I've been up to so much in the last month since reaching Australia that I'm way behind on my reports. I'm working on it! :)
The 10-day exploratory excursion on the Dancer Fleet’s Star Dancer in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dive a remote location in the world at a truly unbelievable price—at USD$1,000 per diver times 16, our combined fares probably barely covered the trip expenses (fuel, food, wages for the 11-man crew, compressor and boat maintenance etc.), if not at all. Still billed as a luxury cruise, the Star Dancer exploratory excursion included all the Dancer Fleet signature amenities—complimentary wine and beer, evening turn down service in the cabins, 3 significant meals with a sit-down dinner and morning/afternoon snack, bed linen and towel changes, and fresh deck towels/bathrobes following the 5 times/day dives.
‘Spectacular’ is my one-word assessment of the Milne Bay diving. While we did have reduced visibility and water temperatures on some dive sites, as well as some ripping currents to add additional challenge, the variety of aquatic life, particularly the corals, was overwhelming. Indeed, on some dives I spent very little time hunting for critters within the nooks and crannies—just looking at the abundant fish life and the beautiful coral colors was enough to keep me entertained.
I departed Cairns on Monday, March 27th, to fly to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea’s capital city and starting point for domestic journeys. While the Papua New Guinea people have a reputation for being genuinely friendly and helpful, Port Moresby regrettably has a reputation for being a not-so-traveler-friendly place. The LNG and gold mining projects in PNG have created a boom in business travel, so the hotel prices reflect the high expense accounts of their main clientele as well as the need for a high level of security—everything is behind gates, manned by 24-hour security, and airport courtesy shuttles collect guests upon arrival and return them to the airport for onward travel. I booked the Crowne Plaza Executive Floor as I realized that, sadly, I would not be leaving the hotel to wander around per my usual fashion. This suspicion was confirmed as I looked down from my 9th floor room on a scene reminiscent of a developing Southeast Asian country, and reinforced by some of the frequent LNG Crowne Plaza guests I visited with during Happy Hour.
On Tuesday, the 28th, I returned to the Port Moresby International Airport to take a 1-hour hop to Alotau, the departure point for the Star Dancer. The 4 hours total I spent at the airport in the domestic terminal were more amusing than any 2-hour Hollywood feature I could have watched on my 52” big screen television at the Crowne Plaza. Highlights include (but are not limited to!):
-- People who have spent any time living in the Arabian Gulf, particular Qatar, would have recognized the scene outside the airport— families and groups of people were camped outside the entrance, some with shoes, some with luggage, some with shopping bags, sitting on the sidewalk. While security were limiting entrance to the airport to people with tickets, it was fairly obvious that I, as a single white female, had no other business at the airport so I walked in unchallenged.
-- An elderly nun, sporting the dramatic white sails (in lieu of black and white), wanted to go to the check-in counter but found her way blocked by a big tall local. Without hesitating or even a word of warning, she simply shoved him aside, and even managed to roll over his foot with her wheelie bag in the process.
-- Three guys working in the gold mining who were meant to fly at 7.45, but still sitting at 9 am in anticipation of the check-in counter opening.
-- The domestic which broke out in the domestic waiting lounge. Some lady got mad at her husband / brother / other male relative (or at least I hope they were related) and jumped up, shouting and whaling on him with her beach bag purse. A crowd promptly gathered to watch the festivities, and a passing gate agent came back with a security guard to sort out the trouble.
-- When a flight was boarding, a different woman stood waiting, bag in hand, shifting from foot to foot, watching irritably towards the toilets located 80m away and glancing at the gate agent. A man came shuffling out the door of the men’s room, to be greeted with “Ge-cho ass obah here” and then a barrage of some language for which I did not understand the words, but the meaning was most definitely clear—“We are about to miss our flight”
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Monday, 28 March 2011
Aussie Aussie Aussie
While the aftereffects of the triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear power plant) continue to shock Japan, I have moved from Japan to Australia, where I am undertaking a 1-year working holiday. This move was not due to the recent tragedies; rather, it was a pre-planned endeavor for which the departure date just happened to fall 2 weeks after all hell broke loose in Tohoku.
I must confess that it is a relief to be somewhere where the ground is not continually moving, and I don't have to worry about power outages, but the mentality still remains-- I am conscientious of the electricity I am using, and yesterday I caught myself assessing the bottled water stocks at the supermarket in Cairns.
The disaster is still ongoing in Japan, and I continue to urge you to donate to established causes such as the Red Cross if you have not already-- it is 35C and humid here, but snowy and freezing for those without electricity. You may argue that Japan is an advanced nation, and the second largest economy to boot, but I ask you to consider this: What if the shoe were on the other foot, and you, in an equally advanced nation, had been through a similar tragedy?
Indeed, in the numerous conversations I have had since reaching Australia (it is strange to converse in English again!), the fact that I was living just outside Tokyo eventually emerges, and the usual questions follow such as:
-- Did I feel the earthquake?
-- Was I near the tsunami zone?
-- What was it like? Was it scary?
-- Did I know anyone in the North?...
and so on and so forth. It's all still very overwhelming.
Righto. So meanwhile I am off on a fantastic liveaboard in Papua New Guinea-- I got a luxury grade cruise for roughly 33% of the regular price, for a 10-night voyage. I look forward to posting my report of the trip quite soon!
I must confess that it is a relief to be somewhere where the ground is not continually moving, and I don't have to worry about power outages, but the mentality still remains-- I am conscientious of the electricity I am using, and yesterday I caught myself assessing the bottled water stocks at the supermarket in Cairns.
The disaster is still ongoing in Japan, and I continue to urge you to donate to established causes such as the Red Cross if you have not already-- it is 35C and humid here, but snowy and freezing for those without electricity. You may argue that Japan is an advanced nation, and the second largest economy to boot, but I ask you to consider this: What if the shoe were on the other foot, and you, in an equally advanced nation, had been through a similar tragedy?
Indeed, in the numerous conversations I have had since reaching Australia (it is strange to converse in English again!), the fact that I was living just outside Tokyo eventually emerges, and the usual questions follow such as:
-- Did I feel the earthquake?
-- Was I near the tsunami zone?
-- What was it like? Was it scary?
-- Did I know anyone in the North?...
and so on and so forth. It's all still very overwhelming.
Righto. So meanwhile I am off on a fantastic liveaboard in Papua New Guinea-- I got a luxury grade cruise for roughly 33% of the regular price, for a 10-night voyage. I look forward to posting my report of the trip quite soon!
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Monday, 21 March 2011
The Other Side of the Story
It is interesting to look at the news reports which are coming from within Japan, as broadcast by Japanese media in Japanese, those which are coming from Japan being broadcast by non-Japanese media in Japanese to a primarily Japan-based audience (such as NHK world), reports coming from Japan by non-Japanese media being broadcast to a primarily non-Japanese audience, and reports being made outside Japan to a primarily non-Japanese audience.
Here is a good example which shows that it is best to check more than one news source when dealing with large-scale events.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3473142/My-nightmare-trapped-in-post-tsunami-Tokyo-City-of-Ghosts.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News
Some of the highlights, and my reactions, include:
"I'm scared, and shaky with hunger and really, really tired. I've got two hungry children and just a few crisps, oranges and a can of tuna."
Then why didn't you go to the supermarket, or the convenience store, or the department store deli, or the bento shop just up the road, all of which were still open for business in Central Tokyo as well as the surrounding areas, but had just run out of certain items due to panic buying and delivery delays.
"There is no petrol, no water, no food."
Yet you live in an area with a world-class public transportation system, which was running on March 17, but some train lines were limited service, all information which was well-published on the transport webpages or easily obtained by asking station staff. Did you not say you've been in Japan 10 years? Surely you know by now how to ask these things in Japanese, and to understand the answers being given.
While bottled water stocks ran out due to panic buying, Aquarius and Pocari Sweat are still available for purchase. My tap water service never once stopped running either, and there have been no other reports of tap water stopping. Food was still on the shelves at the supermarkets and convenience stores, just not dairy products/bread/pasta/rice/instant noodles. The delis are still churning out food too. If you want bread right now, patronize your local bakery.
"The TV news has told us to take a shower when we've been outside, because of radiation worries."
In Fukushima, within the 30km radius, yes, as a precautionary measure. In the Tokyo area, a good 250km or more from the plant, no.
"But mostly there's just a test card with gentle music and children making origami dragons."
Interesting. My NHK has broadcasting non-stop about the disaster, as were Asahi, TBS, and other channels. The other channels have gone back to regular programming, but are still offering news updates.
"Train ... child in a face mask at railway station"
Being a 10-year resident of Japan, you should know by now that the masks get whipped out in the winter by people who are sick or trying to avoid getting sick once the flus and colds start up, and right now they are also being widely used due to it being allergy season. I myself have the sneezes and sniffles, either from a spring cold or from the pollen in the air.
Most confusing is the rolling blackouts. You never know when there is going to be power or not. It's freezing cold in Toyko too.
Yes, the first couple of days were a bit rough for MILLIONS of Toden service-area residents, including myself, while the consistent rotating schedule got worked out, and also while scheduled blackouts were cancelled. But what did you expect? And yes, it was confusing at first when the first list came out and areas were listed multiple times on the rotation. But all this information was publicized on NHK as well as the Toden website as it came out. And now we have a consistent, predictable timetable, and a detailed list down to neighborhoods, which can not only be found on the Toden site, but on Yahoo and Google as well. Worse case scenario is you telephone your shiyakusho and ask, or hell, chances are the convenience store people know and would be happy to tell you.
Freezing cold? Bloody hell. Apart from that cold snap last week, it has been mild compared to, say, January. If you think it is freezing cold, go live in a gymnasium in Miyagi for a few days with no heating or adequate blankets, while the snow is falling outside, and I reckon your tune will change. Do what everyone else did when it got a bit chilly and put on another t-shirt, a scarf, a ski cap, your coat, and a determined smile. You are still alive. There are thousands of people who are not.
"There's even been a public information film on TV about how hospital equipment, like ventilators, can be worked by hand"
If you've ever been to a hospital or even watched a medical TV drama, you should have known this anyway. Being here for 10 years, you should also know that Japanese are big into details and information of this sort. That's why we also had the expert on cold-weather survival on TV telling us how to make bath towel mufflers to stay warm, and the designer from the toilet company telling us how to make a makeshift box toilet with newspaper and rubbish bags.
"The British Embassy gave 'no help or advice at all'"
Hmmm... could that be because they, like other national embassies in Tokyo, were focusing their efforts on the crisis area and trying to locate their residents there? No help or advice? Then why is the British Embassy distributing Potassium Iodate tablets?
The American Embassy, for instance, made it crystal clear on their website that their priority right now was assisting American residents in Japan, and particularly those located in Tohoku, so they had stopped doing US visa services just now and had special channels for US citizens who had lost passports. Did you bother visiting your embassy's website, or surely by now you know other British residents in Japan and you could have asked them what was happening.
"I don't want my children to get cancer."
Yet you are living in the mobile phone capitol of the world, using your laptop computer to write your report, and heating your lunch in the microwave oven.
"I begged the Foreign Office man, 'Please help me'. But he told me if I raised my voice one more time he was terminating the call."
They don't have time for irrational hysterics just now, no. The airports are open again. You are an expatriate living in a foreign country. Help yourself.
Here is a good example which shows that it is best to check more than one news source when dealing with large-scale events.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3473142/My-nightmare-trapped-in-post-tsunami-Tokyo-City-of-Ghosts.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News
Some of the highlights, and my reactions, include:
"I'm scared, and shaky with hunger and really, really tired. I've got two hungry children and just a few crisps, oranges and a can of tuna."
Then why didn't you go to the supermarket, or the convenience store, or the department store deli, or the bento shop just up the road, all of which were still open for business in Central Tokyo as well as the surrounding areas, but had just run out of certain items due to panic buying and delivery delays.
"There is no petrol, no water, no food."
Yet you live in an area with a world-class public transportation system, which was running on March 17, but some train lines were limited service, all information which was well-published on the transport webpages or easily obtained by asking station staff. Did you not say you've been in Japan 10 years? Surely you know by now how to ask these things in Japanese, and to understand the answers being given.
While bottled water stocks ran out due to panic buying, Aquarius and Pocari Sweat are still available for purchase. My tap water service never once stopped running either, and there have been no other reports of tap water stopping. Food was still on the shelves at the supermarkets and convenience stores, just not dairy products/bread/pasta/rice/instant noodles. The delis are still churning out food too. If you want bread right now, patronize your local bakery.
