Not sure how high were the killer waves back then but the authorities here feel that this height is sufficiently safe. The money used to build the apartments for the tsunami victims came from public donations and a total of 100 units were built.

Atrocities in Myanmar!

2007-09-30T14:14:00.000+08:00

This is not a tsunami related post but I believe strongly that each and every citizen of the world has a right to democracy, regardless of nationality, religion or social standing. Hence I'm putting up this post to let the world know of the atrocities that has befallen the people of Myanmar(formerly known as Burma) which was brought about by the nation's Junta(Myanmar's military ruling party).

In the past week there has been a peaceful uprising in which pro-democratic demonstrators onsisting of Myanmarian citizens and Buddhist monks took to the roads of the capitol city Yangon in thousands protesting for democracy in the poverty stricken nation of Myanmar. The military run Junta instead of finding a peaceful solution to the protests shocked the world by firing on them with automatic rifles! Killing their citizens and even monks! Buddhist monks are the epitome of peace and morality in this country and even such peaceful folks have been driven to protest against Myanmar's 45 years of military rule and hardship, and this rare and peaceful protest is reciprocated by the government with bullets and batons instead.

I urge the people of the world to open their eyes to these cruel atrocities brought upon the nation and people of Myanmar by it's own government, in hope that the world leaders of all countries in the world will unite and quickly work together to put an immediate stop to this sickening and blasphemous atrocity!

The Junta government has locked down all modes of telecommunication in the country but a few bloggers have managed to retrieve information and images of the true situation over there. Please read more about it at the following blogs :

dathana.blogspot.com

ko-htike.blogspot.com

NEWS CONFIRMED : Tsunami warning issued after 7.9 magnitude quake off Sumatra

2007-09-12T20:34:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a tsunami alert after a powerful earthquake struck off Sumatra, Indonesia at 7.10pm.

The department has advised people in the northern states of Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang to move away from beaches as a safety precaution.

Tremors were felt in parts of the west coast of peninsular Malaysia when the quake struck.

It was centered at 105 km southwest of Bengkulu, Sumatra and 718km southwest of Johor Bahru, at a depth of 15.6km.

Malaysian is adequately equipped to detect a tsunami and issue a warning within an hour before it reaches the shore.

The system is based on two buoys - one in the Andaman Sea near Rondo Island in Indonesia and the other in the South China Sea near Pulau Layang-layang in Sabah.

Malaysians will receive notice of evacuation via television, radio, satellite broadcast and SMS within 15 minutes of data transmission from the buoys.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre had earlier issued a tsunami alert for the entire Indian Ocean region after the quake.

Source : The STAR

TSUNAMI ALERT!!!

2007-09-12T20:05:00.001+08:00

A Tsunami Alert has been issued following a 7.9 quake in Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia.

People living in Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Penang are advised to move away from beaches.

This alert is pending official confirmation but comes from a reliable source at 7.59pm, today, 12th Sept 2007.

Location of Bengkulu is coloured in light green in the map below.

Map Source : www.wikipedia.com

Price of new low-cost homes too steep for tsunami victims

2007-09-02T21:58:00.000+08:00

PENANG, MALAYSIA : The tsunami victims in Penang are unable to move into their new homes because the price is not right, said MP Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye. The state government had set a ceiling price of RM42,000 per unit of low-cost home but the company engaged by the Federal Government to build the houses for tsunami victims was quoting RM52,000 per unit.

Chia said the state government was not agreeable to the price quoted by the company. “The state has appealed to the Federal Government to look into the matter urgently as the tsunami victims need to move into permanent homes,” Chia said.

The tsunami victims who lost their homes in Dec 2004 have been living in transit longhouses since more than two years ago. The victims have been complaining that the transit homes have started falling apart with cracks and leakages. Chia said the housing problems must be settled soon as the new homes would also fall apart if left unattended for a long time.

Source : The Star

Tsunami 26th December 2006 - recalling the days that followed that bewildering and chaotic day

2007-08-25T03:13:00.000+08:00

Date: Dec. 26, 2004

* Tzu Chi volunteers were unable to enter the disaster areas due to a temporary closure ordered by the local police squad for safety concerns.
* Later that evening, Tzu Chi volunteers went to the morgue to help the families of the victims. They served hot meals and provided care and emergency cash to them.
* Number of households helped: 14.
* Amount of hot meal served: 320 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 60.

Date: Dec. 27, 2004

* Some volunteers started entering the disaster areas in the morning, while others were preparing hot meals, emergency cash and relief goods.
* Volunteers reported that some of the victims needed help to clean up their houses. Ten volunteers participated in the cleaning effort and cleaned two households.
* At noon, volunteers spread out into different disaster area and started the relief efforts by disbributing relief goods at a designated shelter amd making door-to-door distribution.
* Number of households helped: Tanjung Tokong (57), Permatang Damar Laut (35), Bagan Teluk Kumbar (30), Pulau Betong (40), Kuala Muda (273).
* Medical staff affiliated with the Tzu Chi International Medical Association offered free clinic services to the victims at the relief shelters in Tanjung Tokong and Kuala Muda.
* Number of victims received medical attention: 28 people.
* Households received relief goods: 435.
* Hot meal served: 1,260 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 300

Date: Dec. 28, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.

* Number of households helped: Kuala Jalan Baru (36), Permatang Damar Laut (16), Sungai Pinang (50), Bagan Jermal(83), Tanjung Tokong (20), Tanjung Bungah (88), Kuala Muda (295).
* Another group of volunteers headed to the disaster areas to clean up the trash and debris. Later, they were joined by the relief team and transported a total of seven truckloads of trash.
* Medical staff went to the relief shelter in Kuala Muda to provide free medical care.
* Number of victims received medical care: 100 people.
* Households received relief goods: 588.
* Hot meal served: 690 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 200.

Date: Dec. 29, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: 1) relief distribution at a designated shelter; 2) door-to-door distribution.

* Number of households helped: relief goods delivered in Tanjong Bungah of Penang (66) and Bagan Jelma (5). Relief goods were distributed in Kuala Teriang of Langkawi (210).
* Volunteers continued the cleaning effort after the relief was finished. They provided cleaning effort in the same disaster area as yesterday. Another eight truckloads of trash were transported today.
* Forty-five Tzu Chi volunteers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi came to the Langkawi relief shelter to provide relief goods to the victims.
* Tzu Chi volunteers were able to identify residents who needed special care and help in the Tanjung Bungah disaster area with the help of the village's top official. The volunteers collected the case data in preparation for subsequent post-disaster care.
* Hot meals were served to the victims without hot food in Bagan Jelma of Penang.
* Households received relief goods: 281.
* Hot meal served: 24 bags.
* Number of volunteers participated: 77.

Date: Dec. 30, 2004
Methods of relief efforts: distributing relief materials at a designated shelter.

* Number of households helped: Tanjung Bungah of Penang (13), Bukit Malut of Langkawi (330), and Sungain Bakau (51).
* Twenty-eight Tzu Chi volunteers continued the house cleaning and gave personal care in Kampung Nelayan of Tanjung Bungah. Tzu Chi volunteers also teamed up with a local Christian group to clean up the disaster areas. In the afternoon, 18 volunteers took over and continued the cleaning effort.
* More than 60 volunteers from Alor Setar, Jitra, Butterworth and Penang joined to help cleaning the victims’ houses in Kuala Muda. A total of five houses belonged to 10 elderly people and a kindergarten were cleaned by the volunteers. Volunteers were ordered to leave the area later by the police due to another possible tsunami attack.
* A Tzu Chi social worker and 10 volunteers provided care and relief goods to the families of the killed victims. Seven households were visited and four households received relief goods.
* Two rounds of relief goods distribution and free medical clinic were provided in Langkawi today -- in Bukit Malut in the morning and in Sungai Bakau in the afternoon.
* A total of 45 Tzu Chi volunteers and social workers from Penang, Kuala Lumpar, Kedah, Johor and Langkawi participated in today’s relief effort.
* About 200 people came to the free clinic for medical treatments. Two doctors, two nurses, one pharmacist and four volunteers helped in the free clinic.
* Number of Households received relief goods: 39
* Number of volunteers participated: 151.

Date: Dec. 31, 2004

* A total of 22 volunteers participated in today’s cleaning up effort in Tanjong Bunga (including the beach area). Tzu Chi volunteers also provided hot meals (170 boxes) to these victims in two relief shelters, delivered relief goods to one household and reported five cases needing for further help.
* Tzu Chi social workers and volunteers continued to provide in-home care to the families of the deceased victims and delivered relief goods to them based on the information from two hospitals. Among the six families they visited, one lost five children when the tsunami hit. Both parents of that family were too devastated to take care of their own injuries. Tzu Chi volunteers provided loving care and would continue to offer their care and support.
* Households received relief goods: 7.
* Hot meal served: 170 boxes (Tajung Tokong: 150 boxes, Bagan Jelma: 20 boxes).
* Number of volunteers participated: 27.

