I get a lot of questions and concerns about earthquakes. It didn't help that two months after our move that big earthquake hit. Now it seems like every shake earns some kind of concern or comment.
95% of the time, earthquakes are no big deal. The apartment shakes a bit, we just wait it out. What else are you supposed to do? Even for the big one last year, I just sat on the couch and waited, holding a couple of steins from Germany so they didn't break.
Showing posts with label earthquakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earthquakes. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Why I'm Not Incessantly Posting About the "Disaster in Japan"
I started this blog to record all the adventures of my 3 years in Japan. And as everyone knows, a very big experience recently occurred in Japan. I blogged about my experience during the earthquake here, but otherwise, I've stayed pretty quiet.
Sure I could have posted updates every day. I posted frequent updates on Facebook, trying to keep my family as in the loop as possible, but I'm fairly sure every update said something along the lines of "not to worry, we're just fine here". The situation is still ongoing, and I could easily write until my fingers bleed trying to clarify the true situation in this neck of the woods as compared to what the lovely US media is conveying back home.
But I didn't post frequent updates. I didn't try to differentiate what was actually happening vs. what the news was constructing. I didn't blog extensively about my reactions, emotions, thoughts, and concerns.
Why?
Partly, because things were relatively quiet in these parts. The earthquake hit, but with minor damage on base. The personnel were quick to lend support to Misawa and neighboring communities that did receive damage, and are still doing so. Everything from high school students baking cupcakes for morale to big, burly men hefting shovels of rubble. And while a large part of this island is still trying to recover, base has felt like a bubble of normalcy in the midst of everything. Once power was completely restored after a few weeks, business resumed as normal. It was and still is pretty easy to forget the devastation when things are so normal here. Family and friends were frequently requesting updates, but for us, there just wasn't much to update on. We awaited the return of limited power, did everything we could to conserve until things got back to normal, then got back in the swing of things. Jeff worked long hours supporting Operation Tomodachi, and I did everything I could to support him when he came home tired and stressed from long and challenging days. Besides the long hours, life was surprisingly uneventful.
A bigger reason I didn't blog repeatedly about the events is that I couldn't stomach it. I explained in my original post that when the earthquake happened, we were oblivious to its extensive damage. We truly thought power was out on base and things a few hops away in Misawa were perfectly fine. We had no idea how bad the country was hit until days later. It was such a shock to the system to have endured something so devastating and far-reaching and not even know it until it was over.
Then the news stories started. The first time they showed coverage of areas to the south of us, I cried. The first time they showed an individual searching for pictures of her family amidst the rubble of a once bustling community, I had to leave the room. As soon as they introduced the stories of people looking for family members, I turned off the TV and left it off the rest of the day. I've always had an empathetic personality and will easily cry at movies, TV shows, commercials, stories, anything. But this hit me harder. These weren't stories. They were real. And for the first time, there was no distance. This coverage was hours from my home. Places my husband and I had planned to visit, places our friends have been. It was too close. I closely followed the base updates, but couldn't stomach anything else. My way of dealing has always been to distance myself, get away and try to ignore what's going on. I couldn't grieve for every story the news continued to show, it would tear me apart. And I couldn't keep immersing myself in the "disaster".
So in my every day life, and especially in what I talked about in my little corner of blogland and the internet, I wanted to escape. I didn't want to be reminded of something I was living through unharmed while others were still waiting to hear news of their missing family members. I wanted to talk about unimportant things like decorating and movies.
Because, even in our relatively undamaged and returned to normal area of Japan, things were still shaky. Literally. We were having earthquakes and aftershocks constantly. Although they've lessened considerably, we still are. Every single one made me tense up in anticipation of another large rumble and its aftermath, every time my stomach would clench with fear. Now don't get me wrong, I was never one of those people freaking out and acting like an idiot. I didn't call my husband frantically asking "What do I do?!?!" like he would have an answer, I didn't run to a doorway in fear of the building falling, I didn't have a panic attack. I would sit quietly on the couch or in bed or wherever I happened to be when things started shaking. But it was taxing. Feeling the shakes over and over and never knowing whether another big earthquake would hit or not. Things that I always thought were stable like buildings made of concrete were suddenly in a constant state of motion. I never knew when we'd lose power, if Jeff would be at work and unable to get home. I also never knew how bad it really was on the ground level, since we're on the 8th floor in buildings made to sway with the earthquakes instead of resist them (meaning we get a lot more sway up here than on floor 1 or 2).
It wasn't a state of fear that needed an audience. It was just a quiet little whisper of "what if it happens again" every time the ground would shake. It would wear me down, especially if a big one woke us up in the middle of the night. I chose not to evacuate with the voluntary departure, because I felt there was no real danger for me here. I don't regret that decision and think I've done more good keeping my husband's spirits up here than escaping some of my own anxiety. But even so, the situation was wearing.
And while I was learning to deal with everything, I didn't want to talk about it over and over and over. We tried to keep the family updated with the latest news even though there was often none, but otherwise I didn't want to talk. Jeff and I would watch movies and TV shows to escape for a little while. I'd bury my head in a book during the day, although that's always been my favorite escape and I'm prone to do that regardless. I wanted to get through and move on, not analyze every single feeling.