"The TV news has told us to take a shower when we've been outside, because of radiation worries."
In Fukushima, within the 30km radius, yes, as a precautionary measure. In the Tokyo area, a good 250km or more from the plant, no.
"But mostly there's just a test card with gentle music and children making origami dragons."
Interesting. My NHK has broadcasting non-stop about the disaster, as were Asahi, TBS, and other channels. The other channels have gone back to regular programming, but are still offering news updates.
"Train ... child in a face mask at railway station"
Being a 10-year resident of Japan, you should know by now that the masks get whipped out in the winter by people who are sick or trying to avoid getting sick once the flus and colds start up, and right now they are also being widely used due to it being allergy season. I myself have the sneezes and sniffles, either from a spring cold or from the pollen in the air.
Most confusing is the rolling blackouts. You never know when there is going to be power or not. It's freezing cold in Toyko too.
Yes, the first couple of days were a bit rough for MILLIONS of Toden service-area residents, including myself, while the consistent rotating schedule got worked out, and also while scheduled blackouts were cancelled. But what did you expect? And yes, it was confusing at first when the first list came out and areas were listed multiple times on the rotation. But all this information was publicized on NHK as well as the Toden website as it came out. And now we have a consistent, predictable timetable, and a detailed list down to neighborhoods, which can not only be found on the Toden site, but on Yahoo and Google as well. Worse case scenario is you telephone your shiyakusho and ask, or hell, chances are the convenience store people know and would be happy to tell you.
Freezing cold? Bloody hell. Apart from that cold snap last week, it has been mild compared to, say, January. If you think it is freezing cold, go live in a gymnasium in Miyagi for a few days with no heating or adequate blankets, while the snow is falling outside, and I reckon your tune will change. Do what everyone else did when it got a bit chilly and put on another t-shirt, a scarf, a ski cap, your coat, and a determined smile. You are still alive. There are thousands of people who are not.
"There's even been a public information film on TV about how hospital equipment, like ventilators, can be worked by hand"
If you've ever been to a hospital or even watched a medical TV drama, you should have known this anyway. Being here for 10 years, you should also know that Japanese are big into details and information of this sort. That's why we also had the expert on cold-weather survival on TV telling us how to make bath towel mufflers to stay warm, and the designer from the toilet company telling us how to make a makeshift box toilet with newspaper and rubbish bags.
"The British Embassy gave 'no help or advice at all'"
Hmmm... could that be because they, like other national embassies in Tokyo, were focusing their efforts on the crisis area and trying to locate their residents there? No help or advice? Then why is the British Embassy distributing Potassium Iodate tablets?
The American Embassy, for instance, made it crystal clear on their website that their priority right now was assisting American residents in Japan, and particularly those located in Tohoku, so they had stopped doing US visa services just now and had special channels for US citizens who had lost passports. Did you bother visiting your embassy's website, or surely by now you know other British residents in Japan and you could have asked them what was happening.
"I don't want my children to get cancer."
Yet you are living in the mobile phone capitol of the world, using your laptop computer to write your report, and heating your lunch in the microwave oven.
"I begged the Foreign Office man, 'Please help me'. But he told me if I raised my voice one more time he was terminating the call."
They don't have time for irrational hysterics just now, no. The airports are open again. You are an expatriate living in a foreign country. Help yourself.
Friday, 18 March 2011
A Bit of Complaint
When I lived in Qatar, the backs of the Kahramaa (the electricity company) bills said in both Arabic and English, "Electricity and water are a gift... don't waste it!" This sentiment most certainly applies to the situation in the Kanto and Tohoku regions, which are both recovering from a devastating 9.0 earthquake, a tsunami, and nuclear power plant difficulties as we speak.
I for one no doubt join millions of residents in the Kanto region, who are currently engaged in a daily planned power outage (keikakuteiden / 計画停電), in being willing and proud to serve the proverbial cause. If going without power for 3 hour periods, in a finally predictable timetable, will help us preserve our overall power supply, then in fact I am more than willing to take two shifts.
However, this article regarding the continued supply to thousands of vending machines in the Tokyo area admittedly irritated me a little bit. As a private resident (as are other residents, no doubt some of them elderly) , I am severely limiting my personal home heating and cooking for the Cause, to the point of wearing extra clothing and even wrapping a bath towel around my neck, yet these bastards (sorry for the language) continue to run their bloody vending machines 24-7.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20110318a4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+(The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories)&utm_content=Google+Reader
I ask the vending machine companies, particularly Coke-- do you really lose a lot of yen from stopping service on, say, 9 of 12 machines in a single block?
I for one no doubt join millions of residents in the Kanto region, who are currently engaged in a daily planned power outage (keikakuteiden / 計画停電), in being willing and proud to serve the proverbial cause. If going without power for 3 hour periods, in a finally predictable timetable, will help us preserve our overall power supply, then in fact I am more than willing to take two shifts.
However, this article regarding the continued supply to thousands of vending machines in the Tokyo area admittedly irritated me a little bit. As a private resident (as are other residents, no doubt some of them elderly) , I am severely limiting my personal home heating and cooking for the Cause, to the point of wearing extra clothing and even wrapping a bath towel around my neck, yet these bastards (sorry for the language) continue to run their bloody vending machines 24-7.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20110318a4.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+(The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories)&utm_content=Google+Reader
I ask the vending machine companies, particularly Coke-- do you really lose a lot of yen from stopping service on, say, 9 of 12 machines in a single block?
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Bulletpoints
--So after 2 days of Group 2 not having its keikakuteiden (planned power outage), we finally had our first one yesterday. Our group time was 15.20 until 19.00, but the outage actually only lasted from 15.45 until around 18.40. It hadn't quite gotten dark outside yet, but the end was enough to require lighting of some sort (flashlights, candles etc.). It seems that the pattern has been that the daytime shifts have been carried out, but the evening shift doesn't (18.20 unti 22.00) unless it's absolutely necessary. Today our shift is from 12.20 until 4pm. A multiple day list has finally been published, which shows that the groups rotate in order, so it is easy to look ahead and know what your group's scheduled time will be. This certainly makes adjusting to the schedule a lot easier, as people aren't literally waiting until 10pm the night before to learn what the next day's rotation will be. Each group retains 1 shift, with two contingency shifts scheduled in the afternoon and early evening. The contingency shifts are also being rotated, so if your contingency is in the evening, then the next day it will be the afternoon, and then you are off for 3 days.
-- I want to thank everyone for the telephone / Skype calls, e-mails, and Facebook pings I have received since the multiple diasters.
**I also wish to thank the people who has asked if I need anything. It is kind of you to think about this, and to be ready to extend help. The short answer is thank you very much, but no, we are okay here.
However, one way you can assist me is by instead giving that assistance to the people in the North, who more desperately need it right now. Physical supplies are more difficult right now due to transport logistics being messed up, but financial assistance will make it to the groups who are in a better position to get the physical supplies transport. Your donations will help buy kerosene, blankets, clothing, food, water and medicines. Keep in mind that it is snowfall style winter there, and some people have been without heat/food/water for days now.
-- I want to thank everyone for the telephone / Skype calls, e-mails, and Facebook pings I have received since the multiple diasters.
**I also wish to thank the people who has asked if I need anything. It is kind of you to think about this, and to be ready to extend help. The short answer is thank you very much, but no, we are okay here.
However, one way you can assist me is by instead giving that assistance to the people in the North, who more desperately need it right now. Physical supplies are more difficult right now due to transport logistics being messed up, but financial assistance will make it to the groups who are in a better position to get the physical supplies transport. Your donations will help buy kerosene, blankets, clothing, food, water and medicines. Keep in mind that it is snowfall style winter there, and some people have been without heat/food/water for days now.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Zen and the Art of Planning
A bit of informal sociology : In a society which exists on detailed planning and organization, how do the people survive when a number of unprecedented events take place in a short period of time?
In a nutshell, this is kind of what's happening in Eastern Japan right now, and it's leaving a lot of people scrambling. Typically the goalposts don't move a whole lot here, and not without prior prediction and more contingency planning, the details of which can fill thick binders as each communication is meticulously filed to provide a complete roadmap as to how critical points were arrived at, and the resulting decisions. In the last week, though, Japan has suffered not just one but two catastrophic events, with a third-- the nuclear plant which supplies power to the Kanto and Tohoku regions suffering from various events to 4 of the reactors.
While I have written about the various hiccups we've had with planned power outages (keikakuteiden; 'keikaku' means plan, and 'teiden' can translate as electricity stoppage) in the Kanto region, it was announced last night that Tohoku Teiden would also move to rolling outages. I didn't realize that the Fukushima plant also supplies power to that region. However, their shifts will be a bit rigorous, as it is still winter in that region and 3 hours is a long time to be without heat. If you don't believe this, ask some of the people staying in the emergency shelters who have been without electricity, kerosene, adequate blankets, or food/water for days.
http://www.tohoku-epco.co.jp/
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110316a5.html
Everyone is continuing to do their best in these times as the news continues to deliver more news regarding the health of our power supply. Businesses and private citizens are actively practicing setsuden (power conservation)-- in my area, many businesses have gone to half lighting, and escalators have been shut off. Elevators are also not being used, not just out of setsuden but in case of teiden. Yesterday I stepped into the local electronics store and the scene was a preview of post-apocalyptic Japan-- the shop was half lighted, with the escalators and elevators shut off. The usually continual loud and overly cheerful announcements announcing the various services and products had ceased, with the only sound on the second floor coming from the one television tuned to NHK and the disaster. Computers were all switched off, and entire aisles were blocked because the shop suffered some decorative glass breakage from the Friday quake that was still being cleared up. Even for it being noon on a weekday, the shop was almost empty except for myself, 3 other shoppers, and around 20 sales staff-- who, out of pure lack of anything to do, were standing in groups, nervously conversing but appearing overly hopeful that one of us would require assistance of some sort just to break the monotony of waiting.
(Ha ha... I thought about inventing some request and saying 'excuse me' in Japanese just to see how many would run over, but the atmosphere is still so tense here...)
The Toden people are understandably under a lot of pressure-- this morning I caught a live press conference, and the representative speaking was having a very hard time maintaining the decorum-required polite Japanese, and had resorted to handwriting on maps with a red pen while explaining the situation. For people who have experience working with Japanese companies, they know that usually there will be professionally-printed graphic board which were scrutinized and checked at least 3 times by 12 different people, and even as the representative is speaking there are usually juniors standing by with binder upon binder filled with data. Obviously the current situation means they've gone to Plan B, and going to Plan B is not normal in Japan.
After I started writing this post, the New York Times published an article similar to what I was going to write. Time constraints and lack of verbal eloquence on my part dictates that I allow them to take over.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16japan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig
In a nutshell, this is kind of what's happening in Eastern Japan right now, and it's leaving a lot of people scrambling. Typically the goalposts don't move a whole lot here, and not without prior prediction and more contingency planning, the details of which can fill thick binders as each communication is meticulously filed to provide a complete roadmap as to how critical points were arrived at, and the resulting decisions. In the last week, though, Japan has suffered not just one but two catastrophic events, with a third-- the nuclear plant which supplies power to the Kanto and Tohoku regions suffering from various events to 4 of the reactors.
While I have written about the various hiccups we've had with planned power outages (keikakuteiden; 'keikaku' means plan, and 'teiden' can translate as electricity stoppage) in the Kanto region, it was announced last night that Tohoku Teiden would also move to rolling outages. I didn't realize that the Fukushima plant also supplies power to that region. However, their shifts will be a bit rigorous, as it is still winter in that region and 3 hours is a long time to be without heat. If you don't believe this, ask some of the people staying in the emergency shelters who have been without electricity, kerosene, adequate blankets, or food/water for days.
http://www.tohoku-epco.co.jp/
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110316a5.html
Everyone is continuing to do their best in these times as the news continues to deliver more news regarding the health of our power supply. Businesses and private citizens are actively practicing setsuden (power conservation)-- in my area, many businesses have gone to half lighting, and escalators have been shut off. Elevators are also not being used, not just out of setsuden but in case of teiden. Yesterday I stepped into the local electronics store and the scene was a preview of post-apocalyptic Japan-- the shop was half lighted, with the escalators and elevators shut off. The usually continual loud and overly cheerful announcements announcing the various services and products had ceased, with the only sound on the second floor coming from the one television tuned to NHK and the disaster. Computers were all switched off, and entire aisles were blocked because the shop suffered some decorative glass breakage from the Friday quake that was still being cleared up. Even for it being noon on a weekday, the shop was almost empty except for myself, 3 other shoppers, and around 20 sales staff-- who, out of pure lack of anything to do, were standing in groups, nervously conversing but appearing overly hopeful that one of us would require assistance of some sort just to break the monotony of waiting.
