London riots - The aftermath

I haven't really ranted here about the events of last week so much, but I feel I should, just a little bit.

I have never really been political per se. Right and left meant nothing much. Even a knife and fork can change hands, and so do the plans and manifestos of the governments.

I have never really believed that one person could be so strongly swayed in just the one direction and I still believe this.

So, if you ask me whether or not I am a full blown conservative, don't expect a direct response.

I hate it when people so stubbornly claim to be on one side (whichever that may be, people are always stubborn, but they usually choose the side they believe to be the right one!) and, as a result, come out with some harsh criticisms of the other.

In the UK right now, people are blaming the government. What government, we don't know. Certainly the rioters don't know...

Listen here for a horrendous example of who is involved and the mind set.

The BBC talks to two girls involved in the riots.

They talk about the fun of it. Sure, drinking at 9am can be wild. Hopefully they will have a hangover to teach them something to that effect

But, they talk about 'showing the police that they can do what they want.' It's a kind of freedom, then, I can only assume, proof that they, the rioters are in control.

But, who are the rioters exactly?

We have had reports of an Olympic hopeful, supposedly representing UK next year (remember we are supposed to be hosting the Olympics next year too), I read about a 12 year old, (whose mother blames the government for creating enough things to do for her child), there was a doctor's daughter, a millionaire's daughter too. How are they disgruntled?

There wasn't just the 'yoof' with nothing to do but go on a crazy spree, there were men in their 40's too.

I have been told that they are just 'angry' people. Angry about what I wonder? Job cuts, unemployment, dim prospects....

I am not going to be anywhere near the top of the line in advertising my home country, nor city as a place of paradise. but, it isn't all that depressing is it?

Ok, so there are no 'youth centres' for the kids to hang out and occupy themselves when they aren't at school.  Let me just point out, that I was on my way home from a youth centre when I was mugged at knife point in south London. I was 11, my attackers, 16. Youth centres are not the answer.

I haven't lived in England for almost 6 years, so, yes, I am out of the loop. However, I knew that I had to study to make it (what/wherever 'it' was - still learning). I knew that there was a difference between right and wrong. Surely this is a basic instinct?

But riots, revolutions, passionate protests aren't always about basic instincts. They aren't even about getting results, but no one is going to stop to think about it, are they?

One brave lady even tried to tell the rioters this as they ran amok on the streets of Hackney. You may have already seen it (it made it to various news sources).



And she is so right in her words.

What results did the rioters want last week? New trainers & a six month jail term?

Yes, the law is coming down so super hard on this rioters. Some say too hard (labour /liberal supporters) and some say not hard enough (conservative supporters).

I say they deserve the penance for sure. You commit a crime, you do the time. It is simple logic and nothing left or right, well just right.

There is talk of taking away their benefits (super conservative). It is true, some people are living on ridiculous benefits.

This is nothing to do with rioters, but a family from Somalia are living in rented accommodation. They have just moved form the north to Camden council area, and are in a house where the rent is £8,000 ((!!!)) a week. Camden council are picking up this bill. The saddest thing here is that that money could house so many families from Somalia. It isn't a question about immigration, but about balance and fairness.

Now, those who say that the conservatives have caused all this damage, we must remember that we had labour before for 13 years. Those who do remember, are pointing out that both governments are Thatcher's doing.

Now, I was a lot younger, and I don't remember her policies so much. But, I do remember there was no bullshit. I also know that it was the current conservative government who actually lowered the maximum housing rental allowance to the unemployed to £400!!! That is quite the sum and you can get a neat pad for that in zone 3/4.

We need balance.

I agree with some of the jail terms, although I wonder what purpose it will serve later down the line. Will anyone learn?

I agree with the Liberal Democrat suggestion of getting people to do community service as punishment. Doing time and helping the communities (they have damaged) will teach them so much. It can teach anyone a lot, criminal or otherwise.

So where is the balance between the apparent conservative's headline grabbing sentences (I can't say I agree with four years imprisonment for inciting a riot on facebook, when some murderers get let of with less than this) and those who believe it would be more important 'talking to the rioters'???

We have a big rift going on amongst the UK coalition government.

