the center of everything tsunami aftermath in asia is taking on a strange, ironic pallor as relief efforts continue. to state the obvious, one of the world's happiest holidays is overshadowed by the world's greatest natural disaster to date. i'm sure there are hundreds incidents right now of pure mirth even amid the devastation, we just don't hear about them, perhaps out of sheer exhaustion, perhaps out of respect for the injured, the dead, the lost, the missing.

one happy tsunami story was featured recently on TV, set in penang, malaysia. (yes, the tsunami on TV again, to the point of voyuerism - the holidays are always slow news days; CNN has survivor stories back to back to back now.)

when the tsunami hit shores, it swept a family away from their youngest and newest member, sleeping on a mattress at the back of their restaurant. the wave lifted the mattress, the baby riding atop its crest. the family found their restaurant flooded and their baby crying and waiting for them on the same mattress. [ more ]

hmm. wonder if the same family's connected somehow to the penang restaurants here in the u.s.

a media friend of mine worked the day of the tsunami and mused how the quezon landslides seemed trivial compared to the events in thailand, indonesia, south asia and africa. i told her, "i'm so glad for once the philippines isn't in the center of things," and she dryly agreed, "no kidding."

(the center of everything is actually the title of a book by laura moriarty. i haven't read it yet. i want to, tho, ahahaha - )   ¶ 1/01/2005 09:06:00 PM