3/11

The floor pounds,

Smashing sounds,

One big thud.

Hit the floor hard.

Bruises, shock and pain.

Sirens blare,

People stare.

Disbelief and fear.

One big wave.

Early grave.

Doesn't stop.

Fills the shops,

Forces cars away.

Run, fast run.

Water comes.

Heart beats racing,

Wave still chasing.

Find the highest place.

Crack and crumble.

House is rubble.

Nothing here

But screams and fear.

Lost my wife,

Lost my daughter.

Where is my son?

Pray they are safe,

Pray they are alive.

Pray they knew to run.

Cities gone.

Heartbreak is long.

Never ending pain.

Big shakes rock.

Big waves shock.

Death and despair.

Water won't stop.

Temperature drops.

Cold, alone and scared.

© Leonora Sophie

Things I have learnt these past 3 weeks...

1) Palm trees are the symbol of Iwate.

After the tsunami, just one remained standing. All the others had been forced to the ground when the waters hit the shore. Perhaps, this can be looked at in a positive way. Let this be the sign of resilience and strength to carry on that everyone is talking about.

2) How to be ready for a big earthquake, and the importance of the kits, whether homemade or even Tokyu Hands' best.

The same could be said for a nuclear fallout. I now understand the importance of having a bunker in the house. Well, it would be fun to have one, right>?!

But, it does pay to be prepared, water, dry food and torches and batteries etc. That way, you don't get involved when it comes to the big rush or ration time. We do live and learn!

3) Radiation.

I knew it existed, but I never knew how to measure it (although I am still confused about the milli and micro and which one is bigger).

I now know the importance of a Sievert and how a geiger counter can improve your life at times like these!

(see previous posts for levels etc..http://leonorasophie-everyday.blogspot.com/2011/03/sieverts.html

Apparently on eBay, over 300 geiger counters were sold that one day we had checked! At around 250 pounds, they could be a sound investment!

4) Media Hype.

Wow, I now know what this phrase really means. We new the media exploited their facts sometimes, tabloids, at the best of times, but really, the lengths at which the British, the American and the Australian media sources went to get what they would deem a good story really disappointed me, not to mention, left me exhausted from having to relay the truth to people over and over, convincing them that things really were OK and we were not about to have a massive nuclear fallout #sigh#.

5) I now know where Hitachi is!

I mean, I knew it was Japanese, of course, but never paid attention to the location so much. I was equally as excited when I learnt where Kawasaki came from, as well as Toyota. They are just places, so maybe not so exciting to many, sorry.

6) Finally, from all of these experiences, I have learnt what Japan really means to me.

I have been here for 5 years, moved from city to country to big city to country. I have lived in studios big and small, but now, find my heaven in a house in the country, with my husband (who I met here too) and our little dog and hamster. Japan is where I have planted some solid roots and it is here I belong for now and for the foreseeable future. I really love it here, my home, my work, my life. The past few weeks have taught me this. And, although I knew it anyway, I didn't realise how strongly I felt. Japan will slowly but surely come back from all this, of that I am sure.

(((7) Oh, I also realised that a blog is a lot harder to maintain than I first thought! It was supposed to just be a memory of random things in daily life, now it is an addictive, unravelling saga of thoughts, rants and postulations. Never expected so many people to read it! It's awesome, thank you! Keep following please!! XXX )))

Nasty People...

Uggh...

I woke up this morning to a mail, a reply to a post I had answered on You tube.

Now, I rarely even use my stupid You Tube account, but when Ian had been asked to help with an ad for Chrysler, we were happy when it came on-line as we couldn't see it aired in the states.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LnymyyhZpE&feature

It's a lovely ad, very peaceful, very calming, which is apparently unlike some of their other adverts.

Some people seemed to hate this digression fro the norm, some welcomed it.

So, when people were asking just where the music came from, Ian and I felt a natural urge to respond, simple, because we knew the answer.

The track is an older one but not released on any format, so, when you search the internet, you will not find anything.

But, these imbeciles searching on-line do not appreciate our answers.

Ian has had some silly reponses, basically calling him a liat. And, this morning, I woke up to''@leonorasophie that song does not exist asshole'' , charming.

Why do idiots roam the internet out to cause trouble?

Had I the energy, I would reply, but why should I when the same guys keep asking over and over? I don't understand their mentality.

People with too much time on their hands, need to occupy themselves. It is tiring. Reminds me of those idiots who make dumb comments at the end of articles on-line, uggh. But I shall leave that rant for another day.

