updates

thought i would write a quick post, as hotmail seems to be a little bit out of order. about every other email i send out is returned to me, and these are addresses i use all the time, (such as my mum...). so if you are waiting for an email from me, then i am sorry, i probably tried to send one already.

things are going well here. still hectic, but going well. i spent the weekend trying to find some peace and quiet for myself, but ended up running around in the heat doing things to follow up the efforts last week. i met the ambassador of canada to thailand...quite an interesting guy; and had a few interviews with ctv. i believe you can find these links on the ctv website.

i found the one i did last night in patong, and well...it was a disaster. essentially they wanted me to talk about my experience with the tsunami, which i did. but at the end of the interview, as i was listening hard to my earpiece and trying not to squint in the light, i noticed the camera starting to tip over. the cameraman was a young thai guy, about my age. i thought he was messing around, so my speech slowed a little. i continued on, but then he collapsed on the floor at my feet. meanwhile, there is still a woman interviewing me in my ear. all i wanted to do was help the poor guy, but i was wired up and chained to some box with cords and such. what a disaster.

and if that wasn't enough, they asked me to redo a few parts of the interview when the camera fell over. i did, but when i saw the bit online, they edited the visual, but kept the same audio of when the guy fainted. therefore making me sound like a complete moron. anyway. small details. but embarassing nonetheless. (the camera guy is fine, just tired and hot.)

other than that, things here are alright. it is a bizarre situation here now, as things are beginning to be cleaned up, but there is still so much to be done. and the problem with the donations is that people are taking their time to look through organizations, and then these organizations need to go through the paperwork and eventually send part of the money to the places that need it. but the thing is, they need it now. now. there is a woman in nai harn beach who had a resort of bamboo huts that was wiped out. this was not only her workplace, but her home. she has no source of income, her family (of 14) is living in a tin shed in the sun. they need money, and they need it now. two thousand dollars could rebuild that resort and get them all on their feet again. it is so hard to sit and watch.

as far as i know there are only two remaining canadians in phuket in the hospitals, so my work with the embassy is more or less done. the prime minister is coming this weekend, and there was talk of me meeting him. should be interesting.

and that's about it. school is good, but i am so tired. since this whole fiasco began i have only slept about three hours a night, and had three massive headaches. i know i am the lucky one in this situation to be alive, but i think people are neglecting that an event of this magnitude will have an impact on those who escaped unscratched. i would just like to sleep and get away from it all for awhile.

until next time...

ps...CONGRATS LANA!!!!!!!!!!!! in the midst of this madness, my friend lana here in phuket took time out to give birth to a little boy named Justin. congrats!