(Ha ha... I thought about inventing some request and saying 'excuse me' in Japanese just to see how many would run over, but the atmosphere is still so tense here...)
The Toden people are understandably under a lot of pressure-- this morning I caught a live press conference, and the representative speaking was having a very hard time maintaining the decorum-required polite Japanese, and had resorted to handwriting on maps with a red pen while explaining the situation. For people who have experience working with Japanese companies, they know that usually there will be professionally-printed graphic board which were scrutinized and checked at least 3 times by 12 different people, and even as the representative is speaking there are usually juniors standing by with binder upon binder filled with data. Obviously the current situation means they've gone to Plan B, and going to Plan B is not normal in Japan.
After I started writing this post, the New York Times published an article similar to what I was going to write. Time constraints and lack of verbal eloquence on my part dictates that I allow them to take over.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16japan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig
Monday, 14 March 2011
To Blackout or Not To Blackout...
That has been the question today. Last night the announcement was made by Tepco that the Kanto region would move to scheduled electricity outages as of Monday, March 14. Within an hour or so of this official announcement, the list of 5 groups was read aloud on TV. So, naturally, I joined millions of other viewers in paying careful attention to learn which group my city was in in order to know when our power outage would occur.
That's when the fun started. During the television announcement, my city was put in Group 5. No problem! However, when I went to Tepco's website to find the official .pdf, so I could verify that I had, indeed, gotten the correct information, I was most confused to find that my city was also placed in Group 3. Huh?????? At this point, it was nearly midnight, and the blackout period was to begin from 6.20 in the morning. I finally went to bed with a vague idea of when the electricity blackout would occur.
Waking up early this morning to complete my electricity-requiring tasks, I navigated to Tepco's website to find a more detailed .pdf breaking down the outage locations by prefecture, then city, then area. I located my area in Group 2. Huh???????????? So first we are in Group 5, then we are in Group 3. Now, as of 7am this morning, I learn we're in Group 2, and we, along with Group 1, were the lucky ones who drew not just one, but two shifts-- one in the morning from 9.20 until 1pm, and then again from 6.20 until 10pm.
When I got to work, I found out the list had been published in the newspaper, and my coworker had diligently cut out the section and highlighted our city-- which was, indeed, broken up into 3 sections. So she also had no idea which group we were meant to be in. I showed her Tepco's website, and the .pdf, and explained that we are surely in Group 2 from this latest information.
What happened, though, is that one neighborhood in my city got put into Group 5, and one neighborhood got put into Group 3, but the rest are all in Group 2, hence the triple listing.
While I do appreciate that these are some very stressful times at Toden, particularly with the reactor situation (the representative on TV today seemed a bit frayed by 5pm today), the information was not necessarily made clear to people.
So this morning, after learning I was in Group 2 and we would have 2 outages per day, I got busy-- I double-checked that my light sources were in order, as I would be spending the evening in the dark, cooked some food that I could eat cold for my tea, and planned to complete my e-mail correspondence in the morning. Meanwhile I watched the numerous initial difficulties being experienced by Group 1, whose first scheduled time was 6.20 until 10.00. As 9.20 drew near, I kept NHK on to ensure there was no more information I required right away. 9.20 came... and went... and still we had power. Huh?????? The press conference then came on, announcing that the Group 2 people would continue to receive power, and the evening was yet to be determined. Hokay...
As the day progressed, and we were becoming increasingly curious about whether we could offer our evening classes at my school, we learned that Group 3, then 4 would still receive power, even after the explosion in Reactor 3. Then, around 3pm, we learned that Group 5, who was supposed to have an outage from 15.20 until 19.00, would receive power, but there was a "high possibility" they would have the outage from 17.00 until 19.00. There was still no news on the Group 1 or 2 evening shifts. The Group 5 outage was not confirmed almost until the time it started, and Group 2 did not learn about their evening outage being cancelled until it was almost time to begin. The 17.00 until 19.00 time is significant because Toden has identified the 6-7pm period as being a peak time, as households turn on heaters and lights, and begin cooking evening meals.
The theme being pushed today was conserving power. Indeed, a number of businesses closed early in order to save electricity, and the memo had been put out asking businesses to turn off neon/lighted signs, cooler lights and so forth, in addition to asking household consumers to minimize consumption.
Needless to say this was all a bit stressful for a lot of people, particularly in a country where detailed planning and organization are prevalent (if a train arrives even 1 minute late, the train company spends however long apologizing until the timetable can be righted again) . Although the Kanto region was not in the direct line of fire from the initial earthquake and tsunami, we are still continuing to experience aftershocks and secondary effects from the disaster. People are tired and concerned about daily basics-- buying food from the dwindling supplies, getting cash while the ATMs are still operational, finding batteries and light sources, and trying to get from Point A to B when the transportation services have been cancelled.
We are seeing more footage of the survivors from the North, and the common report is that there is no food, water, kerosene for heaters, or blankets. As we continue to have running water, electricity, and access to some sort of food, I don't mind in the least if we have shortages or limited selection here for a while if those supplies would be instead getting to the North shelters where they are most desperately needed.
Today was a beautiful early spring day in the Kanto region-- even at 8am, it was quite warm outside. The highlights of T+3 include:
Supermarket Queue : The dwindling food supply (I have not checked this evening to see if any deliveries were received), combined with the uncertainty of what will happen and the originally-planned power outage led to another first sight-- a queue outside the supermarket. Usually Life supermarket opens at 9.30am (9 on Sundays), but today it opened at 10. This queue started with a few people hanging about when I rode past at 9. By 9.45 it had stretched clear down the front of the supermarket and about 50 meters beyond.
Also, traffic jams. With the Tobu line and JR Musashino lines both having suspended service today, a lot of people were trying to drive to work. This led, naturally, to ridiculously crowded roads. Something to keep in mind is that the petrol supply is being rationed in the Tohoku, and there are petrol stations in the Kanto region which have closed, or run out of unleaded fuel.
People standing in front of the ticket gates at the station, almost appearing lost as they contemplate how they are going to get from Point A to B with the Tobu service suspended today due to the planned rolling blackouts. A lot of train services were suspended, or run on reduced numbers/hours due to energy conservation measures as well as the blackout timetable.
People reading the line information in front of the ticket gates.
The foreboding appearance of the station thoroughway at 7.10pm. Normally the left of the station should be filled with parked bicycles, all the businesses open, and a continual stream of commuters returning home from work. The Italian Tomato cafe was completely empty, as was the Family Mart. Beyond the station, the Doutor coffee, the McDonald's and the Tokyu department store had already closed for the evening, well before their usual time.
That's when the fun started. During the television announcement, my city was put in Group 5. No problem! However, when I went to Tepco's website to find the official .pdf, so I could verify that I had, indeed, gotten the correct information, I was most confused to find that my city was also placed in Group 3. Huh?????? At this point, it was nearly midnight, and the blackout period was to begin from 6.20 in the morning. I finally went to bed with a vague idea of when the electricity blackout would occur.
Waking up early this morning to complete my electricity-requiring tasks, I navigated to Tepco's website to find a more detailed .pdf breaking down the outage locations by prefecture, then city, then area. I located my area in Group 2. Huh???????????? So first we are in Group 5, then we are in Group 3. Now, as of 7am this morning, I learn we're in Group 2, and we, along with Group 1, were the lucky ones who drew not just one, but two shifts-- one in the morning from 9.20 until 1pm, and then again from 6.20 until 10pm.
When I got to work, I found out the list had been published in the newspaper, and my coworker had diligently cut out the section and highlighted our city-- which was, indeed, broken up into 3 sections. So she also had no idea which group we were meant to be in. I showed her Tepco's website, and the .pdf, and explained that we are surely in Group 2 from this latest information.
What happened, though, is that one neighborhood in my city got put into Group 5, and one neighborhood got put into Group 3, but the rest are all in Group 2, hence the triple listing.
While I do appreciate that these are some very stressful times at Toden, particularly with the reactor situation (the representative on TV today seemed a bit frayed by 5pm today), the information was not necessarily made clear to people.
So this morning, after learning I was in Group 2 and we would have 2 outages per day, I got busy-- I double-checked that my light sources were in order, as I would be spending the evening in the dark, cooked some food that I could eat cold for my tea, and planned to complete my e-mail correspondence in the morning. Meanwhile I watched the numerous initial difficulties being experienced by Group 1, whose first scheduled time was 6.20 until 10.00. As 9.20 drew near, I kept NHK on to ensure there was no more information I required right away. 9.20 came... and went... and still we had power. Huh?????? The press conference then came on, announcing that the Group 2 people would continue to receive power, and the evening was yet to be determined. Hokay...
As the day progressed, and we were becoming increasingly curious about whether we could offer our evening classes at my school, we learned that Group 3, then 4 would still receive power, even after the explosion in Reactor 3. Then, around 3pm, we learned that Group 5, who was supposed to have an outage from 15.20 until 19.00, would receive power, but there was a "high possibility" they would have the outage from 17.00 until 19.00. There was still no news on the Group 1 or 2 evening shifts. The Group 5 outage was not confirmed almost until the time it started, and Group 2 did not learn about their evening outage being cancelled until it was almost time to begin. The 17.00 until 19.00 time is significant because Toden has identified the 6-7pm period as being a peak time, as households turn on heaters and lights, and begin cooking evening meals.
The theme being pushed today was conserving power. Indeed, a number of businesses closed early in order to save electricity, and the memo had been put out asking businesses to turn off neon/lighted signs, cooler lights and so forth, in addition to asking household consumers to minimize consumption.
Needless to say this was all a bit stressful for a lot of people, particularly in a country where detailed planning and organization are prevalent (if a train arrives even 1 minute late, the train company spends however long apologizing until the timetable can be righted again) . Although the Kanto region was not in the direct line of fire from the initial earthquake and tsunami, we are still continuing to experience aftershocks and secondary effects from the disaster. People are tired and concerned about daily basics-- buying food from the dwindling supplies, getting cash while the ATMs are still operational, finding batteries and light sources, and trying to get from Point A to B when the transportation services have been cancelled.
We are seeing more footage of the survivors from the North, and the common report is that there is no food, water, kerosene for heaters, or blankets. As we continue to have running water, electricity, and access to some sort of food, I don't mind in the least if we have shortages or limited selection here for a while if those supplies would be instead getting to the North shelters where they are most desperately needed.
Today was a beautiful early spring day in the Kanto region-- even at 8am, it was quite warm outside. The highlights of T+3 include:
Supermarket Queue : The dwindling food supply (I have not checked this evening to see if any deliveries were received), combined with the uncertainty of what will happen and the originally-planned power outage led to another first sight-- a queue outside the supermarket. Usually Life supermarket opens at 9.30am (9 on Sundays), but today it opened at 10. This queue started with a few people hanging about when I rode past at 9. By 9.45 it had stretched clear down the front of the supermarket and about 50 meters beyond.
Also, traffic jams. With the Tobu line and JR Musashino lines both having suspended service today, a lot of people were trying to drive to work. This led, naturally, to ridiculously crowded roads. Something to keep in mind is that the petrol supply is being rationed in the Tohoku, and there are petrol stations in the Kanto region which have closed, or run out of unleaded fuel.
People standing in front of the ticket gates at the station, almost appearing lost as they contemplate how they are going to get from Point A to B with the Tobu service suspended today due to the planned rolling blackouts. A lot of train services were suspended, or run on reduced numbers/hours due to energy conservation measures as well as the blackout timetable.
People reading the line information in front of the ticket gates.
The foreboding appearance of the station thoroughway at 7.10pm. Normally the left of the station should be filled with parked bicycles, all the businesses open, and a continual stream of commuters returning home from work. The Italian Tomato cafe was completely empty, as was the Family Mart. Beyond the station, the Doutor coffee, the McDonald's and the Tokyu department store had already closed for the evening, well before their usual time.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Power Outage Schedule (in Japanese)
If you are reading this blog and located in an area serviced by TEPCO, here is the .pdf of the planned outage groups, broken down by prefecture and city.