One of the things we need to be prepared for is that that this may happen again. It may not be in such a  scale, but there will always be rebellion, especially in the UK. What we need to do is find out why it happens / has happened (during their community service/jail time, of course) and be prepared.

It is pointless fighting crime with few cell spaces or adequate laws in place.

Good luck England! You're going to need it!

London Riots

Wow, after three nights of crazy behaviour, riots, endless looting and a shameful amount of damage to buildings and material possessions, London, as well as the rest of the country braces itself for what could be another night or fearful terror.

At this stage, the concern is that this will never end. And with the softly-softly approach that the police and the government are adopting, it won't. One more night in London alone and the whole place will be ruined. Already livelihoods of individuals and long term family businesses have been ruined, destroyed and burnt, despite claims that the purpose is to attack the big commercial companies.

Londoners especially want more, the army, water cannons, anything that will show that we are not weak. London is our city too. From afar I suddenly feel so saddened that my home city is half in flames.

Today we are waiting on news from the government officials and their decisions on what to do. We know that an extra 10,000 police officer are being deployed to London, but what if there is more trouble outside the capital? It surely cannot be allowed to happen one more night...

We just heard this on BBC WORLD. In an interview with two 17 year olds. The girls were drinking in Croyden, drinking 'free booze, innit and proclaimed they were rebelling 'against the rich people and the government, conservative/labour...whatever'. Despicable.

On a positive note, Londoners are fighting back and getting ready to clean their streets, but not without being scared of it all erupting one more time.

 I can see a late night ahead as I am glued one more time to the news.

Clearly the perpetrators will not learn the error of their ways and grind to a halt. Urgent action is the only thing that will stop this. Come on England, less talk, more rigorous action.

Donations

It hasn't been a complete success trying to round up the troops.

The animal food drive fell on its face, perhaps because we had to cancel the first one and then, for the second, I began the day in hospital, so any efforts were as limp as my leg.

However, thanks to lovely friends and the great takkyubin of Japan, I have a stash of donations that will make their way up to Fukushima next week.






I have some more goodies at work to add to this wee pile too, which will feed the volunteers too.

So, the next challenge in all this is more awareness, more donations and more care for the animals.

There are still some big steps to take in all this.

Four months on almost, and still so much is uncertain.

I will be back in August with a fresher mind and a new determination to help the animals and the people of Tohoku.


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Location:Kasukabe,Japan

The JEARS flyer

They accepted my flyer (you know the one to collect donations), at the local supermarket!!!!!

And it only took two members of staff and a phone call to a third!!!

I was so taken aback when the lady came and said it was OK that i was all about ready to take the laminated flyer back from her and out it in my bag!

This is such a good thing for us. Remember I have said earlier that the flyer was nowhere to be seen at the let store where I they accepted it. And remember there have been a couple of pointless rejections. This could be a turning point!

Now, if word can spread...

Also in the good news stakes today, we got a phone call about Susie! They will try to bring her tomorrow from Heart. (Tsunami survivor! I met her at the end of March on my first trip with JEARS, she was in Niigata at the time.)

Things are very exciting indeed!

And this weekend, we will have our food drive for the animals,so let's see how much we can collect!!

Rest assured there will be plenty of pics! Here is another one is Susie in the meantime.





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Location:Kasukabe,Japan

People, Priorities

Everyone has their own agenda. It doesn't mean that people are selfish per se, but it does make many more inward-looking than others.

We all have our own little bubble to live in, whether it is one with the family, young and old, or one alone, independently surviving the world we live in.

Whatever the situation, it takes a lot for someone to step out of this bubble.

When it comes to helping others, we need to be in a position to actually offer the help, as well as actually care to give it.

A wake up call to assistance, might be direct involvement in a tragedy, experience of being a victim, or quite simply, watching a news item.

Whatever it may be, it takes heart, soul and determination to want to help and support a cause.

In the past, I have been in grandiose performances at various theatres in London where it was all about the glitz and glamour of the event rather than the charity the event was supporting. However, these bashes, do make so much money for needy causes, even if they do display the latest trends and fashions in the process.

One particular performance we did was attended by Princess Ann for Children in Need. I still remember her words ''One doesn't have to like children to work with them.''

What a kick in the face. So many groups of children from stage schools and dance schools had been belting out songs all day long at the huge Royal Albert Hall, not to mention the children we were singing for!

