Thank You: Thank U for your prayers & caring though

Thanks everyone for the prayers and kind words here on TKL and e-mail. Thnak you, thank you and thank you... Sorry for the delate reply but I have been on the phone since yesterday. It had been the worst day for many Taiwanese this year. With the many airplance crashes, tension with China, yesterday's sever earthquake topped it all. [Many more after shocks are recorded (more than 1000 and will have many more as predicted...)] I thought Taiwan was lucky to excape many of the Typhoones (TRopical hurricanes) this year, but the quake had done its deed...

I first learned about the news from Chris' mom in the wee hours early in the morning. I had been trying to contact my family, relatives and close friends since then. However, since all international lines to Taiwan were down, I didn't get through the line until 3:00pm here yesterday. Thank GOD none of my family were hurt. My father was away in a business trip (and had rushed back hoem late last night.) Grandma is still away on her trip with her friends and should be back by the weekend. Mother told me other than some broken vases and one crack on the send floor of our building, we are one of the lucky ones who had survived through the draful quakes. Were lucky because we don't live in one of those tall buildings, I think.

However, one of my close friend's family aren't so sucky. She and her immediately family had moved to Canada for good but majority of her family and relatives are still in Puli, the center of the earthquakes, where more than 5000 dead. (It's a very small town.) The town has been isolated and food has to be dropped in from air. My friend's father had got on the first flight back to Taiwan yesterday as they can't contact any of their family memebered in that area. I am still waiting for the news from her...

The international help (ie, Japan and America) can't go into Taiwan right away due to our problems with China. The aids have to wait until China gives the "green lgiht" before sending troops there. I hope all of you who had prayed for me could join me praying for my friend's family and the foreign help on their way there soon.

"Tuesday's quake was Taiwan's deadliest since a 7.4 magnitude tremor hit the island in 1935, killing 3,276 people," from a website report. Although "the tremor is thought to have been even more powerful than last month's devastating quake in Turkey, which killed 15,000 and measured 7.4 on the Richter Scale," buildings in Taiwan generally have earthquake resistance taken into account. But the death toll is stil on the rise by the hour. And the numbers of people dead seen on tv and Internet just make me sad.

This is what I gathered (the latest news):

"Rescue workers dug furiously for survivors Tuesday night after Taiwan's worst earthquake on record left more than 1,650 people dead and 2,650 others buried in the debris of collapsed buildings around the island. The government said more than 3,900 people were injured, swamping medical services and prompting appeals for doctors and nurses to report to hospitals and clinics to help. Many people camped out in tents, in fields or parks, either because they were afraid to go indoors or because they were now homeless. Local radio stations pleaded for donations of clothes, medicine or even heavy cranes to help with the rescue efforts."

If you want to learn more about it or if you have friends or family there and would lke to check for information or send a message, this is one of teh website to go. (I hoep Betsty is OK with me posting this...)

http://fullcoverage.yahoo.com/fc/World/Taiwan_Earthquake/