Date: Jan.1, 2005

* A total of 218 Tzu Chi volunteers headed to the disaster areas in Pulau Betong in the morning to help community cleaning up. They also cleaned seven houses damaged by the tsunami. The cleaning work continued until 4:30 p.m.
* Besides Tzu Chi volunteers, there were many other people from local businesses and organizations joining the cleaning up effort during the New Year’s break. The day's volunteers included 218 from Tzu Chi, 150 from Intel, 80 from PPH, 30 from BLIA, 15 from Four-Wheel Drive Team, 3 from Inventec, and 50 others.
* Together with everyone’s cleaning effort, a total of 32 truckloads of trash were transported out from the tsunami-affected area.

Good To Be Back

2007-08-19T03:08:00.001+08:00

Well it seems that Blogger/Google finally manage to restore this blog to the original, with all the original tsunami articles and all.

It is really amazing what the people in Google can do. Well, now all we have to do is to add new content to this already magnificent blog.

I for one would like to feature the tourist destinations of both Penang and Thailand. This is to bring more awareness towards these beautifully restored tourist destinations that is already known the world over.

Here are some pictures of famous places in both Penang and Thailand.

Second anniversary - Another earthquake in Taiwan

2006-12-26T23:38:00.000+08:00

It has been two years since the Tsunami hit.

The chilling fact is another earthquake measuring 7.2 struck off southern Taiwan. Is this just a coincidence? The perfect timing? Or is it something more? A sign perhaps?

Magnitude 7.2 quake off southern Taiwan - USGS

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A magnitude 7.2 quake struck off southern Taiwan on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site, but there were no immediate reports of damage.

Britain's Sky News, quoting Japan's Meteorological Agency, said the quake had triggered a tsunami heading for the Philippines.

Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said the quake measured 6.7 and was located at a depth of 22 km. Its epicentre was west-southwest of the Hengchun Peninsula on the island's southern tip.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said no Pacific-wide tsunami was expected, although a local tsunami was possible.

Taken from The Star

It seems like just not too long ago when my family experienced the tremors that shook us in Penang and eventually, caused the tsunami.

May the souls of the tsunami tragedy rest in peace.

Thailand buries last unidentified tsunami victims

2006-12-07T15:24:00.000+08:00

Thailand buries last unidentified tsunami victims

By Richard Balmforth
BANG MARUAN, Thailand (Reuters) - Thailand began burying the last 110 of its unidentified victims of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in an inter-religious ceremony on Wednesday not far from the beaches on which they were killed.

Muslim and Roman Catholic priests joined Buddhist monks in presiding over the burials in big concrete chambers from which well protected bodies could be retrieved easily if DNA samples and other evidence kept by researchers produced an identity.

Eleven aluminium coffins were interred in each concrete chamber cut into the sandy soil of a cemetery 3 km (2 miles) from the Khao Lak beaches swept clean of tourists, workers and fishermen at the height of the tourist season two years ago.

Thais bury an unclaimed body, one of the unidentified victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, at Bang Muang Cemetery in Phang Nga, 788 km (490 miles) south of Bangkok, December 6, 2006. (REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang)
Most of the unidentified victims were believed to be Thai or migrant workers from Myanmar who were among the 5,395 people, half of them foreign holidaymakers, killed by the tsumani in Thailand, where it left almost 3,000 people missing.

DNA samples and other evidence from each body would allow investigators to continue searching for identities, officials of the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) said.

The aluminium coffins and concrete chambers capped by 500 kg (1,100 lb) lids would preserve the bodies from the hot, humid climate, they said.

"If relatives wanted to pick up the bodies in the future, then we could dig them out easily," TTVI official Police Lieutenant Wiwat Sidhisorudej said.

The burial of all 110 bodies was expected to be finished early next week in the cemetery where 300 unidentified bodies were buried over the past two months, officials said.

Still in cold storage at the nearby TTVI centre, which took over in January after most international experts ended their role in what has been called the world's biggest forensics investigation, are more than 100 bodies.

They have been identified but not yet claimed by relatives -- among them one Turk, one Nepali, 73 from Myanmar and 27 Thais killed by a tsunami in which more than 230,000 people died or disappeared in a dozen countries.

About 30 identified bodies of migrant workers from military-ruled Myanmar would be collected next week by one of their representative, said Colonel Khemmarin Hassiri, the TTVI chief.

During the burial ceremony, Sangkeep Kulmee came to pick up the body of her aunt, killed by the giant waves while working at a Khao Lak resort and identified nearly two years later.

"The feeling of happiness or sadness now is equal as I have been waiting for my aunt's body for almost two years," she said.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters

NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA, Dec 1st, Magnitude of 6.3 earthquake

2006-12-01T13:15:00.000+08:00

I personally experienced the tremors right here in Penang. The readings of the quake is said to be :

An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia’s North Sumatra province Friday, but there is no immediate report of injuries or damage so far.

The tremor hit at 10:58 local time (0358 GMT) and was centered in the town of Tebing Tinggi, some 70 km east of the provincial capital of Medan, said Hardiyatno, a national earthquake analysis staff with the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

More info, photo of the readings and latest news can be found in my personal blog.

A year has passed but the pain remains

2005-12-27T23:15:00.000+08:00

Heart wrenching sight. An unindentified man grieving on a beach in Thailand.

We will never forget that day. 26th December 2004.

Thousands of lanterns released on a beach in Thailand to commemorate the dead.

Rows of candles lit up in Stockholm in memory of those who perished.

A grief stricken Thai woman whose brother was killed by the tidal waves.

Profile of world tsunami monetary aid

2005-12-26T19:20:00.000+08:00

The Indian Ocean tsunami generated record promises of help by scores of governments around the world.

Reuters Tsunami Aidwatch was set up to measure how much of the money pledged after the Dec. 26 disaster is converted into actual funding for relief and reconstruction in the region.

In previous emergencies donors have often failed to honour their pledges – for example the United Nations says donors paid less than half what they promised after Hurricane Mitch which killed 10,000 people in Central America in 1998.

Private aid

The tsunami response has been unusual in that members of the public have in many cases given almost as much as their governments, and in some instances - eg United States, Britain, Switzerland and Mexico - they have even given more.

The total aid figure also includes an estimate for these private donations. This figure can only be approximate as it is impossible to account for every dollar dropped into every collection box for every one of the multitude of agencies helping in the region.

Some governments have kept tabs on private donations but the majority have not so we have also used information from the larger aid agencies. The figure $0 next to private donations on the bar chart means no information was available.

In some cultures people may be loath to say how much they have given to charity as it could be seen as boasting. In other places, big private donors may not want to disclose how much they have donated for tax reasons.

Official aid

Government aid comes in many forms – outright grants, military logistical help, debt relief, in-kind donations and concessional loans.

Aidwatch pledge figures may differ from those given by donors where they include concessional loans. The reason is that donors tend to express loan pledges in terms of the sum lent whereas we have estimated the actual cost to the donor of lending that sum.

For example, Australia says it has offered a A$1bln aid package. But as half this is in the form of loans we have estimated how much it will cost Australia to lend A$500m. This works out at A$451.3. See below for more details.

Pledges and allocations are based on announcements and information from the donors along with official statistics. Totals may not always match totals stated by donors because of the inclusion of different categories of aid allocations. Explanatory notes for individual countries can be found by clicking on the tab marked "What's your country doing?" and then clicking on a country in the list.

Allocations include not only money that has been disbursed but also funds that have been formally approved for a specific purpose even if they have not been physically handed over.

Aidwatch data excludes routine contributions by governments to multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department. But it does include supplementary tsunami-related contributions where known.

Data includes debt relief or loans that borrowers are no longer required to pay back but not debt moratoria or changes in debt-repayment schedules.

Where possible, currencies were converted at mid-May rates.

How we worked out the grant element of loans

To create a consistent measure of tsunami aid, we have put concessional loans on the same footing as outright grants by establishing the "grant element" of the loans. This is done by calculating the "cost" faced by the donor - in other words, what the donor loses as a result of the transaction. For interest-free loans, the cost to the donor is that of the interest payments it would otherwise have got if it had lent the money at market rates. For a low-interest loan, it is the difference between interest payments received and market rates.

To calculate the grant elements both of Australia's zero-interest loans to Indonesia and the Asian Development Bank's loans we have used a discount factor of 10 per cent. This discount factor is used by the ADB in its internal calculations. In our estimates it is used both to calculate the value today of a repayment made in the future, and as the assumed interest rate the borrower would have to pay on the open market.