I am not sure why she would have even said that in the first place.

You do need to care, or else how can you support the cause properly?

Everyone has their own agenda.

For me, it's animals. It haas always been animals, since I was young ( I didn't have the choice when I was at dance school). Whether it is gibbons in the rainforest or cats on the street, I feel for them.

Put those animals in the country I adore so much after a dreadful tragedy and I feel I must help.

What I can do is small, but so many small things together make for a big dose of love.

I am so grateful to so many people helping me personally and also helping the causes I support.

Check out these groups on facebook. If you are in Japan and want to help, get in touch!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DIRECT-HELP-for-victims-and-animals-REJECTED-from-shelters-in-JAPAN/185436641502603

((http://www.silvervine.net/volunteer.html))

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalRescueJapan

((www.jears.org))

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-HEAL-Japan/163723737018466
((http://www.teamheal.jp/))

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Caroline Pover of 'Being-a-Broad', has been doing so much to help Japan. And in this blog, she mentions the Sendai house!!

Awesome, http://www.carolinepover.info/2011/05/part-2/


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Pulling teeth

So, we went to the pet store yesterday and there is no sign of my donations notice anywhere.

It is so tiring. There is either red tape preventing me from getting the message across or there is the general notion that I am a foreigner with a flyer and that is all.

The post office near our house told me to come back another day when a more senior member could authorise me putting up the notice. It is just frustrating, there is space on the board and it is causing no harm.

More annoyingly so, this is a gesture so small that is helping the country in something so big.

The notice basically explains about JEARS and says that if you want to donate, here is the Sendai address or, if you want to give locally in Saitama, just call me, Lee.

It is not a rude, demanding nor forceful notice at all. I just cannot comprehend why no one will accept it.

One supermarket said a flat 'no'.

I need to adjust the techniques. One friend has suggested approaching vets at their clinics with a phot album and asking for a donation box to be put in their clinic. Sound good, right?

But, I know of just one clinic in this area....

Still, there are some more shops and people I can approach.

Next week is our food drive, where friends will come and visit us and bring something to contribute for the animals.

I even had the mother of two kids, (not even my students, such is the generosity) offer me big bag of food and snacks at school.

I now need to transport the +6kg bag home!

Basically, I want to return to Tohoku in a few weeks. I want to see Namiko San and her dog too and I want to be able to actually contribute more to the endless need for food and supplies.

Right now, I have to mail a girl about cat supplies!

Let the collection begin!!


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Location:Kasukabe,Japan

I'm a volunteer...article

I have put this article online.

While it is great people are helping, there are still places lacking the love, help and respect they need in the north of Japan.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8971590-im-a-volunteer

- So, what did you do this Golden Week?

- Oh, I. Went to Tohoku to volunteer....and insert here the story of a beach clean up, cooking meals at evacuation centres, collecting rubble etc.

Volunteering is the new 'boom' it seems in Japan. And this is great, not just because the north needs all of our help right now, but because it will hopefully teach us all so much more about charities, donations, and the real meaning of helping a needy cause.

Having lived in Japan for five years and having worked with various organisations both here and abroad, (mostly helping animals in need), I noticed how different things were here in Japan.

While people here are very helpful and generous overall, it is slightly different when it comes to the bigger picture.

Of course there exists the big organisations like the Japanese Red Cross Society and even international NPOs, like World Hunger Relief, but only these big ones seem to get noticed.

Various countries have fun runs, mini marathons, all sorts of sponsored events, all to raise money for causes. Sadly, none of that really happens here.

I did a sponsored bike ride around the Yamanote line a couple of years ago in order to raise money for an organisation I support in Indonesia. This was shortly after the big earthquakes they had in Sumatra and the organisation had an office damaged and a boat missing too.

When I explained to people what it was I was doing and why, they were happy to help, but for many, it was the first time they had heard of something like this. You give money to someone you may not even know so well so they can send it to who? Crazy stuff.

But, this is what I know. Fundraising events are great for promoting awareness and getting people involved. Since the awful tragedies of March 11, people the world over have rallied around with all sorts of ways to raise money, send donations etc, including within Japan.

