Jan's Story

You might recall Jan. She is the woman who's wall we helped to rebuild. She then connected us with the children of Khao Lak who had been orphaned. Below is her story of the tsunami a year later...

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On beautiful Sunday morning, 26 December 2004, I got up in the early morning
as I have been doing for years to take the cool and pleasant morning air.
Having had breakfast and heading for school with no inkling that catastrophe
was about to happen in the next few hours. The killing Tsunami , this name
would perpetually imprinted in my mind.

At 9.45 am. I showered my dogs and cleaned my house and never thought that
it was the last day my car served its owner. I walked through the corridor
to the front of the house at which the door was already opened. Looking
around my house, it was the same scene I have seen everyday. Villagers
drove motorbikes around ,
I started working, being focused and hoped that half a pile of work would be
finished by noon. As time went by, I heard people shouted from the other
side of the road and I saw they were running jittery in the same direction
towards high land up to the mountain. They screamed, cried for help and
looked for their children.

I realized I had to run for my life if it true as their shouted should have
the water wall taller than two story building came so fast and strong. I
rushed to my car. Unfortunately, it was too late. The first wave pushed my
car and threw into the air. My car was thrown by the killing wave. The
water was came up to my neck. I do really shock I don‚t know what happen.

After recovering from a shock, I started looking around myself. A horrible
scene was looming and became vivid to my eyes. All area were covered with
water. Few mangled cars were pushed from the Bangniang beach and stuck
against the wrecked building. The only thing that could identify my house
location was the temple.About five minutes past, the water receded quickly
and the whirlpool drew every thing back to the sea.

Recovering from a shock, just like being popped out of hypnosis, I came down
the bamboo tree and walked back to my house to witness sadly the damages
and casualties. What I saw was the horrible scene I have never experienced
in my life. More than 30 of dead bodies, debris were scattered around on
muddy ground. I try to looked for my dogs but I cannot found any .I knew
that my life was changed when I lost them.

In a blink of an eye everything was washed away. Thank god, it was Sunday
and there was no my activities near by the beacch. I could not imagine what
would have been if it was my working day . What could have happened with my
life?
On 27 December 2004, I went back to my house a day after tsunami. Everywhere
was devastation. People were searching desperately among the debris for
their beloved ones. Some were looking for any valuable belongings that might
have been left. Some were stay on higher ground under the shading which made
from banana leaves.

Life must go on, I told myself that I could not waste a minute thinking
about this tragedy. I have to do every possible ways to start my life again.
With the cooperative effort from Nationwide volunteers and donors, I cannot
talk about how the government help us. That is not my important thing to
think about that.

Change is the law of life, being given a new life, a survivor from tsunami
disaster, I have learned to give more and more.

Difficult time may set us back, but we can brave through all hardship and
live a normal life again.

I vow to spend the rest of my life helping my students cross the bridge of
trouble water and walk gracefully towards success.

Loving, Caring, Sharing and Giving are happy words for all .
..............................

The government's plan to build the tsunami memorial inside a national park
sets a bad precedent, a leading environmentalist said yesterday. Suraphol
Duangkhae, of Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT), said the plan to place the
tsunami memorial and museum in Khao Lak Lamlu National Park in Phangnga
province, one of the areas hardest hit by the killer waves, was made
without permission from the National Parks Committee - a process that is
required by law.
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On 26 - 28 December 2005 We shall have 1 year ceramony along the beach and
village whice the wave attact. If you have a plan to coming back please let
me know. Because I stay at my mother's house and wait till the situation
back to normal then I shall move back. I want to have my pets again.If I
stay in Bang niang I cannot have any pets at all. I don't want to lose them
anymore. We shall stay in touch.
ragards
Jan