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It’s funny how some major events can happen far far away and you only find out hours later. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing during the Highland Towers collapse? How about September 11th? And how about the earthquake that struck Sumatra, Indonesia at 8 a.m. (Malaysian time) this morning?

I only found out about the Highland Towers collapse the next morning when I read the newspaper before going off to school. As for September 11th…it was night time when my father, who was watching CNN on telly, told both my mum and I that planes have crashed into the Twin Towers. Didn’t think much of it then and went off to bed. It was only the next morning when all the news reports started trickling in that we found out how serious the whole situation was.

And this morning….when the earthquake happened, hubby and I were fast asleep in bed. As there were no newspapers today, we only found out about the morning earthquake when my mum called me in the evening.

The latest update that I’ve just read from the CNN website is that the death toll is more than 3,600 people, mostly in Sri Lanka and India. The fifth largest earthquake in recorded history hit a whopping 8.9 on the Richter scale. An excerpt from CNN’s website: “Thai authorities say nearly 400 are feared dead - most of them, at least 200, on the small island of Phi Phi, between Thailand’s coastal area and the resort island of Phuket. The coastal city of Krabi is reporting 48 deaths there - and 200 small boats missing, many feared to have been manned and out to sea when the waves crashed ashore. on phuket - one of the region’s most popular tourist destination - at least 150 are reported dead. One witness said Phuket’s Laguna Beach Resort area is “completely gone”. Phuket’s airport, which closed down when its runways flooded, reopened, and many of the island’s roads were passable.” (Picture above taken from CNN website, Kata Beach, Phuket.)

From Star Online’s website: “At least 43 people were killed and more reported missing in several parts of Malaysia when tidal waves of up to six metres high hit northern Peninsular Malaysia following an earthquake in Sumatra on Sunday. As at 9.30pm, Penang was the worst hit, with 33 reported dead and many more missing. Two fishing boats washed ashore at the Jalan Tanjung Tokong by a tidal waves which hit coastal areas of Penang. Nine more were reported dead in Kedah (eight in Kota Kuala Muda and one in Langkawi), one in Tanjung Piandang, Perak and one in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. A Malaysian husband and wife were also reported killed while diving in the Emerald cave off Thailand’s southern coast when the tsunami struck. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has ordered the evacuation of residents in the coastal areas of Penang and Kedah due to concerns that the tidal waves might recur. Meanwhile, the meteorological services department said that high swells were expected to occur in the coastal areas of Perlis, Kedah and Ppenang in the next few days following the earthquake.” (Picture above taken from Star Online’s website, two fishing boats washed ashore in Penang, Malaysia.)

And wherever you were and whatever you were doing…does the thought “Thank god I wasn’t there and it didn’t happen here” cross your mind?