I have just spent the last 8 days in Indonesia, working on b2b event. Early on Friday morning last, we experienced the earthquake tremor that lasted about 8 seconds. It was roughly 1.30am local time. I carried on as normal and did not check satellite news services etc for two reasons - was busy with my work and the locals were carrying on as normal (as was the Hotel).
'I carried on as normal' till I started to receive text messages from Europe - was I ok? I had no awareness of the dramatic events taking place in Japan at this stage. It was lunchtime Friday and now panic was apparently setting in on guests and delegates at the Hotel due to the incoming communication by phone and internet from the west, concerning tsunami. Indonesia had issued tsunami warnings but only in a number of specific coastal areas far away from where we were.
Basically, I was confounded by the huge reaction from the other side of the world reflecting the power of media communication. However it was also over the top (for the region where I was) and highlighted the responsibility and gaps in reporting such news. We had another small after shock within hours but going by the locals this was normal and characteristic to South East Asia if you lived there.
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