Yong was very proud of his young she-elephant, Ningnong. She was strong and good-tempered and never tired of her work. Every morning Yong rose early and rode Ningnong down to the beach. This was Yong's favourite time of day as he watched the waves breaking on the white sand, and breathed in the beauty of the place he loved. The tourists had not yet arrived, and the beach belonged to Yong and his elephant.


On this morning, 26 December 2004, Yong had no idea of the catastrophe which would soon engulf far more than the coast of Thailand.
He did not know, either, that not far away the elephants at a tourist centre had spent a restless night, pulling at their chains. Oblivious to all this, Yong watched the birds swirling over the turquoise water in the bay until he heard the excited cries of the children as the first tourists arrived on the beach. Soon a child would ask for a ride on the elephant, and Ningnong's working day would begin.


The day went on like any other day as Ningnong plodded up and down the hot sand and splashed through the shallow water with children on her back. Yong did not know that at the tourist centre above the beach, the elephants had succeeded in breaking their chains and had run up the hill away from the beach. The owners knew something was wrong, and along with some Japanese tourists, they had followed the elephants inland away from the beach.meant that I was skilled at every job so I could fill in for anyone who was sick. I was highly skilled.


The conditions in the factories weren't good then. On one occasion I went to the boss and I said, "Sir, the conditions are not good. We Yemenis can't understand what the gaffer says. We can't read the safety rules. We're often injured. We want to have English lessons." Do you know what his answer was? "English lessons! You're here to work, not learn! Work, work that's what you're here for." That's what it was like back then. So we'd work our long shifts and then go to the Yemeni cafes and speak Arabic. Then, when the steel industry collapsed, thousands of us were made redundant. It was a terrible time.


But it's all different now. We've got the Yemeni Centre. Yemenis who were born here in Britain learn Arabic so they don't forget their roots. And what about me? I'm learning English at last! I go to College once a week in a class of retired Yemeni steelworkers who are all learning to speak proper English. Our average age is 75! When we started we only knew commands because that's all we'd ever heard. But we're progressing really well now. We worked hard in the steelworks, and now we're working hard with our English. My friend is 81 and last year he won a special Learners' Award!


Isn't life a funny thing? When I look back to when I was a boy in my village in Yemen, it's like looking at another person. Was that really me?Suddenly Yong became aware that something strange was happening. The water was disappearing. It seemed as though some gigantic force was sucking it away. The tourists had noticed it, too. Some were running away up the beach, and vome ran down the beach to see what was happening. Ningnong started to stamp her great feet and make strange noises. Suddenly the air was filled with a low roaring noise.

As it grew louder, Ningnong pulled at her ropes. In horror and disbelief, peopleOom kun!" ("Pick up!") cried Yong.


bry.Lo Ningnong lifted up the child with her trunk, and having placedstared at the wall of water which was approaching the beach. How could any wave be that vast? And how could it travel so fast?


familiar word


There was panic all around Yong. People were shouting and screaming and trying to run with children in their arms. Yong held tight onto the terrified child already riding with him as Ningnong tried to break into a run. Another little girl stood at Ningnong's feet, screaming in terror.her beside
Yong, she broke into a run. She raced up the beach and the hillside to safety
. Unlike hundreds of people on thebeach that day, she and her riders escaped the deadly tsunami which caused such terrible devastation