Tsunami Revisited

When blogger Keenyee posted his recent "James Bond - Next Generation", it naturally made me think of our James Bond bimbo Michelle Yeoh. I lay on the bed with my laptop and my mind drifted far back to the day Michelle Yeoh's mother gave me 2 copies of the autographed photos of her Bond daughter! 

She said, "Boy, you must keep these autographed photos from my daughter"

Twilight replied, "But I want Pierce Brosnan's photo lah!"

From there my mind drifted to the expedition I had with Michelle's mother Datin Janet Yeoh. I joined her entourage of Ipoh's Tai-Tais to the tsunami stricken villages in Perak. We all belong to the same charitable "Hua-Guang Society" (White Lotus Charity) which was founded in Vancouver, Canada and today, the HQ is in Seattle, Washington State.

I had lunch with Michelle's friendly mum in the quiet village of Bagan Datoh, Perak and she was hell of a crazy joker like Fable Frog! She looks like Tina Turner with her signature spiked golden hair, almost 6 feet tall with thin ostrich legs and often spoke fondly of Michelle Yeoh. 

Honestly, we should be proud of another "Malaysia Boleh" tag of having a local Bond gal. I am happy for her but I am not her fan at all. Don't ask me why ok. I would prefer Pamela Anderson or Lau Kar Ling.

That Datin gave me 2 copies and I kept it in some boxes instead of framing her original copies! I completely forgot about it until Keenyee blogged about Mr. Bond, so I frantically searched for them at midnight. I also found whole CDs of the Tsunami photos!! 

I thought I should share with you some stuffs that the Press media are kept out of her private life.

I know I am a hell gossiper sometimes! But then God gave me a mouth, so I should talk as much as I can. Right?

My brother's sister-in-law Maria is the best friend of Michelle and loaned her million dollars home to Michelle when she married HKG's Film Producer & Rolex watch tycoon Dickson Poon during the early 90s but their hopeless marriage ended in divorce. Years later Michelle bought up that same house from Maria and presented it to her loving mother because Datin loved it. You can see that huge bungalow along Ipoh's famed Tiger Lane, directly opposite the Royal Palace. It has a big swimming pool with lovely bridged Koi Pond and world class landscaping indoors! Why are people so rich, I asked myself(?)

When Tsunami struck on Boxing Day 2004, it was the worst period of my life a few weeks earlier. I quarreled with my only 2 siblings over my playboy brother's affair with his office slut bitch! Oh, I am lazy to talk this hell topic, so you should ask Lifebook if you so kay po wanna hear them!! (You know Lonely Lifebook?) Days later, my sister re-married to a Swedish macho man at Penang's Equatorial in a celebrity studded gala dinner. I sat on the main table in tuxedo with my face SO BLACK and ignored my siblings completely. I didn't realise that I was so good actor and smiled to the guests. I have since forgiven them but not forgotten. What a bitch I was!!

Ok back to this above photo, the coastal areas in the Northern States were badly affected by the Aceh's Tsunami. So our Hua-Guang team tried to send help out. Big Mistake! I realised that we had so many rich pocket fellas in the team but not enough workers!

The 3 Ipoh's Tai-Tais gang in action then, with Datin towering behind in dark glasses. The missing lady in their social team mate who often travelled for overseas vacation is the sister of former minister Tun Dr. Lim Keng Yaik. Our tobacco happy & loud mouthed Tun Lim is Michelle's uncle!

Here these 3 rich kind ladies just dug out their pockets and gave thousands in cash to all the kids in the whole school to bring back for their parents! Not mere pocket money for the kids but for their entire family. They always avoided press coverage and keep lowest profile. I was very moved by their real kindness! Here, I am exposing them instead but years later!

A closer view of Datin Janet Yeoh and my wife who listened attentively to the plight of the school's welfare.

She often sang at Ipoh's dinners to raise funds and would do some kung fu kicks on stage. She's a good entertainer of sorts with the funniest jokes to share! After making you laugh, she would make you pay for her jokes. That's how she often raised many thousands of ringgit within minutes. Well, she has merits and still made more merits!

Earlier days, I had raced to my hometown Penang to visit the affected areas. Here the villagers in Tanjung Tokong told me that tilted hut did not belong to their kampung. They asked me to take a peep inside to find out myself! I was shocked to know that hut was evidently swept all the way from Aceh, Indonesia! Have Tsunami can travel!

Tsunami is a very scary word. Just make Bad Karma for yourself and Tsunami will greet you!

This fisherman was getting ready to start his day when the 10 metre Tsunami waves swept & hit their village 3 times! His bed, furniture & everything were swept out to sea.

He also lost his flip flop and wore that rubber boots for many days till his feet stank & rot.

My Penang team hurriedly bought the much needed provisions like mattresses, pillows, household provisions, toothbrushes and toothpastes plus all the toiletries to be dispatched out. 

I walked alone, very tiring, for 2 days from sunrise till sunset, knocking door-to-door to hear their losses and pain. Sadly, the Penang team members were quite useless bums as they did not wish to follow me to hike through the ruins to reach the victims. I will never contact them again.

I met the fisherman again and took off my slippers to give him as he still wore the same smelly boots! He was so touched and cried, so I have censored his photo lah. I have over 10 slippers, so I should give this buddy one lah. You would do the same thing I am sure!

The biggest mistake made was the kind public volunteers sent a few big containers of donated clothing and rice for the victims! They didn't need so much clothes & had no stove to cook anything at the school's shelters!

They had not brushed their teeth for a week and ladies had no sanitary pads. The poor makciks had to use newspapers and leaves. Alamak! They all suffered from severe Itchy Bawah!

Everyday hundreds of packets of take away food were sent to the shelters. Sadly, they had to throw them away at night as they were over supplied & turned bad. I really learnt a good lesson from there. 

The victims were given what we wished but not what they needed!

Thanks to Keenyee for reminding me of James Bond gal's mum & tsunami.