It feels like the experience is coming to a close now. The earthquakes are coming less and less, and most of the time they're so small we barely notice anymore. The voluntary departure has been lifted and all the dependents that left should be returning sometime soon. Most of the personnel that came from other bases to assist in Operation Tomodachi have since left Misawa (or at least as far as a little ol' dependent knows of, I really don't know squat about what's going on with that Operation!) So now that it's coming to a close, I'm letting everything out, I guess. I didn't want to leave this experience without writing out my reaction, but I'm not the type of person that could do that while it was going on. I don't think I'll ever be able to handle really watching all the personal stories of disaster and heartache the news has plastered all over. Maybe what I'm imagining in my head is worse, but I don't need the real pictures there forever.
It helps that Misawa Air Base has done so much for the relief efforts, helping make a difference here. I didn't do as much as others, and perhaps not as much as I should have done. But I knew my limitations, so I did what I could handle in both physical and mental capabilities. And what I didn't do directly, I did indirectly by helping my husband. He's a big believer that families are the life force behind the military, keeping the men and women up and going. I still get flustered when someone tells me this, or thanks me for my service. After all, I'm not the one deploying or facing danger. But he reminded me of this again when we were going through this experience, so I'm going to try to listen to my husband (for once, he would say!) and believe that my support and care for him helped the operation.
I hope this long-winded post makes sense, somehow. I'm pouring out my thoughts without really thinking about structure, so it may seem random, repetitive, or incomplete. But I wanted to get everything out. An explanation about why, even though I'm living in Japan, I've been so quiet about the earthquake and relief efforts when others have been so vocal. What I did experience during the recovery, even if it's not as newsworthy in my eyes.
It's starting to become spring here. The cherry blossoms are blooming and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is going on (we're planning to visit a festival this weekend if things go as planned) through the first week of May. The signs of new life have hit me harder than usual this year. Partly because we just moved from the desert where spring didn't exist, so the green and warm weather are wonderfully new. But also because of all the devastation. With spring comes the sense that things are moving on and getting better. Japan's recovering, healing. The resiliency of its people is one of the most extraordinary parts of this whole experience, and it'll be one part that stays with me forever. Even during the darkest times and during devastation unlike anything before, Mother nature continues to bring new life and Japan embraces that unending cycle through its annual festivals and celebrations.
Sure I could have posted updates every day. I posted frequent updates on Facebook, trying to keep my family as in the loop as possible, but I'm fairly sure every update said something along the lines of "not to worry, we're just fine here". The situation is still ongoing, and I could easily write until my fingers bleed trying to clarify the true situation in this neck of the woods as compared to what the lovely US media is conveying back home.
But I didn't post frequent updates. I didn't try to differentiate what was actually happening vs. what the news was constructing. I didn't blog extensively about my reactions, emotions, thoughts, and concerns.
Why?
Partly, because things were relatively quiet in these parts. The earthquake hit, but with minor damage on base. The personnel were quick to lend support to Misawa and neighboring communities that did receive damage, and are still doing so. Everything from high school students baking cupcakes for morale to big, burly men hefting shovels of rubble. And while a large part of this island is still trying to recover, base has felt like a bubble of normalcy in the midst of everything. Once power was completely restored after a few weeks, business resumed as normal. It was and still is pretty easy to forget the devastation when things are so normal here. Family and friends were frequently requesting updates, but for us, there just wasn't much to update on. We awaited the return of limited power, did everything we could to conserve until things got back to normal, then got back in the swing of things. Jeff worked long hours supporting Operation Tomodachi, and I did everything I could to support him when he came home tired and stressed from long and challenging days. Besides the long hours, life was surprisingly uneventful.
A bigger reason I didn't blog repeatedly about the events is that I couldn't stomach it. I explained in my original post that when the earthquake happened, we were oblivious to its extensive damage. We truly thought power was out on base and things a few hops away in Misawa were perfectly fine. We had no idea how bad the country was hit until days later. It was such a shock to the system to have endured something so devastating and far-reaching and not even know it until it was over.
Then the news stories started. The first time they showed coverage of areas to the south of us, I cried. The first time they showed an individual searching for pictures of her family amidst the rubble of a once bustling community, I had to leave the room. As soon as they introduced the stories of people looking for family members, I turned off the TV and left it off the rest of the day. I've always had an empathetic personality and will easily cry at movies, TV shows, commercials, stories, anything. But this hit me harder. These weren't stories. They were real. And for the first time, there was no distance. This coverage was hours from my home. Places my husband and I had planned to visit, places our friends have been. It was too close. I closely followed the base updates, but couldn't stomach anything else. My way of dealing has always been to distance myself, get away and try to ignore what's going on. I couldn't grieve for every story the news continued to show, it would tear me apart. And I couldn't keep immersing myself in the "disaster".
So in my every day life, and especially in what I talked about in my little corner of blogland and the internet, I wanted to escape. I didn't want to be reminded of something I was living through unharmed while others were still waiting to hear news of their missing family members. I wanted to talk about unimportant things like decorating and movies.
Because, even in our relatively undamaged and returned to normal area of Japan, things were still shaky. Literally. We were having earthquakes and aftershocks constantly. Although they've lessened considerably, we still are. Every single one made me tense up in anticipation of another large rumble and its aftermath, every time my stomach would clench with fear. Now don't get me wrong, I was never one of those people freaking out and acting like an idiot. I didn't call my husband frantically asking "What do I do?!?!" like he would have an answer, I didn't run to a doorway in fear of the building falling, I didn't have a panic attack. I would sit quietly on the couch or in bed or wherever I happened to be when things started shaking. But it was taxing. Feeling the shakes over and over and never knowing whether another big earthquake would hit or not. Things that I always thought were stable like buildings made of concrete were suddenly in a constant state of motion. I never knew when we'd lose power, if Jeff would be at work and unable to get home. I also never knew how bad it really was on the ground level, since we're on the 8th floor in buildings made to sway with the earthquakes instead of resist them (meaning we get a lot more sway up here than on floor 1 or 2).
It wasn't a state of fear that needed an audience. It was just a quiet little whisper of "what if it happens again" every time the ground would shake. It would wear me down, especially if a big one woke us up in the middle of the night. I chose not to evacuate with the voluntary departure, because I felt there was no real danger for me here. I don't regret that decision and think I've done more good keeping my husband's spirits up here than escaping some of my own anxiety. But even so, the situation was wearing.
And while I was learning to deal with everything, I didn't want to talk about it over and over and over. We tried to keep the family updated with the latest news even though there was often none, but otherwise I didn't want to talk. Jeff and I would watch movies and TV shows to escape for a little while. I'd bury my head in a book during the day, although that's always been my favorite escape and I'm prone to do that regardless. I wanted to get through and move on, not analyze every single feeling.
It feels like the experience is coming to a close now. The earthquakes are coming less and less, and most of the time they're so small we barely notice anymore. The voluntary departure has been lifted and all the dependents that left should be returning sometime soon. Most of the personnel that came from other bases to assist in Operation Tomodachi have since left Misawa (or at least as far as a little ol' dependent knows of, I really don't know squat about what's going on with that Operation!) So now that it's coming to a close, I'm letting everything out, I guess. I didn't want to leave this experience without writing out my reaction, but I'm not the type of person that could do that while it was going on. I don't think I'll ever be able to handle really watching all the personal stories of disaster and heartache the news has plastered all over. Maybe what I'm imagining in my head is worse, but I don't need the real pictures there forever.
It helps that Misawa Air Base has done so much for the relief efforts, helping make a difference here. I didn't do as much as others, and perhaps not as much as I should have done. But I knew my limitations, so I did what I could handle in both physical and mental capabilities. And what I didn't do directly, I did indirectly by helping my husband. He's a big believer that families are the life force behind the military, keeping the men and women up and going. I still get flustered when someone tells me this, or thanks me for my service. After all, I'm not the one deploying or facing danger. But he reminded me of this again when we were going through this experience, so I'm going to try to listen to my husband (for once, he would say!) and believe that my support and care for him helped the operation.
I hope this long-winded post makes sense, somehow. I'm pouring out my thoughts without really thinking about structure, so it may seem random, repetitive, or incomplete. But I wanted to get everything out. An explanation about why, even though I'm living in Japan, I've been so quiet about the earthquake and relief efforts when others have been so vocal. What I did experience during the recovery, even if it's not as newsworthy in my eyes.
It's starting to become spring here. The cherry blossoms are blooming and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival is going on (we're planning to visit a festival this weekend if things go as planned) through the first week of May. The signs of new life have hit me harder than usual this year. Partly because we just moved from the desert where spring didn't exist, so the green and warm weather are wonderfully new. But also because of all the devastation. With spring comes the sense that things are moving on and getting better. Japan's recovering, healing. The resiliency of its people is one of the most extraordinary parts of this whole experience, and it'll be one part that stays with me forever. Even during the darkest times and during devastation unlike anything before, Mother nature continues to bring new life and Japan embraces that unending cycle through its annual festivals and celebrations.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"Disaster in Japan" -- A Visual Aid
My mom found this somewhere, and I thought it was too interesting not to pass on.
You're well aware of the 9.0 earthquake Japan had, but are you aware that the earthquakes have continued in a seemingly constant stream since? None as big or as damaging, thank goodness, but small little tremors daily. Sometimes it feels more like hourly.
I've always been a visual learner, so here's a visual of what we've been dealing with in these parts of the world.
Japan Quake Map
Give it a second to get going, because in no time you've got big and little earthquakes popping up all over your screen.
Want to know where we fit into all this mess? Here's a map.
I think I've gotten a lifetime's worth of earthquakes in the 2 months we've been here. And if that link freaks you out, remember, both my husband and I, and the entire Misawa Air Base, are safe and healthy. Although hundreds of dependents are evacuating this base and others, there is no danger for those who choose to stay like me.
I just thought it was a nice visual aid to try to imagine what's been going on.
You're well aware of the 9.0 earthquake Japan had, but are you aware that the earthquakes have continued in a seemingly constant stream since? None as big or as damaging, thank goodness, but small little tremors daily. Sometimes it feels more like hourly.
I've always been a visual learner, so here's a visual of what we've been dealing with in these parts of the world.
Japan Quake Map
Give it a second to get going, because in no time you've got big and little earthquakes popping up all over your screen.
Want to know where we fit into all this mess? Here's a map.
I think I've gotten a lifetime's worth of earthquakes in the 2 months we've been here. And if that link freaks you out, remember, both my husband and I, and the entire Misawa Air Base, are safe and healthy. Although hundreds of dependents are evacuating this base and others, there is no danger for those who choose to stay like me.
I just thought it was a nice visual aid to try to imagine what's been going on.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
It's Been a Long Week...
I've been sick as a dog and spent most of the week curled up in bed or on the couch. Which has made a decidedly stressful week much longer and more exhausting. My husband has been sick with the same bug and trudging through long hours at work. He's working all weekend and he's certainly not the only person on base working long hours and 6 or 7 days a week.
We've continued to have multiple aftershocks daily. The base continues to have power, food, and gas, but even in Misawa city supplies are running thin for the Japanese. On the good side of things, some of the normalcy will return to base on Monday since schools will re-open and after school programs for the kids will continue. Although this removed north side of base feels a little deserted since the shoppette and gym over here remain closed, the main side continues to work.
Voluntary departures were approved a few days ago, and the processing for those departues begins today with those with medical conditions, those pregnant, or those with children 24 months or younger. Since it's a voluntary decision for all dependents and civilians, I had to make the choice to return to the states for 30 days or less, or stay here in Misawa and continue living with the limitations. It was a hard decision, especially since the government was covering the costs of the round trip flight to the west coast, and maybe even to the permanent residence. While it would be amazing to get home and see family and friends and have a degree of normalcy back in my life, I ultimately made the decision to stay here. I do not have pressing medical conditions or small children. Our small family of 2 can live with relatively small amounts of electricity and garbage (the two most pressing matters of conservation at the moment). As chaotic and stressful as base life has become, staying here means I can continue to provide emotional support to my husband. Once I get healthy again, I can volunteer and provide help in the relief efforts, one way or another. I may be stressed right now, but I would be even more stressed worrying about Jeff from thousands of miles away. He has a tendency to work, work, work, and sometimes he deserves some TLC. Most importantly, since there is no real danger at this distance from the nuclear situation, being 240+ miles north and upwind, I didn't feel the need to evacuate.
The chaos of this voluntary evacuation is taking over the base, though. The rumor mills are running overtime, and I'm getting a little sick about comments of radiation way up here. The news is taking the facts and running with them, making things more dramatic and more dire than they seem to be. While it's understandable that everyone is scared, it's exhausting to sort through all the crap and find out what's actually fact.
Basically, I'm exhausted from being sick and even more exhausted from the chaos.
Not the most upbeat post of the week, but it's a short update about what's been going on in Misawa. Or a reaction to what's been going on? Not sure, I'm sleepy and on medication ;)
I know a lot of people are impatient for updates and news from here, but there honestly isn't a lot of change. The main focus here is energy conservation and getting all the work centers up and running. The voluntary evacuation process has started, and is of course about 1,000x more complicated by people's panic and impatience. The rest of us are chugging along at a relatively normal speed. Daily updates are a little monotonous at the moment, but if I can say it enough, both Jeff and I are okay and in no danger, besides our immune systems.
We've continued to have multiple aftershocks daily. The base continues to have power, food, and gas, but even in Misawa city supplies are running thin for the Japanese. On the good side of things, some of the normalcy will return to base on Monday since schools will re-open and after school programs for the kids will continue. Although this removed north side of base feels a little deserted since the shoppette and gym over here remain closed, the main side continues to work.
Voluntary departures were approved a few days ago, and the processing for those departues begins today with those with medical conditions, those pregnant, or those with children 24 months or younger. Since it's a voluntary decision for all dependents and civilians, I had to make the choice to return to the states for 30 days or less, or stay here in Misawa and continue living with the limitations. It was a hard decision, especially since the government was covering the costs of the round trip flight to the west coast, and maybe even to the permanent residence. While it would be amazing to get home and see family and friends and have a degree of normalcy back in my life, I ultimately made the decision to stay here. I do not have pressing medical conditions or small children. Our small family of 2 can live with relatively small amounts of electricity and garbage (the two most pressing matters of conservation at the moment). As chaotic and stressful as base life has become, staying here means I can continue to provide emotional support to my husband. Once I get healthy again, I can volunteer and provide help in the relief efforts, one way or another. I may be stressed right now, but I would be even more stressed worrying about Jeff from thousands of miles away. He has a tendency to work, work, work, and sometimes he deserves some TLC. Most importantly, since there is no real danger at this distance from the nuclear situation, being 240+ miles north and upwind, I didn't feel the need to evacuate.
The chaos of this voluntary evacuation is taking over the base, though. The rumor mills are running overtime, and I'm getting a little sick about comments of radiation way up here. The news is taking the facts and running with them, making things more dramatic and more dire than they seem to be. While it's understandable that everyone is scared, it's exhausting to sort through all the crap and find out what's actually fact.
Basically, I'm exhausted from being sick and even more exhausted from the chaos.