To calculate the grant elements of the floating rate ADB loans to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India we have assumed they are equivalent to a fixed rate loan and made the conversion at the 30-year 'swap rate' at which floating rate dollar-denominated loans can be traded for a fixed interest rate (approximately 5.00 per cent as of mid-May, 2005).

Tsunami loans - Summary

* Converted at US$/A$ rate of 1.287 prevailing in mid-May
** ADB's standard discount factor and the rate used for calculations of interest foregone by lender
*** Involves assumptions about nature of loan yet to be clarified by ADB

Source : AlertNet

Key facts about the tsunami rebuilding effort

2005-12-26T19:13:00.000+08:00

Around $13.6 billion has been pledged by donors around the world to rebuild Indian Ocean countries after the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami, which killed around 230,000 people, the U.N. Envoy for Tsunami Recovery says.

It is more than enough to meet the estimated needs.

Here are some key facts about the tsunami relief and rebuilding effort, which the United Nations says was the most generous and most immediately funded international emergency relief effort ever.

* Total damages: $10.73 billion; rebuilding costs: $10.375 billion.

* Number of countries affected: 13 (Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Madagascar, Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Kenya, Bangladesh)

* Number of people displaced: 2,089,883

* Number of people who lost their livelihoods: 1.5 million

* Number of houses reduced to rubble: 392,544; number needed: 308,000; number built or under construction: 46,000

* Number of boats destroyed: 103,829

* Ratio of women and children killed to men: 3:1

* Total time of earthquake that triggered the 2004 Asian tsunami: eight minutes (Sources: U.N. office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Oxfam International, Reuters Alertnet)

Source : Reuters

A year has passed but we have not forgotten

2005-12-26T13:32:00.000+08:00

Today is exactly one year from the day the deadly tsunami waves struck. More than 200,000 people lost their lives in one of the worst natural disaster in the history of mankind.

A year has passed now and the worst is over but the reconstruction will continue for years to come. Hundreds of thousands of people today are still living in temporary homes and are still trying to come to terms with the magnitude of this tragedy.

Sitting here in the comfort of my home and writing this post, an array of emotions tingle through me when I think of that fateful day exactly one year ago. Sadness,for the many people directly affected by the tsunami. They have lost so much. And all so suddenly. Humility,for having realised that live can be so fragile and that our world and all things we hold dear could come crashing down on us any moment without warning. We should all live life each day as if it were our last. Anger,for feeling so helpless and weak when the tsunami struck. Relief,for knowing that there is still good in the hearts of humans. What amazes me most from this tragic event was the solidarity shown by people from all over the world regardless of nationality, colour or religion. For once we forgot our differences and the world came together and stood as one.

I wish to pay tribute to all those people who had so selflessly and kind heartedly helped the victims directly or indirectly. You may have donated some money,you may have shared some words of sympathy,you may have helped out in a collection centre. Whatever it was, however small you thought it was, all of it was worthwhile. Every little bit had helped the victims in some ways or another, I'm very sure of that.

To those who died, I pray that you find peace. To their families and loved ones, I pray that you will find the strength to move on in life. What has happened,has happened. We must move on but we don't have to forget. The memories of those who died in the tsunami will forever remain in our hearts.

We will all always remember December 26th 2004.

Looking for Dr. Arifin Sutan Sjahrir

2005-12-25T14:45:00.000+08:00

I am hoping to hear some news of Dr, Arifin Sutan Sjahrir, or any member of his family in Malaysia who can enlighten me on their situation. I have heard nothing from him since the Tsunami. We corresponded as friends prior to the disaster.

Many thanks

D.R.Holmes
England

NOTE:If you know anything of Dr Arifin,please email the admin of this blog. Thanks.

5.9 - West Coast of Sumatra

2005-10-12T11:58:00.000+08:00

I felt a small tremors and blogged about this in my personal blog.

Date : 11 Oct. 2005

Time : 11.07 pm

Place : Penang
Did anyone feel tremors? I do. Just a mild one but the water in the aquarium did shake a bit.

True enough, an earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Ritcher scale struck off the west coast of Sumatra at 11.05pm.

Confirmed by the Meteorological Department.

I wonder if other Penangites/Malaysians feel the tremors?

The Deadly Dec 26 Tsunami That Changed Our Lives Forever

2005-08-11T21:51:00.000+08:00

It has already been eight months since the deadly Dec 26 tsunami hit Asia. This terrible tragedy which struck us so suddenly will forever remain in our memories for generations to come.

I live in Penang Island. A quiet, peaceful and beautiful tropical island located in Peninsular Malaysia. An island that is reknowned for it's pristine white sandy beaches and is a very well known and popular tourist destination. On December 26 2004 - pandemonium struck. Giant waves swept into the coastal beaches of Penang and our lives changed forever. We now realise how fragile life really is and how easily it can be taken away from us.

When the tsunami first hit Penang, there was a news blackout for a few hours and many did not know what had really happened. You would be surprised that in some places no one even knew the magnitude of the disaster only until a few days later.

I started this blog six days after the Tsunami hit. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Blogs are powerful tools for disseminating information. I only realised this after having started this blog. There were several satisfying and notable accomplishments that this blog achieved. I received many emails and most of them were from people all over the world that were concerned about their loved ones and friends. There were even a few cases where this blog had successfully reunited long lost friends! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the contributors of tsunamipenang.blogspot.com who had helped me so much in running and maintaining this blog. Especially Cynical-Idealist, DannyFoo and Eric Ho.

A friend of mine who works in a popular hotel in Batu Ferringhi which is the most popular beach destination in Penang for tourists, told me that their room occupancy rate had dropped tremendously after the tsunami tragedy. As we all know,the tourism and hotel industry are always sensitive to such things. However, tourists are slowly returning now which is a good thing.

Yes. The Asian Tsunami was a terrible tragedy but the fact remains that life goes on and that we should never live life in fear. Staying away doesn't help. I truly hope that more tourists would return to Penang, Phuket, Bali and also to the other countries that were hit by the tsunami.

Here are some useful links for more information on Penang Island.
Penang - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Penang Community Forum
Tourism Penang : The official website of Penang by the Penang State Tourism

Latest report on last night's quake

2005-03-29T16:06:00.000+08:00

322 officially confirmed dead in Indonesia,based on latest official reports from Indonesia. The Indonesian authorities estimate that the death toll may amount to 1000 or 2000. Nias, a small island off the western coast of Sumatera was directly and most badly affected. The quake has been re-rated to 8.7 on the Richter Scale.

Quake puzzles tsunami experts. Many expected this quake to trigger a tsunami devastation similar to that of December 26,however,strangely it did not. Only a small wave was detected by a tide gauge on Cocos Island near Australia, about 2400 kilometres south of the epicentre. Some scientists believe the depth of the quake was the reason no tsunami was generated. The US Geological Survey said Monday's quake struck about 30 kilometres under the seabed. The December 26 quake was closer to the surface. This example goes to show the difficulties in predicting tsunamis.

Situation in Penang Island.
At 2.30am today. About 2.5 hours after the quake, the roar and humming of motorboat engines could be heard along the beach areas. Possibly, patrol boats scampering along the coastal seas of Penang trying to warn the fishermen who were out at sea of a possible tsunami attack. The local authorities have reacted to this new tsunami threat remarkably quick and it shows that they are now prepared. We have learned from the past.

7.00am. The worst to fear was over. The tsunami that everyone feared would strike again never did happen. It was already past 5 hours from the time the quake occurred.

4.00pm. The loud buzz of helicopter rotor blades can be heard throughout the day since dawn. Helicopters can be seen patrolling the skies of Penang Island. The noise that these helicopters produce are a little unnerving, but it's assuring to know that the local authorities are taking all precautions necessary to help prevent another disaster.

8.2 Magnitude Scale Earthquake Shakes Aceh

2005-03-29T03:00:00.002+08:00

Aceh, Acehkita Earthquake of an 8.2 Magnitude scale returns to shake Aceh and the North Sumatera. The Aceh people are reported to be in a state of panic and nervous that there will be a repeat of the December 26 tsunami incident.

Until this news comes down, communication to Aceh remains confidential. Acehkita tried contacting the Meteorological and Geophysical Body of Banda Aceh but couldn’t be connected as all communication has been cut. In conjunction, the US Geological Survey Group reports the quake happened at 23:10PM. According to the readings, the quake happened at a distance of 205KM off the Sibolga shores, Northern Sumatera at a depth of 30KM below sea level.

