Friend in Thailand is OK

[galaxie]

But holy crap what an ordeal!

So my favourite customer from work was in Thailand over Christmas, as soon as I found out about the Tsunami I was scared shitless that he'd been hurt, or possibly worse.

I've been trying to get ahold of him ever since - by e-mail, phone, etc. but no response. I even called the hotline and said he was my uncle to find out if there was a file open for him.

He FINALLY e-mailed me today, amazingly he's OK, here's the short version of his ordeal:

Hi, Natalie,
I'm back and fine thanks - it's nice to hear you were concerned;
I'm sorry that I could not have got in touch with you sooner.
For the record, I was on Phuket snapping shots of the first wave
at Karon Beach ( next door to Patong Beach where 500 were killed ) when
the second big one hit. Fortunately, I saw it coming and ran for it and
luckily was able to slip between two buildings on the high side of the
street corner just before the wave hit and was protected behind them
while the water raced down the streets and through hotels, restaurants
and businesses dragging cars and what have you along with it. My hotel
was destroyed, two dead, the beach front annihilated but fortunately
most people were spared as the first minor wave provide a heads up for
ten minutes prior to the arrival of the second ugly one; no help was
seen until three hours later!!! I spent the next two days helping clean
up the mess.
Anyways, there is lots to tell and I'm putting together a more
detailed synopsis for everyone with some of the many pictures that I was
able to take.
I'll call you soon.

Thank goodness.
I just about started bawling here at my desk.
<3

[Gusto]

glad your friend is okay. my parents left for thailand last week. they had booked a vacation before the tsunami, and decided to go anyway. they are planning on meeting some friends there who are already helping out and pitching in as well. should be interesting, i'm not sure my mom will be able to handle it.. heh.

[galaxie]

^ wow. that's so awesome of them to give up what should be a "vacation" to help out!

[desiRAWR]

Wow! Glad that he finally got in touch with you! A friend of mine has been teaching in thailand for almost a year -- and when this happened I got worried. She emailed us all a few days afterwards though and said that she's on the opposite side of where it happened so she was spared, though a lot of the families of the children she works with had family members over on that side.

A girl in my class also had 2 family members killed, some missing and some injured because of it.

My heart goes out to all those families, and all the people who have fled TO that area to help out with the cleanup.

[Ree Fresh]

Crazy... Its so weird to think about the palces ive seen/been such as Patong Phuket and to think that its all gone and the hotel I stayed in is probly also destroyed.
Glad he's ok!

[mojo]

thats good to hear

[Euro Dollar]

i wanna see those pictures!

[galaxie]

^ No kidding. I'm sure they're unreal...

[neoh]

a family friend of ours died there :soak:

[galaxie]

:( sorry to hear that

[Euro Dollar]

shitteh...