Happy Wednesday.

remarkable story...

AJW by the Asahi Shimbun

AJW 3/11 quake update:

Miracle in Iwate: Mother prepared for death, then saw the light

By YASUNORI SAKAMOTO
Staff Writer of the vernacular Asahi Shimbun

YAMADA, Iwate Prefecture--After the water rose above her head, Tomomi Odajima could feel her young daughters kicking their feet desperately.
"You're in pain. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Odajima begged for forgiveness in a voice that would not reach the two children.
As she desperately gulped what little air was left in her tract, she prepared to die. "If we're going to die, I don't want us to be separated. I won't let you go."
She tightly clutched her daughters, Yu, 4, and Yua, 3, one more time and thought to herself, "Please let us go in peace."
Days later, Odajima was resting comfortably away from the destruction wrought by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami--and appreciating the small, simple things in life.
"More than anything, Yu and Yua are next to me. Thanks to being alive, I can say I love you all. Thank you," Odajima, 28, wrote recently on an Internet chatroom entry.
The Odajimas' ordeal began at 2:45 p.m. on March 11, when her cellphone rang with an unfamiliar ring tone.
As Odajima read the message on the screen, "Emergency quake warning: Prepare for strong tremors," the shaking started.
With her husband, Munefumi, 31, at work, Odajima ordered the youngsters to take cover under the kotatsu electric foot warmer-cum-table.
Rice bowls crashed into the sink. Glasses and dishes splintered into shards that flew across the floor.
When the rocking subsided, the two children clung to Odajima. The mother looked out the window and saw a large crack in the parking lot. In the background, the public announcement speakers were blaring: "A tsunami is approaching! Please evacuate!"
Her worried mother in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, called. Then a neighborhood friend phoned. Odajima ventured out from the one-story housing complex to see what was happening.
She thought she was seeing an illusion. The sea, framed by two houses, appeared to be growing to a height between the first and second floors of the buildings.
Odajima then shouted to her friend on the cellphone, "Tsunami!"
Jamming her phone in her pocket, Odajima ran back to the house as she heard homes crumbling in the approaching wave.
When she gathered her two daughters, she noticed that the road she had just left was flooded.
In her home, windows creaked and cracked from the pressure of the water. Seawater flooded in.
She thought about escaping through the window on the opposite side of the house, but water was gushing in from that side, too.
The bottom part of the front door started to bend inward, and the water quickly rose above Odajima's boots.
"Mommy, it's cold!" Yu cried.
Realizing the water level would soon reach the height of her two children, Odajima held them up as high as possible. But soon, she felt her boots fall off her feet and her feet leave the floor.
The water neared the more than 2-meter-high ceiling. It had completely submerged the heads of the mother and two daughters.
"We're going to die so soon. What a short life. And to think that we're going to die like this," Odajima thought to herself.
She closed her eyes and held her children for what she thought would be the last time.
After a lapse of unknown length, Odajima sensed through her eyelids that it had suddenly become brighter outside.
She thought she was hallucinating from a lack of oxygen, and she started to lose consciousness.
But the outside light kept getting brighter.
She opened her mouth and found she could breathe. When she opened her eyes, she saw the room was a mess but her feet were once again on the floor.
Bewildered, she looked down to see her children still under her arms. Yu was in a daze, while Yua was coughing.
After snapping Yu out of trance, Odajima carefully placed the two girls on top of the toppled refrigerator.
"We must stay alive. We must get out of here," Odajima told herself. Pulling Yu's hand and cradling Yua, she ran up a hill. Once reaching higher ground, she looked back and saw houses in the neighborhood being tossed around by the water.
On March 13, the three were reunited with Munefumi at an evacuation shelter set up in the Yamada High School gymnasium. The father hugged each of his daughters.
Yua celebrated her third birthday the same day, and when the clock struck 1:10 a.m., the time of the girl's birth, Odajima repeatedly kissed the sleeping girl on both cheeks.
After spending several days in the shelter, the mother and two daughters moved to the home of Odajima's parents in Hachinohe.
When she finally got a chance to use a computer, she found countless inquiries from friends wondering what happened to the mother of two.
Odajima wrote her replies beginning with the words: "You know, the simple things in everyday life are probably the most precious. I once thought we were goners, but we are now here, living, eating warm meals, sleeping with our legs stretched out.
"More than anything else, Yu and Yua are next to me."

(Copyright 2011 the Asahi Shimbun. All Rights Reserved.)