Our contributor in Aceh at Banda Aceh reports, during the earthquake for 5 minutes, it caused an outstanding panic situation. Electric power was out. People were running aimlessly in the darkness of night. Some people were running out of their homes with valuables. “I’m really afraid of another tsunami like the past December,” said one person.

Because of that, some people are busy seeking higher territorial ground like Blang Bintang, in Aceh besar, roughly 35KM from the center of Banda Aceh.

At Peuniti, Banda Aceh, some people are loading valuables from their house onto vehicles to move then to higher territories. At Beurawe, people are running in the direction of the mosque. Prayers chants can be heard from mosques. The panic situation has caused a massive traffic jam on the bridge of Simpang Surabaya.

Bireuen is also in a state of panic. The Polsek and Koramil members are working to calming the public that have brought out valuables from their homes. After hearing the orders, people have shifted their valuables back into their homes. But the public still prefers to anxiously stay outside their houses.

Minutes after the earthquake, our Acehkita contributor at Bireuen just arrived at the Kuta Blang beach to observe the ocean calming.

In the meantime, at Lhokseumawe, people living in the villages (Pusong Baro, Pusong Lama and Ujong Blang) near the beach are running towards Kandang and Panggoi. Our Acehkita contributor at Lhokseumawe reports, TNI are in time to prevent people from fleeing to outside the city. An earthquake also happened at Pidie.

Mukhtar, a Lhokseumawe citizen said that he managed to flee with his family just in time without reason. “What’s important is to be far away from the ocean in anticipating if another tsunami occurs,” he said.

Translated From: AcehKita.com

Indonesians living in coastal areas are evacuating

2005-03-29T02:33:00.000+08:00

NTV7,a Malaysian TV news channel reports that the Indonesian authorities have ordered an evacuation of residents living in the coastal areas off Aceh and it's vicinity. Military lorries and soldiers were shown assisting in the mass evacuations.

In Malaysia, the TV news channel also reported that Malaysian government officials and emergency units are on the alert. People living in coastal zones of Penang Island, Kedah and Langkawi are urged to temporarily move to higher grounds in fear of another tsunami attack.

The latest earthquake recorded on a seismograph. Taken from ChannelNewsAsia

Will this be as bad?

2005-03-29T01:56:00.000+08:00

As I am sitting here at 2am in the morning, many things run through my mind.

I felt the tremors at around 12.10 midnight worse than the one that cause the tsunami. My neighbours who evacuated to the open ground also agreed with this. We are staying at Medan Lumba Kuda, a low rise, 5-storey apartment.

I can't help but wonder if our little island in Penang will be spared this time, should there be another tsunami? Are we prepared this time? What are we supposed to do? There are so many questions running through my mind.

Being a mother to school going children, in St. Xavier Institution and St. Xavier Primary School, I am definitely not going to allow them to go to school tomorrow morning. I cannot bear the thoughts of not having them near me. The last time when the tsunami happened, it was during the school holidays. They are home. What if something like this happened when our children and spouses were away. I cannot imagine the agony I will feel.

I had blogged a little about the tremors at my new domain at http://chanlilian.net.

It is sad that even in our little peaceful island, we have to worry about these things now. I pray that we will all be safe and there will be no more tsunami.

Warning! Possible tsunami threat

2005-03-29T01:45:00.000+08:00

It was reported in CNN that Thailand has issued a warning that the quake could bring a tsunami to its southern provinces. The warning, which was carried on national television, cautioned people in the six provinces to be careful and vigilant, but did not order evacuations.

Malaysians should be vigilant too. The epicentre of this latest Indonesian quake is very close to the location of the recent boxing day quake that triggered the deadly December 26 tsunami. Preliminary reports of this latest quake measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale, but based on witness accounts throughout Malaysia, the tremors that were felt were must worse.

Tremor was felt throughout Malaysia and Singapore

2005-03-29T01:37:00.000+08:00

Areas reported by bystanders to have felt the tremor:

Bagan
Bangi
Bukit Jalil
Cheras
Cyberjaya
Ipoh
Kajang
Kedah
Klang
Lumut
Manjung
Pahang
Puchong
Penang
Subang
Wangsa Maju

Singapore

Source: Low Yat Forum

Buildings in Penang shook violently

2005-03-29T01:04:00.000+08:00

Mount Erskine,Penang: An eyewitness reported that his apartment block located in Mount Erskine,Penang shook so violently that many residents scrambled down to the ground level for safety,himself included.

Georgetown,Penang: An eyewitness living in a double storey grounded house reported that the whole building shook and even photoframes on the walls were displaced.

Butterworth,Penang Mainland: An eyewitness in Butterworth reported that his computer monitor shooked violently for a few minutes. He also claims he saw street lamps on the street outside his house swaying!

Earthquake confirmed in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia

2005-03-29T00:46:00.000+08:00

The earthquake has been reported by US Geological Survey that it measured 8.2 on the Richter Scale. Much stronger than the previous one on December 26th.

The epicentre of the quake was reported to have been at sea off the coast of Medan Indonesia at Indonesian local time 11:09:37 PM on Monday, March 28, 2005.

Note: Malaysian local time is an hour ahead of Indonesia's.

Malaysian mobile phone lines are down

2005-03-29T00:34:00.000+08:00

Malaysia.12.40am

Maxis mobile phones lines are all down. They are either jammed up or something terrible has happened. Let's pray it's the former.

BIG EARTHQUAKE FELT AT 12.10AM MALAYSIAN TIME!!!

2005-03-29T00:23:00.000+08:00

Malaysia,29 March 2005,12.10am.

A huge tremor was felt in Penang, Butterworth and as far as Teluk Intan Perak just minutes back. It lasted for a few minutes and witness accounts say that it felt stonger than the recent earthquake on December 26th.

News - Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys Head To Malaysia For Tsunami Relief

2005-03-13T23:38:00.000+08:00

What unites poeple, regardless of their age, race, religion or creed, is a tragedy that claims an insurmountable loss of life and, in its wake, leaves the living forever scarred. And what happened on that fateful day - Dev 26 last year - would be echoed through time, for such a tragedy will not be easily forgotten. Even now, months since the Tsunami tragedy, the outpouring of help and support continues.

Black Eyed Peas, Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean are teaming up to raise money for tsunami victims by throwing a concert in a nation within the devastated region: Malaysia on March 18 in Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil,Kuala Lumpur. Under the banner Force of Nature for Tsunami Aid, the concert will also present Hong Kong stars such as rocker Nicholas Tse, singer/actress Yumiko Cheng, and international celebrity Jackie Chan. The slate of Malaysian acts set to appear includes veteran singer Sheila Majid, Dayang Nurfaizah, Anuar Zain and vocal group Innuendo.

Organizers hope that the Force of Nature concert reminds people not only that the relief effort is far from over, but also that a bigger power than the tsunami could be the human spirit.

The Force of Nature concert tickets are priced at RM82, RM182, RM242, RM352 and RM552 and can be booked through www.axcess.com.my or you can call 03-77115000. For more information on Force of Nature, you can visit the website at www.forceofnature.org.

Locating friends - Kenneth Rodriguez and Rizal Razman

2005-03-03T00:41:00.000+08:00

I am writing to you because I have not heard from two of my friends in Malaysia since the tsunami occurred. I only have their e-mail addresses to contact them and I have had no response. Their names are Kenneth Rodriguez and Rizal Razman. Kenneth works for Motorola and Rizal works for the University as a professor. Is there any way I can find out if they’re okay? Please let me know. Thank you for your help! From Trisha Voeltz.

You can email her here.

Info - Volunteer Vacation

2005-03-01T20:35:00.000+08:00

Don't know what to do for the approaching summer or spring break?

Why not travel to an exotic holiday destination to have a taste of tropical paradise and at the same time lend a hand to help the tsunami victims in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak,Thailand.

Alternatively, you could also head to Sri Lanka to help rebuild homes for families of poor fishermen.

Generosity, compassion, and kindness are all food for the soul. Be a part of the global humanitarian effort. As one volunteer in Thailand expressed, “I came to realize that the victims, both the ones who died and the ones who survived the tsunami, are the same as those who have come to help them. For they would do the same for us had things turned out just a little bit differently.”

News - Former US Presidents Visit Indonesia's Tsunami-Devastated Aceh Province

2005-02-22T23:23:00.000+08:00

20 Feb,Aceh,INDONESIA, Former U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton toured Indonesia's Aceh region Sunday to see firsthand the destruction caused by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami that struck a dozen Indian Ocean countries. The aim of their visit is to keep donor interest alive during the rebuilding phase. Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Sunday before flying to Aceh Province. They discussed accountability and transparency in the distribution of aid. Indonesia is ranked as one of the world's most corrupt countries but Mr. Yudhoyono reassured the former presidents aid money would be spent wisely. Mr. Bush and Mr. Clinton then flew over Aceh, much of which was destroyed by the tsunami. Roads and bridges are gone, and whole communities have been wiped out. Mr. Clinton said he had never seen anything like the Aceh destruction. He estimated it would take three to five years for the region to recover. More than 290,000 people were killed by the December 26 tsunami, most of them in Aceh. More than a million were displaced. Mr. Bush says he hopes their visit will help aid efforts. "What we want to do is just to be sure that we keep the interest of the American people up, the private sector so they will continue to generously support whatever efforts are determined best on the ground," said George H.W. Bush.

