:.••Nurani Dunia and the Press

The daily lives of flood victims currently living in temporary shelters are indeed full of drama, and one of these stories had a magical twist on Saturday.

Rini, 35, of Bandung, West Java, was finally reunited with her daughter, Nining, 17, who left home seven months ago.

"She left without saying anything. I've been looking for her everywhere. A few days ago while watching news on the flood I spotted her," she said as quoted by Detik.com news website.

Rini traveled to the office of the TV station in Jakarta that aired the news to watch the footage again. She then traveled to the location shown in the footage, the eastern parking lot of Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

But Nining refused to be separated from her new life. Now working as a domestic helper for a family in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, she had married Diki, 18, a busker. They rented a house in densely populated Pedongkelan in East Jakarta.

"I will take both of them home," Rini said.

Meanwhile, twice was more than enough for 22-year old Yuliati to move from one temporary shelter to another. But, three's a charm, they say.

And luckily enough, Yuli's third shelter in the parking lot has kept her dry, well-fed and even entertained. At least for the time being.

"Our first shelter in Jatinegara was damp and even flooded when it rained. The second one, a mosque in the area, was more or less the same," said the mother of one, whose house in Pedongkelan was severely flooded.

"This one is much better. We get a bed, three meals a day and clean water," she said of her current shelter recently built by the city administration.

Around 10 tents were erected in the area, along with a public kitchen and a makeshift hospital run by army officers.

"I've had this headache for two days," complained a woman to the Army doctor assigned at the hospital.

"My daughter has rashes on her skin," said another, holding a five-year-old baby.

It may have been the first time that members of the "real public", such as Yuli and some 450 others forced from their homes by the flood, really enjoyed a public space.

By noon, children were either playing football or reading books provided by mobile library Mobil Pintar, while their mothers washed their laundry with clean water provided by the public works agency.

Those who lay around were entertained by a band playing Indonesian pop songs.

"We pick the refugees up from various temporary shelters by truck and provide their needs here," said Senayan shelter vice coordinator Lt. Col. Ruslan Rajab. "We also receive food supplies from different organizations."

As of today, several institutions are still channeling aid for flood victims.

The Indonesian Red Cross supplied clean water in several areas in Greater Jakarta, the United Nations Children's Fund donated more than US$150,000, while a further $96,000 came from the United Nations Population Fund.

Foreign countries have also chipped in to help refugees -- Rp 11.7 billion was donated by the Netherlands ambassador to Indonesia on Friday and another $200,000 from the Taiwan Economic and Trade Office.

For those in the shelter, living in the public space can be considered a luxury after spending almost a week in damp, crowded refuges or on their rooftops.

But, still, there were those who refused to move too far away from their flooded homes.

"Several neighbors would rather stay in shelters near their homes because they were afraid of losing their belongings," Yuli said.

Meanwhile, in West Jakarta's Daan Mogot shelter, more than 1,000 refugees were not as fortunate as those in Senayan, as they were forced to sleep in tents on plastic mats.

"But, this is better than having to stay in my flooded home," said Esther, a resident of Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta.

Prior to occupying the shelter, Esther insisted that she would not leave her home as her baby was just a month old.

"My mother told me that I was not supposed to leave home because the baby was still too young. But when water reached the second floor, I just had to leave," she said.

Unlike the already crowded Senayan and Daan Mogot shelters, the Cilincing shelter in North Jakarta saw a small number of occupants.

Many residents have returned to their homes, while several others refused to live too far from their settlement areas.

Sociologist Imam B. Prasodjo previously warned that it would not be easy to force refugees to flee their area.

"Some of them still earn their living there and send their children to nearby schools," he said, adding that the approach would be like separating people from their social and economic resources.

However, those who currently occupy shelters can only be

They may also be grateful that at least for now they can bathe, stay dry, well-fed and be entertained.(04)

Anissa S. Febrina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta