Bomb at Oz Embassy/Jakarta, Indonesia

[Jude]

Dear All,

This post isn't at all to do with the AS Society, except in that it affects me and has really interfered with my caring abilities this morning. Please bear with me......

My life sometimes seems like one total round of disasters - all of which are TOTALLY out of my control. If I'm not here in England watching my parents succumb to Atlzheimers, then I'm in Indonesia dealing with bombs and terrorists and trying to run a hotel and keep my staff employed. Crikey, when did the world fall apart so badly?

Today, the breaking news in Indonesia is a gigantic car bomb placed outside the Oz Embassy - no Australians killed so far as per news release, just all of the poor Indonesian staff and which will completely devestate their families.

This now, on top of the horrific murders of children in Russia.

Can anyone make sense of this stupidity? We are desperately trying to care for AD sufferers, when terrorists are blowing the rest of the world to bits....

I am now seriously worried about keeping my hotel going and financing my 7 staff. We have been sailing so close to the wind financially since the Bali bomb in Oct 2002. I have 7 staff and if I have to close the business, then they will all [and their numerous family members] be on the poverty line.

Sometimes, I just despair.......

Jude

 

[Mjaqmac]

Dear Jude
I know exactly how disillusioned and despairing you must be feeling. I have grown up in Belfast in the very worst of the troubles, have been involved in a bomb blast and many bomb scares and even had a machine gun held to my head during an armed robbery.
Everything feels unstable and not worth the bother when terrorism touches our lives. But one thing that you do learn living here, you must learn to carry on each day. Just like we do with the A/D. Because at the end of the day if we give in to terrorists (even when the terrorist is a disease sometimes) then they have won, their reign of terror has succeeded. Of course we must all make informed decisions about our own safety. But if your hotel means something in your heart, then, if it is possible fight for it, the way you fight so wholeheartedly for your parents.
At the end of the day your heart will tell you the right path.

 

[HELEN]

Dear Jude,

So sorry to hear whats happened , it does seem the whole worlds gone mad. I can understand something of what you are going through. I have finally after a struggle had to close my husbands small business within the last 2 months due to his ill health. This has led to a loss of his wage , my part-time wage & also making someone else unemployed who has family. I know how terrible it feels to have to do this after all the hard work put into building the business up & making a lifes dream a reality . You also feel such a sense of responsibility for your staff. Particularly as the person concerned is still unemployed. Then theres the desire to be there dealing with that & giving my husband support but at the same time continuing to look after my mum. I havn't started on the mountain of paperwork involved yet as i have just had to apply to have my mum's epa registered & have been busy with that & doctors for them both etc. I was lucky that family & friends helped out with physically closing & emptying business or i don't now what i would have done . Though my problems are on a smaller scale, I can imagine the stress & upset you must be feeling , with the loss of lives & being so far away. Hang in there Jude , I'm thinking of you & all your loved ones both here & abroad & hoping things work out for you.

Take care

Helen

 

[Jude]

Dear Magic and Helen,

This world is in one hell a mess isn't it? I'm actually very glad that I don't have any children - what sort of an heritage would I leave them?

Terrorists? - what kind of an IDIOT becomes a terrorist in the first place? You don't need any qualifications, apart from a very large chip on your shoulder and misplaced fanatasicm - plus the ability to pick on innocent victims at random, without any morals or conscious thought. IQ - zero.......

I guess AD is rather like mental terrorism really, in terms of random victims.

Magic - I went through ONE horrendous bomb in Bali. Can't even begin to imagine how you survived Belfast with your brain cells intact after all those years. Let's not go there, I just can't because I KNOW and have seen it - once was enough. Helen - the stress of worrying about my staff and the future of Flamboyant is just awful - just like your business . At least people in England can gain some comfort in knowing that they can apply to the SS for a bit of help, but it doesn't do much for one's self esteem. There is no such thing as SS in Bali and East Bali is the highest poverty area on the island.

I wish I had the ability to be in two places at once. Now I'm back to juggling. The emails I've received from Bali and friends in Jakarta and Oz this morning have been scarey. Looks like this might be a last straw. I've always been of the 'don't let the ******** get to you' brigade, but this seems to have generated a lot of fear in the expat society in Indonesia, as well as tourists.

There is no answer, but many thanks for your kind posts.

Jude xxx

 

[Sheila]

Dear Jude, I don't know what to say, like with AD, nothing puts it right does it? I can fully understand your fears and feelings about it all though. I cannot understand what terrorists achieve by these atrocities everywhere. Brute force is never an answer to problems, we need to listen to each other all over the world and make it a better place to live not blow it apart. I also can understand your fears about your hotel and your staff, it is difficult enough being away like you are, but now you must be tearing your hair out. I am so sorry you have all this extra pressure. And I am so very sorry for the human race because we just never seem to learn do we? Thinking of you and yours and all those opressed everywhere. Love, She. XX

 

[Jude]

Dear Sheila,

Thanks for posting. Thanks to everyone. I really lost the plot yesterday.....

Jude xxx

 

[snuffyuk]

Sorry Jude. I guess my probs are pretty insignificant compared to what you are going through.
My thoughts are with you.

 

[Jude]

Dear Snuffy,

Thanks for your very kind post. I'd had two virtually sleepless nights with the oldies before the JKT bomb news broke, so wasn't exactly feeling up to scratch to deal with all ensuing emails from expat friends - and a call from my staff in the middle of the next night.

I'm sure that no carer's problems are greater or less than others really. Having read some of the posts on TPand the incredible problems and anxieties that they face, I am simply amazed that people have the resiliance to keep on going day in, day out.

I just tend to socialise my problems rather more than most people! It helps me to deal with issues really quickly and TP is one place that I can rely upon to receive an instant response, some really good advice - and much needed TLC at times. Thank goodness for TP...!!

Kindest regards
Jude

 

[nikita]

things in perspective

as i watch paramedics and fire staff playing tribute at ground zero with tears in their eyes it puts life into perspective and makes me think how lucky i am to be me

 

[Jude]

Dear Nikita,

I understand entirely. Perhaps as carers, we also are at ground zero every day in a microcosm?

Jude