SUNDAY ...

.... And the aftershocks / new quakes still shake the ground we are on....

There were around 3 relatively big ones (3 or 4 on the shindo) soon after waking up, but around the same time, I got a call from KuroNeko about my desk delivery - business as usual. Nice desk, right?

It really is quite remarkable how Japan can pick itself up and carry on. Apparently, Tokyo is more or less back to normal, but just with less people out and about!

At this end, we just rode through the morning shakes, which, do in fact take it out of you. We have been feeling dizzy, seasick and sleepless.

It has all been so unsettling and the first two days were simply nuts, so today, we decided to chill on the news outputs; I was so transfixed it was frightening.

Today was a day to regroup, tidy the house, again. I had just arranged most of the stuff, only to have it rearranged by the earthquake!

We went down to Yamada Denki, an electrical store just near us. They sell food and drink too, and we stocked up. There were many other people there, not panic buying, per se, but making sure they had their fair share of cup ramen and toilet roll, as did we.

There wasn't any aggression in the way that people shopped, nor panic or fear. It was more a precautionary measure, making sure that they had the essentials and wouldn't go without.

Other people were looking at new televisions, just like we had yesterday. Only this time, they were checking the 'wobble factor' on them. If we weren't OCD enough already, I think this will bring it out even more. I don't want to leave the house now without checking that there is nothing that will fall on Elbi, nothing to smash in each room etc...

It wasn't long before I was back in the news world, hearing all sorts of crazy stories...JMA warns of another big quake in the next three days, power cuts commence tomorrow, more contact is lost with those in Matsushima. My friends are worried for those they know up north too. The coastal towns are the ones to worry about and so many people have disappeared.

I have heard good news from a few friends now, so I pray that there will be more.

Other friends down south have abandoned Tokyo, almost without a care for the people around them. But, you have to do what you feel is best. Another friend wants to fly in as soon as possible to help his fiancée in the wreckage of Sendai, despite the warnings.

Again, we can only sit tight.

I feel sick with nerves at what might happen, but also confident that everyone knows what they are doing. As the prime minister says, we must pull together at this time. Unfortunately, we are far away here and cannot do anything, but the most important thing is to keep safe.

We have an emergency bag packed, we have bottles of water, torches etc...

Writing this now is hard, because I am listening to the news feeds again and talking with worried friends. It all makes me nervous, but I know things will be fine soon.

On another note, we went for a lovely walk around the lake and we could enjoy the serenity of the area we live in...

Let it be a reminder of the beauty of this country, beauty that, in the north, we are going to have to regain.

Please stop shaking, Japan. We need to start to make things better again.

Please find our friends and family, missing on the cold shores.

Thank you for the rescue workers and small miracles.

xxx