It has hit home hard how much some people need that bit of extra help and love that comes from an outside source. What does it matter if you don't know the person to whom you are sending new shoes to? What does it matter that you don't know who will enjoy the food you are sending up? The important factor here is that you are doing it and sending it with love, which is perfect for our friends in the north.

Being able to travel to the north to lend a hand is another grand gesture. So what if Golden Week is short, what is a day or two here or there? So many people are giving up their time and money to help.

This is amazing. The giving spirit that Japan is already well know for is now being shared to the wider community. People aren't so withdrawn anymore, we are all open to giving and receiving much more freely than before.

I don't doubt that this will continue. The want to share, to help, to give is boundless. We just need to be aware that all the people affected by March 11 are being helped.

The big organisations are sending all the volunteers to the areas you may hear about in the news, but Tohoku is big. So big in fact, that not everyone is getting the help they need.

Apparently, there were 300 000 volunteers in Tohoku this Golden Week, yet I was in Shichigahama and we were five. This was an area overlooked by the Government. house are just about intact, but damp. Access to shops is limited as is the water, the gas and provisions are scarce.

So, while it will always be a great thing to help and lend a hand, why not try to look for the small groups in need of assistance. Then your volunteering love will go to people not really sharing this current 'boom'.

Gambarre Tohoku. Let's keep the fighting spirit strong.

Today isn't a public holiday

So, I had a plan for the morning and I had help from Susan M's husband ( Heart, Tokushima) who was calling up the Aigo centre on my behalf. They were ready for my visit. It was not officially a public holiday today, so it was a good day for action

Apparently, we had already visited this centre, but it doesn't hurt to go and explain and to give more leaflets etc. With the new base in Sendai, it was important for these people to know that there was more help nearby. Face to face makes such a difference and now that we have a base just down the road, it is important that they know that, any animals in need can come to us.

The centre was nice, there were dogs outside, almost 40 we were told. They also have ponies and a goat as is is used as an educational trip for school kids. I do think goats are the best and cannot wait to have a farm with a few!

The dogs there had mostly come from Ishinomaki, and apparently had owners. We sat with the man in charge (Takamura San?) and talked a lot about rescue operations in general and what would happen to these animals. The aigo centre is a no kill centre, but the animals are often handed to the Hokenjos and this is where the animals are given one week to live and gassed if noone comes to collect them.

It is very important we establish good ties to all these places so that they know we are there. It has to be said, though, that intervention is hard. People follow the rules so closely that it makes our work even more difficult.

So, after a long chat and even some green tea, Fumiko and I headed off. I was lucky to have her offer to drive me for without a car in Sendai, it is not easy to get around, especially at this time.

When Fumiko heard that I needed to be in Shichigahama next, she offered, once again to take me there, one way only this time because she had to work. Work was apparently 'on the way' although, I realised that it wasn't and I also made her late. But, such was her generosity, it was 'daijyobu' (alright).

We drove for a while and even got lost towards Tagajo town. As per usual on these road trips, the destruction we witnessed was insane. Left and right, houses were left bare, trucks crumpled and belongings scattered everywhere.

We eventually found the right coastal area, I recognised the gas station from the day before. As we drove up a little in the direction of Fumiko San's house, I noticed a dog chained up to a really badly damaged house.

He looked very hungry indeed, and the house was not habitable at all. There was the 'unsafe' sign too.

I got some snacks for the hungry dog who had no water in his bowl either an then, just to the side of the house, I saw a lady doing her laundry, I think.

I was amazed that someone would be here.

She explained to us that she took care of the dog and she eventually told us that this was her house.

Now, to give you some idea, the downstairs had been torn through by the tsunami, the windows were smashed, the walls cracked, yet she happily stated that they were living and sleeping upstairs.

To paint the picture further, In front of her house remains the space for the three houses that stood between hers and the coastline. Needless to say, they are there no more.

I persisted with questions, 'what can I do to help you now?' ' can I clean?' 'can I give more dog food?', All my questions had good intentions but felt so weak. She laughed them all off insisting that she was ZEN ZEN DAIJYOBU!, FINE!!!! She made ME to appear the one in need!

She was a lovely lady. I had a big bag of dog food to share with this neighbourhood, so I was very happy to offer her some. She was clutching to the bag tight in this picture.

Namiko San, the lovely obachan, hopped in the car to guide us up to Fumiko's house. My directions were shot and she was of way better strength, I was still holding back tears, while she wore a great big smile!

