New Year's Email from Joanna

Joanna was in France when the tsunami hit. As she mentions Taiwan and the entire South China Sea area was buffered from it by the Thailand/Malaysia peninsula and the eastern Indonesian islands.

Here is the content of her email sent out earlier today on her return from Paris.

Hey Everyone,

Many of you have asked if I and the rest of Taiwan was affected by the tsunami of last weekend. While the actual land was not affected our hearts were. If you look on a map, you will see that Taiwan was separated from the tsunami by the Thailand peninsula.

It is incredible to think that I was in Phuket and Phi Phi, Thailand only three months ago with my mother enjoying the same vacation as many of the victims before they were hit. A friend of mine who worked with me at McGinnis Landing in London, Heather Burtch, is currently living in Phuket town and is seeing the whole disaster first hand. Phuket town is on the Eastern side of Phuket Island and as far as I know, nothing was destroyed there. However, the beaches on the Western side, where my mother and I stayed, have been incredibly ravaged.

Heather has been kind enough to keep her family and friends posted with updates and photos. I have included her latest letter and you will be amazed to see what has happened and what needs to be done. Yes, Heather, my mother saw the article about you in The Toronto Star. Unfortunately, your name was reported as Heather Burton but the message was relayed.

I ask you all to also take a look at her website which includes her personal letters and photos. It is incredible.

Take care everyone and be thankful for all you have.

Love, Jo.