a little over a month later, and phuket seems to only have reminants of the disaster. people are getting their lives back, and people are trying to move forward.

schools are being rebuilt in the badly hit areas, and people are helping to make thailand beautiful again.

one tasteless effort:
local shops have started selling a "tsunami" t-shirt, with a big cartoon looking wave ugly and angry wrapping itself around a longtail boat on its side. under the wave is written: "tsunami, 2004." charming. all can be yours for 180baht.

i found myself back in the very place i was looking at dead bodies only a month ago last night. i somehow caught this nasty something, and found myself in the hospital last night. that place will never be anything else for me. all i can remember is rounding that corner, looking to find the icu, and finding body after body after body. sometimes i manage to forget about it for a day or two, but something will always bring me back.

rin is away this week, and i can't think of anything else that can go wrong. in this maddness where i have been off work for four days, sick as hell, and without him, (first time not seeing him for a day in three months) and the water in my house went out. i don't know why, but we have no water.

amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing thailand.

so last night, in my post-hospital trauma state, i found myself in the comfort of one of the seedier hotels in phuket town complete with running water and a stinky air-con unit, curled in the sheets with 'that 70s show' (from 1999) in the background, crying on the phone to rin. picture of beauty, indeed.

today i will make the effort to find another hotel, this time one i can sleep in. one i can relax in. one i can cry myself to sleep in peace in...

until things get better (by things, i mean by body...)

*smiles*
hib