Yumi came to collect us, we dropped the lovely Namiko San off and went back to Yougai.

The team were cleaning out the hut and the warehouse today. I joined in for a while. The pomeranian would be coming to Fumiko's house at 3pm, and then we would all head to the vet together. I have been put in touch with Sasaki Sensei. He has been helping out a lot with animals all over the affected areas. We would meet him later.

The hut that you can see in the top right corner had been completely displaced by the water and everything inside the hut and the outhouse had been soaked and ruined. We were helping to remove item, dry and dispose of if needed.

At around 3pm, we headed back up to Fumiko's house.

There to meet us along with Fumiko was the dog and the family, mum and two daughters. We discussed the situation wit the dog in more details. I had been emailing and talking with Sasaki Sensei and he had given me some particular questions to ask. The Dog, Marron chan, was barely eating and since the quake had been sick a lot. We had to take him to see Sasaki Sensei, all the way in South Sendai.

This would have been an easy trip had it not been for the traffic and the mistake in the address!!

I slipped up a digit and got us lost just around the corner from where we needed to be. We were almost running to another vet, such was the need to see one, but that would have been bad.

I backtracked and found on my phone a mobile number. we were in!

He was a great vet, saw to Marron chan and gave him some meds and snacks, and spoke with us for a while about his work. He has a folder in his clinic with all the media related articles that exist re. his work in the earthquake relief. Amongst them are some letters of thanks too from international vet organisations. We were very honoured to be working with him. He accepted our JEARS leaflets and added them to the collection.

So, today was all about establishing contacts and joining forces. People helping each other, whether direct or indirect. Without each other's support, things are more complicated. Let's keep helping each other.

Location:Sendai & Shichigahama, Miyagi

May Day

When the door opened to the JEARS apartment, I was greeted by so many faces, it was hard to keep track! There must have been about 9 people there at that time, plus Omori San, who lives upstairs.

It was a crazy encounter; I dumped my bags, got some donations from Yumi, and quickly got changed into some trousers. I packed my rain boots, my waterproofs and was good to go.

Today, I was going with Yumi's gang. I wanted to help them a little, like they helped me and also, Shichigahama is an area I am fond of as we used to go there often for so many beach BBQs.

Shichigahama still doesn't have water, local shops have limited supplies and you cannot even pee in a local convenience store, now that is saying something as usually, a convenience store sorts you out for everything.

So, why are we here? The whole of Tohoku has suffered from the events of March 11th, and so many people have suffered in so many ways. We see on the news endless tales of destruction and loss and it is to these areas only where the majority of money, food and volunteers go.

Shichigahama is a set of bays and the shape of these bays meant that some of the destruction was lessened. Small islands out to sea or inlets held of the tsunami just a little and this meant that the damage was not as severe as in some other coastal towns.

So, in Shichigahama, there are still many houses missing, flattened or ruined by the wave, but there are still many standing. And, it is for this reason the people are put aside by the Japanese Government. I suppose the logic is that they have a house, so they are OK.

This is far from true. Water is still limited if any at all, food supplies are lacking as shops cannot get deliveries still. Those with cars can access shops further away, but they must still be careful, as gas is limited too.

Yumi had heard the story of people in Shichigahama and knew she had to do something to help.

First stop was Fumiko's house.

Fumiko used to live down below by the water a long time ago. She sold her house and moved uphill. Of her former house, all that remains is the second floor. The house itself, or what is left, has been thrown over towards other buildings. Fumiko must be feeling glad for her decision to move, but, rather than dwell upon selfish mullings, she, has taken to helping all her local neighbours. She is a very jovial lady, full of energy, spirit and a lot of laughter!

We started to set down the donations (yumi had to takkyubin some of the boxes of clothes up as there simply was not enough room in the van!).

Meanwhile, Fumiko San was the first ( of many! ) to get her hair cut.

The donations were sorted out both inside and outside the house. The van was also reloaded for a wee journey down below. Some neighbours came and collected some goodies.

We drove down to the coast and saw Fumiko's old house, along with more destruction.

The harbour had bad damage and one area

was being used as a central

dumping ground for garbage. Amongst the wood and the dirt, there was a small children's toy, a stark reminder of who may be among the victims.

