In an island, waiting for any signs of the tsunami

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No devastating Tsunami waves at this moment, near Pulau Indah. Low possibility it will happen. But everyone knows, natural disasters are unpredictable and does not succumb to mankind’s prediction. My friends have been reporting a slight increase to the height of the waves in the northern states of Malaysia; some of us are concerned about another epidemic of panic. Uncertainty has gripped many.

The sea seems soothing, with a touch of humidity, tonight; I am monitoring for possible aftershocks in this small forgotten island. There are a few thousand villagers, but word of the quake off Indonesia spread like wildlife. Even after the preliminary reports of the 2nd quake, I was more focused on the preparation in the village. They are rural poor folks, and ill-equipped to handle any disaster, short of a flash flood.

To reserve battery power, I disabled my Twitter app on my BB. Frustrating as I am in a fishing village with little access to electricity.

The fishermen and their families are calmer now, even children are playing at a nearby pond, however the urge to activate my Twitter (@belamfury) is great » trying to control my own anxiety of being ‘off-line’.

An elderly woman offered coffee and food, a plate full of rice, fried egg and spicy anchovies. Aminah smiled widely as I finished the meal without speaking to anyone. Didn’t realise I was that hungry but my eyes were still set on the beach. As I see the waving coconut trees and feel the perfect sea breeze, my thoughts are for those in Aceh.

Zashnain

An avid blogger, twitterer and photojournalist, Zashnain Zainal suffers from an incurable addiction to social work, helping marginalised communities since 1989. Nowadays he travels from the plantations of Malaysia to the slums of Thailand. He can be found at zashnain.com and @bedlamfury

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