Source : VOA News

News - Tsunami uncovers ancient city in India

2005-02-22T23:15:00.000+08:00

MAHABALIPURAM,India. Archaeologists have begun underwater excavations of what is believed to be an ancient city and parts of a temple uncovered by the tsunami off the coast of a centuries-old pilgrimage town.

Three rocky structures with elaborate carvings of animals have emerged near the coastal town of Mahabalipuram, which was battered by the Dec. 26 tsunami. As the waves receded, the force of the water removed sand deposits that had covered the structures, which appear to belong to a port city built in the seventh century.

The government-run archaeological society and navy divers began underwater excavations of the area on Thursday.

Source : Sun Sentinel.

News - Asian tsunami deadliest natural disaster in 500 years

2005-02-14T00:05:00.000+08:00

The death toll from the earthquake-generated tsunami in Asia made 2004 the deadliest year for earthquakes in five centuries, the U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday. The agency estimated the toll from the Dec. 26 tsunami at 275,950. Waverly Person, director of the agency's earthquake information center in Golden, Colo., said he expects the final count to be even higher.

Based on the agency's estimate, 2004 would have counted an earthquake death toll of 276,856, the second highest in recorded history.

The deadliest quake on record occurred Jan. 23, 1556, when a magnitude 8 earthquake killed an estimated 830,000 people in Shansi, China.

Source : azcentral.com

News - Survivor found 45 days after tsunami

2005-02-14T00:02:00.000+08:00

CAMPBELL BAY, INDIA - A young woman who lived on wild fruits and coconuts for 45 days after the tsunami devastated India's Andaman Islands has been rescued. Local police said the 18-year-old was rescued on Wednesday from the southern Andaman island of Pillopanja. Her husband and one-year-old child are missing and presumed dead. Police said another resident returned to the devastated island and found the seriously ill woman on a deserted beach. She's receiving medical treatment for malnutrition and mosquito bites. The young woman fled to the island's forests when the killer waves struck, but did not emerge in time to be evacuated to nearby Campbell Bay island with the rest of the people on Pillopanja who survived the disaster. About 2,000 people are confirmed to have died when the tsunami hit the Andaman Islands. Another 5,500 are still missing and presumed dead.

Source : CBC News

News - Tsunami death toll now at 295,000

2005-02-10T19:03:00.000+08:00

Latest Confirmed Death Toll
Indonesia: 242,347
Sri Lanka: 30,957
India: 16,389
Thailand: 5,393
Maldives: 82
Malaysia: 68
Myanmar: 61
Bangladesh: 2
Somalia: 298
Tanzania: 10
Kenya: 1

Total: 295,608

This figures include 127,774 listed as missing in Indonesia and 5,640 in India. Those missing are now considered dead.

In addition, 3,071 people are still listed as missing in Thailand and 5,637 in Sri Lanka but are not included in the toll because of possible double counting.

Source : IOL.CO.ZA

Football for Hope

2005-02-10T18:47:00.000+08:00

An all-star soccer match to raise money for tsunami victims is set for Feb 15 in Barcelona's Nou Camp Stadium in Spain. All proceeds from the "Football for Hope" match will go to the Tsunami Solidarity Fund set up by FIFA and AFC. FIFA's player of the year, Ronaldinho, and Europe's player of the year, Andriy Shevchenko, will captain the two sides.

Shevchenko XI
Coaches: Marcello Lippi (Italian national team), Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid).
Defenders: Kakhaber Kaladze (Georgia, AC Milan), Christian Karembeu (France, Bastia), Vincent Kompany (Belgium, Anderlecht), Paolo Maldini (Italy, AC Milan), Carles Puyol (Spain, Barcelona).
Midfielders-Attackers: Michael Ballack (Germany, Bayern Munich), David Beckham (England, Real Madrid), Deco (Portugal, Barcelona), Alessandro Del Piero (Italy, Juventus), Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool), Thierry Henry (France, Arsenal), Raul Gonzalez (Spain, Real Madrid), Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine, AC Milan), Patrick Vieira (France, Arsenal), Johann Vogel (Switzerland, PSV Eindhoven), Zinedine Zidane (France, Real Madrid).

Ronaldinho XI
Coaches: Carlos Alberto Parreira (Brazilian national team), Frank Rijkaard (Barcelona).
Goalkeepers: Dida (Brazil, AC Milan), Idriss Kameni (Cameroon, Espanyol).
Defenders: Cafu (Brazil, AC Milan), Cordoba Ivan (Colombia, Inter Milan), Gabriel Heinze (Argentina, Manchester United), Radhi Jaidi (Tunisia, Bolton), Samuel Kuffour (Ghana, Bayern Munich), Rafael Marquez Alvarez (Mexico, Barcelona), Lucas Radebe (South Africa, Leeds), Javier Zanetti (Argentina, Inter Milan).
Midfielders-Attackers: Cha Doo-ri (South Korea, Eintracht Frankfurt), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, Barcelona), Kaka (Brazil, AC Milan), Mehdi Mahdavikia (Iran, Hamburg), Ronaldinho (Brazil, Barcelona), Sebastian Deisler (Germany, Bayern Munich), Ji-sung Park (South Korea, PSV Eindhoven), Ludovic Giuly (France, Barcelona), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea).

News - Politics could sink revamped tsunami warning system

2005-02-09T01:01:00.000+08:00

WASHINGTON, Driven by the suffering and destruction from the Indian Ocean tsunami and the potential for a similar calamity in the United States, the White House and Congress have moved quickly to offer plans for significantly beefing up an early-warning system to detect killer waves. Yet despite bright science and good intentions, the long-term success of a more robust tsunami warning system could hinge more on politics and the competition for scarce dollars than on technical wizardry.

Critics who fear that the funds needed for such a project would be at the expense of other existing US natural disaster warning systems say that the best protection, involves technology and education. People must know the warning signs and how to respond. Using an experience in Sri Lanka to illustrate the point. Shortly before the tsunami struck, people flocked to the beach to watch the ocean's dramatic and unusual retreat. That, of course, is a telltale sign of an approaching tsunami, but few people understood the phenomenon.

In my opinion, a tsunami early warning system should not just be a country's burden but a global initiative undertaken, possibly by the UN. A tsunami could hit anytime and anywhere in the world.

Source : Seattlepi.com

News - Tsunami death toll in Indonesia rises again

2005-02-07T01:00:00.000+08:00

INDONESIA'S health ministry said today the number of people dead and missing after December's earthquake and tsunami had risen by 1829 to 240,774.

The ministry said the number of people confirmed dead and buried was 113,000, while the number of people missing and almost certainly dead remained at 127,774.

Officials say the missing would only be confirmed dead after one year.

Different government agencies have given conflicting statistics on the casualty figure for the Indian Ocean disaster.

Stories - US civilians lend a helping hand

2005-02-06T22:54:00.000+08:00

Mother Without Borders is a group of civilian volunteers from Utah USA specializing in helping orphaned and disadvantaged children. Each year they lead dozens of volunteers who pay thousands of dollars to travel to Africa, where they spend their vacation time building schools or teaching mothers to crochet. They're used to traveling to remote areas but not disaster zones.

Click here to read first hand accounts of their experience and what they had to face at ground zero in Aceh Indonesia, the area worst hit by the asian tsunami.

News - Latest figures from Thailand

2005-02-05T01:37:00.000+08:00

Thailand. Latest figures are 5,392 dead, 3,066 missing, 8,457 affected. A mental health assessment of persons in the tsunami affected area will be carried out later this month. A temporary duty-free zone will be declared for the tsunami affected area in hopes of reviving tourism. Hotel occupancy is about 10% in affected provinces, compounding economic disaster.

Source : Wikipedia.

News - "Frustrated Cargo"

2005-02-04T23:29:00.000+08:00

Relief workers in Sri Lanka are having a difficult time sorting out piles of donated items that has been sent from all over the world by well wishers. Some of these items are now known as "Frustrated Cargo". Dubbed by relief workers because they are unusable and they just do not know what to do with them. Arctic jackets, sweaters, dress shoes, winter hats and even thongs are piling up in warehouses taking up valuable space. These items were all donated with good intentions but it's pretty obvious not much thought had gone into their selection process!