Not the most upbeat post of the week, but it's a short update about what's been going on in Misawa. Or a reaction to what's been going on? Not sure, I'm sleepy and on medication ;)
I know a lot of people are impatient for updates and news from here, but there honestly isn't a lot of change. The main focus here is energy conservation and getting all the work centers up and running. The voluntary evacuation process has started, and is of course about 1,000x more complicated by people's panic and impatience. The rest of us are chugging along at a relatively normal speed. Daily updates are a little monotonous at the moment, but if I can say it enough, both Jeff and I are okay and in no danger, besides our immune systems.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The 8.9 Earthquake, Which Became The 9.0 Earthquake
My experience is thankfully unexciting and minimal compared to the catastrophic damage in other parts of the country. I was in shock when I found out how bad the earthquake and tsunami really were, and I still struggle to watch the news stories of cities and towns mere hours from where I'm sitting comfortably in my powered, damage-free apartment. My heart breaks for all the pain and loss, and I wish I could do more for the country that is currently my home.
Despite the relatively low excitement in my area of Japan, the experience was a first for me and worth sharing. So if you're up for it, I'm going to share a long and detailed account of the past weekend of my life. With very few pictures to break the words up. Ready?
Friday was shaping up to be a great day. Jeff's work had a potluck for two newcomers, so I whipped up a pasta salad and went to get some good food and company. Around 3pm, Jeff let me know that he was on his way home early. I was so excited! He had time to relax, then I was cooking a good homemade pizza, then we were meeting up with some people from work for more fun and laughs. Within 10 minutes, all those plans went out the window.
I was sitting watching TV, and the apartment started rattling. Then it just kept shaking harder and harder. It got to the point where things were slipping and sliding everywhere. Movies started spilling off their shelves, books were flying in the office, water bottles were catapulting off the fridge, and I was able to save the Italian glass collectibles from crashing off the entertainment center. The power clicked off in the midst of the crashing and clanging, but I hardly noticed. It seemed like it went on forever, but it was probably 5-10minutes? I haven't looked the actual details up myself.
When it all finally calmed down to a soft tremor, I laughed at the chaos of movies, remembering I had told Jeff it would be his job to pick any fallen movies up during the next earthquake. I snapped some quick pictures to share, then left the mess for my dear husband! That's when I remembered that he was supposed to be home by now, he had called a while ago. I tried to call his cell, but no calls were going through. I was a little worried, but knew he wouldn't do anything stupid. Turns out he was parking in the parking lot of our tower as the earthquake started. He noticed the van in front of him shaking and rocking after he parked and went to leave the car, and decided to wait it out in his car. Once it stopped, he trudged up 8 flights of stairs to come check on me. Our next door neighbor came by at the same time. After the last earthquake, I went to see how she handled our first earthquake. She knew Jeff's general schedule so she figured he wasn't home yet, and came to check that I was okay by myself this time. She's such a sweetheart.
Jeff came in and surveyed the damage. In the chaos, I didn't even notice that his desktop tower had fallen off his desk! Yikes. (Luckily, it's okay. It's an old beast of a thing anyways) He laughed with me about the movies I left for him. Then we tried our circuit breakers to see if the power outage was a quick fix. Nope, no dice. I walked down to our neighbors to see if they had power (they didn't) and sat through another pretty large quake with them.
(He had picked the tower up before I realized it had fallen...so I took a picture of it anyways)
We knew next to nothing for the next few hours. We didn't know if the rest of base had power, we didn't know if it was just our tower. We didn't know squat. As it started to get dark, we were able to see that all the buildings on this side were powerless. We continued to feel aftershocks and tremors, although nothing so shaky that things went flying. We carefully lit some candles for light, keeping them in one area for fear of another quake! We dug out our flashlights and warm blankets and bundled up on the couch. Jeff found out he needed to check in with his command and notify them that we were okay, so he did. Then played some phone tag with some of the guys from work trying to get everyone accounted for. Some cell companies worked sporadically; ours only worked calling landlines and same company cell phones. We bundled into bed knowing only that base and Misawa was out of power and that it was getting cold in our apartment! We were both hoping power would be on by morning.
Again, no dice. We woke to a cold and quiet apartment, and continued to scour our pantry for food. Luckily, I had just gone grocery shopping the day before. As the hours ticked by we said goodbye to all our dairy products, but we had enough in the pantry to get by. Sometime Saturday afternoon, we decided to drive to the main side of base and see if any power had returned. We were going to browse the BX and pick up some fresh food and just get out of our quiet apartment for a while. Well, the whole base was without power. The BX was closed. The Commissary had minimal power and looked like everyone was prepping for WWIII. It was dark in the store with minimal lighting, so it was a little creepy. People were everywhere, frantically grabbing things and stashing them in their carts like they'd be eating for weeks. We grabbed some soda and snack food and got out of there as fast as we could! As we were driving home, we finally got a little scope on how bad the conditions were. The radio station continued to play, and we found out that the entire base was without power and frantically arranging for hot meals and showers. Fuel was being rationed, and bread and batteries were already sold out.
At this point, we knew the power outage in Misawa Air Base and Misawa was a big deal that was going to take some time to fix. Outside of our little world, we had no idea what was going on. The base was on top of things though, posting updates on all stairwells and entrances and updating through the radio station. They had hot meals and showers provided, as mentioned, and they were doing their best to keep business running for the more important jobs on base.