* * *
Tomomi Odajima, with daughters Yu, 4, left, and Yua, 3, at her parents' home in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture (Photo by Yasunori Sakamoto)

Support for Miyagi, from the foreigners!!

On the day that we hear the French president will visit...(stomachs churn across Japan!), I find this lovely, heartwarming article....

(also to note, The French, despite having evacuated 3/4 of their people living here, are helping out with the nuclear disaster, just so you know before you go off on one conpletely! )

JET program English teachers in Miyagi say they won't leave

by K.K. Kyodo News on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 at 11:55

By Junko Horiuchi

SENDAI, March 29, Kyodo

Many foreign teachers have decided to stay in Miyagi Prefecture, one of the areas worst hit by the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami, despite adversities wrought by the disaster and worried families back home urging their immediate return amid radiation fears.

For some, a strong sense of attachment to their adopted communities outweighs the difficulties.

''It is overwhelming, mentally and physically to stay here but I want to stay,'' said Katherine Sheu, 25, from Los Angeles, who has taught English at five elementary and junior high schools in the devastated city of Ishinomaki for the past three years.

There were around 70 assistant English language teachers in Miyagi Prefecture under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, sponsored by the central and local governments, and a third of them have decided to stay there. Sheu is one of them.

''I wouldn't cut off relations for no reason. I know I am just one person from a foreign country but if I just left, for me it would be like escaping. I believe me being here contributes, giving them hope and cheerfulness,'' she said.

When the quake and ensuing tsunami hit Ishinomaki on March 11, she was having lunch with her colleagues at the Hebita Junior High School, which eventually was turned into an evacuation center. Since then, she has been busy helping out evacuees by distributing relief goods to them together with her fellow teachers.

''I love it here. I have many connections with my students, the teachers and the neighbors. I wouldn't just leave,'' Sheu said.

Having developed a keen interest in Japan while studying for a semester at a college in Sapporo, Sheu had been touched by the way her neighbors in Ishinomaki welcomed her.

At a time when she was sick, they had checked on her and come to her aid.

''Just the way people cared about me and worried about me made me feel good. It changed everything.'' Some gave her strawberries and tomatoes from their farms. ''You will never get that in Los Angeles.''

The destruction from the earthquake and ensuing tsunami was felt most severely in coastal cities of northeastern Japan.

The disaster also resulted in the death of an American teacher Taylor Anderson, 24, in Ishinomaki. Gas and electricity are still cut and stores are out of supplies

Despite the harsh conditions, the English teachers have reassured their families back home, calmly telling them that they are safe despite the radiation fears.

''I call my parents every day, otherwise they will go crazy. They want me to come home and always tell me the nuclear stuff got worse. When Japanese people start to panic, I think I will panic,'' Sheu said.

At the evacuation center where she does volunteer work, her students are also there helping the evacuees. As their teacher, Sheu tries to give them courage.

''The students try to talk to me in English and it makes the atmosphere lighter and helps people relax a little bit and laugh. It makes a big difference in this situation,'' Sheu said.

Observing the tidiness and the diligence of the quake-affected people, she is convinced that Miyagi will recover from the earthquake.

''Japan is very efficient and people collaborate to work together. The recovery should be really fast. People aren't robbing the stores and breaking into houses and stealing money and food. We are all in pain and thinking we've got to get through this together.''

Edward Clemons, 25, from Chicago, is another English teacher who has fallen in love with Miyagi while taking part in the JET program, which was launched in 1987 to improve Japanese students' foreign language skills and to promote intercultural exchanges.

He is in his second year of teaching conversational classes for adults and school students in Kesennuma, another Miyagi city severely damaged by the disaster.

''Even though I heard about the radiation I didn't think it was a problem,'' Clemons said. ''I wanted to stay till things calmed down and I also wanted to help out. I would feel really bad if I left.''

''I was actually enjoying the time spending time with the teachers by talking and bonding, doing all kinds of work like giving out water. I didn't want to leave. Even though my parents were worried, I knew I was okay.''

When he was studying at Konan University in Kobe, Clemons did not know where Kesennuma or Miyagi were, but he has since developed a strong bond with his adopted community.

''They would invite me to so many events. I carried the omikoshi shrine twice and participated in the traditional dance,'' at the local festivals, he said. ''I did so many things with the local community.''

Canadian Daniel Villeneuve, a Miyagi prefectural advisor for the assistant language teachers, said, ''Everyone is so strongly tied to their community that even though things are this bad, nobody wants to leave. For the JET program, the main goal is grassroots internationalization in communities and we are seeing them,'' following the quake.

