Where Were You on December 26, 2004?

There are days when we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when certain events happened. On September 11, 2001, for instance, people throughout the world recall where they were as TVs broadcast the image of that plane crashing into the second tower at the World Trade Center. December 26, 2004 was such a day for people, especially those of us who were living in Southeast Asia.

Mid-morning, the day after Christmas, waves of up to 100 feet, caused by a 9.3 undersea quake off the west coast of Sumatra, started crashing ashore in Indonesia and Thailand. Before they subsided, they had devastated the coastal areas of 11 countries, left an estimated 220,000 dead, millions displaced, and had reshaped the geography of the region. The quake was so strong the entire planet vibrated.

For those in the affected areas there is no doubt they will remember the day. But, one did not have to be in the affected area to be affected by this tragedy.

On the morning of December 26, a peaceful Sunday morning with blue skies, a few fluffy clouds, and an uncharacteristically balmy day in Cambodia, I was doing what I usually did on Sunday - playing golf. On this particular day I was playing with Hun Sen, Cambodia's Prime Minister. We were well into our game, just having made the turn at the ninth hole. He hit his ball just off the fairway, about 190 yards. I'd been luckier; my drive was perfect. I was in the center of the fairway about 50 yards farther. As we approached his ball, and he was congratulating me on my magnificent drive, his phone rang. He answered, and as he listened, his face changed. He looked like he'd just been notified of the death of a relative, or that one of his grandchildren had been in accident. As I pondered his expression, and tried to guess what was being said on the other end, my own phone rang. When I answered, the embassy duty officer's strained voice told me what the Prime Minister was hearing. A tsunami had struck the southern coast of Thailand. There was much loss of life, immense property destruction, and embassy personnel all over the region were being told to stand by just in case their services were needed to account for and assist our citizens.

We finished our calls at about the same time, and for a few moments just stood there looking at each other. At that moment, golf didn't seem so important.

"Maybe we can finish the game next week," he said in a quiet voice. He then leaned over and picked up his ball. Silently we walked to my ball, and I retrieved it and put it in my bag. Little was said as we got in our cart and drove back to the club house. Even his guards who were always with him, and with whom I had a light, bantering relationship, were silent and stone faced as they trotted along beside us.

Back at the club house, we shook hands and promised to meet again another weekend. We both went off to our respective offices and awaited further news. It didn't get any better. As the reports kept coming in, I recalled the Jonestown incident in Guyana in the 1970s as our soldiers who were sent to retrieve the bodies from that tragedy began sending updates, continually revising the body count upward. While I was not directly involved, and my embassy never had to be, the day is seared into my memory. The power of nature was brought home vividly. That so many people could be wiped out, whole communities erased from the face of the earth as if they'd never existed, made me realize just how fragile life on this planet is. As I sat and followed the news, I kept hoping that world leaders and industrialists around the globe were also taking note. Nature can do enough damage without our help. Perhaps it is time we pledged not to do anything to assist in that destruction.

References:

http://tsunami.trust.org/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/h/in_depth/world/2004/asia_quake_disaster/

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/worldspecial4