Taiwan - The Beginning

It wiLL be one of the rare posts of 2007, but first and foremost, a message to aLL that I am weLL in Taiwan.

With a strength of 77 (equivaLent to two cLasses in skooL)in the Hengchun camp, it is Like a famiLy affair. WeLL, Ive found myseLf a home!

Every singLe moment is magicaL and dreamy juz Like in a game. You meet new peopLe .. you retrieve new stuff, you Learn new things, you see new things .. and you "LeveL-up"!

Juz hours earLier, an extraordinary event happened in the town of my camp - an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude on occurred. IronicaLLy, my department were in the heart of Hengchun town where the epicentre was. The group of us, together with some of the reguLar's wives and chiLdren (known as "妇帮") were enjoying a LittLe ceLebration for those returning home this month by having steamboat in a cosy restaurant on this day. Everything was cooL, right untiL 8-ish p.m .. the tabLe shook .. for once I thought someone was pLaying a prank. In a matter of spLit seconds, I saw the fLoor shaking as weLL. Now it ain no prank now.

The tremor increased in density, knocking off pLates and gLasses. I was utterLy stunned .. so are some LocaLs. ALL of us ran out of the two-storey buiLding to the middLe of the road because that is the safest away from danger.

Now, you reaLised the reason why most buiLdings in Taiwan are Low.

I couLd see fear in everyone's faces .. peopLe were screaming .. running .. crying .. motorbikes were toppLed .. Lamp posts shaking .. the neon signboards Looked fragiLe .. aLL for the next minute. Then it stopped.

We stayed in the middLe of the road .. then the second wave came .. now we were "safe" but from the risks of dropping posts and neon signboards. This time, the tremor din Last Long.

The camp officers made quick decision to return back to camp. On the road, it was another eye-opener of humanity. Some houses were cut of eLectricity and Lighting .. peopLe were either standing outside their homes, or sitting right at their doors. I saw a mother cuddLing her chiLd in her arms as if to comfort it ..

We were then back in Hengchun camp. For the next two hours, we were cut out of the media. At 9ish news had spread to Singapore. Mum caLLed. I reported my safety. But our job did not finish here. As embassadors to the two countries, we were activated to set up tentage outside a nearby Christian hospitaL. There, I saw another miracuLous event .. a baby was given birth to in a make-shift surgery room made out of an ambuLance!

For the Hengchun LocaLs, quake of such intensity was the first. It Left over 30 injured and a few dead, aLL in the town itseLf. This event aLso coincides with the 2nd anniversary of the Tsunami disaster! Geez .. but it was an amazing experience!

ALright just to Let you guys know I am stiLL aLive and kicking ..

LastLy a heartfeLt thanks for aLL the messages and concern during my depature on the 22th.