News - Indonesia death toll rises to 237,000!

2005-02-03T01:42:00.000+08:00

Indonesia's dead and missing from the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami rose to 237,072 as relief workers dug out more bodies in Aceh province, a government agency said.

More than a month after the disaster, which left more than 280,000 dead or missing in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean, estimates on the number of people needing food aid in Aceh, the worst-hit area, keep rising. The World Food Program is aiming to feed as many as 790,000 people in Aceh, double the amount of people the organization is feeding currently.

Read the full article here.

"In Your Memory" - a song dedicated to the victims of the tsunami

2005-02-01T01:42:00.000+08:00

I received a email request to post this up.

Kelly Snyder, a new singer-songwriter from New York wrote and sang this very touching song that she dedicates to the victims of the asian tsunami.

Take a listen, click here or here to listen to this poignant song and accompanying photo montage that says so much about how the world feels...

People from all over the world are truly shocked and saddened by what has happened in Asia and it's really heartwarming to know that despite all the political and cultural divide that's ravaging the world today - there's still kindness out there!

Thank you Kelly and all the best in your music career. You have a truly wonderful voice.

Let's hit the beach of Penang!

2005-01-30T16:58:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the irregular contribution. Not sure what to contribute 'cos mainadmin has done a good job compiling all the important news. But there is something that I would like to share with all the Penangites. This is just my personal thoughts related to the tsunami aftermath.

Since the fateful day until now, a month later, I have not taken my children to the beach. Usually, we will go to the beach every weekend, fishing, playing in the sands, swimming or just hanging around. We usually go to Sungai Batu in Teluk Kumbar, behind Dalat School and also Miami Beach. But now...*sigh* we seems to be hanging around shopping malls. Probably because of the heatwave too.

It is time we get back to the beach. Picnics, swimming, building sand-castles, so many things to do at the beaches of Penang.

News - Tsunami bringing long list of profiteers

2005-01-27T21:56:00.000+08:00

JAKARTA, Indonesia. -- For those looking to make a buck, head to tsunami-wrecked Sumatra. A land in need of plenty. This disaster, like others before it, has its long list of profiteers. Some are black market vendors making money off misery: pirated DVDs of the tsunami's real-life horror show are now on sale in Indonesia, Thailand and India. But there are also people and companies making legitimate profit from the business of disaster relief. Aid agencies distributing critical food and medical supplies are doing much of their buying locally - pumping millions of dollars into companies that make the dried noodles, rice, mineral water and medicine that gets handed out to survivors. USAID, the American government's foreign aid agency, has spent $39 million in Indonesia since the disaster struck, spokeswoman Roberta Rossi said by telephone from Banda Aceh. Buying supplies is only part of the expense. Cartons of aid need to be delivered in vehicles, and the agency allocated $1 million just to cover the rental of 80 trucks and drivers, Rossi said. Acehnese who speak English are also in high demand by aid agencies and journalists who need translators. The going rate is $50 a day - the rough equivalent of a civil servant's monthly wage in pre-disaster Aceh.

Read the full article here.

News - No laughing matter

2005-01-27T21:40:00.000+08:00

New York. The host of a New York morning radio show and the rest of her on-air crew were suspended indefinitely Wednesday for airing a tasteless song parody that mocked victims of the catastrophic South Asia tsunami. The song included references to "screaming chinks" and orphaned children "sold into child slavery." The chorus began, "So now you're screwed, it's a tsunami, you'd better run ... go find your mommy." The song, a parody of the charity single "We Are the World," aired last Friday on Emmis station WQHT-FM, known locally as Hot 97. The station was subsequently flooded with thousands of angry phone calls demanding the firing of morning show host Tarsha Jones, known on air as Miss Jones and her sidekick Todd Lynn.

Read the full article here.

Stories - Indonesian techie group seeks aid

2005-01-25T16:04:00.000+08:00

Indonesia. A group of IT techies are setting up wireless Internet kiosks across the Aceh city for aid groups and journalists. The group named The Aceh Media Center (acehmedia center.or.id/eng/) boasted more than 100,000 hits in less than a month of operations. The site includes frequent news updates and has a database of missing persons. Relief groups say that the service has been invaluable in helping them do their work as Banda Aceh slowly rebounds. Distribution and coordination were the biggest hurdles as some people gets rice and needed water; and others got water and needed rice.

The Aceh Media Center is still recruiting help to drive its expansion across the province, asking donors for 40 to 80 laptops, five global-positioning systems, five satellite phones, six pairs of wireless communications, and 20 walkie-talkies, among other things. They also want a solar panel and electrical generators to power the venture.

News - Deadline for tsunami donations in Malaysia

2005-01-25T15:52:00.000+08:00

Malaysia. All funds for local tsunami victims, including those set up by the media, must be closed by Feb 1. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who issued the directive yesterday, said that the last date for the collection of such tsunami-related funds was Jan 31. “After that, all these funds must be closed because the collection to date is more than adequate. We cannot have funds that are open-ended because that will give rise to the possibility of abuse,” he said after chairing a National Disaster Committee meeting here yesterday. He, however, said that organisers of funds for tsunami victims in other countries would be allowed to continue collecting donations. Najib said the collection for local tsunami victims currently stood at almost RM80mil, with nearly half of it already disbursed to the victims through the National Disaster Fund. He said that the committee, at the meeting, also approved aid for local tsunami victims whose household goods were lost or damaged in the disaster. Those who suffered losses of RM2,000 or more would receive RM2,000 while those whose losses were valued at less than RM2,000 would receive RM1,000.

Source: STAR North.

News - Missing considered dead

2005-01-25T15:48:00.000+08:00

Malaysians who were still missing in the country or in other parts of the region hit by the tsunami would now be considered dead. To date, 12 Malaysians are still missing – six in Penang and Kedah; and the rest in Phuket, Aceh and Sri Lanka. Their family members were urged to lodge police reports so that they would be eligible to receive the RM20,000 aid from the National Disaster Fund and other national aids.

Source: The STAR.

Stories - Tsunami ghosts haunting beach resorts

2005-01-23T04:34:00.000+08:00

Dark stories of ghosts has been spreading like wildfire at the beach resorts that were hit by the tsunami. Many locals in Phuket and Khao Lak claim that they have had ghostly sightings and meetings. One taxi driver in Phuket told a story of having picked up a foreigner and his Thai girlfriend, they were both heading to airport and when the driver turn around to collect his fare, his passengers had dissapeared!

Another story which had been circulating told of locals hearing people crying and partying by the beach but when they went closer to have a look, there was nobody around.

Guards at a beachfront plaza in Patong told AFP one of their men had quit after hearing a foreign woman cry "help me" all night long, and similar stories abound of a foreign ghost walking along the shoreline at night calling for her child.

The local Thais and Chinese have traditionally believed that spirits of people who died violently and unexpectedly will still roam the earth not knowing that they had passed on. Whether these wandering spirits are all hearsay or just rumours caused by mass hallucination, we won't really know.

News - Over 200,000 now

2005-01-21T01:16:00.000+08:00

Asian tsunami toll nears 220,000 confirming worst fears
20 January 2005 1539 hrs

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia : The death toll from last month's Indian Ocean
tsunamis shot up to nearly 220,000 as Indonesia reported thousands more
deaths, confirming fears over the extent of the carnage.

Indonesia's health ministry upped its toll by almost 70,000 late Wednesday,
taking the number dead on northern Sumatra island to 166,320.

The figure, reached when thousands said to be missing were listed as dead,
conflicted with a tally of 115,000 from the social affairs department.

However it appeared to be reaching the numbers that officials including the
UN's chief humanitarian coordinator, Jan Egeland, had warned to expect.

continue reading, click here:
Asian tsunami toll nears 220,000 confirming worst fears.

News - Body of fisherman recovered from the sea

2005-01-15T19:39:00.000+08:00

Penang, Malaysia. The decomposed body fished out from the sea off the Pulau Betong coast in Penang on Thursday is said to be that of fisherman Lee Kim Lay, 56, who was swept off the beach in Gertak Sanggul when the tsunami struck on Dec 26.

Lee's body was so decomposed that only the head and the spine were intact. His wife believed that the body could be that of the husband's based on the gaps found between his teeth.

A police spokesman said DNA samples had been obtained from Lee's son for comparison.

Four people are still reported missing.

Source: The STAR

Story - Finger rumour hits sales

2005-01-15T02:59:00.000+08:00

Penang, Malaysia. The seafood business in Malaysia reportedly has been hit by a post-tsunami rumour that a human finger had been found in a fish's belly.

Fish sales in Penang have plunged by about 50 per cent because of the story, The Star newspaper reported.

