Samoa Relief

Samoa, as you know, was wiped out this week, first by a 8.3 earthquake and then by the subsequent tsunami. The death toll is now 200 and mounting. Obama has kindly opened up US coffers to rebuild American Samoa, but it's up to all of us Non-Americans to help repair and rebuild The Other Samoa - Independent Samoa.

Apparently Australia's Kevin Rudd and NZ's John Keyes are sending out some sort of ANZAC army team to help with the big stuff, but everyone's going to need help with rebuilding the little stuff.

Apparently there's to be a massive benefit concert in Auckland sometime later this month. No details yet but it'll be out there ASAP. Te Vaka is already committed, currently e-mailing to tell folk to prepare for it, wherever it'll be, and all the members are already flying in from all over, in anticipation.

However, if you're not in Auckland and want to do your bit here in Hong Kong, Keith's said something about how HK's biggest banks are currently organising some form of Samoa Relief, so in you're in HK, just drop by and donate. Obviously, I'll have more details once I do it myself.

Don't know what's happening in Fiji re: Samoa Relief, but there's sure to be something. As you know, Fiji was incredibly lucky as the tsunami hit at low tide, so islands simply reported "a large swell" and that was it.

Tonga wasn't lucky at all, and apparently got it bad, although I'm having problems finding details, beyond the report of 9 dead. I imagine, however, since they're not asking for help, they have it all under control.

In the meantime, heartfelt sympathy for everyone over there in Apia and environs. Wish I could be there to help, but ... well, as Baby Jane said to me back when Innisfail was destroyed by that Category 5 cyclone and I offered to fly back to help her, "Your intentions may be pure, Denise, but no one really needs someone who stands around smoking and telling other people what to do!"

Later:

Opi's wife Julie writes that the big concert in Auckland will be on 28th November, so keep that day free.

The reason for the delay is they want a properly organised concert that raises at least a million, rather than something hobbled together that raises thousands. The rebuilding is going to last that long, you realise.

Oh, and there's some talk about how, if you can't make the concert, you buy tickets anyway (NZ$40.) and donate them to some worthy NZ organisation.