Is Indonesia Developed or Not?

            Now, when I think of a developed country, I think of a country with nice sidewalks and clear skies. To me, I also think of first world countries as countries whose government is organized and independent.  
            When I think of third world countries I think of countries where, on almost every street motorcycles are weaving in and out of the cars and buses. A third world country is also WAY more affected by a natural disaster than than say New York or Australia.
            I though about those two types of countries. Then I though about second world countries. Most people never really talk about these countries. So I deiced to "Google" the phrase. Google is just so wonderful for anything. I found the term "Second World" is a phrase used to describe countries that are allied with or are supported by the First World countries. There was also a picture and I really like it, so I put it in this post.

Blue= First World   Red= Second World  Green= Third World 

 

 

           So getting back to the topic question, Indonesia is developed in some areas. In Jakarta, there are different places that would be able to go through a natural disaster with minor damage, unlike places like Kampungs or villages. In general, I say no, Indonesia is not developed or ready for a huge natural disaster. Japan is developed and the destruction they encountered was horrific. If Indonesia had an Earthquake the same magnitude as Haiti, the destruction would be worse. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country, and having about 12 million just in the city of Jakarta, is more than in all of Haiti.
           Over all, my opinion is probably no to the question, "Is Indonesia Developed or Not?"

Why do people live in areas affected by Natural Disasters?

          Last Social Studies class we talked about why people would live in places where they could be affected by a Natural Disaster. It didn't seem like a very smart idea the first time I heard of people who lived in places like the slopes of Mt. Merapi. Now, it makes more sense to mean because some people have to and they don't really have a choice.
          We learned about three different approaches that people take when living in areas affected by disasters. These approaches describe why people live where they live.
          The first approach is the Fatalistic Approach. This means, the homeowners know of the dangers, but if the natural disaster happens, then it happens. They're kind of just saying, " If the disaster occurs, then we can't really stop it. We know what will happen, but let's just try living here." That's just a little bit of what I think they would say.
          The next approach is the Acceptance Approach. This is when the advantages of living in that area, outweigh any disasters that may occur. For example, the villagers living on the slopes of Mt. Merapi have better soil to farm with than other farmers who may live in the countryside. Or people who work in San Fransisco can't work elsewhere because they have jobs in that city, even if earthquakes can affect the city regularly.
          The last approach is the Adaption Approach. With the adaption approach, this is where the three 'P's can be used. These three mean that the disasters can be predicted, prevented, and protected. When I say prevented, I don't actually mean that you can prevent the disaster from occurring. What I mean by that is, you can stop more destruction by occurring.
          Natural disasters cause all kinds of destruction, but if more cities could prepare themselves, we'd be ready.
 

Natural Disaster #2

Cyclone Video

  

                 I watched the video of when Mrs. Buckley went through a cyclone in North Australia. She works as a fifth grade teacher in Pattimura, and was also my fifth grade teacher! Isn't that just so wonderful?!?
                Okay, so I noticed that Mrs. Buckley explained more of what to do in a cyclone rather than her experience in the cyclone. Another fact I had just realized from this video is that typhoons,cyclones, and hurricanes are all tropical storms. I didn't think much about it before because when I think of the United States, I don't mainly think of it as a tropical region. I guess I forgot about how the South- Eastern part of the U.S.A. has places like Florida and Louisiana which actually are tropical.
                The first step in keeping yourself and others safe from a cyclone, would be being able to predict it. Unlike most other natural disasters, cyclones can be predicting a LOT earlier than a tsunami or a volcanic eruption. So pretty much, right when you turn the TV or the radio on, cyclone warnings are blasted out. I'd probably be most likely to turn the TV on first, considering the radio here has barely any English channels.
                She also advises that the first time you hear about any natural disaster, you need to get to the store FAST and buy all the supplies you need in order to survive if the storm or disaster lasts longer then it's supposed to. My family wouldn't be as freaked out as most of the other families here because we all have our own packs filled with MRE's, clothes, flashlights, and other survival essentials. I'm actually really glad that my mom has prepared these emergency bags for us so in case of emergency and disasters, we're ready.  This really is a good idea for anyone who could be affected by a natural disaster. Extra food storage, can also mean extra time to live when a HUGE disaster strikes. I'll be ready. =)

#1 Natural Disaster

Earthquake Video


                 The first video I watched from the DragonTales site was a interview about a teacher's experience when she witnessed an Earthquake. Her name is Monika Phillips and she was living in California when she had to experience an Earthquake. Ms. Phillips is an EAL teacher at PIE, but lived in California is 2003 when the Earthquake struck.
                 Using background knowledge that I already have, I know that California is located directly on the San Andreas fault. Most earthquakes happen along fault lines or in between tectonic plate boundaries. So, because she was living in California, there she was bound to come along earthquakes every once in a while.
                 She went through a measured 6.5 earthquake on a scale from 1-10, which is fairly large. When the earthquake started she felt the ground shaking and all the glass objects in the house began rattling. After, she ran outside where it would be the safest. She described the grass as "completely fluent". When I think of this, I think of what seaweed looks like underwater when the ocean currents make they plant sway back and forth. She also said the earthquake only lasted for about 20 seconds in all. I'm not an expert on earthquakes, and I really don't know that much about them. but I think most of them last longer than that. So she stayed out side until the aftershocks came, which they did. 
                 Lather in the video, she mentions the way in which a typical building in California is built. The base of the building is built in a certain way so that the base doesn't move, but the whole building can sway along with the earthquake so that is doesn't fall. These new types of buildings are now being built in most places in the world where earthquakes are common.
                 In the end, nature will always win, and we can't stop any natural disasters happening, but we can predict them. Then, if we know when they're happening we can escape the mayhem or damage that they may cause to us.