To counteract damage from the rumour, fish sellers served free meals to a large crowd in northern Penang state, where most of Malaysia's 68 tsunami deaths occurred.

"We hope the people will start buying fish again and ignore the rumour," said Tan Eng Wan, chairman of the Penang Association of Fish Sellers.

Hundreds of people jostled for the free food and organisers had to call in security guards to control the crowd, the newspaper said.

Source: smh.com.au.

Story - Tourists help rebuild Thai town

2005-01-15T02:50:00.000+08:00

A bunch of tourists have traded their swimsuits and sandals for shovel and boots to help rebuild Bang Tao, a village on the Thai resort island of Phuket leveled by the December 26 tsunami.

"You don't really want to be enjoying yourself while something like this is going on," said Russell Kerr, of Maghera, Northern Ireland

Richard Clinton, a policeman from Memphis, Tennessee, said he was moved to help after seeing images of the destruction. "I'm tired of just writing a check. In America, that's how we help," he said. "That's good, but this is better."

Read the full article here.

Source: CNN

News - Death toll nearly 160,000

2005-01-15T02:33:00.000+08:00

Indonesia: Confirmed dead at 113,306.

Sri Lanka: The overall death toll for Sri Lanka stands at 29,825. Missing are 5,806.

India: 10,672 dead; 5,711 missing -- 5,625 on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands -- the Indian government says.

Thailand: 5,309 dead, 3,396 missing. Many of the missing are presumed dead.

Somalia: 150, according to the United Nations.

Maldives: 82 dead, 26 missing, says the Maldives' National Disaster Center.

Malaysia: 68 dead, 6 missing.

Myanmar: 59 dead, according to the International Federation for the Red Cross, which is coordinating with the Myanmar government.

Tanzania: 10 dead, according to the U.N.

Bangladesh: 2 dead, according to the U.N.

Kenya: 1 dead, according to Kenyan media.

Seychelles: 3 dead, according to the U.N.

Source: CNN

News - Decomposed body found floating at sea in Penang

2005-01-14T14:34:00.000+08:00

A highly decomposed body was fished out from the sea off Pulau Betong Penang here yesterday.

Marine police found the body floating among a pile of rubbish while patrolling the sea about 3.30pm.

The body, believed to be that of a child, was found with only the upper portion and the head intact. It is said to have been in the sea for two weeks.

Balik Pulau OCPD Supt Shuib Husain said the body had been sent to Penang Hospital mortuary. He said they would be calling families of missing tsunami victims to identify the body.

Source: Extracted from The STAR

Missing Person - Daniel Khar from Kuala Lumpur now living in Penang

2005-01-13T22:49:00.000+08:00

I wanted to find out if Danny Khar, his wife and son are alright. He is originally from Kuala Lumpur, but was last living in Penang. If anyone knows Danny please send a message back. Thank you.

Please email Dale.

Missing Person - Looking for Yee Vonne Khoo formerly from Oxford University,England

2005-01-13T22:46:00.000+08:00

I'm trying to contact a friend called Yee Vonne Khoo who was a student of St
Hilda's College, Oxford University, England between 1999 and 2001. I really need to know that she's ok.

Please email Kulvinder.

Free e-mail manager for your compassion

2005-01-13T01:20:00.000+08:00

Malaysian homegrown software developer Chrysanth Software Sdn Bhd has launched a campaign to reward caring Malaysians who have donated to the various funds for victims of the Asian tsunami.

The company will give away free copies of the commercial version of its recently-launched Chrysanth Mail Manager spam-blocking and e-mail management software to Malaysians who have donated RM50 or more to charitable organisations. The campaign ends on Feb 28.

The campaign website is here or you can also fax or e-mail a receipt of your donation to (603) 8076-2918 or tsunamidonation@chrysanth.com

Read the full article here.

Source: The STAR.

Video - Terrifying newly released video clip

2005-01-12T01:25:00.000+08:00

This newly released video clip shot by an amateur was first shown on Metro TV Indonesia on Sunday night. The video shows brown murky sea water racing up a busy street and consuming everything in it's path. Vehicles, motorcycles, vans, all sorts of debris and even a huge tree was carried away by the savage waves. People were scrambling to safety and one unfortunate van driver was caught right in middle of the gushing waves. Take notice of the blue van and it's driver still in it, at the beginning of the video clip.

Click here to view the video. It requires RealPlayer.

Donation - Tsunami Fund: Public may donate at 130 main post offices nationwide

2005-01-12T01:19:00.000+08:00

Pos Malaysia Berhad (PMB) launched a fund-raising tsunami campaign with Mercy Malaysia yesterday at the General Post Office at Dayabumi Complex here, to help the Dec 26 tsunami victims.

130 main post offices and 35 PosLaju centres nationwide operate from 8.30am to 5pm on Monday to Saturday for goods and monetary donations from the public.

The donated goods have to be in sealed boxes, labelled with its contents and addressed to "Mercy Malaysia - For Victims in Aceh, Indonesia."

As for monetary donations, the preference is for money order or postal order made payable to the "Mercy Humanitarian Fund" at a minimum of RM5. All commissions earned on the purchase of Money Order and Postal Order will be added to the fund.

Read the rest of the Malay Mail article here.

News - Indonesia fears for safety of foreign aid workers

2005-01-11T23:44:00.000+08:00

Indonesia's northern tip of Acheh has been an area embroiled by fighting between government troops and separatist groups for many years. The Indonesian authority now claims that these rebels pose as a danger to foreign aid workers, luckily, these claims have not been backed up. Indonesia is arguably the worst affected country by the deadly tsunamis and the death toll continues to rise everyday. Let's hope political and religious differences does not rear it's ugly head at such a critical time and impede the relief efforts which Indonesia so badly needs.

News - Largest tsunami ID center in Thailand

2005-01-11T23:34:00.000+08:00

Interpol has set up the largest tsunami identification center in Thailand to help identify the missing locals and tourists through DNA, teeth and fingerprints.

For the full article, go here.

Tsunami survivors face uncertain future

2005-01-11T01:33:00.000+08:00

Two weeks after the tsunami struck countries around the Indian Ocean, thousands of survivors are now slowly returning to their homes without knowing what the future holds for them and whether their friends and relatives are alive. Staggered by the scale of the disaster, aid officials said they might have to feed as many as two million survivors a day for six months.

At least five million are now homeless in the tsunami-hit countries.

While victims of the tsunami in Malaysia and Thailand are fast getting back to their normal life with government assistance, the survivors in other places like Aceh and Sri Lanka will probably take as long as 10 years before they see full reconstruction of their districts and provinces.

Read the full article here.

Source: The STAR.

Children around the world pitch in to help

2005-01-11T01:06:00.000+08:00

Their contributions may pale in comparison when compared to the millions that their adult counterparts are generously donating, but size doesn't always matter. Their contributions may be small but their little hearts are just as big. Children all over the world with no earning power have come out with many ingenious ways to also do their bit for humanity.

A 5-year-old Milford boy spent a chilly Sunday selling cookies and lemonade to raise money for the tsunami survivors. "There are people who don't have food or homes that need help," said Brandon Dicicco, who set up the lemonade stand on New Haven Avenue as temperatures dipped near freezing. "It's good to help other people."

In Houston,some very young Houstonians rolled out some cookie dough and baked goodies for a chance to help those tsunami victims, and they raised thousands!

help needed at POHD

2005-01-10T17:15:00.000+08:00

sorry if this is kind of late but i just heard of it.

help needed at POHD office tonight after 7.00pm to pack lots of stuffs into at least 1000 boxes.

if you are free, do drop in.

POHD relief centre.
pusat keuskupan katolik
290 macalister road
(opposite YMCA)

thanks.

Tsunami survivor raped by rescuer

2005-01-10T01:49:00.000+08:00

I couldn't really believe this headline when I first saw it while scouring the web. A teenager in Sri Lanka whose father, mother and seven relatives were all killed by the tidal waves had much to thank when someone saved her. She was the sole survivor of her entire family. A man reached out for her hand and dragged her to safety. This hero of a man had saved her life...or so it seems.(Please try to contain your disgust or anger when you read this article. Evil still lives amongst us.)

Read the article here.

Source: CBS News

News - Collecting corpses to protect the living

2005-01-10T01:07:00.000+08:00

Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Fourth-year medical student Agil Daeng may not be treating tsunami victims in hospitals, but his service is just as important – collecting corpses and body parts to prevent the spread of disease.

“As a medical student, I know I should be helping at hospitals. But many people are already here to help the sick,” said the 23-year-old student of Jakarta’s Trisakti University.

“If we do not collect the corpses fast, wabak-wabak cepat merebak (various diseases will spread),” he said, while pulling out an arm out of a mound of earth.