We spent another night in the cold and dark. I've never been so thankful for my collection of blankets! I have a family quilt that became a lifesaver, since it packs a lot of warmth in a thin layer. I snuggled under that all weekend with some sweats and was warm and toasty. We were a little sick of candlelight, cold, and pantry raiding, but we were getting through. My husband's extra crabby attitude on Saturday turned out to be some kind of bug or cold he'd been fighting. He slept off and on all day, which never happens. When he woke up with congestion and a sore throat, I forgave his cranky attitude.
On Sunday, he was feeling a little cramped in our apartment. He figured there had to be power at a nearby mall area, so we were going to get out and around. Maybe get some real food too. We got in the car and started driving, and the radio updated us again. I don't remember what we heard exactly, but we found out that the problems stretched much further than our little town. We found out that the earthquake was large and far-reaching, followed by the tsunami, and that the power outages and problems spread much further. So we nixed our plan and went for sandwich fixings at the commissary. Which was still crazy, but not WWIII crazy like the day before. We stocked up on junk food and easy meals like Pop-tarts, because all the updates gave no date for power being turned back on.
Throughout all of this, we stayed pretty calm. We were worried about our families back home, wishing we could contact them so they'd stop worrying about us and our safety. We were worried about Jeff having to go to work and me being home isolated from everyone and everything. We were mourning the loss of a fridge full of dairy and leftovers (remember, I had just shopped on Thursday and stocked up!). We were worried about gas and groceries, since both were in short supply and slow to receive shipments here on base. We were fearing just how cold our apartment would become with no heat for days. We were cranky and tired and ready for "normal" again.
Sunday night, part of normal returned. Our power came back on! After 48 long hours, power was returned and with it came heat and television. I cooked a real meal for dinner, we watched some movies and enjoyed walking around without candles or flashlights. Internet was still down, which made us both impatient to send word back home that we were fine.
I can't remember now if it was Sunday night or Monday morning that we sat down to watch the news. Whenever it was, I was shell shocked. To see the damage, to hear the deaths, to discover the power plant issues, to learn individual stories about loved ones lost and buried under debris. The first time I watched a news update about the "Disaster in Japan", they showed a clip of a town literally leveled by the quake and tsunami. A thriving community of houses and businesses turned into complete rubble in a matter of minutes. I choked back tears and changed the channel. I had no idea how bad the earthquake and tsunami had been in other parts of the country. The power plants were obviously frightening, but the super efficient Japanese had already begun evacuations, so those concerns were overwhelmed by the stories of the people. I still can't watch more than 5 minutes of the news stories without tearing up. I can't make sense of such catastrophic damage just hours from our relatively undamaged base. Sure, there's some water leaks and damage to some buildings. Sure some people probably have some broken household items. Dealing with limited and shaky power and scarce resources is tiring. But at the end of the day, I have a bed, in a home in an undamaged building.
The base is still a place of chaos right now. Rumor mills are obviously running at full steam. The fear of radiation has leaked all the way up here, almost 5x further than the US (some official name I forgot after the brief I watched a few hours ago) recommended safe distance, aka 50 miles. We're 240 something miles north. Misawa Air Base is safe. But that doesn't stop the crazies from throwing those rumors in amongst all the other things. Annoying to say the least.
In reality, things are shaky here, but working. The grocery store continues to have food, although things like bread and batteries are severely limited. Gas is rationed as well. Fill-ups are maxed at 10 gallons, and your vehicle must be below 1/4 tank to fill up at all. The base is urging for severe conservation efforts. Minimal cooking, minimal appliance use, minimal electrical anything. Most work centers are up and running; Jeff's just got power today. All other businesses are at a standstill. Last I checked, schools were still closed, although I pay little attention since we don't have kids. Basically, we've got the bare minimum up and running and we're slowly working towards normal again. It won't be fast and it won't be soon, but for now, we've got what we need. We're safe and healthy, and that's more than enough.
After almost a week, I'm still adjusting to reality. I still find it hard to believe
what happened and how terrible things continue to be in this country. I also caught Jeff's bug and have spent the majority of that week drowsily vegging out on the couch. There's a lot of questions and rumors going around base, so we're doing our best to learn accurate facts and do what we can to return the base to normal.
I'm going to continue nursing myself and my husband back to health and vegging out on the couch for a while. The base grocery store is supposed to receive its shipment of corned beef tomorrow, so we're planning an Irish feast this weekend. I've got all my Irish music ready and we'll thoroughly enjoy celebrating our Irish roots, even if it's a few days late. I may have to dig up some old Irish dancing pictures to share...
Despite the relatively low excitement in my area of Japan, the experience was a first for me and worth sharing. So if you're up for it, I'm going to share a long and detailed account of the past weekend of my life. With very few pictures to break the words up. Ready?
Friday was shaping up to be a great day. Jeff's work had a potluck for two newcomers, so I whipped up a pasta salad and went to get some good food and company. Around 3pm, Jeff let me know that he was on his way home early. I was so excited! He had time to relax, then I was cooking a good homemade pizza, then we were meeting up with some people from work for more fun and laughs. Within 10 minutes, all those plans went out the window.