However, the organizers of the JET program worry that it may be affected due to the scale of the quake and the tsunami, as well as radiation leaks at a quake-crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, south of Miyagi.

''I want more JETs to come and interact with the locals in the future but due to the current situation, I cannot welcome them open-handedly,'' said Kazuyuki Hoshi, assistant director at the international affairs section at the Miyagi prefectural government. ''I hope life gets back to normal as soon as possible.

==Kyodo

JET English teacher in disaster area

SENDAI, Japan - American Edward Clemons, 25, assistant language teacher under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, speaks in an interview at the Miyagi prefectural office in Sendai on March 28, 2011. (Kyodo) Kyodo

JET English teacher in disaster area

SENDAI, Japan - American Katherine Sheu, 25, assistant language teacher under the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, speaks during an interview at the Miyagi prefectural office in Sendai on March 28, 2011. (Kyodo) Kyodo

Copyright 2011 Kyodo News. All Rights Reserved.

Nothing to report!! Well...

On the Hawgood side of things, we are fine! We have learnt a lot from all this and the importance of being prepared. This is generally something that is taught to the Japanese from an early age, now we know why.

Dried foods and even most drinks are scarce in the shops, most certainly the cheap ones! However, we have still had our chance to stock up on oolong teas, green teas and what water we can (which hasn't been any for a few days). Isn't it ridiculous? What a time we live in for stocks to be hoarded (preparation and stocking up is very different from hoarding).

We wonder whether the fear of drinking tap water will actually subside. Japan is a nation of followers and what one does, the other will do too. This isn't always a bad thing, for example, you can tell a new or a good restaurant from the line outside, and you should be inclined to join it too.

But, the water shortages are just plain silly. I just hope enough reaches the north.

The rescue organisations are so thorough that I believe they will be OK. They just need to reach in time.

There is an amazing number of people reaching out to help everyone suffering from all this, so much so, that people have been asked to stop. Supplies are short in the north, so the best of the work really should be left to the professionals. even down south, things are super organised.

I went back to the immigration office (3rd time since 11th! just one more visit left!), which is right by the Saitama super arena. The arena has become a temporary home to thousands of people from Fukushima (nuclear evacuees, as they are known).

I had some kids things to donate, so thought I would drop them off. (I admit that a friend had said they were not taking any more donations, but didn't believe they would say no, not for the kids).

When I arrived, I had to walk the whole way around the arena to get to the uketsuke (reception area). Turning the corner, I was greeted by a heap of army personnel,and then, upstairs, a hoard of people ranging from volunteers, news reporters, starbucks workers offering free coffee, tourists having a look (that's what it seemed like, I hope they were actually doing something useful).

When I found the right person to speak to, she went of to check with someone whether they could take my things, but she came back all apologetic and refused them.

I was astounded, but I can understand how an individual donation messes up the organisation of it all. Charities all over the country are separating things themselves and sending them up to centres and this really is the best way to do it, I just thought, as I was passing...

Still, it was interesting to see it first hand. It makes you realise the work involved in all this. We just hear about it all on the news, but these are real people (hundreds of thousands displaced, living in thousands of shelters). Even though I didn't see inside, I could see up to the top and the windows were full of boxes and boxes. Poor people.

I heard that they will only stay in the arena until Wednesday or Thursday, basically the end of the month. And, I also heard that, all the diapers, sanitary towels etc, will not get used up by then (!), that is the extent of the donations.

The biggest worry is the north. Second harvest were one of the first charities on the case. They were delivering things to the north pretty much straight away, so we coudl send them things. But, I have since been given an address in Iwate. It is a residential address, and the guy is taking the things you send direct to the evacuation shelter. This is much better as you know you can help more directly than anything.

They need warm clothes, sleeping bags and anything, really. So if you are reading this in Japan, message me and I will give the address to you.

I takkyubin-ed a box up today. I'm not sure if the JP service is working, but I guess takkyubin is the better option given the size and weight of things.

Now, on another note. I think I have to post something I found on this site this morning:-

Remember my rage at the Keely Fujiyama article? WELL...

I found a comment this morning, which I have since deleted, not wanting any bad vibes.

But, I am going to post it here, because I don't have anything to hide. I resent the fact that someone thinks I am 'judging' her and that I don't know what it's like.Grrr. This is point, I DO KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE!! As do my friends in and out of Tokyo (even in Sendai, who are complaining far less than most!!!!) I am just using this blog to tell it the way it is.

