Think Yourself Lucky by Kate Atkinson

It’s easy to forget that there was ever a tsunami on Phi Phi Island. Were it not for the hundreds of tsunami warning signs and hotels sold as being made of tsunami durable materials, you could believe that it was just another holiday place for travelers coveting some serious fun in the sun. I sunned it up (and drank it up) with some girlfriends on the island in the January before the December it hit, and now I am back as a lone ranger. It’s difficult to imagine that a mammoth wave ever descended upon this whole island and town, wreaking havoc and chaos and killing hundreds.

For me, it all became a reality last night when I shared a table with a bar owner who related his life changing experiences. Sighting the giant wave, he ran three meager steps before it hit, and clung onto a palm tree for dear life for his survival. Helplessly watching women, the elderly and children flooding around him, he lost no less than 15 friends to the giant wave. One would think if you experienced tragedy as great as this, you’d flee the island and obliterate it from memory. On the flipside, this survivor’s love for his country, and for Phi Phi is so great that he never wants to leave.

These days, Phi Phi is swarming with tourists once more. Fire dancers fill the shore and happy tourists sip on mojitos. Bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are missing, but people have come back to visit, and life has resumed almost as normal. But we should never forget the enduring nature of the many people hit by this gigantic wave in 2004. Most of us are lucky enough to not be confronted with a tragedy like this - one that is so palpable you can touch it, and for this, we should think ourselves seriously lucky.

Kate Atkinson is an Australian journalist who normally resides in Sydney, but is currently roaming the globe. Her fashion, film and music writing has appeared in internationally recognised titles including Vogue, Nylon, and Harpers Bazaar.