Sad times

It's been a while since I have posted, but of course it's been strange times here in Japan.

7 days ago, the terrible earthquake hit Japan, and the tsunami following it wreaked unspeakable devastation.

I have so many thoughts, feelings, and emotions about this that I don't think I'd ever be able to verbalize 10% of them, even if I tried. But I don't even feel like trying right now. It's just too terrible.

I will say that I am totally safe, and people need to calm down. Calm down and help. Calm down and donate. Japan needs your assistance. People are still dying from lack of food and heat in evacuation centers. The problem in the evacuation centers is much more pressing than any of this "nuclear meltdown" business.

People have told me to get on a plane and come home.

Well, you know what? I am home. I love Japan. I am in no danger. I'm happy people are thinking of me, but there is simply no danger for me. Fukushima Nuclear Plant is 900km away from me.

Here's a map I found:

source: www.japan-guide.com

By the way, I did try really hard to draw on this picture! I downloaded "paintbrush" and everything! But I'm just not good at computers, and couldn't figure it out. So I will have to explain where I live.

You can see 4 islands. The top island is Hokkaido. The big one is Honshu. Then the one south of Honshu is Shikoku. And the island in the bottom left corner is Kyushu. I actually DO live on Honshu...but my area is not colored in... I live so close to southwest tip of Honshu, that you might as well say that I live in Fukuoka, there on Kyushu!! I'm visiting Fukuoka tomorrow, and it will be about a 2 hour drive, so you can see how out of harms way I am. There is an international airport in Fukuoka that my friends and family are using to visit me this month, and no one should be alarmed by this.

They will receive more radiation from the plane flight than they will in all our travels while here (we will stay far away from the colored areas...more to stay out of relief workers way, than because of any danger, to be honest).

I know I'm going back and forth between the nuclear plant problem, and the problems created by the earthquake and tsunami. But: Everyone, please pray for Japan if you are a pray'er, or just be respectful and keep Japan in your thoughts!　The people in evacuation centers need your prayers. The people who lost their homes need your prayers. The nuclear plant workers need your prayers. People far away from the danger need you to not create panic, or fill our e-mail boxes with pleas to exodus.

I will be running a 6k on Sunday, April 3rd, and am going to ask all of my friends to donate $6 on top of any other donations they've already given, or will give. Six EXTRA dollars.

In general, please help love, not panic. I know you have to get on with your daily lives at some point. Sometime it has to be okay to joke around again, and generally put sad thoughts out of your mind. But if you have any kind of connection to Japan, especially, I don't think that time is yet. So many thousands of people right this very moment are starving and freezing and need you to care.

Japan love. :)