tsunami

This year's kanji, chosen by popularity was 災(wazawai), because of intense heat, numerous typhoons and Niigata Earthquake. Year 2004 had brought us another disaster when the year was just about to end; the Sumatra Earthquake. At this point, according to some sources, the number of casualty had just gone over 20,000, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in 40 years. The magunitude of the earthquake was 9.0 and it was the 4th largest quake since 1900.

Luckily, my family was fortunate. We visited Bali, Indonesia this summer, but at the point of planning, there was an alternative plan of visiting Phuket, Thailand in winter if the summer plan didn't workout. If we were there now, I would've been directly hit by this earthquake, possibly resulting death. What's more, my father was in Malaysia few days ago, but he managed to return before all of this happened.

I just hope that 2005 would start and end peacefully by all means...