Needless to say, Japan has been in the worldwide news for the past 5 days. The earthquake and tsunami that hit Northeast Japan was a brutal shock to us all. Here in Osaka we were not touched by any of the damage, though some of us felt it when the massive earthquake hit hundreds of miles away.
On the afternoon of March 12th, I was sitting in the computer lab at the school when I suddenly had an intense feeling of vertigo. One moment I was reading a line on the screen, the next my head was tilted and I wondered if I was about to pass out. It was probably one of the strangest feelings I've ever experienced, and I looked to the Japanese guy to my right in confusion. He said immediately: "Earthquake."
Everyone seemed to realize then and murmurs rose in the room as the air buzzed for a few more brief seconds. It wasn't what I expected: the walls didn't rattle, the tables didn't shake, it was quite bizarre to me. For hours after I would still feel a bit nauseous.
At first, I was excited. This was my first earthquake ever (though some other people said they felt one last month, I didn't even notice it) and since we barely felt it, I thought it must have been harmless.
Hours later I would realize, along with the rest of the world, that it was, in fact, the biggest earthquake ever experienced in Japan, and the resulting tsunami was absolutely devastating.
No one I know has been personally affected by what happened, and none of my Japanese friends have lost any family or friends. I can't say the same for some 10,000+ people and their families whose lives have literally been uprooted.
Being so far away from the epicenter, I am still amazed that we even felt it. And the feeling was not what I imagined when I thought of earthquakes, though that was of course due to the fact that we just felt the edge of it. However, last night on the 15th, I was laying down on my futon alone reading, when I heard it before I felt it. I looked up to see my closet doors and hanging clothes shaking. It only lasted for a few seconds, and that was it. I went down to the lounge immediately where a bunch of other students were, and we watched the news while our Japanese R.A. translated. Thankfully, there was no threat of another tsunami.
Things here have been relatively calm compared to what is going on in the media and outside Japan. Of course all the international students' parents and families are worried, especially with the news of the problems at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
So far, at least 40 international students have withdrawn from our school. Our spring break is in a few days, so it is well-timed with the spreading panic amongst some foreigners to get out of the country. As far as I know, as I heard from a professor, only 3 students have permanently withdrawn from the study abroad program and won't be returning to Japan. The others are temporary for now, and strangely enough, it seems to be mostly European students who have left. Nearly all the French students are gone, and I heard from a French friend that the French embassy was telling them and their parents that they needed to return. Still, a few reluctant-to-leave French girls stayed.
For me, leaving Japan has never seriously crossed my mind. Maybe it is because in our area, nothing has changed. Osaka is far out of the danger zone, and even if the 'worst case scenario' happens and there are serious radiation leaks, it 1) would likely go east over the Pacific, not west to us and 2) is still too far away to be of any life-threatening danger.
When I came to Japan, I came knowing full well that this island sat along the ring of fire. I knew there was a high possibility that I would experience an earthquake, and frankly I was never very worried. Japan is known for its strict building codes, probably making it the most earthquake proofed country in the world. Ultimately, the tsunami was what caused most of the devastation, and a giant wall of water is something hard to defend against.
Nobody could have predicted such a huge earthquake and resulting tsunami would hit with such devastating consequences, but I am not going to let this tragedy make me leave early. I trust the buildings here, and we are too far inland to be ravaged so horribly by a tsunami. There are, of course, dangers, but I always knew that. And honestly, I still think I'd be in more danger in Chicago on a daily basis then where I'm at in Japan.
Japan has been good to me, and I love the people here. Though I wasn't personally affected by what happened, this is more than just watching the daily tragedies in the news to me. I consider this country to be my second home, and this hits in a way only places that are close to you really can.
People outside of Japan seem to think the whole country is in chaos and destruction, but as I said, if you never turned on the TV you would never notice a change in this part of Japan. Yet there is an unsettled feeling in all of us, even though we are 'just foreigners'. Some may feel a fear for their own lives, but that is not the dominant feeling for me or for a lot of my friends. I have a strong sense of sadness, but also of pride and love for the Japanese people and how they are handling this crisis.
The majority of the students in my school are choosing to stay. Although the media would have us believe it is doomsday, we continue to go to class and eat our ramen as we always have, and though this is a dark moment in history for Japan, it is also an important experience for all of us. Although we are undoubtedly experiencing it in a different way, surely we will forever share this bond with our Japanese friends and families.
I truly believe that things will get better, that no matter how terrible the irresponsible media makes it out to be, there won't be some nuclear fallout and that life will go on. And I know I will have nothing but regret if I return home now.
I understand many students' countries, schools, and worried parents are pressuring them to come home, and for them it is better safe than sorry. I know my own mother would like me to come home now just in case it becomes difficult to leave.
But I am the one who is here and has to decide, and I choose to stay.
Well, mostly. ^^ Tomorrow, I leave to spend my spring break in South Korea. It should reassure my mother at least a little, and give me time to explore another country I've been planning to visit since I've gotten here. I can only hope things improve in Japan, and continue to judge the situation as it unfolds. I also hope that soon there will be an opportunity for me to help in whatever ways I can.
I love you Japan. Get well soon <3
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
At last...
I think we have all figured out by now that I am incapable of updating quickly and efficiently.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
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