The Korean: My Merapi Story

Mount Merapi had raised its status into the highest level and finally erupted in last October 2010. Over 300 were found as corpses while another 320,000 were evacuated. Now, the civilization near Merapi has been rebuilt while the wound and trauma remain forever. 

It was in the end of October, Mount Merapi, one of the most active volcanic mountain in Indonesia, erupted. The thick ash covered the whole town around two weeks. The villages near Merapi should be abandoned. The local people had their houses burnt due to the lava and hot pyroclastic flow which killed their animal farm as well. Over 200 people were injured. The losses could not be calculated.

Kim Yee Seul retold her story excitedly

The news spread rapidly to all over the world. People might easily accessed to the latest condition happened in Merapi. However, the exaggerated news happened to be rumors. This affected Kim Yee Seul (22), a Korean studying in Yogyakarta, who shared story about her first experience dealing with the eruption. She confessed that it was her first time having herself encountering a natural disaster.

'I had to lay still when my other Korean friends move to other town. I was terribly scared. I observed the news from television. I knew they exaggerated it. It made me worse.'

It was a fearful experience for her to live far away from family while she was in the middle of panic. It happened in the beginning of November 2010. She had to face herself lying on the hospital bed for 5 days. Merapi was still erupted and produced hot ashes when she came down with Dengue Fever.  

This Seoul girl happened to stay in the highest floor of seventh story hospital. Therefore, it was her luck that she might be able to see the condition around. She was shocked when the first time she saw no colored spot unless grey. 'It was like snowing, but grey.' she said precisely. However that condition did not affect Kim's health recovery.

'I could not go out because I know the ash would not be good for my lung,' she added. 'But I was thankful that I survived and my fear gradually disappeared.'