“Thousands of corpses were piled up everywhere. It was as though a bomb had gone off here. The bloated bodies have begun to rot,” he said.

“One pak cik’s mouth was open and maggots were crawling out, macam piring nasi tumpah dari mulutnya (like a plate of rice spilling from his mouth).”

Read the full article here.

Source: The STAR.

Searching for friends Easter and Albert of Kuala Lumpur

2005-01-09T14:34:00.000+08:00

I am searching for a friend in KL. During the year 1987 I was in KL Taman Batu near Jinjang Selatan. I was sharing a room in their terrace house there. Her name is Easter, and she was working in the big hospital in Jalan Pahang and he by the name of Albert was working in a carpet company. She had parents in Seramban and he had all his sisters in KL. She looks like a chinese and they both a had child. Last I met them in my coffee shop in Penang with their new born child in 1991. Anyone knows their whereabout,please tell them to email me as now I am in the USA[FLORIDA].

Important - Tsunami victims search site

2005-01-09T01:10:00.000+08:00

PhuketCity - tsunami victims search. They urgently require foreign speaking volunteers
South Thailand tsunami victims search site
Thailand's official tsunami and disaster centre

Story - Fisherman saw unusual signs while out at sea

2005-01-09T01:02:00.000+08:00

A Pulau Betong fisherman said he saw unusual signs while out at sea on the day the tsunami hit Penang.

Mohd Romadzi, who is also secretary of the Pulau Betong Fishermen’s Association, said the water was unusually shallow when he set out to sea around 5.45am on Dec 26.

“Normally, I would have to really use a lot of power to get the boat out to sea but on that morning, it just glided through. I decided to go to Pasir Panjang and set out my net but all I could catch was one prawn, which was really puzzling,” said Mohd Romadzi.

Read the full article here.

Source: The STAR

Story - Tales from the darkside

2005-01-08T13:41:00.000+08:00

The tourists can still be heard on this Thai paradise isle, only now local people say they are voices from beyond the grave. Devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami, Koh Phi Phi, a holiday mecca typified in the Leonardo DiCaprio film "The Beach", has become an island inhabited mainly by rescue workers and ghosts. "I heard some foreigners calling out to me last night, saying 'Come on, come on, come and join our party'," said Prajit Sumta, a carpenter who is one of the few Thais to have stayed on the tiny island since the killer waves. "But then I looked round and realised I was all on my own."

Holidaymakers are not the only ones whose spirits are said to be haunting Phi Phi's palm-fringed beaches. "One of the women who worked in the bank came to me in a dream telling me that her body had not yet been found. She wanted to show me where it was," Prajit said.

Read the full article here.

Source: Reuters Alertnet

News - Beware of bogus charity organizations

2005-01-08T10:52:00.000+08:00

Please exercise caution and due diligence when donating to charitable organizations, or your hard-earned money could end up not in the hands of the intended tsunami victims but in the hands of heartless unscrupulous people.

At a time of unprecedented giving, the FBI warns that Internet scams are emerging. It's estimated that private donations in the United States have topped $200 million for tsunami victims. Experts warn the spirit of giving can become a breeding ground for fraud.

To avoid having the money going to scam artists, you can research the charities by going to:
Give.Org
Charitywatch.Org
FreedomCorps.Gov

Note: This notice is targetted to American donors only. Donors from other countries are advised to check with their local government authorities or donate only to reputable and well known charity organizations. Email solicitations or appeals should never be entertained.

News - Latest total number of dead

2005-01-08T01:27:00.000+08:00

Total number of dead: latest figures

Death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunami, according to government and health
officials

Reuters
Friday January 7, 2005 9.15am

East Africa - 137 (Including Kenya, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Madagascar)
Bangladesh - 2
Burma - 59
India - 15,684 (dead or presumed dead)
Indonesia - 101,318
Malaysia - 74
Maldives - 74
Sri Lanka - 30,680
Thailand - 5,291

Total - 153,319

Story - Lucy Friedland's article

2005-01-07T23:43:00.000+08:00

found this at jeff ooi's blog. since it was a story from penang, and an interesting one, decided to post it here.

mud and makan.

for those who don't understand, 'makan' is the malay word for 'eat'.

News - Pose as tsunami victims at your own peril

2005-01-07T23:18:00.000+08:00

Those who pose as tsunami victims and apply for aid do so at their own peril.

They may be jailed for up to 20 years and fined RM10,000 or five times the sum involved whichever is the higher.

Penang ACA director Abu Kassim Mohamed, who gave the warning today, said people who were not affected by the tsunami should not take advantage of the situation to make false claims as this is a serious offence.

Abu Kassim said no report had been received of such claims in the northern states of Kedah, Perak and Penang.

However, ACA officials were on the alert for any complaint or suspicion.

"If you know of any one who has made false claims, please alert us or lodge a police report. The agency will take each complaint seriously.”

He was speaking to newsmen after witnessing the handing over of duties by Perak ACA director Zainol Abdullah to Mohamed Tahir Awang Abdullah, the former Kedah ACA director.

Source: NST

By Email - Thinking of you

2005-01-07T23:17:00.000+08:00

Just a tourist who has spent several wonderful holidays in Penang. Hope the island and the people recover. Our thoughts are with Sparkie the tailor opposite the Holiday Inn, Staff at Parkroyal, Golden Sands and Holiday Inn. Especially thinking of Helena and her family at Helena's cafe near the Parkroyal.

McKechnie and Langridge families

News - Malaysia to have it's own tsunami alert centre

2005-01-07T23:13:00.000+08:00

Malaysia will set up a tsunami alert centre, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said today.

“We were all caught by surprise on Dec 26. We do not want this to happen again.”

He was speaking to newsmen after sending off the second batch of search and rescue volunteers to Aceh at the TUDM Subang airport.

At present, a tsunami alert centre in Hawaii collects information about possible tidal waves. Pacific Rim countries coordinate and share their observations of the activities in the ocean.

Nazri noted that one of the topics discussed at the emergency summit of world leaders in Jakarta was on having an alert centre in this region. However, its location has not been decided.

He said regardless of the outcome, Malaysia has decided to have its own tsunami alert centre.

“We do not want to be too dependent on the regional centre.”

Source: NST

Video section

2005-01-07T23:01:00.000+08:00

A small video section has been added to the sidebar if you've missed it. Viewers are required to have Windows Media Player 9 and above installed. If you don't have this installed, you can download it HERE.

News - Island's sole survivor

2005-01-07T21:32:00.000+08:00

When the waves stopped battering school teacher James Mathews, he found himself surrounded by bodies. There was nothing on the horizon except a choppy sea, as every building on his island had been levelled.

Mathews, 42, was the only survivor on an Indian island of 600 people which was lashed by the December 26 tidal waves, reports said on Thursday.

Read the full article here.

Source: news24

Come Home to Penang

2005-01-07T14:02:00.000+08:00

This is an advertisement in the Star Metro Northern Region.

Personally, I feel Penang doesn't have to try so hard to make a statement like this because our island has so much to offer to tourists, overseas and local. (The advertisement is accompanied with a write up on how little we suffered from the tsunami.)

Penang has earned a name in the world now as being one of the little island slightly struck by the tsunami. Why not just boost up our promotions on the beauty of the island instead of trying to compare the devastation? We know it is a fact that Phuket, Maldives and Sri Lanka have suffered some repercussions of the tragedies and disasters. So, let us as Penangites take this opportunity to portray to the world how great we were and still are, tsunami or not. Let's try to do our bit to help the families who were affected by the tsunami to get back on their feet and look forward to promote the island.

*I am a new blogger who likes to see things differently. My postings will be mostly thoughts I have on the tsunami and how it affects laymen like me. I have just set up a new blog 'Faces of Penang' and hope to do my part in promoting the island.*

News - Football clubs and fans in England do their bit

2005-01-07T13:15:00.000+08:00

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and other English Premiership clubs pledged at least one million pounds (1.8 million dollars) in aid for victims of Asia's tsunami disaster.

All 20 clubs in the top flight have promised 50,000 pounds each to help provide relief to an area where English football is followed passionately

Read the full article here.

Source : Yahoo Sports

News - Rizal wants to stay in Malaysia

2005-01-07T11:51:00.000+08:00

Rizal Shahputra, the lucky Indonesian who spent nine days sitting on a tree trunk afloat at sea and was found by a passing ship, and subsequently brought safely to Port Klang Malaysia wants to stay in Malaysia. Rizal who lost his family, some relatives and his house to the tidal waves hopes he could stay on in Malaysia as he has nothing else to go back to in Banda Aceh.

Read the full article here.

Source : The STAR