Along the coast, some houses were fine, some houses missing, and some marked with signs that read, 'limited entry' or 'unsafe'.

You would not expect people to be living in such buildings, but they were, somehow, and getting on with it as best they could.

Donations were accepted graciously although in a fiercely proud nation, it can be hard to offer things, even at times like this.

We even delivered to a small gas station that was open, but surrounded by destruction.

Impressive, but sad, but life goes on and the clean up must continue.

Back at the house, we sorted through more donations and reloaded the van.

Haircuts were still going on in full swing, mostly obachans, older ladies whose mobility is limited. Everyone was grateful for the support and had a little chat with us. We even got an invite for coffee at a neighbour's house, but we had to keep going.

Next stop was Yougai, down by another bay. The fishing bay had a couple of boats overturned and on top of each other.

We went right to the end of the bay to a house at the end. From the drive, you can see the beginning of Matsushima Bay,

a bay famed for it's beautiful islands and ranked one of the top three sits in Japan. Apparently, the islands broke the tsunami wave a little and were not destroyed at all. Yokatta!

I could see the tourist boats going to and from the islands, business as usual, it seems. it is Golden Week after all.

We delivered more food donations and divided them up so each neighbour could receive a bag. I walked with Rena to one house nearby. She was an old lady, very cute. Her house was not in good shape and had the 'limited entry' sticker on it. She showed us a massive crack in the driveway as she laid down her bags by her kotatsu.

I suddenly felt very empty inside. How could this lady be alone? And living in a house that was not safe? She smiled and invited us for coffee, but we had to get back to help at the main house.

We loaded the van with garbage to take to the tip. The tip was a big open space with a massive collection of frisbee, televisions, computers, not to mention rubble, all collected since March 11. There was a bad smell too.

Over by the fridges, there was a collection of toys with the Japanese flag blowing in the wind next to them. Yet another horrid reminder of the young and helpless victims.

We made a couple of trips here, offloading many things that had been damaged in the outhouse, television, shelving unit, many toys, electrical goods etc.

The hut itself had been thrown to another area of the garden completely. It was now back where it belonged but it was still wet inside. Tomorrow's was to clean and dry out everything in the outhouse and the shed.

At the end of the day, we were welcomed into Fumiko's house for snacks and juice. We all chatted and shared stories. One lady had family in Ishinomaki and her father was living in a shelter there. He wants to kill himself because life is so slow to progress. He has nothing and just lives day by day in the centre with nothing to do. She, is plagued with worry, especially as he won't leave the area as it is hometown.

Yumi gave out some remedies for the ladies of the neighbourhood (she is a herbalist by trade) and hopefully, they will feel less stress very soon.

I was also introduced to a lady whose dog had been very sick since the earthquake. She has a pomeranian and he is hardly eating and also vomiting. All the vets in the area that she knows have had their clinics destroyed or lost in the tsunami. I had to act now to help her.I promised I could return either the next day or the one after with a solution, a vet or some meds, something, anything to help.

A few calls later and I knew who to contact. I would mail the vet later, a Sasaki Sensei who has been helping immensely since the disasters. We would get this dog better quickly!

We quickly popped into the neighbour for coffee, where her hospitality was just wonderful. One coffee and two green teas later (it would have been rude to refuse) along with a chocolate bar ( the generosity is astounding - remember, we are there to give them food!), my gamman and stretch was slowly fading. I would need the toilet very soon! We were all the same.

It had been almost eight hours of running around and work and not going to the loo. We had a portable toilet, kind or and if we really wanted to we could have used this...!!!

We drove off, leaving Maria still cutting hair, ( I think she helped almost thirty people by the end of the day!!). I had to get back to my base to see what was happening.

We eventually found a conbeeny with a toilet (!)

and treated ourselves to a post-pee coffee!

Much needed and well deserved!!

Back at the JEARS house, the teams were still out. One was in Iwate collecting cats and dogs at the city hall.

The others were in Fukushima.

I was alone for a while, so Fumiko (it's her mother's apartment we renting) popped over. Omori San upstairs had made curry for the volunteers, but they hadn't returned, so I could get double helpings!

