“Good at living here and now”

The disaster on the other side of the planet changed the lives of many Swedish families.
Malin and Patrik Braw survived, but the images of what they saw have been etched in detail even though 20 years have passed.
– We are so grateful that we are alive, everything could have looked very different, says Malin.

The day after the tsunami, Malin and Patrik Braw, as the very first Swedes, landed at Landvetter airport. At the time, neither they nor anyone else had any idea how big the disaster actually was.

– We didn’t understand the extent until we got home and everything escalated. Then the emotions came, say Malin and Patrik Braw. That’s when you realized how lucky we were. Not everyone was so lucky.

They first thought that a large explosion had taken place on the morning of Boxing Day 2004. But from the balcony of the hotel, which had managed to withstand the masses of water, they saw images they will never forget.

– It was just chaos we saw. Outside, there was water everywhere. There were cars floating up and down, parasols, palm trees and people who were being dragged along in the current. And people screamed.

The memories have been etched in detail, even though 20 years have now passed.

Feeling gratitude

Today they have moved from Gothenburg to Halmstad. Although 20 years have passed, the events of Boxing Day 2004 have in many ways helped shape their lives.

– We have become very good at living here and now, says Patrik Braw.

Malin Braw fills in:
– You become very humble about life and feel gratitude. You don’t know how long that time is. Every year on the 26th we stop, light candles, cook Thai food and remember. We are very grateful that we get to continue our life. It could have looked completely different.

The full extent of the disaster became clear only after the fact.
Over 220,000 people died in the tsunami in Southeast Asia. 1,500 Swedes were injured and 543 died.