But apparently the dwellers in my city are doubly tough... we are on the list twice, yet the official broadcast put us in Group 5. Huh... I guess we'll know which group we're meant to be in from tomorrow when everything stops running and for how long... (^^)
But apparently the dwellers in my city are doubly tough... we are on the list twice, yet the official broadcast put us in Group 5. Huh... I guess we'll know which group we're meant to be in from tomorrow when everything stops running and for how long... (^^)
T+2 -- Moving Forward
2.5 days have now elapsed since the devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit the Tohoku region of Japan, and in the Kanto region life is slowly returning to normal.
The shaking continues, and we are experiencing aftershocks from time to time. However, the larger quakes appear to be subsiding for now.
Train services in the Tokyo area have resumed regularly-scheduled operation, with the exception of trains running to the Tohoku.
Planned power outages are still a consideration. Today at a press conference, the Trade and Industry Minister, Banri Kaieda, asked industrial sector businesses to reduce power consumption, and also that private citizens only use what is necessary. The earthquake occurred on Friday afternoon, and we have progressed through the weekend, but tomorrow would see the beginning of the work week, and a larger stress on power supply facilities as businesses resume operation.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/13_30.html
Cold is still a concern in the Tohoku, but here in the Kanto we are seeing the gradual onset of spring weather. Today was quite warm, and it is not cooling off as quickly at night. I don't mind turning off the heater during the day, running it just sporadically at night, and putting on an extra t-shirt to stay warm. If more private electricity customers in the Tokyo area can be similarly flexible, and the industrial sector can adjust operations accordingly, then we can minimize the stress being put on an already stressed power infrastructure.
Right now, as I type, Prime Minister Kan is reiterating the message reduced power consumption, and the Trade/Industry Minister is back on stage repeating what he said earlier and what PM Kan just said. We've been asked more than once to reduce power consumption, so I just hope people listen. But from my experience here, regrettably, locals have to be told something several times before it sinks in.
Indeed, I am a bit surprised with the recent power concerns that businesses are continuing to maintain regular operating hours. Under the circumstances, it would not be a terrible thing for reduced hours to be implemented, even if places operate only primarily during the day when natural sunlight can be used for heating and a light source. Also, it would not be terrible for the heat to be turned down all around. I met a friend at the Doutor coffee shop today, and the coffee shop thermostat was set to Qatar Summer. We're sitting in Qatar Summer, and on NHK they are showing images of people at evacuation shelters crowded around outdoor barbecues, reporting that blankets and kerosene for the indoor heaters are in shortage.
It's official-- we are going to rolling outages as of tomorrow.
I've had e-mails from people asking if I need anything. It is kind of you to ask, but the answer is no, thank you. We still have running water, and power (minus the outages, for which we will know when those are occurring). I still have a roof over my head, and access to food.
I instead ask that you direct that help to the people of the North. At this time, physical items are not very helpful as delivery logistics are difficult. However, cash will help provide the things that are most needed there right now, such as kerosene, blankets, clothing, food, and water.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Japan-based-outside-Japan-donations-54168.S.46742801
The shaking continues, and we are experiencing aftershocks from time to time. However, the larger quakes appear to be subsiding for now.
Train services in the Tokyo area have resumed regularly-scheduled operation, with the exception of trains running to the Tohoku.
Planned power outages are still a consideration. Today at a press conference, the Trade and Industry Minister, Banri Kaieda, asked industrial sector businesses to reduce power consumption, and also that private citizens only use what is necessary. The earthquake occurred on Friday afternoon, and we have progressed through the weekend, but tomorrow would see the beginning of the work week, and a larger stress on power supply facilities as businesses resume operation.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/13_30.html
Cold is still a concern in the Tohoku, but here in the Kanto we are seeing the gradual onset of spring weather. Today was quite warm, and it is not cooling off as quickly at night. I don't mind turning off the heater during the day, running it just sporadically at night, and putting on an extra t-shirt to stay warm. If more private electricity customers in the Tokyo area can be similarly flexible, and the industrial sector can adjust operations accordingly, then we can minimize the stress being put on an already stressed power infrastructure.
Right now, as I type, Prime Minister Kan is reiterating the message reduced power consumption, and the Trade/Industry Minister is back on stage repeating what he said earlier and what PM Kan just said. We've been asked more than once to reduce power consumption, so I just hope people listen. But from my experience here, regrettably, locals have to be told something several times before it sinks in.
Indeed, I am a bit surprised with the recent power concerns that businesses are continuing to maintain regular operating hours. Under the circumstances, it would not be a terrible thing for reduced hours to be implemented, even if places operate only primarily during the day when natural sunlight can be used for heating and a light source. Also, it would not be terrible for the heat to be turned down all around. I met a friend at the Doutor coffee shop today, and the coffee shop thermostat was set to Qatar Summer. We're sitting in Qatar Summer, and on NHK they are showing images of people at evacuation shelters crowded around outdoor barbecues, reporting that blankets and kerosene for the indoor heaters are in shortage.
It's official-- we are going to rolling outages as of tomorrow.
I've had e-mails from people asking if I need anything. It is kind of you to ask, but the answer is no, thank you. We still have running water, and power (minus the outages, for which we will know when those are occurring). I still have a roof over my head, and access to food.
I instead ask that you direct that help to the people of the North. At this time, physical items are not very helpful as delivery logistics are difficult. However, cash will help provide the things that are most needed there right now, such as kerosene, blankets, clothing, food, and water.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Japan-based-outside-Japan-donations-54168.S.46742801
Saturday, 12 March 2011
T+1 : The Day Earth Did Not Stand Still (yet)
Almost 24 hours has elapsed since the devastating 8.9 earthquake and tsunami in Northern Japan, and the world around Tokyo is slowly getting back on its feet. Yesterday, the initial 14.46 quake (5.46 GMT) and countless aftershocks brought railway services to a halt, and a number of businesses closed for the day.
The aftershocks continued throughout, each one no doubt bringing fear of the next Big One to the residents of eastern Japan. Indeed, in one of the largest metropolis areas in the world, I could look out and see lights ablaze in area homes at midnight, the mostly elderly and university-age inhabitants captivated by the images being broadcast by NHK, TBS, and every other Japan-based television network. Facebook, Twitter, and other social network users were given multilingual running updates from area-based friends. A 4am 6.6 quake in Nagano and Niigata, an earthquake alarm-triggering 5 point here, tore me from my futon and into my pre-laid clothes in a hurry. Sitting in anticipation, I navigated to Facebook to find that a number of my Kanto region-based friends had also virtually gathered and were posting the same news. 4 in the morning!
In the 25 minutes I have written this blog, we have had 3 aftershocks where shaking has been apparent. The most recent registered as a 3 point in Chiba.
Tonight there are rolling blackouts predicted for the Tokyo area, so naturally it is prudent to prepare to sit in the dark and to stay a bit warmer. While spring is showing signs of appearing, and the daytime temperatures are rising, the nights are still cool, around freezing.
As the morning-after images of demolished homes ccome in from Iwate and Miyagi, one can easily see the light snowfall. The survivors stand clad in whatever winter clothing they were able to take quickly, surveying the complete demolition.
Kita Koshigaya dwellers are visibly fatigued but endeavoring to push on as much as possible. Bicycle helmet-wearing children accompanied their mothers to the supermarket, where shoppers stocked up on bottled water/sports drinks, dried foods, and boxed lunches. The registers were double manned to process the growing number of customers, and the usual 1 store manager on site was tripled to 3-- two were running registers and the third was walking around appearing quite frenzied as he took note of supplies which needed restocking if possible.
As of 12.20pm, here is the report from my area:
-- The Tobu line (an extension of the Tokyo Hibiya Subway Line) is running at approximately 20-minute intervals, but there is no definite timetable and this is subject to cancelation at any time while technicians continue to inspect for damage. There are only local services being run today-- no express or special trains. Based on the number of people I saw in a short time who read the signboards (which normally display train departure times), walked to the ticket office, talked to the conductor, then walked away from the ticket gates, they may be informally advising people not to travel into the city unless absolutely necessary. In fact, I saw a number of passengers alighting from the right side (from Tokyo) dressed in business attire, looking quite exhausted. Departure times are not being posted.
http://www.tobu.co.jp/
The Tobu line has reopened, but only local services are running at approximate intervals which are subject to change at any time as technicians continue to inspect train lines for damage. This station is usually quite lively at 11am on a Saturday with passengers entering through the ticket gates. As I was leaving, one north-bound train (from Tokyo) arrived, and the passengers alighting in business attire was similar to an evening commute scene.
-- A few of the JR services in the Kanto area, including my local Musashino Line, have reopened on a limited basis, but are also running on delays. I presume there are no rapid services being offered here either. The Shinkansen is completely stopped, and only the Echigo line is operating in the Shinetsu (roughly Niigata) area.
http://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/train_info/e/kanto.aspx
-- Life supermarket and Matsumoto Kiyoshi are open for business again, and Life was quite busy this morning. There are understandable shortages of some products-- meat and produce-- due to delivery delays.
Only in Japan would you find signs apologizing because the bananas featured in the advertisement were not available due to the earthquake... the taped announcement from the store manager, which normally plays in the produce department advertising the various fresh products, was a combination of a couple of promotions and a lot of apologizing for the inconvenience of not having all their normal stock.
The aftershocks continued throughout, each one no doubt bringing fear of the next Big One to the residents of eastern Japan. Indeed, in one of the largest metropolis areas in the world, I could look out and see lights ablaze in area homes at midnight, the mostly elderly and university-age inhabitants captivated by the images being broadcast by NHK, TBS, and every other Japan-based television network. Facebook, Twitter, and other social network users were given multilingual running updates from area-based friends. A 4am 6.6 quake in Nagano and Niigata, an earthquake alarm-triggering 5 point here, tore me from my futon and into my pre-laid clothes in a hurry. Sitting in anticipation, I navigated to Facebook to find that a number of my Kanto region-based friends had also virtually gathered and were posting the same news. 4 in the morning!
In the 25 minutes I have written this blog, we have had 3 aftershocks where shaking has been apparent. The most recent registered as a 3 point in Chiba.
Tonight there are rolling blackouts predicted for the Tokyo area, so naturally it is prudent to prepare to sit in the dark and to stay a bit warmer. While spring is showing signs of appearing, and the daytime temperatures are rising, the nights are still cool, around freezing.
As the morning-after images of demolished homes ccome in from Iwate and Miyagi, one can easily see the light snowfall. The survivors stand clad in whatever winter clothing they were able to take quickly, surveying the complete demolition.
Kita Koshigaya dwellers are visibly fatigued but endeavoring to push on as much as possible. Bicycle helmet-wearing children accompanied their mothers to the supermarket, where shoppers stocked up on bottled water/sports drinks, dried foods, and boxed lunches. The registers were double manned to process the growing number of customers, and the usual 1 store manager on site was tripled to 3-- two were running registers and the third was walking around appearing quite frenzied as he took note of supplies which needed restocking if possible.
As of 12.20pm, here is the report from my area:
-- The Tobu line (an extension of the Tokyo Hibiya Subway Line) is running at approximately 20-minute intervals, but there is no definite timetable and this is subject to cancelation at any time while technicians continue to inspect for damage. There are only local services being run today-- no express or special trains. Based on the number of people I saw in a short time who read the signboards (which normally display train departure times), walked to the ticket office, talked to the conductor, then walked away from the ticket gates, they may be informally advising people not to travel into the city unless absolutely necessary. In fact, I saw a number of passengers alighting from the right side (from Tokyo) dressed in business attire, looking quite exhausted. Departure times are not being posted.
http://www.tobu.co.jp/
The Tobu line has reopened, but only local services are running at approximate intervals which are subject to change at any time as technicians continue to inspect train lines for damage. This station is usually quite lively at 11am on a Saturday with passengers entering through the ticket gates. As I was leaving, one north-bound train (from Tokyo) arrived, and the passengers alighting in business attire was similar to an evening commute scene.
-- A few of the JR services in the Kanto area, including my local Musashino Line, have reopened on a limited basis, but are also running on delays. I presume there are no rapid services being offered here either. The Shinkansen is completely stopped, and only the Echigo line is operating in the Shinetsu (roughly Niigata) area.
http://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/train_info/e/kanto.aspx
-- Life supermarket and Matsumoto Kiyoshi are open for business again, and Life was quite busy this morning. There are understandable shortages of some products-- meat and produce-- due to delivery delays.
Only in Japan would you find signs apologizing because the bananas featured in the advertisement were not available due to the earthquake... the taped announcement from the store manager, which normally plays in the produce department advertising the various fresh products, was a combination of a couple of promotions and a lot of apologizing for the inconvenience of not having all their normal stock.