Whoever wrote this to me (err, three guess who you think it might be..), clearly hasn't read anything else I have written, does not know me, nor my lifestyle, nor my connection to Sendai, and Japan itself.

Besides, I will add comments from other friends in Tokyo who agree what B.S. she is saying....

Here is the comment -

Hi Leonora Sophie, I am concerned by the level of disregard and disrespect you show to Keely re: the Sun story. Surely you have every right to judge anything any tabloid does. But her story is completely consistent with everything my friends in Tokyo report: radiation in water, food, and air. Shops basically empty. People generally very frightened. Women afraid to give their babies water. On-going aftershocks ranging from 3.0 to 7.0. This is verifiable. There are websites that show all the aftershocks and they haven't stopped, for even one day, as you well know if you're in Tokyo. How else should people be feeling, honestly, other than very frightened and desperate to get out? And have you considered that she might have had some very good reasons to get her story out? It appears your compassion ends when someone's story doesn't match up with your own. That's sad to me. Before you judge someone else so harshly, you might wish to put yourself in their shoes. And if you don't know what her life is like, please withhold judgment until you do.

By toto on Keely Fujiyama...again!!! on 3/26/11

And here are some genuine opinions from some real Tokyoites...

a) "Shops basically empty"? Oh please? Radiation in the air is less than ambient radiation in other cities!

b) What a crock of shit...actually love, we live in a much more remote part of Japan...if she read the blog at all she would have seen where we are. All bullshit, judgement? Oh please

c) I tried to post a comment under the article on the Sun, but it won't appear until after the 'moderator' has checked it... probably won't appear because I attacked the Sun pretty badly.

d) Interestingly she is getting very little sympathy from the Sun readers

e) This kind of misninformation has made even my brightest friends believe that the nuclear issue is more important than 500,000 homeless people... thanks Media!

f) Keely Fujiyama, you are a DISGRACE! You have made me feel ashamed to be British. Lies lies lies! Starving!?! Go shopping! http://ow.ly/4gbDC7:34 PM Mar 16th webから

(from twitter)

I could go on with all the comments from people living in Japan and those who have lived in it, but I would need more time.

In short, Keely's stupid story diverts the media from what is really happening, creates an unnecessary worry for our friends and family abroad worried about what they are hearing from the likes of K.F. Thanks so much.

Oh, another friend sent this - http://www.goandroam.com/webcams/japan/tokyo/

Gives you a good idea of the 'apocalyptic' town we live in..Yeah, right.

And, final rant - 'Post -Tsunami Tokyo'????

How dare the journalist, K.F, whoever get their facts so wrong.

Going to sign off for now.

Getting back into the Japanese study (exam in 6 weeks or so, I guess I should study!) and finally getting on with all the writing projects.

Gambarou, minna!!!

Bill's T-Shirts

My dear friend, Bill, who used to live in Ishinomaki, an area hard hit by the earthquake and the tsunami, is printing these tee shirts.

They are 20 Canadian dollars, which will go towards the fund for Japan.

If you wish to buy from abroad, please add some postage to the costs, so more money can be sent to Japan. If you are in Montreal he will deliver it to you personally!

The design on the tee shirt will be this -

So, please think about helping out.

We will be ordering from Japan, so if you want to share the packet with us, it might make sense.

T-shirts. Ladies and Men's sizes.

To help the victims of the 03/11 Tsunami.

20$ Canadian. (+shipping if you live outside of Mtl)

EMAIL: JapanAid2011@yahoo.ca

PHONE: (514) 616-8030.

I have paypal, so you can pay by credit card

Thank you for your support and help.

XXX

Sieverts

Doing my research, it seems that there are some very interesting facts to be learnt.

Right now, the radiation levels in Saitama, where we live are a mere 0.107μSv. This is microsieverts, which is less than milli (mSv) and much less than a whole sievert.(Sv)

Basically, the levels of radiation at the plant that the workers were exposed to were 100mSv, which, is half their limit for being plant workers. This is just double of regular background radiation in parts of Europe....

I am not saying this is good in any way at all.

(Actually, I just saw that regular workers should have 20 mSv..)

I think that their work is still high risk and the plant has admitted to not having checked the radiation levels regularly enough. The other day, the workers were wearing suits to protect them, but they were standing in highly radioactive water and that water was seeping through their clothing.

