5.5 memories

My friend Emily has is back in Japan. We used to study together in Sendai. I guess talking about times gone by has prompted me to sift through pictures.

I cannot believe I have been here so long! It's great!

There are so many memories that I am just looking at them and smiling.

I'm doing a facebook album so I can share with my friends and a few collages here for me to glance at with ease.

 

Need a holiday?

I am putting coffee in my natto, dog food in the freezer and apparently, letting the dogs run free off their lead to explore the neighbourhood.

My computer SD slot, won't let me use it, my laptop was close to crashing last week, so I almost lost the plot.

Thankfully, today is a beautiful sunny day and I am not working tomorrow.

Last week, we decided to go on a belated honeymoon and if that wasn't booked, I think I would really lose the plot.

I am trying to organise a trip to Sendai before I go to take up some donations to hand out, yet, I fear these two dogs will rule the weekend by bringing me back early.

Next week, we are inviting friends over for the animal food drive, to collect more food donations, hopefully.

It is non stop till 13th July when it all stops.

If only I can keep my eyes open till then...

Help needed in Miyagi - URGENT

This is urgent from JEARS....

Remember last week, I was saying about animals dying at Hokenjos?

And one dog died because we couldn't get help to him in time.

Today, there is an appeal for more help from those in Sendai or around able to collect the animal from its impending doom.

Via @japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support
((JEARS facebook page))

URGENT: Anyone in Miyagi interested in helping rescue some cats & dogs from Miyagi hokenjo-s? We need helpers who can go to hokenjos, take them out. We'll pick them up and bring to our temporary shelter. P/s tweet @NotWoAnimals or email us to jearscoalition@gmail.com. Thank you!
blog.livedoor.jp/liablog/archives/1524241.html



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JEARS WISH LIST

JEARS WISH LIST ON AMAZON

JEARS now has a wish list, for those who want to donate, but don't know what to choose, how to send it, etc etc.

Amazon can do it all for you!!

All cards should work, so please click away!!!

THANK YOU!!!

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

Typhoon

Kasukabe has so many frogs that it is something rather special taking Elbi for his evening walk. You literally have to side step them all as they hop from lake to rice field.

It has been a soggy, damp week. It hasn't helped the mood. It is important to recover and re-align from all the activities of late, but not easy when the weather also knocks it out of you.

Last Sunday, there was a rally for the animals in Fukushima, to make the government aware of what they had (not) done. Over 600 people attended in full force. One JEARS member, Katrina, was interviewed there -

And, it appears, some of the petitions worked and this week, some residents were allowed into their homes. But, a quick hour was all they had to collect as many possession they would need for a length of time they would not know.

Here is a story I found. It was a very real explanation of what it was like and it makes it all too real how horrible life still is, 2 months on, for so many people.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105110150.html

So, while some residents are cramming possessions, urgent medication and clothes into their small plastic bags, I heard that there is a possibility of the zone being extended. Apparently, there is more leakage of radioactive waste into the water and there was mention of a potential meltdown of number 1 reactor if they try and flood it.

The news is so exhausting each day. I am assured by the fact that there are so many amazing people out there doing their bit to help and make things better. They give me the strength I need too.

I am making more plans to return to the north, but this takes time and money. I will probably go in a few weeks time. In the meantime, there is still plenty to be done from my little white desk. I am also trying to get the local stores to put up a little flyer saying that people can send donations directly to Sendai or, they can call me and I will collect from them locally.

Can you believe one store actually refused me? They are a supermarket in a shopping centre, so they said I should speak with the centre's security first. What I didn't get was that they had a notice board right there. all I needed was a pin!

So much for me thinking that the mentality for volunteering and helping had changed. Well, it was just one lady, and she shall not deter me in my efforts.

On a similar note. I had a meeting this week (tired Monday after work and in Tokyo - Ugh) for Kalaweit (Gibbon rescue, Indonesia). I was trying to petition for Kalaweit, the Japan branch as it were, (https://www.facebook.com/KalaweitInJapan) to get a stall at this year's Fuji Rock festival. Basically, they have an NPO village and having a stand there would be perfect for promotion for Kalaweit in this country. Again, I wanted to share with people about the rainforests of Indonesia and the possibility of volunteering in Borneo.

After much faffing about and last minute requests for translations that they could have asked for months ago when I applied, I managed to complete every single thing they asked for, despite their demands. but, did we get through? NO!

I was told it was because there were too many applicants.Mmm. It is a shame though, because the people at the festival would be the type to want to go learn about the rainforests and the gibbons....

On the same note, it makes me want to return to see the animals of the forest. It is a life I love! We watched 'Gorillas in the mist' today, and as sad as it is at the end, there is nothing that quite beats the magic of these awesome creatures, all of them.

In the meantime, I am still updating my Indo blog from my last visit... http://leonoraonthemove.blogspot.com/

There has been quite a bit of soul deflating news this week and general depressing media stories, especially in Europe. Tonight, I just read about a poor woman getting beheaded in a supermarket in Tenerife?!?!?! What kind of world do we live in???

So, when things get you down, you have to remember that there is so much good still in the world.

Here is a story of yet another rescue from Fukushima. God bless these little creatures and all the people working to save them.

