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#71
18-02-2006, 22:00
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Seen so many people fall into the Booze trap and not come out of it, so well done to you for that. Were you in the emergency services at GZ?
__________________
The idea is to die young.........as late as possible. 
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#72
19-02-2006, 15:26
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Thanks Denver.
I went with some friends and family members all who are Police officers or firefighters. I am a volunteer fire fighter. My cousin went with us and he handed out water and food. He was an 18 year old high school senior at the time. He joined the Marines the day we got home. That just gives you an idea of what an emotional experience it was. The police got sent to guard the UN building and the yard where the ems and police vehicles were sent as they were dug out. They actually had someone steal a damaged fire truck if you can believe that so they had to put police on the yard. We did different things but mostly we removed debris. It really didn't matter what I did, I just felt like I had to go. We were not even sure if we would be allowed to help but we packed up all our stuff and left at 4 am on the 12th. I can't even put into words how big the area affected was. Seeing it on tv and then actually being there were two different things. Tv didn't even begin to do justice to just how bad it was there. The smell is something I will never forget. I had mixed emotions after getting there. It was the most horrible experience I have ever had and yet it was also a good one. I know that might not make any sense. The only way I can explain it is like this. I got see the worst in people but even more important I got to see the best in people. We met people from all over the world who came to help. The New York people, who would walk up to you on the street hug you and say thanks. The restaurants would not take our money, the wait staff would not take any tips from us and the hotel refused to take any money for the rooms. It was truly on of the things in my life that I am most proud of doing.
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#73
19-02-2006, 15:31
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an amazing thread to read. thanks.
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#74
20-02-2006, 04:09
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my roommate and I headed over to the convention center to volunteer. the # of people waiting in line was staggering! as we were waiting in line, we could see that almost all of them were skilled workers, such as construction, carpenters. we decided it was best suited for them. we headed back across the river to hoboken, feeling a little useless. so we decided to hit a bar and drink, nothign else to do becasue the market was closed. but then we heard about a need for volunteers to load boats and ferrys in jersey city to deliver goods, so we did that for 2 days. let me tell you, i have read about depression and fortunately never had it. but living in that area was by far, the closest ive ever been to being seriously depressed. just seeing all the memorial services, trucks moving dead members of family belongings. the market being closed all week but never a declaration so just sittign around waiting to hear when id go back to work. it was depressing
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#75
20-02-2006, 12:53
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Marc26 I here you about being depressed. I have never seen so many grown men cry. I couldn't even look at the pictures people put up of their loved ones with out falling apart.
Marc is the convention center the one where the police command vehical was? We were at one building that was close to the water and was a huge building I think it was one entire city block, with lots of big glass windows. There was a big tent set up outside where you could get something to eat.
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#76
21-02-2006, 03:11
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yes thats the jacob javitz convention center. thats where i went but the line was 2 blocks around
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#78
19-12-2006, 11:44
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1) 2 years ago doing my one-man crusade to help some of the Thai tsunami survivors in Phuket and Baan Nam Khem. Had to endure 3 weeks of hell after the police raided my house in the UK because some t@sser expressed concern that I was collecting stuff to help children. Made me close to suicidal but it was worth it when I was here and got the appreciation from the people I helped. Awful emotional times but the feeling of helping people who are suffering can't be beaten.
My 21 reports and 2 picture galleries I did for local BBC are still on the net... BBC - Guernsey - Features - After The Tsunami BBC - Guernsey - Features BBC - Guernsey - In Pictures - After the Tsunami Gallery BBC - Guernsey - In Pictures - Return to Phuket Plan on going to Baan Nam Khem on the 26th, on the 2nd anniversary to do a photo update. 2) ditto the above...nothing else I've done comes close 3) ditto the above...nothing else I've done comes close
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#79
19-12-2006, 12:44
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Spectacular adventures
I once visited Wollongong and Hobart (Tasmania).
I was amazed that they spoke English in both those towns as they have been separated from the rest of the modern world for quite a while. Steve.
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#80
19-12-2006, 19:30
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Good man , much due respect to you,i watched a drama on bbc 2 a few weeks back although on a drama it was emotionally thinking about how many lost thier lives at the time i knew nothing about the effects of the tsunami and had never visted phuket phi phi etc so was quite oblivious and ignorant to say the least ... The tsuanami was a massive event in history
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#81
19-12-2006, 20:48
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I was reading through this thread and i was trying to hink what i had done in my life that could match up to what people like Denver have done (which i thought was fantastic)... realisticaly i have done diddly squat compared to a lot of people.....