But, to put it all into some perspective -

A flight to New York from Tokyo is 9mSv (so the ''fly-jins'' exposed themselves to more than they were actually fearing in the first place..)(This is the figure for flight crew. Passengers would have 0.2 mSv, for a round trip)

Sleeping next to a human for a minimum of 8 hours a night, for one year is 0.02 mSv

(I would dread to think of the statistics if one was sleeping next to Elbi and his farts...!!)

Just one banana has as much as 0.0001 mSv, so think about that!!

Smoking a packet a day exposes you to 3 mSv - 60 mSv

And, finally, and perhaps this is where I should worry, for I have been exposed to more radiation at the hospital this year alone than in my whole life.

A brain CT scan is 0.8 mSv - 5 mSv

A chest CT scan is 8mSv - 18mSv

Anything above 250 mSv doesn't bear thinking about, but if treated early, some patients can recover.

As a precautionary measure, some of the embassies are issuing potassium iodide tablets.

Should there be an exposure to a high does of radioactivity, we will take these tables to counteract the radioactive iodine.

We are very positive this will not happen, but, it does help to be prepared. As you can see, Kitty is guarding them for us.

I think that's enough about sieverts from me. My head is in a spin from it all. God bless the nuclear experts who have to deal with these figures all the time.

Things are still unstable in Fukushima. All we can do is pray and pray and pray. xxx

A quickie...

Thursday night and it's already 24th march.

It's almost two weeks on from the tragedy, the disaster of 3/11, as they call it.

My personal rebuilding consists of an ongoing visa application and that is all.

I am lucky.

Radiation levels are said to be improving, so much so, that Tokyo is even healthier than some other cities on regular days. Thank you!

When you start to look into it all, and wonder what is radiation?, we learn many things.

CT scans and Xrays contain much more radiation than any of us had ever worry about in the first place. And, I have already had at least one Xray and two CT scans this year...

I am not worried.

I trust the government. They have had many incidents to learn from and this is not a battle against nuclear energy per se, it is more a battle of trust and friendship. And, a battle with which we shall plough on and conquer.

K.F...again!!!

Round two...

This woman has the gall to use her kids, in masks no less, to create more unnecessary drama.

I wonder, if she has been living here for ten years, why does she despise Japan so much that she would do this?

The article, http://thesun.mobi/thescottishsun/news/3475775/Tokyo-in-rush-hour-eerily-quiet-after-earthquake-and-tsunami.html?mob=1, shows her kids in front of a bare shelf...shocking behaviour.

So...I couldn't hold back....

To the writers of The Sun's FALSE stories with Keely Fujiyama.

I URGE YOU TO STOP WITH YOUR AWFUL AND FALSE REPORTING.

Life in Japan is getting back to what normality it can after such devastating events and you allow an imbecile such as Keely to tell you the way things 'are'.

Just how many people have you actually spoken to about life in Japan?

I live here and nothing is as she says.

I hope to God you have not paid her any money for her LIES. I used to live in the north and my friends are suffering from this catastrophe. Yet, someone like her, with no morals, no sense and no compunction for her actions has the nerve to phone you up with a 'story'.

Please stop this false reporting. It is hurting everyone around, people in Japan as well as people outside.

Can I tell you for reference, that some foreigners have left because of hurried, ill advice from their embassies, yet, the majority of the foreigners here want to stay because, not only is everything fine and under control, but they want to stay and show this.

How can you let someone push their kids into the limelight of the story? Can you not see that she is glorifying this. This is her 'glory' and you have allowed her to have it. I hope you are proud.

This stupid lady Keely has no idea what it is like. Her apartment is intact and her husband is going out to earn what seems to be quite a substantial living if they are considering buying a 4x4 at the drop of the hat, which in itself is a stupid move if there is no gas as she says.

However, gas in Tokyo is fine.

I would be intrigued to know where and how her husband is handing out food and why her family gets none of it...

And this other guy, Chris Gould, who has been panic buying is one of the idiots hoarding food and preventing us from buying it to send up north. He is the selfish, stupid one.

Sure, we knew there were earthquakes in Japan and that is exactly why the infrastructure is built to support it. In the rare case it 'falls apart', as he says, Japan is there ready to fix it. The expressway was fixed within days so that food and support could travel by road to the affected areas. And just today, I heard that the port of Ishinomaki is ready for use, making all the ports in the north ok.

I dare you to respond to this (and my other email) to get a truthful account of what is happening here. Yet somehow I doubt you will. My story simply does not create enough drama or panic for the likes of you and I fear I would not help you make your sales target for the day.

Oh, a side note. How much has The Sun donated to this cause, not counting the pain and anger from those articles?

Leonora Sophie

Keely fricken Fujiyama

Oh my GOSH....

