Jakarta Hotel Bombing 2009 - The Day After

Dear Hubby flew back from Balikpapan last night so that he could be with us for the weekend. He wasn't planning to at first but with the bombings, he thought it was best to come home. I have to say I was very worried that there was going to be bombs at the aiports but I knew security would be super-tight just immediately after the bombings. I was so relieved when he finally arrived home on our doorstep.

It's all over the papers. Terror Returns said the Jakarta Globe, our daily newspaper. We'd been pretty upbeat the presidential election had passed smoothly without any incident and on the night of the wedding we attended, we'd spoken to a young Indonesian who'd been confident about his country's future. So we'd all been feeling good.

Then earlier this week, out came a report about explosives discovered in a house in Central Java. I must admit I didn't really read it as Connor demanded my attention but I remembered thinking, "Uh-oh..."

TvOne showed clips from the hotel security cam last night. It was just scary to see this guy, wearing a cap pulled low over his face and pulling a trolley bag behind walk into the breakfast room and knowing that you were going to see something awful. In my heart, I was screaming for the people present in the clip to run, run for their lives but they couldn't have known it then. I'll never forget seeing a portly man walk casually towards the entrance of the room where the bomber had just entered and then the bomb going off and I couldn't see that guy anymore because of the smoke and debris that blasted out and covered everything.

Dear Hubby said his friend texted him to say one of his buddies had been there and had been airlifted to Singapore for treatment. No one we know personally was there but we sorrow together with all those who'd lost someone or who had someone they knew hurt in the blasts.

I went out ytdy to get some food from a supermarket nearby. I left Connor at home with the maid fearing chaos on the streets and figuring that I had a better chance of running back without a baby. It was all quiet here in Kemang. Everything looked normal out on the streets though it seemed to me there were fewer people walking about.

We've stayed put in the house today. We'll take a peek outside tomorrow. As of now, I don't think we'll fly out of KL yet. Things still seem calm in Kemang and we'll monitor the situation before we decide to go anywhere. I am worried mainly for my son who has no idea how awful the world can be and we will fly out if necessary.

But what of others who have no choice? Does going back to KL really guarantee we will really be safe from any terror attacks? Have we got to hide and run forever? At this point in time, I'm all for shooting the hell out of those who are trying to take away the future of Indonesia.