So, I was late to work this morning because...

1. There was a frog in my recycling...

2. I had to talk with the neighbours

3. I had to sort out some starving dogs......

Last night, after going to bed and closing the eyes, the iPad beeped, and these days, it is not something I can ignore.

I got a tweet forwarded to me from one of the JEARS team in America! Two dogs, one starving, found outside an apartment in Sendai, not far from the JEARS apartment, in fact!

Here is the picture...http://p.twipple.jp/yRgRG

In fact, it was a forwarded forward of a tweet, such is the love and care of some people.

Anyway, into the night, fighting off the sleep, I had to pass on messages to people nearby. Who could go? What was the situation? And, most importantly, how can I sleep until this is resolved?

When I showed the picture to Ian, I think he was shocked too. They were outside an apartment. Had someone just run off and left them there??

I think I went to sleep at 1am. We (JEARS peeps ) were up messaging each other for ages, and tweeting here and there to get a precise location from the actual tweeter...

Up for (Ian's) work at 5am and back online.

Kinship could go perhaps a little later in the day. It took a good few messages to get this information, not to mention the facebook updates...

Then Lexi managed to phone me (I couldn't call her american mobile phone for some reason). She hadn't realised the tweet picture she had seen last night from another volunteer's mail in the apartment ( I had sent to Kate) was the same report as the messages I was sending her.

'We will go right away' She stated. Thank god!

This is a fine example of team work, people rallying round to support one another, wherever they may be!

The dogs are now fine and have seen the vet (Sasaki Sensei from the other day).

One is dehydrated beyond belief and not eating so much and the other is eating fine and actually seems fine.

Their story? They are, along with owner (at least there is one?) evacuees from Minami Soma, but , as you can imagine, relocation after earthquakes, a tsunami and radiation , is a lot to handle. The owner was sad to realise she had been doing a bad job at keeping her dogs healthy.

One thing I shall ask here is that we refrain from judgement. We can all so easily say 'Oh, but I would have one this' etc, but I must reiterate the circumstances and the sheer pressure on people, not to mention the false advice given from the government. At least this owner is with her dogs, and we now have many friends of mine, of JEARS, who will look in on her to make sure they are ALL ok!

As for the frog, well, that is just part of the countryside life! All the rice fields are full of water, welcoming endless beauties, along with their heavy 'song'.

Rescue Animals

Back at the apartment on Monday night, we were to have some new arrivals.

Rescued from the City hall in Ofunato, Iwate, there were two Dachshunds, Romeo & Juliet, who pretty much did everything together.

There were lots of cats,

One pregnant mummy with a pregnant daughter!

And another mummy with two very small kittens!!

And then there was the Shiba, who was the most handsome thing I have ever seen. He has no one. The others have family, but they cannot be taken care of by them at this time. This Shiba needs love and a family.

I almost took him with me!!!

Had Elbi not been a male, and well, Elbi...That dog would be coming here in a car on Saturday!!!

Let's find him a home!!! SOON!!!

Bumps

By the light of day during my journey home (from the bus as I write), I can see the freshly painted parts of the expressway, along with the cracks and small rubble at the side of the road, memories of March 11.

I'm getting used to these rocky road trips now. The bus just hit a huge bump just now, the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the bump feels, I guess.

The Tohoku Expressway is one of the nicer routes to take. You can actually see the countryside and towns nearby and appreciate the beauty around.

Gambarre Tohoku.

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Location:Tohoku Expressway

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

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Location:Tohoku Expressway

JEARS - SENDAI HOUSE (Please read and Share with your friends)

Dear Friends & Supporters of JEARS

I am pleased to say that we have found a base in Sendai, Miyagi for the volunteers and some of the animals we are still rescuing.

Until now, the JEARS team members have been doing very hefty journeys across the whole of Japan on pretty much a daily basis. From Niigata to Fukushima/Miyagi/Iwate in one day, every day is hard work, not to mention with animals in the back as well!

However, we have done all this willingly and without complaint as it is our job. We are here to rescue the animals, and shall continue to do so.

The Sendai base will make this job a whole lot easier.

And this is where you can help too.

I am personally sending a request to you, my friends, to think about helping out. This is direct action and something so small can go such a long way.

You can send a small packet, takkyubin up something large (cage, for example), or even send a care packet for the volunteers, who, will have their travel time eliminated, but not the work load. (Please let me know if you will send a cage or something big.)

Animals are in need of food, wet & dry (cat, dog, rabbit, hamster...), packaged milk for pets, peed pads, toys, spare carriers, if you have them, let me know if you have cages, as we can use these too. We can alwasy use, blankets, small towels, toys...anything animal related is great!!!!!

You can, also keep donating and supporting JEARS through their web page. Your cash donations can be used directly to purchase the above items fom the store just nearby and we can take them directly to the affected areas. (www.jears.org)

Thank you, as always for your love & kindness.

Lee xxx

宮城県　981 3131

仙台市

泉区

七北田

字

大沢

相の沢　２－２８

Miyagiken, 981 3131

Sendai-shi ,

Izumi-ku ,

Nanakita,

Aza,

Osawa,

Ainosawa 2-28

Outside Sendai station, April 2011

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.