I sent mails to the vet and spoke with Fumiko about an Aigo centre nearby. Usually an Aigo centre is a friendly place for the animals. It is the hokenjos where the animals have one week to live if no one collects them, sometimes these animals come form the aigo centre, so we though we would make a plan to go there's tomorrow morning. I also wanted to sort out the sick dog, so I had a plan, i just didn't have transport.

Thank goodness for friends and good people! Fumiko was coming to get me at 9am, from there, the rest would fall into place, I was sure of it.

Yumi has a page on facebook - Follow her and her team's work here -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DIRECT-HELP-for-victims-and-animals-REJECTED-from-shelters-in-JAPAN/185436641502603

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Location:Shichigahama & Sendai, Miyagi

Golden Week - travelling up north

So, I had never even met my travelling partners before, but Yumi chan and I had sent a few volunteer related emails and somehow I didn't feel out of place asking to hitch a lift with them to Miyagi during the busy Golden Week holiday.

Yumi had her own little group going to help an area of the Miyagi prefecture that seem to have been cast aside by the Japanese Government. Her mission is to deliver food and essentials to these areas in Shichigahama, as no one is providing for them.

They had a van packed full to the brim with so many things, boxes of clothes, croissants, fruits, washing products, you name it, it was there, all the things we take for granted in our weekly shop.

Miraculously, these kind hearted people found the space for my lard arse in the back of the car along with my over packed bags with things for my own organisation.

We were all volunteers. These days, half of Japan are volunteers. It is the new boom. Everyone wants to help in so many ways.

The expressway was busy but we were not held up.

At the stop offs, I was amazed by the volume of cars, buses and people. I have travelled to and from Sendai by road so many times and have never seen it like this. Apparently, there were 300 000 volunteers heading to Tohoku this holiday!!! That is a lot of people!!!

The road, as usual now, was bumpy in Fukushima. The roads have been fixed but some of the damage shall never go away.

Yet, this being Japan, none of this affected us at all. We got to the Izumi Inter turn off at around 4am, so we were able to sleep for a few hours before heading to the JEARS apartment.

The team sleeping in the cramped van
1. YUMI, ring leader and general awesome lady!

2. KENGO, our ever persistent driver and strong helper.
3. RENA, Kengo's wife and another awesome lady!
4. MARIA, a trained hairdresser, coming up to chop, chop, chop
5. LEE, me!

Check out this link for Yumi's work...https://www.facebook.com/pages/DIRECT-HELP-for-victims-and-animals-REJECTED-from-shelters-in-JAPAN/185436641502603

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Tohoku Expressway

The Telegraph article

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/8446374/Two-views-of-the-Japan-earthquake-crisis.html

I forgot to mention this.

Now, I am not really one to rant(!) and certainly not one to write to newspapers, but I have been at loggerheads with some friends about certain things and I was, at this time, so irate about a stupid letter The Telegraph had printed. Basically, one guy, living in Saitama, wrote some short story, creative writing piece wannabe that got me so riled.

(you can see it on the link from the paper...my sayonara tears...blah blah...)

Basically, his article was desperately trying to paint a dramatic picture of a scene that, as scary as it may have been, will never be anything in comparison to what the north of Japan has seen and suffered. The fact that the newspaper printed such drivel makes them as bad as him.

It was no longer a case of who was a fly-jin or not, it was a case of who was trying to manipulate the situation for their own benefits...sick people.

Not to mention the fact that he lived in the same prefecture as me. I have been endlessly and sadly, mostly in vain, trying to tell people that things are OK here. Yet one stranger, with no sensitivity comes along and ruins this.

Then this brings me to some of the people I know. People defending this story, people attacking us for simply sharing the story and sighing with sheer exhaustion at yet another over elaborated, stupidly decorated tale of how they hid under the table then left Japan. Ugh.

It was all very hurtful and saddening. Different people have different priorities, that much I can understand, but I would have thought friends to have understood us.

So, I wrote an email, telling them how it was. They edited a few things, such as my sentence saying 'We were lucky' and how it referred to us getting a taxi. For the sensationalism of my little note, they used my words as the title, making it look like I am just as bad as the other guy. Ugh

The focus must stay on the north, not on the eejits who have left, selling, printing, telling their stories of non-woe.

