Durians, Giving and Taking and Earthquakes.

Hi all, seems like i survived the RT today. But not so hopeful for the RT later at 0800. (its now 0300 hours, as i am typing now)

Went down to Monique's house for dinner with Aaron, Joshua, Henry and Cai Ning. The chicken wings were yummy!! Thanks for the dinner, Monique!!

Last minute decision, we went down to Geylang. Guess what we did there? Dunno? wanna a hint? What's famous about Geylang?

Oh Yeah, the king of fruits.

Durian seller? Or rather, Durian Marketing Specialist?

Nope, Its the Durian Marketing Consultant!!!

Yes, we went for some durians. Yummy!

This is what happened 15 minutes later...

Burp!!


After eating, some people wanna go around to look at the other "famous thing" in geylang, but the final decision is that we are going back.

As i was driving back home, a lesson struck me. Its about taking and giving. Aaron initially wanted to go home after the dinner, but the others wanna have a durian supper. He gave in and join us. Stuart initially want us to tabao the durians back and eat together, but Cai ning wanted to eat there, for the atomsphere, so we gave in to eat there. (initial plan is to eat one durian there and tabao the rest back to eat.) After eating, the others wanted to see the sights of geylang, but knowing Aaron needs to go home for his medication, we gave in to Aaron.

Giving and taking is important not only in a relationship, but also in friendships and buddies. We have a happy durian outing today, partly to everyone giving in and sparing thoughts for everyone else.

When to Henry's tyre shop today to get the 2 front tyres changed. One of them is balding, while the other is getting unbalanced and may "explode" anytime. Reach there at around 0200 hours.

That's why i am blogging so early in the morning...


SPECIAL SECTION:

More than 3,000 dead, thousands injured in Indonesia quake

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia : More than 3,000 people were killed and thousands more injured when a strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's densely-populated island of Java on Saturday, the social affairs ministry said.

At least 3,002 people were killed, more than 2,500 people were seriously injured and at least 3,824 houses were destroyed, said an official at the ministry's disaster relief center in Jakarta.

Thousands of families fled their homes in panic after the 6.2 magnitude quake struck early in the morning, many running for higher ground amid false rumours of a tsunami like the one that devastated the country in December 2004.

Many could not escape in time and were buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings or struck by flying rocks and debris as the quake devastated towns and villages across the south of the island.

Hospitals in the densely-populated ancient city of Yogyakarta, located in the shadow of the simmering Mount Merapi volcano, were overflowing with casualties. Hundreds lay injured outside awaiting medical attention.

Emergency rescue and medical crews rushed to the worst-hit areas as officials said the death toll may rise.

Aid agencies were sending tents and food to the area to help those left homeless, while an appeal for blood donors was launched.

The quake struck just before 6:00 am local time around 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the city, rattling a region that had been on edge for weeks amid fears the lava-spewing Mount Merapi would erupt.

One of the worst hit areas was the Bantul district south of Yogyakarta which was flattened.

"There is only one house remaining standing here, that of the head of the hamlet, but even that is not safe anymore as the walls are cracked," said Ngadiyo, 63, crouching in front of the rubble of his house in central Bantul.

"I have never gone through an earthquake this strong during my entire life," said his elder brother, Jodi Riwono, 46, who was trapped unconscious under rubble before being rescued by a grandson.

"I thank God that I am allowed more time to live," he said. Purkasih, an elderly women, pleaded with passers-by to help look for her older sister Duljiah, who was trapped in a collapsed kitchen.

"Elder sister, elder sister," Purkasih wept as a dozen young men, some with open wounds, dug at the rubble. Seven hours after the quake they pulled out her body.

"Even us, healthy men, could not see if we could run, because of the dust raised by the falling houses," said Bakit, 18, a high school student, the left side of his face badly bruised and swollen.

"I was thrown by the quake and could only crawl out as everything was falling around me," he said.

Heru Nugroho, spokesman for the state-run Sardjito hospital in Yogyakarta, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) east of the capital Jakarta, told AFP 1,500 victims were being treated at the hospital, many of them in the hallways.

People of all ages with broken arms and legs and bruised faces lay out on tiled floors covered in blood waiting for attention. Bodies were covered with bedsheets.

The quake also forced the closure of Adisucipto airport in Yogyakarta, Detikcom news portal said. The airport was badly damaged, with the roof of an airport section collapsing and at least one person trapped, Metro TV reported. Flights have been diverted to the nearby city of Solo.

Meteorologists said the quake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale, but both US and Hong Kong monitors registered it at 6.2. Seismologists said the quake would not increase the likelihood of an eruption at Merapi.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari and Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah to travel to Yogyakarta immediately to oversee rescue efforts.

"The president is deeply concerned," presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng told a press conference.

Malarangeng said that the president also ordered military chief Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto to send in troops to help evacuate victims.

Yudhoyono himself was to visit the region on Sunday, he said.

Yogyakarta province police chief Bambang Hari Sampurnojati told local radio that the earthquake was reportedly followed by tidal waves, striking panic in a nation that was the worst hit by the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami.

"We panicked when we heard that there was a tsunami. We were ready to flee," Yogyakarta resident Clemon Cilik told the state Antara news agency.

More than 20,000 residents living near Mount Merapi, which has been spewing heat clouds and on top alert for a major eruption, are already staying in emergency shelters after being evacuated from the slopes.

Damage was hampering the rescue effort, Sampurnojati said, with electricity at the police headquarters in the city cut due to a blackout following the quake.

"Electricity is out and communication is difficult," he told ElShinta.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.

An official at the meteorological office said the quake was not related to the volcano, which has been rumbling in recent weeks. - AFP /dt/ls

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/210648/1/.html

LETS ALL SAY OUR PRAYERS TO THE VICTIMS, OUR CONDOLENCES TO THE DEAD, AND LET'S CONTRIBUTE WHAT WE CAN TO THE SURVIVORS...

Words of Wisdom from the S.O

There's no WOW today as the blogger is suffering from pre RT depression syndrome.