Friday, 11 March 2011
The Day the Earth Moved
Today at 14.46 it wasn't a person, but rather a natural disaster which made the earth move under my feet, and set my heart trembling.
As with big events, the usual question arises, "Where were you?" Well... I was with my co-worker at the Saizeriya for our Friday, just tucking into my spinach gratin, when the building started shaking as though we were on a boat. We set down our silverware and waited for the shaking to pass, but then the shock wave that suddenly hit prompted a woman's scream, a couple of plates to hit the floor in the kitchen, and a swift relocation under the table. As 3 elderly women started screaming and running toward the door, I shouted over the noise, 'Don't run!' 'Don't run!' as I was afraid their reaction would create a panic and stampede in the partially occupied restaurant, almost certainly leading to someone getting hurt.
During the 4 or 5 minutes we spent under the table on the floor-turned-waterbed, I mentally assessed our position. We were about 10 meters from the main restaurant door, about 10 meters from the kitchen entrance, and 25 meters from the toilets. Outside didn't seem like the best place as I watched the numerous power lines swaying precariously above the roadway. The kitchen was definitely out as it was the falling plates that led to our choosing to sit under the table. And while the toilet is usually a safe place in the house, it was far from the main restaurant exit, in the back of the restaurant.
It was interesting to see the restaurant patrons' collection reaction when the shaking stopped-- the next sound was zippers, as people opened their bags to extract mobile phones to investigate the source and magnitude of the quake.
As we crawled out from under the table and resumed our lunch, we continued to feel aftershocks. The first aftershock was fairly strong, and the all-too-recent memory of the initial quake sent a few people to the floor in anticipation of a return to the shelter of the tables. While I didn't go to the floor, I set down my silverware and waited, as did most of the customers. A funny and shocking scene-- behind us, the businessman continued spooning soup into his mouth, reading his work papers, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
My co-worker's first concern was getting in touch with her 85-year-old mother and her husband, to make sure both were okay.
The few kids who turned up today for English class were worried, scared, and excited. In between reports of someone getting a bloody nose in class, getting to have lunch with the ALT, and not having any homework for math class came the real truths-- scrambling under desks when the quake hit, wondering if Dad was okay and could he get home from the office in downtown Tokyo, and was the tsunami going to hit Saitama. Indeed, as a couple of strong aftershocks prompted us to send the kids under the tables, the fear of disaster striking was quite apparent, especially in the little ones.
Life in my area is continuing on as normally as possible, with a few exceptions. Businesses with automatic doors have set them to manual open for safety purposes, in spite of the late winter chill. My local supermarket and pharmacy have shut for the day, and there are other small establishments which have closed under the circumstances. Train services have been completely stopped in East Japan, so the station, which normally should have been crowded with commuters, was eerily silent at 6.30pm. Convenience stores have a larger-than-normal flow of purchasing supplies, and the station restaurants still open serving up dishes to the people waiting to get home.
Yet the feeling of impending doom still pervades. Each of the countless aftershocks brings fear that the Big One is not far behind. It's hard not to wonder if it's safe to go to sleep, and did I purchase enough supplies to get through a couple of days if necessary, and are my valuables really in a safe place to retrieve should I need to leave quickly. Do I know where the nearest emergency gathering point is, and do I have the right stuff to take.
Information is a vital piece of disaster management. Listening to NHK, I am thankful that I can understand the Japanese language broadcast for the most part, and can piece together what's happening. Although it is easy to fall into the trap of assuming English holds a linguistic presence in a given country, the most comprehensive and vital information could be contained in the local language. So, my message to fellow expatriates living in countries where a language besides English is spoken... as Denzel Washington tells Ethan Hawke about Spanish, "learn that shit."
The gates at Kita Koshigaya Station should normally have a large continuous wave of people coming off the trains from Tokyo, but tonight sit (almost eerily) silent.
The shuttered ticket machines and people staring at the closed entrance, wondering how to get home.
Hand-written notice at the station ticket window. For those who don't read Japanese, this basically says that train service has stopped due to the earthquake, and the JR line (2 stations up) is also shut. They apologize for the inconvenience caused.
In spite of the late winter night chill, businesses with automatic doors have opened them manually for safety purposes. Two signs on the door advertise this fact. Opening the in the event of an earthquake, if possible, helps assure that an escape route is preserved.
The Family Mart next door, also with its doors opened. Although the station convenience store is usually a busy place, tonight was particularly busy with people purchasing supplies in case.
As with big events, the usual question arises, "Where were you?" Well... I was with my co-worker at the Saizeriya for our Friday, just tucking into my spinach gratin, when the building started shaking as though we were on a boat. We set down our silverware and waited for the shaking to pass, but then the shock wave that suddenly hit prompted a woman's scream, a couple of plates to hit the floor in the kitchen, and a swift relocation under the table. As 3 elderly women started screaming and running toward the door, I shouted over the noise, 'Don't run!' 'Don't run!' as I was afraid their reaction would create a panic and stampede in the partially occupied restaurant, almost certainly leading to someone getting hurt.
During the 4 or 5 minutes we spent under the table on the floor-turned-waterbed, I mentally assessed our position. We were about 10 meters from the main restaurant door, about 10 meters from the kitchen entrance, and 25 meters from the toilets. Outside didn't seem like the best place as I watched the numerous power lines swaying precariously above the roadway. The kitchen was definitely out as it was the falling plates that led to our choosing to sit under the table. And while the toilet is usually a safe place in the house, it was far from the main restaurant exit, in the back of the restaurant.
It was interesting to see the restaurant patrons' collection reaction when the shaking stopped-- the next sound was zippers, as people opened their bags to extract mobile phones to investigate the source and magnitude of the quake.
As we crawled out from under the table and resumed our lunch, we continued to feel aftershocks. The first aftershock was fairly strong, and the all-too-recent memory of the initial quake sent a few people to the floor in anticipation of a return to the shelter of the tables. While I didn't go to the floor, I set down my silverware and waited, as did most of the customers. A funny and shocking scene-- behind us, the businessman continued spooning soup into his mouth, reading his work papers, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
My co-worker's first concern was getting in touch with her 85-year-old mother and her husband, to make sure both were okay.
The few kids who turned up today for English class were worried, scared, and excited. In between reports of someone getting a bloody nose in class, getting to have lunch with the ALT, and not having any homework for math class came the real truths-- scrambling under desks when the quake hit, wondering if Dad was okay and could he get home from the office in downtown Tokyo, and was the tsunami going to hit Saitama. Indeed, as a couple of strong aftershocks prompted us to send the kids under the tables, the fear of disaster striking was quite apparent, especially in the little ones.
Life in my area is continuing on as normally as possible, with a few exceptions. Businesses with automatic doors have set them to manual open for safety purposes, in spite of the late winter chill. My local supermarket and pharmacy have shut for the day, and there are other small establishments which have closed under the circumstances. Train services have been completely stopped in East Japan, so the station, which normally should have been crowded with commuters, was eerily silent at 6.30pm. Convenience stores have a larger-than-normal flow of purchasing supplies, and the station restaurants still open serving up dishes to the people waiting to get home.
Yet the feeling of impending doom still pervades. Each of the countless aftershocks brings fear that the Big One is not far behind. It's hard not to wonder if it's safe to go to sleep, and did I purchase enough supplies to get through a couple of days if necessary, and are my valuables really in a safe place to retrieve should I need to leave quickly. Do I know where the nearest emergency gathering point is, and do I have the right stuff to take.
Information is a vital piece of disaster management. Listening to NHK, I am thankful that I can understand the Japanese language broadcast for the most part, and can piece together what's happening. Although it is easy to fall into the trap of assuming English holds a linguistic presence in a given country, the most comprehensive and vital information could be contained in the local language. So, my message to fellow expatriates living in countries where a language besides English is spoken... as Denzel Washington tells Ethan Hawke about Spanish, "learn that shit."
The gates at Kita Koshigaya Station should normally have a large continuous wave of people coming off the trains from Tokyo, but tonight sit (almost eerily) silent.
The shuttered ticket machines and people staring at the closed entrance, wondering how to get home.
Hand-written notice at the station ticket window. For those who don't read Japanese, this basically says that train service has stopped due to the earthquake, and the JR line (2 stations up) is also shut. They apologize for the inconvenience caused.
In spite of the late winter night chill, businesses with automatic doors have opened them manually for safety purposes. Two signs on the door advertise this fact. Opening the in the event of an earthquake, if possible, helps assure that an escape route is preserved.
The Family Mart next door, also with its doors opened. Although the station convenience store is usually a busy place, tonight was particularly busy with people purchasing supplies in case.
Friday, 25 February 2011
Cut-Rate Luxury
Being an information junkie, I subscribe to a variety of newsletters on topics which interest me-- libraries, dive kit, travel... most of the time I at least open and skim through to find out what's going on, but other times I just hit delete as I don't have the time to read.
The recent newsletter e-mail from Dancer Fleet almost suffered the deletion fate, but I ended up opening and skimming out of lack of something better to do at the moment. Then the large banner advertising a 10-night expedition to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea at the end of March jumped out at me. More importantly, the special price of USD$1,000** per person landed me hook, line, and sinker.
** Well, okay. $1,000 for the liveabooard price. $125 for environment and port tax fees. $200 for Nitrox add-on (which I would do on an 8.5 day liveaboard). Roughly $100 to $150 voluntary crew gratuity. But still...
'Surely this has sold out already,' I thought to myself, 'but I'll send an e-mail to see what they have to say.' I got a reply that the last single female berth was currently pending sale to someone, but if they declined then I had a shot. The weekend consisted of eagerly checking on flights to price the entire journey, to see if the trip was even feasible.
On Monday I get the magic e-mail-- the spot is mine if I want it. Do I??? As the saying goes, does a bear poo in the woods? Here was the chance to dive a pristine location-- and unexplored territory at that-- on a luxury liveaboard, for 1/3 the normal price. A confirmation e-mail back, a link requesting me to fill out the travel form and to pay, and I'm in. Sweet.
Today I received a package from Dancer Fleet containing a receipt, 2 luggage tags, and a complimentary dive log. In reading the liveaboard description, here are some of what they call "signature" services (as taken directly from the brochure):
-- Morning hot beverage delivered to your cabin.
-- Sit-down dinner service
-- Plush terry cloth bathrobes
-- Evening turn-down service
-- Fresh/warm deck towels after every dive
-- Mid-week linen changes in cabin
-- 24-hour manned safety watch by crew
Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I'm the type of person who always enters contests but never wins anything, so to have the opportunity to do this is truly fantastic and lucky. I've been through quite a bit in the last few months, between getting horribly ill and tearing my ACL, so this is kind of a survival treat of sorts.
I have learned from these ordeals that life is about having experiences, and the memories will last much longer than the possessions will. DVD players wear out, cars get old, and clothing stretches or gets holes, but the memories and photographs are a lightweight item to be carried anywhere, and can't be confiscated by Customs on arrival.
But meanwhile... oh boy oh boy oh boy, I'm going to Papua New Guinea in luxury, at backpacker prices!!!
The recent newsletter e-mail from Dancer Fleet almost suffered the deletion fate, but I ended up opening and skimming out of lack of something better to do at the moment. Then the large banner advertising a 10-night expedition to Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea at the end of March jumped out at me. More importantly, the special price of USD$1,000** per person landed me hook, line, and sinker.
** Well, okay. $1,000 for the liveabooard price. $125 for environment and port tax fees. $200 for Nitrox add-on (which I would do on an 8.5 day liveaboard). Roughly $100 to $150 voluntary crew gratuity. But still...
'Surely this has sold out already,' I thought to myself, 'but I'll send an e-mail to see what they have to say.' I got a reply that the last single female berth was currently pending sale to someone, but if they declined then I had a shot. The weekend consisted of eagerly checking on flights to price the entire journey, to see if the trip was even feasible.
On Monday I get the magic e-mail-- the spot is mine if I want it. Do I??? As the saying goes, does a bear poo in the woods? Here was the chance to dive a pristine location-- and unexplored territory at that-- on a luxury liveaboard, for 1/3 the normal price. A confirmation e-mail back, a link requesting me to fill out the travel form and to pay, and I'm in. Sweet.
Today I received a package from Dancer Fleet containing a receipt, 2 luggage tags, and a complimentary dive log. In reading the liveaboard description, here are some of what they call "signature" services (as taken directly from the brochure):
-- Morning hot beverage delivered to your cabin.
