Robert Paterson's Weblog

She was lost and now is found

First of all I would like to thank all of you who have been such a help to Robin and I. Thank you. Thank you.

This has been a terrible time for me.For several days I was able to tell myself that she was only out of touch. But as the days became a week, I began to lose hope.  I went downstairs yesterday morning to get something from the basement and found myself among all her clothes that she had stored with us. At that moment, I felt real dread - would I ever see her again? Were her clothes the only part of her that I would ever find? Maybe she had stayed on the beach and not gone to Laos. Maybe she had gone to Loas and got into trouble and with all the noise of the greater crsis, was now lost?  By dinner, I was barely holding onto to my own hopes and my fears were getting the better of me.

It was simply breath-taking to hear her voice last night. Cynthia and the Dunsford clan were over at our hosue and we were watching Return of the King . The film is full of references to "Hope" - "Hope is not lost", "Hope is all there is". One aspect of the film is about finding your true self through the fire of suffering. It seemed very relevant to me. Then the phone rang, James answered it and called out -"It's Hope" She had no time to tell us anything except that she was OK - in fact she said that she was "More than OK"

Our movie watching ended and the Dunsfords, being the sweet and aware people that they are, left us to celebrate our good fortune alone.

I can hardly recall sleeping better than I did last night.

One of the insights that I have had during the last week is the power of the web to suport a person emotionally in crisis. Your support on the web has kept me going a lot better than if I was merely on my own.

Hope is OK!!!!!!!

Hope just phoned!!!!
She is fine - have no news but will have more in 2 days
Thank all of you who have been so wonderful
Rob

Canada - Slow and Bureaucratic

The Swedish Foreign Minister in Thailand.

Ours is still on vacation

Overwhelmed by Disaster

Peter Rukavina's friend Harold Stephens writes from Bangkok

"At the youthful age of 17 I had an experience so terrible, so frightening that for half a century I did everything possible to erase it from my mind. That experience was the Battle of Okinawa, and I was a young infantry US Marine. It wasn't the exploding shells and the bayonet charges that affected me -- it was the death, the mass of lifeless bodies on the battlefield afterwards.......

Our mind does strange things. It cuts out the traumatic experiences we had, or if it didn't we might go mad. After the Pacific War we learned to survive by not thinking about it, and not talking about it. We let it pass.

The day after this past Christmas the horrors of the past came back. In a fleeting second the Battle of Okinawa was raging again"

This is an eloquent and gripping account of what is happening from the Bangkok perspective. I don't know about you - but I am finding that weblogs are the most engaging source of information that I have found

Petition - Let's get real Canada and send the DART

Canada has in inventory a disaster management team. Called DART it is defined as follows:

The Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) is a unique organization created to deploy to a crisis situation anywhere in the world - situations ranging from natural disasters to complex humanitarian emergencies.

The Canadian government has consistently demonstrated strong support for humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief operations throughout the world. Nationally and internationally, the Canadian Forces (CF) have deployed to disaster-struck regions to conduct humanitarian relief operations. International experiences include Rwanda, Haiti, Honduras and Turkey.

The DART, formed in June 1996, gives Canada additional capabilities for speedy response to requests for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. This military team deploys quickly into a crisis area, bridging the gap until members of the international community arrive to provide long-term help.

"One of the DART's objectives is to stabilize the primary effects immediately following a natural disaster or emergency and to prevent the onset of secondary effects such as the spreading of diseases," says Lieutenant-Colonel Christian Juneau, current DART Commanding Officer. "Numerous international organizations are committed to providing relief and assistance to people in need. The DART complements rather than competes with these organizations," he adds.

The DART focuses on fulfilling four critical needs in any emergency situation:

primary medical care

*

production of purified drinking water

*

limited specialist engineer capability

*

a command and control structure that allows for effective communications between the DART, the host nation, in-theatre international organizations, non-governmental organizations, United Nations aid agencies, and the Department of National Defence

What are we waiting for?

If you would like Canada to get going and send this unit to the Pacific region - Please add you comment below

Hope in Laos?

Here is a link to a blog that describes Dong Det where Hope had planned to go. Seeing this and how unhooked it is from the world - it may be that she is in a hammock

Canada's role in the Tsunami disaster

I am increasingly distressed by the limited role that Canada is playing in this event. It is now clear that what is unfolding is immense. Immense not only in its immediate effects but it what it may drive.

It appalls me that we have some middle level officials in Foreign Affairs and CIDA making the calls.

This is an opportunity for Canada to take its place again in the world as the symbol of the modern nation who helps others. It redefines our peacekeeping role and our effort in both world wars

So many of our citizens come from the region. We unlike any other nation can mobilize a support effort that can be lead and staffed by those who understand the local cultures.

I think that we have made a start in finding this new role in Ukraine. One of the best things we did was to appoint a former PM as Chef de Mission. It sends a strong signal.

Please take the lead from the bureaucrats, give the portfolio to a single dynamic leader and ask Canadians for their support. Let us mobilize the energy and intelligence of our diverse country and set a new standard in how to help.

I see a one year enlistment of volunteers who will be supported by Canada who are drawn from the ethnic and religious groups who have been struck. Canada can as a sovereign nation deal with the political, safety and credibility issues on the ground providing an umbrella where work can be done.

The skills will demand a cultural dimension that will exceed any technical skill. I am certain that many Sri Lankan, Thai and Indonesian Canadians want to give more than money. They want to give of themselves. They have already raised more money than Canada has offered. I see other Canadians who have travelled to the region wanting to give something back to the peoples that have welcomed them in happier times.

I see the issue as leadership. So long as we let the officials run this, we will not rise to the challenge. I beg you Mr Martin to see the magnitude of what is unfolding and to see the opportunity for Canada to make a difference.

Diasters & Social Software

Dina has been getting involved in a mumber of Wiki and Blogging efforts that will help make sense and organize help for the post diasater effort that is getting under way now.

The first major site that she has focused on has been the excellent work at Wikpedia.
This page is packed with information and is an excellent way pf showcasing this technology. Imagine using this for SARs or any pandemic. Imagine using this whenh you have a major problem at work such as a fire etc.

The second is a blogging aggretator that is pulling togtehr a number of active support units and ideas. It is Called the SEA EAT blog,

I think that it will become a major force in the ensuing weeks. I cannot imagine a better alternative to blogs and Wikis when faced with needing to make sense of a crisis. Again I think back to 9/11. What would it have been like to have run a blog and a Wiki right after?

Good for Dina who herself is making a major contribution to helpingus see how we can help right now and how wecan use this in the future. You can read her here

On a personal note, I still have not heard from our daughter Hope. She told us that she would be in Laos in a remote community over Christmas but was on the beach in Thailand on Dec 23rd. I hope that she is in fact in Laos and only out of touch. I and so many other parents cannot help but worry.. ..

Christmas - A man's work is never done - but behind every man .....

Well Cynthia - beat this if you can!

The New look House

Now we can park - note the helper in the shot

James cleared Lisa's deck

Steve can return

Thank you Robin

Cyn - Who has more Snow?

Just you wait Cynthia - "Of course you realize that this means war"!

For those not familiar with this warning here is how Wikipedia define it:

Worrying that audiences would lose sympathy for an aggressor who always won, Jones found the perfect way to make Bugs sympathetic in the films by having the antagonist repeatedly bully, cheat or threaten Bugs in some way. Thus offended, (usually three times) Bugs would often state "Of course, you realize this means war" (a line which Jones noted was taken from Groucho Marx) and the audience gives Bugs silent permission to inflict his havoc, having earned his right to retaliate and/or defend himself.