I suppose if i had to name my 3 things ermmmmm 1. Moved to Germany and learning the Lingo (notice learning not learnt) Its hard but so far has been a rewarding experience... 2. I think when i went to Japan was an achievment. For me it was the number 1 country i wanted to visit (i had already been to thailand but looking at flight prices and hotels had put me off). finally making the decision to goand landing at Tokyo was awsome. My regret is not spending longer there. 3. I suppose probably the main one tho was the change i had made to myself over the years. This was probably the biggest accomplishment i could ever have done... When i was younger (in my teens) i was shy and really didnt want to go out and meet friends... Struggled to have any confidence. Then after one event (Im not gonna go into that) really changed me... What little confidence i had was gone and i had lost caring for just about everything. I was in my last year of school aswell. I used to skip on a regular basis and wasted my life pretty much. Then for some reason i changed, i dont even know why. I built up my confidence now to the point where maybe i could consider myself a little to confident (I dont know if that is a bad thing or not). I have a belief i never had before. I dont really know why this happened. I know for some people this may not seem like much. People are imho to quick to turn to likes of prozac or whatever (Happy pills) which i could have done and ended up like a friend of mine. (becoming relient on them) Instead i think dealing with it the way i did made me stronger. That is what i would consider my biggest accomplishment.
__________________
Life is like a box of chocolates..... you go to Thailand and get greedy 
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#82
20-12-2006, 00:42
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Actually, quite nicely put Cyber. I’ve had the exact same problem (and still do, to some extent), due to some very personal experiences. And even though heroic deeds like Denver’s are truly fantastic, I know that overcoming these deeply rooted inner struggles should also be regarded as true accomplishments. Some tend to descend into apathy and others take it a step further, but managing to drag yourself out of a seemingly hopeless existence, takes huge amount of strength and willpower. So, yes, I would consider that one of my accomplishments too. If not the biggest one. And we’re not talking about some everyday depression here. The other ones would be: Helping to locate and rescue two skiers in France after an avalanche. By taking quite high risks ourselves. And "quitting" my old life back home, and setting up my own business here in Phuket which is still doing pretty good.
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#83
20-12-2006, 02:58
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Simply just breathing in after taking my first one over 49 years ago, never thought I would ever accomplish that, oh yeah three sons kinder feels good too!!!
__________________
If I havn't done it already, then i'm gunna do it today.
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#84
20-12-2006, 03:17
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1. making it to 40 years old
2. visiting thailand 3.paying off my visa card
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#85
20-12-2006, 03:37
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3. I suppose probably the main one tho was the change i had made to myself over the years. This was probably the biggest accomplishment i could ever have done... When i was younger (in my teens) i was shy and really didnt want to go out and meet friends... Struggled to have any confidence. Then after one event (Im not gonna go into that) really changed me... What little confidence i had was gone and i had lost caring for just about everything. I was in my last year of school aswell. I used to skip on a regular basis and wasted my life pretty much. Then for some reason i changed, i dont even know why. I built up my confidence now to the point where maybe i could consider myself a little to confident (I dont know if that is a bad thing or not). I have a belief i never had before. I dont really know why this happened. I know for some people this may not seem like much.
I was similar a few years ago now, wanting to do so much but not being able(confident enough?/too lazy?) to actually get up and do it. Then I read a book, Clouds From Both sides, a mountaineering book by the late Julie Tullis, and it made me realise that you do only have one life and you have to get up off your backside and put some effort in to do all these things. First thing I did was trek to K2 base camp, the main "scene" of the book. On the downside, my biggest non-accomplishment, and still feeling guilty about it, is not putting the effort in to get to Phuket to help after the tsunami. Would have been very difficult but must have been possible somehow.
__________________
"God is dead"- Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) "Nietzsche is dead"- God (1900)
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#86
20-12-2006, 14:29
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For me it is pretty simple. The three points are
__________________
 Operation SnowGirl will continue 
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#87
21-12-2006, 19:56
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serious head on.
For me
1. having a beautiful daughter 2. leaving the teengage path where all my mates where pretty much burgulars, convicted armed robbers, methodane users and habitual speed/acid heads, and not following them into dartmoor prison. 3a. (what others who know me say quite often) giving up any chance at a career, future prospects etc, in order to look after No.1 on my own after she fell very ill at a very young age, is disabled and 100% dependant on others. In my book, just doing what any parent would in the same circumstance. 3b (me) joined up, seen a bit and done a bit.
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