-- Sit-down dinner service
-- Plush terry cloth bathrobes
-- Evening turn-down service
-- Fresh/warm deck towels after every dive
-- Mid-week linen changes in cabin
-- 24-hour manned safety watch by crew
Talk about a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I'm the type of person who always enters contests but never wins anything, so to have the opportunity to do this is truly fantastic and lucky. I've been through quite a bit in the last few months, between getting horribly ill and tearing my ACL, so this is kind of a survival treat of sorts.
I have learned from these ordeals that life is about having experiences, and the memories will last much longer than the possessions will. DVD players wear out, cars get old, and clothing stretches or gets holes, but the memories and photographs are a lightweight item to be carried anywhere, and can't be confiscated by Customs on arrival.
But meanwhile... oh boy oh boy oh boy, I'm going to Papua New Guinea in luxury, at backpacker prices!!!
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Odaiba -- Tokyo's Past, Present, and Future
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow stops the post office from delivering the mail, and in this case none of the above stopped this intrepid traveler from making a planned excursion to Odaiba, Tokyo's historical yet futuristic artificial island located in Tokyo Bay across from Central Tokyo.
Yesterday, really for the first time in 3 months, the lower elevations of the Kanto region saw winter-like conditions-- snow, wind, and overcast skies. Whilst snow has fallen twice this winter in Southern Saitama before yesterday, it has been that type of wet snow which yields to clear skies by lunchtime. However, this 'storm' has lasted two days, bringing snow, rain, and colder temperatures. Indeed, I set out from my flat mid-morning into a very light snowfall. In preparation for using my camera outside, though, I decided to utilize my underwater housing not only to avoid water damage but also so snapping photographs wouldn't require continually removing and replacing my thick winter gloves. Underwater housings are constructed with neoprene glove-wearers in mind, so the shutter button is controlled by a lever, and the setting buttons are large and easily pushed. Something tells me that Ikelite didn't plan for this kind of use when they were developing scuba diving-friendly housings!
Odaiba is well known for its futuristic-styled buildings and unmanned monorail transportation system, but there is also historical significance to the artificial island. Built as a series of manmade island forts for defensive purposes during the Edo period (1603-1868), the islands were eventually joined by landfill projects to produce today's existing area. As many people may know, Japan experienced great economic growth in the 1980s, during which great plans for developing Odaiba into a futuristic residential and business district. However, these plans were shelved following the burst of the bubble economy in the early 1990s, and the existing developments did not take until the late 1990s, when a few hotels, shopping malls, and the monorail system opened.
Walking around other areas of Tokyo can seem a bit schizophrenic, as newer neighborhoods planned for pedestrian and motorized traffic co-exist with the older pedestrian and horse carriage areas. The recent development means modern-day city planning measures have been put in place, resulting in a pleasant area for a stroll with ample pedestrian walkways/flyovers, green park areas, and readily-accessible public transportation.
(Map from Japan Guide)
Odaiba is quite large, so taking in all the sights would undoubtedly be a long, exhausting day, even in good weather. My chosen route for the day was as follows:
Shinbashi-- Alighted from the JR Yamanote line and transfered to the yurikamome monorail, which gave me some great views of Tokyo Bay, plus I got to experience the interesting curlyque structure of Rainbow Bridge.
My first stop was Odaiba Kaihinkoen, which is a beach complete with sand, boardwalk, and restaurants. As it is the middle of winter, I had the boardwalk to myself for most of my stroll.
A view of Rainbow Bridge and Central Tokyo.
The beach area at Odaiba Kaihinkoen.
Odaiba Kaihinkoen has a nice boardwalk, which stretches quite far and is ideal for a traffic sounds-free stroll in Tokyo.
This is the Fuji TV headquarters-- the golden ball is an observation deck, and Aqua City Odaiba, a shopping mall. You can take tours of Fuju HQ, but I saw the hoardes of people and the ubitquious staff with plastic megaphones making endless (some being the pointless type unique to Japan) announcements, and steered clear of the self-guided tour option due to a combination of having a low frustration tolerance and the foresight of 4 years' experience dealing with local crowds in public places.
You can see some quite large anchors off the boardwalk, and there is also a Maritime Museum which is supposed to be good for the sea-oriented visitors.
Did I take a wrong turn? Nope, there's a Statue of Liberty at Odaiba too.
The Statue of Liberty, Rainbow Bridge, and Central Tokyo.
Hotel Nikko Odaiba, a seaside accommodation.
This is the great staircase leading up to Fuji TV headquarters.
The Telecom Center. It was refreshing to see buildings in a shape/color other than institutional white/grey.
I strolled to the Venus Fort shopping mall as I heard about the European-looking architecture inside, and sure enough I thought I had accidentally took another wrong turn and ended up at the Villaggio in Doha (but there's no canal in this one).
There's a Church Plaza...
European-looking pathways, complete with painted sky...
And even a Fountain Plaza.
Finally, the Venus Fort is near the Toyota Mega Web, which is a huge PR endeavor on Toyota's part. The Mega Web has a large showroom with the latest domestic car models-- which you can take photographs of and even climb in and out of freely (including the Lexus models, the most expensive being almost Y10 million, or roughly USD$120,000!), car accessories, and future technologies being developed. There is also a test driving track, but you've got to have a Japanese driving license. In a nod to the past, Toyota has its History Garage, a pretty cool car museum with old Japanese and foreign cars, and the Universal Design Showcase to introduce and explain the evolution of automobile universal design features such as gauge location, steering wheel accessory buttons, steering column adjustment/design, back bumper sensors, and internal car sounds (seat belts, turn signals etc.).
Inside the History Garage...
Yep, that's a Delorean.
The model showroom, split by vehicle type (SUV, sedan, compacts etc.)
The Lexus wing, which has its own security staff..
And the Universal Design Showcase.
There are lots of other attractions at Odaiba, including the Oedo Onsen, the National Science Museum, the Future Museum, the Panasonic Center (Panasonic's PR venture, which, from description, sounds quite similar to Sony's center at Ginza), and Tokyo Big Site. Odaiba is definitely a must-see for tourists and residents alike, as the spacious layout lends itself nicely to maintaining one's space and finding some peace in a crowded city (country, for that matter), and tourists can see that not all of Tokyo is drab grey buildings, traffic congestion, and power lines.
Yesterday, really for the first time in 3 months, the lower elevations of the Kanto region saw winter-like conditions-- snow, wind, and overcast skies. Whilst snow has fallen twice this winter in Southern Saitama before yesterday, it has been that type of wet snow which yields to clear skies by lunchtime. However, this 'storm' has lasted two days, bringing snow, rain, and colder temperatures. Indeed, I set out from my flat mid-morning into a very light snowfall. In preparation for using my camera outside, though, I decided to utilize my underwater housing not only to avoid water damage but also so snapping photographs wouldn't require continually removing and replacing my thick winter gloves. Underwater housings are constructed with neoprene glove-wearers in mind, so the shutter button is controlled by a lever, and the setting buttons are large and easily pushed. Something tells me that Ikelite didn't plan for this kind of use when they were developing scuba diving-friendly housings!
Odaiba is well known for its futuristic-styled buildings and unmanned monorail transportation system, but there is also historical significance to the artificial island. Built as a series of manmade island forts for defensive purposes during the Edo period (1603-1868), the islands were eventually joined by landfill projects to produce today's existing area. As many people may know, Japan experienced great economic growth in the 1980s, during which great plans for developing Odaiba into a futuristic residential and business district. However, these plans were shelved following the burst of the bubble economy in the early 1990s, and the existing developments did not take until the late 1990s, when a few hotels, shopping malls, and the monorail system opened.
Walking around other areas of Tokyo can seem a bit schizophrenic, as newer neighborhoods planned for pedestrian and motorized traffic co-exist with the older pedestrian and horse carriage areas. The recent development means modern-day city planning measures have been put in place, resulting in a pleasant area for a stroll with ample pedestrian walkways/flyovers, green park areas, and readily-accessible public transportation.
(Map from Japan Guide)
Odaiba is quite large, so taking in all the sights would undoubtedly be a long, exhausting day, even in good weather. My chosen route for the day was as follows:
Shinbashi-- Alighted from the JR Yamanote line and transfered to the yurikamome monorail, which gave me some great views of Tokyo Bay, plus I got to experience the interesting curlyque structure of Rainbow Bridge.
My first stop was Odaiba Kaihinkoen, which is a beach complete with sand, boardwalk, and restaurants. As it is the middle of winter, I had the boardwalk to myself for most of my stroll.
A view of Rainbow Bridge and Central Tokyo.
The beach area at Odaiba Kaihinkoen.
Odaiba Kaihinkoen has a nice boardwalk, which stretches quite far and is ideal for a traffic sounds-free stroll in Tokyo.
This is the Fuji TV headquarters-- the golden ball is an observation deck, and Aqua City Odaiba, a shopping mall. You can take tours of Fuju HQ, but I saw the hoardes of people and the ubitquious staff with plastic megaphones making endless (some being the pointless type unique to Japan) announcements, and steered clear of the self-guided tour option due to a combination of having a low frustration tolerance and the foresight of 4 years' experience dealing with local crowds in public places.
You can see some quite large anchors off the boardwalk, and there is also a Maritime Museum which is supposed to be good for the sea-oriented visitors.
Did I take a wrong turn? Nope, there's a Statue of Liberty at Odaiba too.
The Statue of Liberty, Rainbow Bridge, and Central Tokyo.
Hotel Nikko Odaiba, a seaside accommodation.
This is the great staircase leading up to Fuji TV headquarters.
The Telecom Center. It was refreshing to see buildings in a shape/color other than institutional white/grey.
I strolled to the Venus Fort shopping mall as I heard about the European-looking architecture inside, and sure enough I thought I had accidentally took another wrong turn and ended up at the Villaggio in Doha (but there's no canal in this one).
There's a Church Plaza...
European-looking pathways, complete with painted sky...
And even a Fountain Plaza.
Finally, the Venus Fort is near the Toyota Mega Web, which is a huge PR endeavor on Toyota's part. The Mega Web has a large showroom with the latest domestic car models-- which you can take photographs of and even climb in and out of freely (including the Lexus models, the most expensive being almost Y10 million, or roughly USD$120,000!), car accessories, and future technologies being developed. There is also a test driving track, but you've got to have a Japanese driving license. In a nod to the past, Toyota has its History Garage, a pretty cool car museum with old Japanese and foreign cars, and the Universal Design Showcase to introduce and explain the evolution of automobile universal design features such as gauge location, steering wheel accessory buttons, steering column adjustment/design, back bumper sensors, and internal car sounds (seat belts, turn signals etc.).
Inside the History Garage...
Yep, that's a Delorean.
The model showroom, split by vehicle type (SUV, sedan, compacts etc.)
The Lexus wing, which has its own security staff..
And the Universal Design Showcase.
There are lots of other attractions at Odaiba, including the Oedo Onsen, the National Science Museum, the Future Museum, the Panasonic Center (Panasonic's PR venture, which, from description, sounds quite similar to Sony's center at Ginza), and Tokyo Big Site. Odaiba is definitely a must-see for tourists and residents alike, as the spacious layout lends itself nicely to maintaining one's space and finding some peace in a crowded city (country, for that matter), and tourists can see that not all of Tokyo is drab grey buildings, traffic congestion, and power lines.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Leaving Japan : 5 Things I Will Miss
As the school / business year ends in Japan, so, too, will my work contract. After long and careful thought, I have decided not to renew, and to move on from Japan to another adventure. Thinking back over my 'returnee' experience, I have to say it's interesting how one's perspective of a place changes over time. When I first arrived in 2003, with no Japanese ability, I was swept away by the experience of living in a non-Western society, with the instantaneous shift from being a cultural majority to a minority presenting a number of settling-in and everyday living issues. However, as I conquered various obstacles, and reveled in being in such an electronically 'advanced' nation. After 3 years, I was tired of the English entertain... teaching gig, but still found it difficult to leave my small community and the life I had discovered.
But after living in the Gulf, where going to another State or even Europe/Asia for business or pleasure are almost routine procedures, I have found myself feeling quite isolated in Japan. Although I live outside one of the largest cities in the world, where one might expect to find extensive internationalization, my experience has been that 'international' travel is quite commonly an organized 5-day package tour junket to Guam, Hawaii, Bali, or China. The 'advanced electronic' society, I have come to realize, is, indeed, advanced-- for internal services. Take mobile telephones, for instance. In Japan, you can choose a mobile phone that has features such as TV reception, high-speed wifi Internet, a multi-megapixel camera, high-def video, and the Hello Kitty wallpaper pack. However, you cannot pick up that same mobile telephone and use it to send a regular SMS text message to a friend living in another country. That is because, get this, mobile phones in Japan have e-mail addresses. Yes, e-mail addresses, such as one you would sign up for at Gmail or Hotmail. Not very realistic.
