Tom,

Thakns again for your concern.  You're asking a lot of good questions.

The best indication my building is ok is that its standing, and that it's
contemporaires are all standing as well.  You may have read that the
buildings that fell for the most part are of new vintage and are in the
lowlands.  Mine is neither.  Spoke to my landlord today, who is an engineer
of some sort, and for what its worth he said the building is a good one.

About shots, I got all ones recommended by my doctor before I left SF,
though he wasn't planning for one of the worst natural disasters in our
time.  I'm keeping my eye out about the how and why of the spread of the
diseases they're worried about here, but am pretty sure that one cirterion
is that you have to be pretty darn close, which I'm not.

I'm not our sticking my nose into anything, though would love to see things
up close for curiosity's sake.  Trouble is, I'd just be getting in the way,
which I don't want to do.  So will, for now, restrict myself to giving a
little cash and observing what goes on here on the home front.  The damage
really is not apparent from here.  As I mentioned in my note to dad, things
are pretty darn normal.  Expect indirect impact to be visable, like
worsening inflation for example.  But that's about it.  Will keep an eye out
for trouble, though.

More later.  Thanks again for taking the time to write.  Its always nice to
hear from you.

Love,

Mark


>From: <tskilling@tribune.com>
>To: "Mark Skilling" <markskilling@hotmail.com>
>Subject: Thanks for the wonderful updates and stay safe and healthy
>Date: Sat, 21 Aug 1999 00:09:12 -0500
>
>      Mark---
>          Thank YOU for your notes.  Had we not heard from you, our lives
>      here would have proceeded in terror.  We wouldn't know where to begin
>      trying to find you and the troubles there seem so far flung and
>      numerous that I'm sure no on in authority could have taken the time
>to
>      help.  They have their hands full.  The fact that your building held
>      up and that we're not looking on helplessly like the poor devils we
>      see on television must do, knowing loved ones are dying or dead
>      beneath mounds of shattered concrete, underscores Mom's lucky star
>      notion---a comment we made to each other as we talked earlier today.
>          I am relieved to hear you are able to obtain food.  They're
>saying
>      disease is spreading in the wake of this--especially with the heat
>      that's underway. Please, Mark, be careful.  Your accounts of events
>      there are extraordinary but I'd rather have you safe and well then
>      threatened by illness or harm at the hands of these aftershocks we're
>      hearing about.
>          The wire services are reporting the official death toll at
>      10,204--but add that 35,000 are missing beneath the rubble, many
>      presumed dead. Concern about the spread of disease is being raised
>not
>      only because of decaying corpses under building but because of the
>      number of people forced to sleep outdoors without toilets or proper
>      sanitation.  The water is a source of concern.  It's appearing this
>      may rival the 1930s quake there said to have killed 40,000.
>          I don't know much about the spread of disease or the way you
>      protect yourself against its spread. I presume you were innoculated
>      before going over Mark. If not, can you get shots anywhere now?
>          Your accounts are extraordinary and you give us insight into the
>      environment which preceded and followed this debacle. Please be
>      careful Mark.  I'd rather have you healthy---given a choice between
>      that and news of what's happening there.
>           Are you satisfied your building is safe to return to?  Will food
>      become a problem as this situation continues? Also, what happens when
>      the weather starts turning colder---where are all the homeless going
>      to live?  It doesn't sound like the authorities there can get a
>handle
>      on something this widespread and devastating---at least not anytime
>in
>      the near future at least.
>          Thanks for all the news, Mark---and please be careful and take
>      care of yourself.  I'm not sure exactly what we can do for you from
>      this distance, but I did see Jeff's e-mail offering to help through
>      Enron shipments.
>          Will close now---it's midnight Friday night and I'm seeing double
>      (nothing new about that, right?). You're in all of our thoughts,
>Mark.
>
>                                      Love,
>                                      Tom
>
>
>
>______________________________ Reply Separator
>_________________________________
>Subject: Re: Concern about you from back home--THURSDAY evening 10 PM
>Author:  "Mark Skilling" <markskilling@hotmail.com> at Internet_TCO
>Date:    8/20/99 2:12 AM
>
>
>Tom,
>
>Thanks again fro your thoughtful notes.
>
>Can't say life normal, but in areas without damage not to far away from it.
>Plenty of food.  No hoarding.  Delivery trucks seem to be bringing in
>normal
>loads on a daily basis, just like before.  Of course, things will be taxed
>by the demands of the rescue and restoration, but looks like the suffering