I could barely contain my anger the other day after reading The Sun's stupid article with a stupid lady living in Nerima ku, Tokyo.

Starving Brit Keely: My nightmare trapped in City of

Ghosts – Tokyo

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3473142/My-nightmare-trapped-in-post-tsunami-Tokyo-City-of-Ghosts.html

The title alone brings shame on the paper and now, reading again and watching the video, it is embarrassing to see that the reporter is clearly mixing the stories from the north and the south for pure drama.

I was livid when I saw this and actually found myself writing a 'yours disgruntled' letter......

Hello,

I am writing from Japan, having just read your article from Keely Fujiyama.

I am DISGUSTED that you let something like this go to print.

We live out in Saitama, further away from Tokyo, in the countryside, where life has continued as normal. Sure, there have been blackouts, although we didn't experience any.

As for her words about the British embassy, I am appalled by what she has said. Information is very clear and readily available on the web (facebook and web page) and by phone and also through the foreign office.

The British embassy team from Tokyo have been up in Sendai organising coaches to bring down British nationals and help them leave, if they want. Actually , many people, including my husband and I do not feel we are in danger and do not want to leave.

Information from the government and our embassy has been great.

If people have been stocking up on goods, then this is a mere precaution. Nobody south of Fukushima is going hungry, nor 'lives in fear'.

By allowing this story, amongst others to go ahead, you are perpetrating a fear in our family and friends back home. How dare you.

Please show some respect to the nation that mourns so many people, a nation that needs to rebuild many towns, and a nation that would never behave in the way that you are now.

Leonora Sophie

Back Home!

And it is a good feeling!

Today we walked out to the lake with Elbi and there was no sign of anything having ever happened.

We felt at peace, finally.

We ordered a new television to replace the one damaged in the quake but while we were there (yamada denki), we noticed that all the bottled water had been sold.

Basically, reports are out that radiation levels in Tokyo are too high for infants (and animals) to consume. So, the result? A whole load of panic buying again.

Now, the problem we face is not just the water shortage, but the general ability to survive if radiation levels really do rise.

We have learnt this time, that the media hype is not to be listened to and we are not so make an exit based on ridiculous opinion. However, we are watching the news and reading many, many reports that are making us aware that we may not be as safe as we would like to think.

For now, though, we have electricity. We are lucky. We don't seem to have suffered from power cuts so much.

Last night,we travelled through Omiya station, which is a big hub in the north of Tokyo/ Saitama. It was practically in darkness.

The lights of the taxis are the only ones you can see.

The picture below is just outside the station on the second level. Omiya reminds me somewhat of Sendai station. When you step out, your eyes are assaulted with a whole array of lights and colours. But last night, this was not the case.

It's great to see the country come together to do what they must. Saving electricity can be done if we try.

It seems ironic that Earth hour is upon us already this weekend, but I guess we will be able to take part easily.

Earthquakes are happening very often still.

We were rudely woken up to three in a row...

I just found this web page, that I am fascinated to watch and have been transfixed on it all night..

http://www.japanquakemap.com/

Spring Equinox.

News comes in right now of power being connected to all the reactors. The progress is slow, but it is still progress and it is steady and good. Thank you and god bless you. We just need a little more and hopefully, this will calm down by tomorrow night.

We really need to concentrate on the people up north. Four have died from sheer cold. Can you imagine it? You survive a quake, you survive a deadly tsunami, you make it to an evacuation centre, but days later die, shivering, waiting for a kerosene heater to come your way.

Keep the donations and packages coming people, please.

Water has been switched on in Sendai and most of my friends are back at work either last Friday or tomorrow. Life resumes.

The foreign media is ever relentless with their battering of the Japanese nation. Why? We, the people living here still, foreigners and locals, are tired and drained from this. It is so bad that one man has posted a video urging people to stop...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH7JYAphuTE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

(if the link doesn't work, just search for 'stop the hysteria' on YouTube)

There is even a list being compiled, a 'wall of shame' for the journalist or media outlets that have helped create this mass hysteria...

http://jpquake.wikispaces.com/Journalist+Wall+of+Shame

Even if you have nothing to contribute directly, it is very very interesting to have a read of some of the additions to the list!

