The powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck 49 miles deep in the ocean some 28 miles northwest of West Sumatra's capital, Padang on 30 September 2009, and the 6.2 magnitude quake that followed one day later, left behind an enormous swath of destruction and hardship for the Indonesians who have had more than their fair share of brutal earthquakes and tsunamis in recent years.
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The powerful 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck 49 miles deep in the ocean some 28 miles northwest of West Sumatra's capital, Padang on 30 September 2009, and the 6.2 magnitude quake that followed one day later, left behind an enormous swath of destruction and hardship for the Indonesians who have had more than their fair share of brutal earthquakes and tsunamis in recent years.

The latest figures from the United Nations, OCHA estimate 1,117 people died and another 1,214 were injured. At this writing, final estimations on the number of buildings and homes destroyed are still being tabulated, but these numbers are easily reaching into the hundreds of thousands.

The Indonesian government estimates reconstruction costs to be at US$745 million.

At one point, I asked a man why everyone seemed to be laughing and smiling despite the fact that their lives appeared completely shattered, he told me, "It's the culture smiling, but inside there is a lot of pain."

People have lost their homes, their businesses and their livelihoods. Many have lost family members and friends. One woman said, "We can't mourn what we no longer have, we can only be grateful for what we do have."

Variations of that same sentiment were heard often and daily by the people I spoke with. It soon became obvious that the one single thing that was firmly intact and beautifully functional in West Sumatra was the irrepressible human spirit of the Indonesians who, while greatly affected, are finding their way through all the rubble and debris, including the pain.
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