I was sitting watching TV, and the apartment started rattling. Then it just kept shaking harder and harder. It got to the point where things were slipping and sliding everywhere. Movies started spilling off their shelves, books were flying in the office, water bottles were catapulting off the fridge, and I was able to save the Italian glass collectibles from crashing off the entertainment center. The power clicked off in the midst of the crashing and clanging, but I hardly noticed. It seemed like it went on forever, but it was probably 5-10minutes? I haven't looked the actual details up myself.
When it all finally calmed down to a soft tremor, I laughed at the chaos of movies, remembering I had told Jeff it would be his job to pick any fallen movies up during the next earthquake. I snapped some quick pictures to share, then left the mess for my dear husband! That's when I remembered that he was supposed to be home by now, he had called a while ago. I tried to call his cell, but no calls were going through. I was a little worried, but knew he wouldn't do anything stupid. Turns out he was parking in the parking lot of our tower as the earthquake started. He noticed the van in front of him shaking and rocking after he parked and went to leave the car, and decided to wait it out in his car. Once it stopped, he trudged up 8 flights of stairs to come check on me. Our next door neighbor came by at the same time. After the last earthquake, I went to see how she handled our first earthquake. She knew Jeff's general schedule so she figured he wasn't home yet, and came to check that I was okay by myself this time. She's such a sweetheart.
Jeff came in and surveyed the damage. In the chaos, I didn't even notice that his desktop tower had fallen off his desk! Yikes. (Luckily, it's okay. It's an old beast of a thing anyways) He laughed with me about the movies I left for him. Then we tried our circuit breakers to see if the power outage was a quick fix. Nope, no dice. I walked down to our neighbors to see if they had power (they didn't) and sat through another pretty large quake with them.
(He had picked the tower up before I realized it had fallen...so I took a picture of it anyways)
We knew next to nothing for the next few hours. We didn't know if the rest of base had power, we didn't know if it was just our tower. We didn't know squat. As it started to get dark, we were able to see that all the buildings on this side were powerless. We continued to feel aftershocks and tremors, although nothing so shaky that things went flying. We carefully lit some candles for light, keeping them in one area for fear of another quake! We dug out our flashlights and warm blankets and bundled up on the couch. Jeff found out he needed to check in with his command and notify them that we were okay, so he did. Then played some phone tag with some of the guys from work trying to get everyone accounted for. Some cell companies worked sporadically; ours only worked calling landlines and same company cell phones. We bundled into bed knowing only that base and Misawa was out of power and that it was getting cold in our apartment! We were both hoping power would be on by morning.
Again, no dice. We woke to a cold and quiet apartment, and continued to scour our pantry for food. Luckily, I had just gone grocery shopping the day before. As the hours ticked by we said goodbye to all our dairy products, but we had enough in the pantry to get by. Sometime Saturday afternoon, we decided to drive to the main side of base and see if any power had returned. We were going to browse the BX and pick up some fresh food and just get out of our quiet apartment for a while. Well, the whole base was without power. The BX was closed. The Commissary had minimal power and looked like everyone was prepping for WWIII. It was dark in the store with minimal lighting, so it was a little creepy. People were everywhere, frantically grabbing things and stashing them in their carts like they'd be eating for weeks. We grabbed some soda and snack food and got out of there as fast as we could! As we were driving home, we finally got a little scope on how bad the conditions were. The radio station continued to play, and we found out that the entire base was without power and frantically arranging for hot meals and showers. Fuel was being rationed, and bread and batteries were already sold out.
At this point, we knew the power outage in Misawa Air Base and Misawa was a big deal that was going to take some time to fix. Outside of our little world, we had no idea what was going on. The base was on top of things though, posting updates on all stairwells and entrances and updating through the radio station. They had hot meals and showers provided, as mentioned, and they were doing their best to keep business running for the more important jobs on base.
We spent another night in the cold and dark. I've never been so thankful for my collection of blankets! I have a family quilt that became a lifesaver, since it packs a lot of warmth in a thin layer. I snuggled under that all weekend with some sweats and was warm and toasty. We were a little sick of candlelight, cold, and pantry raiding, but we were getting through. My husband's extra crabby attitude on Saturday turned out to be some kind of bug or cold he'd been fighting. He slept off and on all day, which never happens. When he woke up with congestion and a sore throat, I forgave his cranky attitude.
On Sunday, he was feeling a little cramped in our apartment. He figured there had to be power at a nearby mall area, so we were going to get out and around. Maybe get some real food too. We got in the car and started driving, and the radio updated us again. I don't remember what we heard exactly, but we found out that the problems stretched much further than our little town. We found out that the earthquake was large and far-reaching, followed by the tsunami, and that the power outages and problems spread much further. So we nixed our plan and went for sandwich fixings at the commissary. Which was still crazy, but not WWIII crazy like the day before. We stocked up on junk food and easy meals like Pop-tarts, because all the updates gave no date for power being turned back on.
Throughout all of this, we stayed pretty calm. We were worried about our families back home, wishing we could contact them so they'd stop worrying about us and our safety. We were worried about Jeff having to go to work and me being home isolated from everyone and everything. We were mourning the loss of a fridge full of dairy and leftovers (remember, I had just shopped on Thursday and stocked up!). We were worried about gas and groceries, since both were in short supply and slow to receive shipments here on base. We were fearing just how cold our apartment would become with no heat for days. We were cranky and tired and ready for "normal" again.