And, last night's reports of radiation in our area are very positive. We see no reason not to return home.

http://www.mext.go.jp/component/english/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2011/03/20/1303902_04_1.pdf

Below is an article about a couple of 'nuclear evacuees'. At first, i thought this term would be preempting some dramatic non event, as most of the media has been doing, but we are presented with 2 genuine stories. One form a local man and also one form a foreigner. I urge you to read and then think about making that donation that you may have been postponing.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/japan/110320/japan-nuclear-evacuees?page=full

So, may the spring equinox bring about some fresh ideas and attitudes for Japan and those supporting it.

Much love xxxx

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Location:Gifu, Aichi ken, Japan

People power....Peer pressure....

Firstly, hats off to all the workers, anyone involved with the Fukushima plant.
Amidst all the heavy criticism, the doubts, the fears, they have battled non-stop to rectify a very bad situation. At no point did they think, 'I've got to get out of here', 'What if there is a nuclear fallout?', 'I can't be bothered with all this'...

No, they have pushed through, and today we finally have some good news that they are regaining control of the reactors at the plant.

THANK YOU!!!!!

I have just read this updated article from the foreign office....
http://ukinjapan.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=569052582

It basically reiterates what Beddington had said before. This guy knows his stuff, and even after repeated, precautionary, but nonetheless, annoying questions, he states that we ARE FINE!

The worse case is a cloud floating over us over 2 days, and that is ultimately a worst case involving southern blowing gale winds.

Sure the news is negative, but whose media is this? CNN have jumped on the fear bandwagon already. Spinach and milk has been found to be 'contaminated'. This is from Fukushima, right by the plant, and reports should not be blown out of proportion.

It is media like this that is giving me and all my friends a headache.

It is media like this that has driven us out of our home.

We are constantly having to fend off relatives and friends and fight for the country in which we live. One person in particular is making my life unmanageable. When people believe what they read and then relay this information as 100% fact, it is hard to contend with. When someone doubts you, it shows a lack of respect, not just for you, but for your friends, family, and the life that you lead.

We have been dealing with such things since last week, and we are exhausted.

Ironically enough, the BBC now pipe in with a report about the tsunami, saying that, one week on, it is the tsunami that is important. WE KNOW!!!!

People are suffering from lack of supplies. People are cold. We need to really help those in the north, but instead the media wants to drag Japan down into a cesspit of filth and lies.

I heard a very sad story today. They need diapers desperately. We sent some boxes up today, but stupidly no diapers.
If you are reading this and are in Japan, please send more to Second Harvest. I posted the link in another post. The address is in Tokyo and can be done with regular post.

Here is the story I heard from my friend....

・ I need to change my daughter's diaper, but there is any diaper left.

・ We evacuated to the shelter. We have a baby crying in the night, it seems to make people annoyed. We are at a loss.

"・ I am looking for my wife every day, but she is still missing. I have nothing to confirm her safe...

・ Gasoline has run out. We can't go to our uncle's funeral.

・ Our family was ok, but our house, money, everything were washed away by tsunami. We have no hope in the future.

・ Water is still cut off in the shelter. Sanitary condition is getting worse day by day. An increasing number of evacuees sufeer from a wide range of physical irregularities."

We need to focus on helping. Hopefully, we will be able to follow this man more. Prayers and love to his family. I hope he can at least say good bye to his uncle.

After all this ranting, I want to end on a heartwarming note; animals reunited with their owners...

http://www.ctv.ca/gallery/html/japan-quake-dogs-pets-victims-110318/index_.html

God bless them all xxxxxxxxxx








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Gift City, Gifu, Japan.

One week on....

And progress is slow, but everyone involved is working more than their utmost, risking their lives.

As the death toll rises, the problems in the north are being shadowed by the drama of the nuclear power plant explosions.

I am not saying this doesn't matter,it. is the hype that has gotten into the foreign press that has made the situation unbearable for us all here within Japan.

I saw a report tonight for the levels of radiation and in our area of Saitama, they were at 0.06 microsieverts. Now, if we take into account that, scans and X-rays can be up to 7000 msv, then, we surely needn't create a flurry of fear amongst a nation with enough to worry about.

http://andyheather.posterous.com/radiation-levels-japan

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110319f1.html

Meeting with friends has been therapeutic, and living through a normal day is nice, although watching the television still makes me astounded that this has happened here.

But, despite all the troubles, Sendai is slowly up and running again. Been the airport is functioning and a lot of my friends are back at work. The expressway is open for emergency vehicles and relief can get through to where it is needed. Families have been asked to accept temporary accommodation around the country and we saw a report of those in Nagoya being offered emergency accommodation.

Many people are making donations, be it clothes at various drop offs, or sending packets to the many addresses we have been told. Together, we will help make things better.

XXX


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