December 31, 2004: Headlines: COS - Thailand: COS - Kazakstan: Tsunami: Charlotte Observer: Kazakstan RPCV Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK. They have not heard from her again and have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Thailand: Special Report: 2004 - Tsunami hits Southeast Asia: December 31, 2004: Headlines: COS - Thailand: COS - Kazakstan: Tsunami: Charlotte Observer: Kazakstan RPCV Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK. They have not heard from her again and have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board
RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid  Date: January 3 2005 No: 362 RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid
Peace Corps is making an appeal to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to India and Indonesia?
Peace Corps issues appeal to Thailand RPCVs Date: December 30 2004 No: 354 Peace Corps issues appeal to Thailand RPCVs
Peace Corps is currently assessing the situation in Thailand, anticipates a need for volunteers and is making an appeal to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps. Also read this message and this message from RPCVs in Thailand. All PCVs serving in Thailand are safe. Latest: Sri Lanka RPCVs, click here for info.


By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-43-253.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.43.253) on Friday, December 31, 2004 - 11:14 am: Edit Post

Kazakstan RPCV Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK. They have not heard from her again and have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board

Kazakstan RPCV Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK.  They have not heard from her again and have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board

Kazakstan RPCV Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK. They have not heard from her again and have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board

Charlotte area families wait, worry

Matthews parents haven't heard from daughter since Sunday

CRISTINA BOLLING

Caption: General view of Ton Sai Bay in Thailand's Phi Phi island, December 28, 2004 after a tsunami hit the area. Nations bordering the Indian Ocean from Indonesia to Sri Lanka clawed through the wreckage of a quake-triggered tsunami for bodies to bury on Tuesday as fears grew the toll would exceed the 50,000 now reported killed. REUTERS/Luis Enrique Ascui

[Excerpt]

Staff Writer

Diana Aljet's voice was shaking when she called her parents from the coast of Thailand Sunday morning: I've got some cuts and bruises and lost some belongings, but I'm OK.

The conversation lasted barely a minute, and Aljet's parents, Carol and Gary Aljets of Matthews, figured they'd hear from her again in the next day or so.

They haven't.

It's uncharacteristic for Diana, 26, to not check in during such a disaster, her parents said. "We're hysterical," Carol Aljets said.

The Aljets are one of several families with Charlotte-area ties who are worried about loved ones who were in or near the areas hardest hit by the tsunamis that have claimed at least 117,000 lives.

Diana Aljets wrapped up a two-year Peace Corps stint in Kazakstan earlier this month, and was spending a week or two at a $5-a-night hotel in Krabi, Thailand, waiting for a visa to visit Vietnam, her parents said.

Thai press reports Thursday estimated that 340 people perished in Krabi, off the southwest coast of Thailand. Reports said at least 48 hotels there were totally or partially damaged.

In the past few days, the Aljets have posted a description of their daughter on a CNN.com message board, called the international Red Cross and contacted the U.S. State Department office for Americans in trouble overseas.

Gary Aljets recalls the quivers in his daughter's voice during their brief conversation.

"She was in shock. I could tell from the way she was talking," he said. "She said she was gonna try to find how to get out of there."





When this story was posted in December 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Date: December 24 2004 No: 345 The World's Broken Promise to our Children
Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories Date: December 26 2004 No: 346 December 25, 2004: This Week's Top Stories
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Tom Murphy will not seek 4th term as Pittsburgh mayor 22 Dec
Richard Celeste is spicing things up 22 Dec
Gov. Jim Doyle streamlines state government 22 Dec
Namibia Volunteers sworn in 21 Dec
RPCV serves as Ukraine election observer 21 Dec
Christmas Gifts for Peace Corps Volunteers 21 Dec
Estonia RPCV John Isles wins NEA poetry award 21 Dec
Director Vasquez decries racism and discrimination 20 Dec
RPCV criticizes "harrassment by Russian government" 20 Dec
War's horrors turn RPCV's son into pacifist 19 Dec
more top stories...

Changing of the Guard Date: December 15 2004 No: 330 Changing of the Guard
With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.
Our debt to Bill Moyers Our debt to Bill Moyers
Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."
RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack
RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.
Is Gaddi Leaving? Is Gaddi Leaving?
Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.
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UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.
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Your vote makes a difference Your vote makes a difference
Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

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Story Source: Charlotte Observer

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Thailand; COS - Kazakstan; Tsunami

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