Ok - Rant over for now. x

((Oh, they wanted a picture of me too...but when I sent them one of the beautiful countryside of where we live in Japan, they were not interested....HHHhhhmppphhhhhh))

Two views of the Japan earthquake crisis

Two expat teachers living in Japan - one British, one American - got in touch with Telegraph Expat to share their stories of the earthquake and its aftermath.

Medical staff in protective gear check radiation levels on a local resident in Koriyama, Japan Photo: Aflo/Rex Features

9:27AM BST 18 Apr 2011

1 Comment

Story One: 'We were so lucky'

Leonora Sophie is a British teacher based in Kasukabe, Saitama. She has lived in Japan for five years, and was at the immigration office in Saitama renewing her visa when the earthquake struck.

I have never experienced anything like it before and I was scared. I was lucky to be with my husband and together, we knew that we had to abandon the visa renewal process (he, too is British) and get back home as quickly as possible to check on our pets.

As we walked, the ground shook more, but thankfully, less vigorously. The trains had all stopped and crowds of people were collecting, hoping that they would be able to get home somehow that evening.

We passed some buildings with cracks at the foundations, shops with their displays on the floor and some window fronts with cracked panes. We were so anxious to get home to see how the animals were, but I was scared to go inside. The day before we had bought shelving that was all downstairs near the dog cage. Miraculously, none of this had fallen over. Our dog was clearly frightened and our hamster didn't come out for two days, but, we, the family were fine. Thank goodness.

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The television, much crockery, and possessions weren't, but we learnt, very quickly, that material possessions mean nothing at a time like this. And that was before we had heard about the tsunami.

As soon as we logged onto the computers and found out the news, I spent at least the next 48 hours pretty much glued to every news source with tired but wide eyes. I used to live in Sendai, my friends were all around Miyagi and Iwate, I didn't know what to think. It took a while for the good news to filter through, but it did. For that, I am so happy. It took a lot longer to found out about friends in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, for the situation there was just the worst.

While our good news filtered in, so many other bad reports did too. As the whole Fukushima saga unravelled, I was more interested in the news that Sendai airport had been fixed enough to let relief fly in. Then, the Tohoku expressway was fixed, which meant more supplies, more aid and also gave families the chance to reunite. And this was all just 13 days after the earthquake, an impressive feat for sure.

By March 14, one friend had decided to leave, but at this stage, things were very much under control. We were closely heeding the advice of the British government and listening to reports from a government nuclear specialist, John Beddington, who has quite clearly explained what would normally be a tricky situation to understand. But, with his help and his phone conversations with the embassy here, we have, at no point, felt at risk.

By March 16, however, we had been hounded with so many phone calls and emails from family and friends abroad, that we decided to leave our house for a while and visit our friends in Nagoya. We were very happy in Saitama and feared nothing, but people we knew were reading all sorts of ridiculous stories that were totally different to the ones we had seen, and had put so much doubt in our minds.

We had a nice time in the south, where we could start organising things to send to those in the north. But suddenly, it seemed that everyone had forgotten about the killer tsunami and the damage it had done and all the focus was on a nuclear fallout.

A lot of foreigners have left Japan to wait till it "blows over" but the reports are the same each day. The power plant is in an awful state, and it will take months to fully clean it all up. So, some of these foreigners have returned to the same situation they left behind a few weeks ago and others have just left.

I appreciate that not everyone calls Japan home, so if they want to just leave, that is their choice. But, to me, Japan is home. It has offered me so much and our life here is great. We both work here and feel a responsibility to our jobs. I have already covered for a co-worker who has left the country, and it makes me wonder how bigger companies are coping. What about the people who have to do the jobs of those who have left as well was their own? And then there are our friends. We are not the only ones going through this. We must be, and are all together, united on this. How can we abandon the ones we care for, the country we care for, the life we have built up? And why would we when we do not feel we are at risk?

We are not stupid, and we are very much aware, that, in if the situation gets worse, we can take the necessary precautions and actions. The British embassy have provided us with potassium iodide in the event of an emergency and we are sure to have travel money should we need. All these things come from preparation. Japan is a country of preparation and practice.

While the stories still lurk in the (foreign) press about Fukushima, I cannot find (m)any of how people really are getting on with things. Houses are being rebuilt, new lives starting again. These are the people we really need to think about.