VIEW OF THE WORLD FROM THE ISLANDS COUNTRY OF PALAU

I am going to continue some of the thoughts that flew through my head yesterday but didn't make it on "paper."
When we arrived here in Moreno Valley some six years ago, we met a very loving and caring person who was born and brought up in the island country of Palau. You can see by the map that this small, really small, micro-country is in the general area where the first surges of the tsunami would have come ashore. So the woman, who has become a very dear friend over the short time that we have known her, was afraid that something could have happened to her relatives.  She read the post on this blog and then sent me this personal email that I am going to edit and paraphrase for you.  Some of it will be in the phonetic way that she writes, but I'll make sure you get to understand Pacific Islander as we go.  Here, let me put up a picture to give you an idea of the size and scope of this homeland of hers.  How's that?  Think you might want to go there and live?  You can perhaps start to get an idea of the life style of the people who populate this piece of the planet.  Let's listen to the report of the tsunami's effect on them.

I emailed my home Island and no one bothers to return my email.  Considering it was weekend there, people were not working.

They use their work computer.  I imagine nothing happened.  The ship

from USA was sailing there to check it out.  My sister heard from some in-laws in Guam so I guess everything is fine since it is an hour away by plane.

Yes, dear hearts there are places like this that still exist.  On Saturday and Sunday the clock stops and the sun takes over.  Monday is soon enough to start using the electricity again.  For us who live here, including the acculturated immigrants who have been here a long time, life in this slow lane has become a mystery.  We hear our friend say, "You know how life is on the island."  Actually, we don't know, but we can imagine.  We love this lady dearly.  She is so deeply spiritual and so deeply loving that she is a great presence in our lives.  Let me close with one of her thoughts.  You'll love this one.

You remember the comments I made about modesty and other serious matters in the post about pants and things?  There you'll notice what I mentioned about women wearing pants, etc.  Here, I now pass  the pen to my friend so that you can appreciate the depth of her spirit.  "One would think you re' a pant rant man.  You are not.  There is something in a woman wearing  a dress.  The  reason is to hide a womb. It is suppose to be sacred.  We veil what is sacred and holy like the Blessed Sacrament.  Also we wear veil as a sign of humility at least that is the original idea."

That's the wrap-up of this thought, with some help from the part of Paradise that fell into the Pacific Ocean.  Go, Palau.

TSUNAMI

TSUNAMI SURGE

Today was a day of a tsunami and I dare say that this event caused some thoughts to be generated in my graying pate.  First, at about 7:30 PST, USA, the Voice from the Kitchen excitedly said that there was a tsunami advisory for the West Coast.  This was because there was an earthquake in Japan that measured 8.9 on the Richter scale.  I said that I was absolutely sure that our personal assets would be safe.  We continued to prepared to go to Mass.  We prayed for the victims and came back for breakfast and work.  An hour later we were back to doing the things that we had planned for the day.  I opened my email and sitting on top was a message from my sister in Massachusetts saying that my nephew had called her and asked about us.  She asked him why and he explained that there was a tsunami advisory for California.
That's touching.  A nephew with whom we have rare contact thinks of us during a tsunami advisory.  
Sister and I exchange an email or two and she mentions that she is wondering about the family of the Voice from the Kitchen.  They live in the Philippines.  I have to admit that because I know where they live, there is not a .00000001 chance that they would be affected.  But, know what?  I ran to Google News to find out what had happened in the Philippines.  I checked Manila, Cebu, Davao, Olongapo.  Nothing bad happened.  That, I must admit was a happy surprise.  So not only did the land-locked relatives escape calamity, but it seems as though everyone else did too.
So, I tell her via email that everything in the P.I. is copacetic.  I go back to doing my project of the moment.  Then it strikes me.  I have friends in Japan and Australia.  What am I thinking of?  I have to check.  So, Google be damned.  Direct email.  Japan, Australia, including the friends in Tasmania.  Three words: "Are you OK?"
Five minutes later, even though it is 5:30 AM there, First Australia and then Japan, AOK. Phew.  Thank you,Lord.
I can't help but think how close we are to one another.  I can't help but wonder what role advanced warning technology played in keeping the death and injury toll down.  All of this happened while I was doing business in France for some children whose French mother died some six months ago.  This world seems to have shrunk to baseball size.  Yet, the forces it engenders are so massive.  I sit here tonight amazed that the minute something of this magnitude happens, we join together in spirit.  Though helpless physically, we strive to reach out to help through the strength of our mind, heart and soul.
Alleluia.