While living in another country, it is often easy to fall into the trap of focusing on negative or not-so-desirable traits of the local culture/system. Every country, though, has its good and bad points, and ensuring a good experience means remembering the good whilst accepting the bad without trivializing minor points until they become a well-rehearsed mantra.
And so, with approximately 6 weeks left to go until the big metal bird leaves from Narita (or Haneda, or Osaka... I don't know which yet) with me on it, here are 5 things I will miss about living in Japan, and about the Kanto area.
1. The ease of healthy eating
Sure, Japan has its share of Western fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King, as well as Japanese-style fast-food chains such as Yoshinoya or Sukiya, but how about cooking at home? When I visit my local supermarket, the 'outer edge' areas-- produce, seafood, fish, dairy, bakery-- are quite large, while the processed and tinned goods are minimal. The produce area is chockers with international vegetable choices such as peppers, lettuce, and fruits, but there are also a lot of local products such as daikon (white radish), renkon (lotus root), gobo (burdock), and bean sprouts. Yes, it's true that Y200 apples and Y800 mangos do exist, as do Y30,000 mushrooms, but a lot of the vegetables are quite cheap and easy to prepare. Indeed, there are a number of staple Japanese dishes which only require vegetables, and *could* have tofu or meat if one chooses to add. My favorite vegetable dish is called chikuzenni. This is a combination of daikon, renkon, carrot, squash (if you want), gobo, konnyaku, and maybe chicken or tofu, simmered in a broth of minimal water, soy sauce, sake, and a tiny bit of sugar.
Indeed, it is incredibly easy and cost-effective to eat healthy here, if one avoids the takeaway shops which are filled with fried foods.
2. Transportation system
Living outside Tokyo, naturally the transportation system is linked rather seamlessly with the city subway system, and can be easily traversed with an electronic fare card. At first, the Tokyo Metro System looks like a nightmare, but becomes much easier as you go.
3. Internal payment/delivery services
Japan has an impressive system for domestic goods delivery. The generic term is takkyubin, which translates as 'home delivery', but is carried out by a couple of major companies-- Kuroneko ("black cat", and the logo is a momma cat carrying a baby cat), and Sagawa. Just about anything can be shipped through takkyubin-- frozen/chilled goods, sports equipment, gifts, documents, luggage-- and rates are dependent on type of good and delivery region. If I am traveling in Japan and will have large luggage such as a dive bag, I can, for instance, go to my local convenience store with the bag (or phone for pickup), fill out a form, and the delivery company will pick up my bag, deliver it to my destination hotel, and then collect the bag for return to my apartment. On request, they will even deliver the bag on a certain day and time (as long as it satisfies the transit time requirement). Because this is a time-conscientious society, if I request, say, Friday evening from 7-9pm, the bag WILL arrive on Friday between 7-9pm baring typhoons or other circumstances beyond anyone's control.
Internal payment. When my electricity/water/gas bills arrive, I simply walk to my nearest convenience store, hand the bill to the cashier, and pay on the spot. I can even use a payment ticket machine to buy sports/event tickets, pay for ANA flights, pay for an Amazon order, or a number of other services. You receive a receipt which goes to the cashier, who takes the cash, scans, stamps, and it's done. There is no worrying whether the payment will be received on time or not-- it WILL.
4. Places to see, things to do: from the snow to the sea
Okay, high cost of traveling in Japan aside, I live in decent proximity to a lot of Honshu. The Japan Alps, which boast some fantastic winter sports opportunities, are only an hour to an hour and a half away by Shinkansen. I was looking forward to experiencing a lot more of the Japan Alps this year, but unfortunately tearing my ACL ended my skiing for the season.
On the other hand, there are a number of great islands south of Tokyo in the Izu-Chain. Last summer, during diving season, I got to go to two : Oshima and Shikinejima. The fall is a good time to travel as the humidity has gone away, but I got sick right during prime time so was unable to dive.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Japan is made up of relatively crowded islands, and there simply isn't room for the landfills found in other countries such as the US. The answer-- recycling. In Japan, it seems that everything possible is recycled, from cans to newspapers to broken electronics. Unlike other countries, though, where environmentally-conscience people have to make a great effort to recycle, the act has become part of everyday life. Bins in public areas are often separated, such as these, and, yes, people DO separate their trash appropriately. Even home rubbish collection is recycle-based, where calendars and charts are circulated by the individual municipalities advertising the days and methods for putting out burnable trash, non-burnable trash (broken umbrellas etc.), cans, PET bottles, 'dangerous' trash (broken glasses, aerosol cans, razor blades, old kitchen knives smaller than 50cm etc.), old clothing, and newspaper/boxes. The disposal trucks pick up these items, and the fees are paid with your regular water/sewage. Large items such as TVs, bicycles, furniture are collected for a fee either by the municipality (you call and reserve, then get a ticket from the convenience store) or by recycling trucks-- private people who collect your items, charge you a nominal fee, then make a bit more when they sell to the recycling plant. Milk/juice cartons and white meat trays can be washed and put in dedicated bins at supermarkets.
I stayed for 2 years in Qatar, where copious amounts of bottled water and soda are consumed but there is no system for recycling. Having lived in Japan for 3 years prior to that, I felt incredibly self-conscientious and wasteful tossing these items dismissively in with the regular trash. With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, and thinking of the amount of trash that will be generated in such a small country, I hope that for the country's sake, and in considering the environment, that there are plans to build a recycling plant and to start taking care of these items.
But after living in the Gulf, where going to another State or even Europe/Asia for business or pleasure are almost routine procedures, I have found myself feeling quite isolated in Japan. Although I live outside one of the largest cities in the world, where one might expect to find extensive internationalization, my experience has been that 'international' travel is quite commonly an organized 5-day package tour junket to Guam, Hawaii, Bali, or China. The 'advanced electronic' society, I have come to realize, is, indeed, advanced-- for internal services. Take mobile telephones, for instance. In Japan, you can choose a mobile phone that has features such as TV reception, high-speed wifi Internet, a multi-megapixel camera, high-def video, and the Hello Kitty wallpaper pack. However, you cannot pick up that same mobile telephone and use it to send a regular SMS text message to a friend living in another country. That is because, get this, mobile phones in Japan have e-mail addresses. Yes, e-mail addresses, such as one you would sign up for at Gmail or Hotmail. Not very realistic.
While living in another country, it is often easy to fall into the trap of focusing on negative or not-so-desirable traits of the local culture/system. Every country, though, has its good and bad points, and ensuring a good experience means remembering the good whilst accepting the bad without trivializing minor points until they become a well-rehearsed mantra.
And so, with approximately 6 weeks left to go until the big metal bird leaves from Narita (or Haneda, or Osaka... I don't know which yet) with me on it, here are 5 things I will miss about living in Japan, and about the Kanto area.
1. The ease of healthy eating
Sure, Japan has its share of Western fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King, as well as Japanese-style fast-food chains such as Yoshinoya or Sukiya, but how about cooking at home? When I visit my local supermarket, the 'outer edge' areas-- produce, seafood, fish, dairy, bakery-- are quite large, while the processed and tinned goods are minimal. The produce area is chockers with international vegetable choices such as peppers, lettuce, and fruits, but there are also a lot of local products such as daikon (white radish), renkon (lotus root), gobo (burdock), and bean sprouts. Yes, it's true that Y200 apples and Y800 mangos do exist, as do Y30,000 mushrooms, but a lot of the vegetables are quite cheap and easy to prepare. Indeed, there are a number of staple Japanese dishes which only require vegetables, and *could* have tofu or meat if one chooses to add. My favorite vegetable dish is called chikuzenni. This is a combination of daikon, renkon, carrot, squash (if you want), gobo, konnyaku, and maybe chicken or tofu, simmered in a broth of minimal water, soy sauce, sake, and a tiny bit of sugar.
Indeed, it is incredibly easy and cost-effective to eat healthy here, if one avoids the takeaway shops which are filled with fried foods.
2. Transportation system
Living outside Tokyo, naturally the transportation system is linked rather seamlessly with the city subway system, and can be easily traversed with an electronic fare card. At first, the Tokyo Metro System looks like a nightmare, but becomes much easier as you go.
3. Internal payment/delivery services
Japan has an impressive system for domestic goods delivery. The generic term is takkyubin, which translates as 'home delivery', but is carried out by a couple of major companies-- Kuroneko ("black cat", and the logo is a momma cat carrying a baby cat), and Sagawa. Just about anything can be shipped through takkyubin-- frozen/chilled goods, sports equipment, gifts, documents, luggage-- and rates are dependent on type of good and delivery region. If I am traveling in Japan and will have large luggage such as a dive bag, I can, for instance, go to my local convenience store with the bag (or phone for pickup), fill out a form, and the delivery company will pick up my bag, deliver it to my destination hotel, and then collect the bag for return to my apartment. On request, they will even deliver the bag on a certain day and time (as long as it satisfies the transit time requirement). Because this is a time-conscientious society, if I request, say, Friday evening from 7-9pm, the bag WILL arrive on Friday between 7-9pm baring typhoons or other circumstances beyond anyone's control.
Internal payment. When my electricity/water/gas bills arrive, I simply walk to my nearest convenience store, hand the bill to the cashier, and pay on the spot. I can even use a payment ticket machine to buy sports/event tickets, pay for ANA flights, pay for an Amazon order, or a number of other services. You receive a receipt which goes to the cashier, who takes the cash, scans, stamps, and it's done. There is no worrying whether the payment will be received on time or not-- it WILL.
4. Places to see, things to do: from the snow to the sea
Okay, high cost of traveling in Japan aside, I live in decent proximity to a lot of Honshu. The Japan Alps, which boast some fantastic winter sports opportunities, are only an hour to an hour and a half away by Shinkansen. I was looking forward to experiencing a lot more of the Japan Alps this year, but unfortunately tearing my ACL ended my skiing for the season.
On the other hand, there are a number of great islands south of Tokyo in the Izu-Chain. Last summer, during diving season, I got to go to two : Oshima and Shikinejima. The fall is a good time to travel as the humidity has gone away, but I got sick right during prime time so was unable to dive.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Japan is made up of relatively crowded islands, and there simply isn't room for the landfills found in other countries such as the US. The answer-- recycling. In Japan, it seems that everything possible is recycled, from cans to newspapers to broken electronics. Unlike other countries, though, where environmentally-conscience people have to make a great effort to recycle, the act has become part of everyday life. Bins in public areas are often separated, such as these, and, yes, people DO separate their trash appropriately. Even home rubbish collection is recycle-based, where calendars and charts are circulated by the individual municipalities advertising the days and methods for putting out burnable trash, non-burnable trash (broken umbrellas etc.), cans, PET bottles, 'dangerous' trash (broken glasses, aerosol cans, razor blades, old kitchen knives smaller than 50cm etc.), old clothing, and newspaper/boxes. The disposal trucks pick up these items, and the fees are paid with your regular water/sewage. Large items such as TVs, bicycles, furniture are collected for a fee either by the municipality (you call and reserve, then get a ticket from the convenience store) or by recycling trucks-- private people who collect your items, charge you a nominal fee, then make a bit more when they sell to the recycling plant. Milk/juice cartons and white meat trays can be washed and put in dedicated bins at supermarkets.
I stayed for 2 years in Qatar, where copious amounts of bottled water and soda are consumed but there is no system for recycling. Having lived in Japan for 3 years prior to that, I felt incredibly self-conscientious and wasteful tossing these items dismissively in with the regular trash. With Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup, and thinking of the amount of trash that will be generated in such a small country, I hope that for the country's sake, and in considering the environment, that there are plans to build a recycling plant and to start taking care of these items.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Sanno Hospital and an ode to living
First and foremost, I want to give a thousand praises to the staff at Sanno Hospital in Tokyo, where I have now visited for two separate medical cases and received superior medical care. With this being my 4th year of residence in Japan, regular conversation and day-to-day tasks present very few communication barriers thanks to a LOT of independent study and continual effort. However, being sick or injured is a stressful experience in itself, and trying to communicate one's medical issues in a foreign language or understand specialized medical language can be daunting at the best of times. An acquaintance recommended Sanno Hospital, as her company has a lot of expatriate workers and this is where they are recommended to visit for their health care requirements because the hospital takes national health insurance and there are a number of English-speaking staff. From the moment I walked in the door, I was introduced to the Ritz Carlton of hospitals, and will no doubt find it difficult to go to a "regular" hospital again. (^^)
As an update to my life, I've been very sick once, last fall, and I was injured while skiing last month. Here are the gory details:
In late October I developed a severe lymph node infection in my neck, and my lymph node became red and swelled almost to the size of a golf ball. I went to a local clinic to see an internal medicine doctor, who proceeded to speak to me in rapid and difficult Japanese. He started using words such as 'cancer' (without having even taken a blood sample!) and 'hospital stay' without having even given a physical examination. Needless to say, I was very put off and required a bit more TLC in a second opinion.