Sunday night, part of normal returned. Our power came back on! After 48 long hours, power was returned and with it came heat and television. I cooked a real meal for dinner, we watched some movies and enjoyed walking around without candles or flashlights. Internet was still down, which made us both impatient to send word back home that we were fine.
I can't remember now if it was Sunday night or Monday morning that we sat down to watch the news. Whenever it was, I was shell shocked. To see the damage, to hear the deaths, to discover the power plant issues, to learn individual stories about loved ones lost and buried under debris. The first time I watched a news update about the "Disaster in Japan", they showed a clip of a town literally leveled by the quake and tsunami. A thriving community of houses and businesses turned into complete rubble in a matter of minutes. I choked back tears and changed the channel. I had no idea how bad the earthquake and tsunami had been in other parts of the country. The power plants were obviously frightening, but the super efficient Japanese had already begun evacuations, so those concerns were overwhelmed by the stories of the people. I still can't watch more than 5 minutes of the news stories without tearing up. I can't make sense of such catastrophic damage just hours from our relatively undamaged base. Sure, there's some water leaks and damage to some buildings. Sure some people probably have some broken household items. Dealing with limited and shaky power and scarce resources is tiring. But at the end of the day, I have a bed, in a home in an undamaged building.
The base is still a place of chaos right now. Rumor mills are obviously running at full steam. The fear of radiation has leaked all the way up here, almost 5x further than the US (some official name I forgot after the brief I watched a few hours ago) recommended safe distance, aka 50 miles. We're 240 something miles north. Misawa Air Base is safe. But that doesn't stop the crazies from throwing those rumors in amongst all the other things. Annoying to say the least.
In reality, things are shaky here, but working. The grocery store continues to have food, although things like bread and batteries are severely limited. Gas is rationed as well. Fill-ups are maxed at 10 gallons, and your vehicle must be below 1/4 tank to fill up at all. The base is urging for severe conservation efforts. Minimal cooking, minimal appliance use, minimal electrical anything. Most work centers are up and running; Jeff's just got power today. All other businesses are at a standstill. Last I checked, schools were still closed, although I pay little attention since we don't have kids. Basically, we've got the bare minimum up and running and we're slowly working towards normal again. It won't be fast and it won't be soon, but for now, we've got what we need. We're safe and healthy, and that's more than enough.
After almost a week, I'm still adjusting to reality. I still find it hard to believe
what happened and how terrible things continue to be in this country. I also caught Jeff's bug and have spent the majority of that week drowsily vegging out on the couch. There's a lot of questions and rumors going around base, so we're doing our best to learn accurate facts and do what we can to return the base to normal.
I'm going to continue nursing myself and my husband back to health and vegging out on the couch for a while. The base grocery store is supposed to receive its shipment of corned beef tomorrow, so we're planning an Irish feast this weekend. I've got all my Irish music ready and we'll thoroughly enjoy celebrating our Irish roots, even if it's a few days late. I may have to dig up some old Irish dancing pictures to share...
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
First Earthquake!
I just experienced my first earthquake in Japan!
I was sitting watching TV and browsing the web, and it felt like someone was shaking the couch, just a little. I stop to actually pay attention and notice everything else was wiggling too. Our blinds were going crazy and our massive movie collection was shaking all over the place.
Remember these?
I watched in terror as they shook for a few minutes, hoping they wouldn't come crashing on the floor. Those suckers take forever to alphabetize... But even the precariously stacked collection of TV shows on the floor didn't fall!
It was only a couple of minutes long. And as far as I can see nothing fell over. The doors all moved and some of the things on tables slid a little, but not enough to cause any damage.
As soon as it was over, I went over to my neighbor's door. We were just talking about how weird it would be when we had our first earthquake, so I knew she would understand! Well, her husband, who I've never met, answered the door. I dumbly asked if his wife was there, but she walked up behind him and said "Did you feel that earthquake?!"
I thought about calling Jeff ad telling him, but figured he would either laugh at me or say "Uh, Teri, of course I know, I feel it too". He'll probably still laugh at me when he gets home and I explain, but that's okay.
I survived my first Japanese earthquake ;)
I was sitting watching TV and browsing the web, and it felt like someone was shaking the couch, just a little. I stop to actually pay attention and notice everything else was wiggling too. Our blinds were going crazy and our massive movie collection was shaking all over the place.
Remember these?
I watched in terror as they shook for a few minutes, hoping they wouldn't come crashing on the floor. Those suckers take forever to alphabetize... But even the precariously stacked collection of TV shows on the floor didn't fall!
It was only a couple of minutes long. And as far as I can see nothing fell over. The doors all moved and some of the things on tables slid a little, but not enough to cause any damage.
As soon as it was over, I went over to my neighbor's door. We were just talking about how weird it would be when we had our first earthquake, so I knew she would understand! Well, her husband, who I've never met, answered the door. I dumbly asked if his wife was there, but she walked up behind him and said "Did you feel that earthquake?!"
I thought about calling Jeff ad telling him, but figured he would either laugh at me or say "Uh, Teri, of course I know, I feel it too". He'll probably still laugh at me when he gets home and I explain, but that's okay.
I survived my first Japanese earthquake ;)
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