>will be for those who were injured or who lost loved ones.  And what a lot
>of suffering that will be.  Do have access to my building.  It is on solid
>ground and is older, which in Turkey ironically means safer.  Still, spent
>two of the last three nights sleeping outside, with millions of others.
>Again, my buddy Ismail keeps coming through for me (Sukran too) and have
>been able to enjoy his and his friends' company.  On these nights, every
>open space not too close to a building seems to be filled with people
>sleeping on blankets, jackets, etc.  Some have strung string between things
>trees and other things you can tie string too and with sheets made
>relatively cozy little spots for themselves.  It continues to amaze me how
>kind and caring Turks are and how safe it is here (though I did hear of one
>poor old fellow got his shoes stolen; perhaps he simply absent mindely
>misplaced them).  Everyone, though, is tramatized, tired and sad.  And what
>you read about impact on attempts to get economy, which has been hit hard
>by
>Russian crisis, going unfortuantely appear right on the mark.  Wish Turkey
>all the luck in the world.  It will need it.
>
>Able to watch the local news, though obviously don't understand a lot of
>what they're saying.  Still, the pictures tell enough.
>
>More later.  Nice to know you're thinking about me.  Let dad and mom know
>not taking any chances that weren't there already.
>
>Love,
>
>Mark
>
>
> >From: <tskilling@tribune.com>
> >To: markskilling@hotmail.com
> >Subject: Concern about you from back home--THURSDAY evening 10 PM cdt
> >Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 22:41:27 -0500
> >
> >           Dear Mark,
> >           We continue to follow your e-mails and the news reports on the
> >      earthquke disaster there. Wanted to drop you a note before heading
> >      home for the night. I'm concerned about your well being and
>wondering
> >      if you've dared---or have been allowed---back in your apartment.
>News
> >      reports here indicate many are sleeping outside---and being
> >encouraged
> >      to do so by the goverment there who fears buildings have been
> >weakened
> >      and may succomb to powerful afterschocks. Reportedly the Kandilli
> >      Observatory there reported 210 aftershocks in just 2 hours today
> >      (Thursday).
> >           Reports we're getting here put the death toll at 7,000 with
> >      34,000 injured. The UN says 35,000 are still buried and feared dead
> >      and its experts are saying most who are saved after a disaster like
> >      this are saved in the first 48 hours---it's been at least 40 hours
>as
> >      I write this to you. They say the smell of decomposing bodies is
> >      flooding some sections of the country's hardest hit cities and that
> >      there is fear of spreading disease.
> >           I see the US has ordered 2,100 Marines and 1,000 Navy sailors
>in
> >      and told them to step up rescue efforts.  We're also told something
> >      like 17 countries--including Israel, Germany, France, Britain and
> >      Japan are dispatching rescue teams and equipment. The news wires
>and
> >      television reports are covering other U.S. rescuers who are heading
> >      over but fear it's too late.
> >           It sounds from your e-mails like your neighborhood escaped the
> >      worst of the damage.  But, I wonder how safe you feel your building
> >is
> >      after the shake it endured. Also wonder whether you can get adequet
> >      food and water and whether phone and electrical service is regular
> >and
> >      reliable. I can't tell you how relieved we were to receive the
>quick
> >      communication minutes the other night.  We'd have been worried sick
> >      about your well-being.  Clearly, news reports center on the hardest
> >      hit areas--so it's hard to picture how normal your life is in the
> >wake
> >      of the quake. There is real concern being expressed on our news
>here
> >      about how the masses left homeless by this disaster are going to be
> >      housed in the coming cold season---which isn't all that far away.
>I
> >      also saw a notation on one of the wire stories that recent economic
> >      moves--termed "fairly severe" in news reports--by the government
> >there
> >      to get inflation under control made this an especially inoportune
> >time
> >      for this disaster to hit.
> >           Hope you're doing all right, Mark and I join Dad in urging
>care.
> >      I guess they had a 5 point something quake north of SFO just the
> >other
> >      evening and the disaster there has the earthquake concerns in
> >      vulnerable parts of this country very much in the news. The Turkey
> >      quake has led national news here since it happened and a new cable
> >      system installed in my building lets me see all the CNN
> >      services--including CNN International---so I think I'm seeing what
> >you
> >      can see of CNN there.
> >           Please be careful and keep us posted on how you're doing. We
> >      really appreciate all of your e-mails to date.
> >          I love you, Mark!
> >
> >                                                     Tom
> >
>
>
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