By Haeril Halim / AFP, BANDA ACEH, INDONESIASurfboard tucked under his arm, Dery Setyawan sprints into the crashing waves. It is not just a physical challenge but an emotional one — most of his family and friends were swept to their deaths when a tsunami hit these shores 15 years ago. His hometown of Lampuuk was almost destroyed entirely, but despite his devastating loss, the father-of-two sees the water as a way to heal. “Waves from the beach are our friends, the ones that killed people during the tsunami were from the deep ocean. “Surfing is one way of attracting people to come to this place again after the tsunami,” Setyawan says.

Source: Taipei Times December 25, 2019 15:56 UTC