As soon as I walked in the door that Saturday morning, I wondered if I had wandered into a hotel lobby-- the decor includes stuffed chairs (even in the waiting areas!), soft lighting, a grand piano, and numerous plants. No loudspeaker announcements or people running about madly. When I filled out my registration form and handed it in, the head nurse on duty saw my neck and wasn't sure if I shouldn't instead go to the dermatologist. She came to speak to me, bringing a very polite interpreter along so that we could all understand one another-- although I could understand her Japanese with no problems as she spoke TO me without being patronizing or using a lot of medical terminology. As dermatology requires appointments on Saturdays, she immediately made me an appointment to be attended after I had seen the internal medicine doctor.
The internal medicine doctor, as it turns out, lived in Wisconsin, in the US, for 15 years. In fact, she had travelled throughout the US and had a homestay family near where I grew up. She agreed with the head nurse's assessment that I would need to go to dermatology because, as she said, dermatology deals more with the neck area and there are a lot of important things there. I was sent for lab work and a CT scan to determine what the mass was made of, and then on to dermatology.
As it turns out, I had a white blood count of 7.3. Normal is 1-4, and had I been at 10 I would have been immediately hospitalized as that indicates a raging infection. The dermatologist assessed the CT scan, and before her 2 other doctors had assessed the scan and they all agreed that the lump could be drained and exactly where the cut could be made. The dermatologist echoed my other doctor's observation that "the neck has a lot of important things", so I didn't mind that they were being cautious and thorough in their work.
Draining was a minor surgical procedure for which I received local anaesthetic, but I've never experienced pain that intense in my life. The draining involved pressing on the incision to catch the fluids which had built up, and with the first pressing I could actually **hear** the wound draining. I have to say the dermatologist and the nurse were quite shocked, as was I when she showed me the first set of gauze used. 6 times she pressed, and after the 3rd time I was hoping the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I literally shook for 10 minutes after she had finished from shock. I was cleaned and dressed, given antibiotics, and instructed to visit again on Monday for follow-up care.
Monday brought a second surgical incision and more draining (which only hurt a little bit), along with IV antibiotics and having my wound packed with gauze. Because the wound hadn't been packed on Saturday, more infection had gathered. However, she hadn't wanted to pack on Saturday as the dressing needed daily changing and it would be almost 48 hours. Thus, I ended up going every day that entire week for cleaning care and IV antibiotics. But the drugs worked, finally, and a follow-up blood test revealed my white blood count had gone back to normal. I was released for at-home care to my incisions (cleaning and dressing)
Still, though, it took around 2 more weeks for the incision to heal enough that it didn't require covering. Which was a good thing, as I also developed contact dermatitis from the tape and gauze and had to deal with not scratching. In fact, I wondered if I shouldn't wear one of those lampshades they put on dogs at the vet to prevent them from scratching their faces when they've got facial lacerations etc.
I've got a bit of scarring on my neck, and there is some redness present still. But I'm cancer-free, and infection-free, and I can live with the scarring no problem.
So on to the exciting part-- my dramatic skiing accident.
I went skiing last month at Hakuba, where some of the Winter Olympic events were held in 1998. I was getting ready to turn, to bring my speed down, when somehow I caught my left ski. My leg was immobilized whilst my body continued to hurl forward. My leg straightened, then there was a big 'pop' in my left knee, followed by a dramatic somersaulting finish. When the 'pop' happened, I thought to myself, 'oh lordy, here we go...', as I flew through the air. I landed with my left ski vertical in the air (my boot hadn't popped out of the ski, which is kind of interesting actually), right ski strewn beneath me. I lay on my back and waited for the severe pain to start, which, thankfully, didn't. Apparently my crash was dramatic enough that another foreigner skiing stopped to ask if I was all right, and could I get up or did I need assistance. He was kind enough to side step up the mountain to retrieve my poles so I could use them to get up.
Having done research on knee injuries, I realized that a 'pop' often meant a torn ligament, but, miraculously, I had no pain and could put weight on my leg. Turning was out of the question, so I slid my way down to the rest house, around 50 meters down the hill. I took off my skis and went inside, and just sat for a bit with a bowl of ramen (it was around 1pm and I was about to stop for lunch anyway) and a coffee to warm up. There was a beginners run which led to the base, so I took my time and got myself down to the base and on the shuttle bus back to my accommodation.
I knew I needed a doctor, even though I could gimp along. I've sprained my knee before, but this was much different. I made it home from Nagano on a Monday, and returned to Sanno Hospital on Wednesday morning to see an orthopedics doctor. She was in immediate agreement that ACL damage was a highly suspect result of the 'pop', and sent me to x-ray to confirm that I hadn't broken any bones. Everything was intact, so I was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday afternoon-- there is only 1 machine, and I wasn't a priority case, so this was literally the first open time slot available.
The MRI was an interesting experience. I had to remove all the metal objects from my body-- even a forgotten bobby pin can break this expensive, expensive machine-- and lay absolutely still for 30 minutes, or the image would be damaged and they would have to redo some or all of the work. Even with the headphones on, I could hear the various noises of the machine as it did its work. Image processing took 2-3 days (again, I wasn't a priority case so join the queue no problem), and I was back the next Wednesday for the result.
The image was really, really cool! It's a 3D picture that the doctor can turn left, right, up, down... she had a knee model and explained what I was seeing on the screen.
Sure enough, I have a torn ACL. Unlike other parts of the body, ACLs can't repair themselves, nor can they be repaired in most cases even with the advancement of medicine, so fixing the problem completely requires reconstructive surgery.
However, the doctor is not definitely recommending surgery in my case. I had a knee injury in high school which was diagnosed as a sprain, but no images were taken. So she isn't sure if all the damage is new, or if I have been functioning with some damage for over 10 years. There is no way to tell new damage from old from the MRI, or any other procedure (yes, I did ask but already suspected this). Also, right now, a major problem is that the muscles around my knee are stiff and weak. ACL reconstruction surgery rehabilitation is a long and tedious process, and definitely not for the weak at heart. So, at this point, to have surgery would mean that trying to complete the rehab with weakened muscles would complicate matters further. So I have been given at-home rehabilitation to do, and I also have a knee brace which I am wearing for support. Thus far the rehabilitation seems to be doing some good. Even after the first day I noticed a definite improvement in my walking, and I most certainly wasn't as stiff. However, if I start experiencing pain, or another bad pop, or have instability, then surgery becomes more of a requirement.
I'm quite lucky. I haven't had a lot of pain, and I do have to be careful not to overdo physical activity. I am slowly improving, and I know that recovery will take time. Staying positive is important in any illness or injury, and I am thankful that my accident wasn't worse. I could have easily broken my leg, requiring pins and plates, or landed wrong and ended up sitting for the rest of my life. I am walking, and will no doubt eventually regain more and more functionality. This may mean that I can't take part in contact sports such as rugby, but then again I hadn't joined the rugby squad before I got hurt and was getting on okay, so I can continue to do so. I am not sure if I can take part in kendo again due to the force placed on the left leg, and chances are arts such as judo or karate are out, but there are other things I CAN do. Bicycling is good as it isn't placing weight on my leg, and surely swimming will also be good, as will diving.
My friend once pointed out that mountain climbers and hikers have a saying, "The mountain will be there tomorrow. The question is, will you?" I sincerely hope to ski again someday, but I know that this season is over because the chances of reinjury are just too high still. On the other hand, since skiing is a high impact sport on knees, if this means that my days on the slopes are done, then I will accept this truth and get on with things. Meanwhile, though, I can count my blessings and prepare for the next adventure in my life : a working holiday in Australia. But more on that later!
As an update to my life, I've been very sick once, last fall, and I was injured while skiing last month. Here are the gory details:
In late October I developed a severe lymph node infection in my neck, and my lymph node became red and swelled almost to the size of a golf ball. I went to a local clinic to see an internal medicine doctor, who proceeded to speak to me in rapid and difficult Japanese. He started using words such as 'cancer' (without having even taken a blood sample!) and 'hospital stay' without having even given a physical examination. Needless to say, I was very put off and required a bit more TLC in a second opinion.
As soon as I walked in the door that Saturday morning, I wondered if I had wandered into a hotel lobby-- the decor includes stuffed chairs (even in the waiting areas!), soft lighting, a grand piano, and numerous plants. No loudspeaker announcements or people running about madly. When I filled out my registration form and handed it in, the head nurse on duty saw my neck and wasn't sure if I shouldn't instead go to the dermatologist. She came to speak to me, bringing a very polite interpreter along so that we could all understand one another-- although I could understand her Japanese with no problems as she spoke TO me without being patronizing or using a lot of medical terminology. As dermatology requires appointments on Saturdays, she immediately made me an appointment to be attended after I had seen the internal medicine doctor.
The internal medicine doctor, as it turns out, lived in Wisconsin, in the US, for 15 years. In fact, she had travelled throughout the US and had a homestay family near where I grew up. She agreed with the head nurse's assessment that I would need to go to dermatology because, as she said, dermatology deals more with the neck area and there are a lot of important things there. I was sent for lab work and a CT scan to determine what the mass was made of, and then on to dermatology.
As it turns out, I had a white blood count of 7.3. Normal is 1-4, and had I been at 10 I would have been immediately hospitalized as that indicates a raging infection. The dermatologist assessed the CT scan, and before her 2 other doctors had assessed the scan and they all agreed that the lump could be drained and exactly where the cut could be made. The dermatologist echoed my other doctor's observation that "the neck has a lot of important things", so I didn't mind that they were being cautious and thorough in their work.
Draining was a minor surgical procedure for which I received local anaesthetic, but I've never experienced pain that intense in my life. The draining involved pressing on the incision to catch the fluids which had built up, and with the first pressing I could actually **hear** the wound draining. I have to say the dermatologist and the nurse were quite shocked, as was I when she showed me the first set of gauze used. 6 times she pressed, and after the 3rd time I was hoping the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I literally shook for 10 minutes after she had finished from shock. I was cleaned and dressed, given antibiotics, and instructed to visit again on Monday for follow-up care.
Monday brought a second surgical incision and more draining (which only hurt a little bit), along with IV antibiotics and having my wound packed with gauze. Because the wound hadn't been packed on Saturday, more infection had gathered. However, she hadn't wanted to pack on Saturday as the dressing needed daily changing and it would be almost 48 hours. Thus, I ended up going every day that entire week for cleaning care and IV antibiotics. But the drugs worked, finally, and a follow-up blood test revealed my white blood count had gone back to normal. I was released for at-home care to my incisions (cleaning and dressing)
Still, though, it took around 2 more weeks for the incision to heal enough that it didn't require covering. Which was a good thing, as I also developed contact dermatitis from the tape and gauze and had to deal with not scratching. In fact, I wondered if I shouldn't wear one of those lampshades they put on dogs at the vet to prevent them from scratching their faces when they've got facial lacerations etc.
I've got a bit of scarring on my neck, and there is some redness present still. But I'm cancer-free, and infection-free, and I can live with the scarring no problem.
So on to the exciting part-- my dramatic skiing accident.
I went skiing last month at Hakuba, where some of the Winter Olympic events were held in 1998. I was getting ready to turn, to bring my speed down, when somehow I caught my left ski. My leg was immobilized whilst my body continued to hurl forward. My leg straightened, then there was a big 'pop' in my left knee, followed by a dramatic somersaulting finish. When the 'pop' happened, I thought to myself, 'oh lordy, here we go...', as I flew through the air. I landed with my left ski vertical in the air (my boot hadn't popped out of the ski, which is kind of interesting actually), right ski strewn beneath me. I lay on my back and waited for the severe pain to start, which, thankfully, didn't. Apparently my crash was dramatic enough that another foreigner skiing stopped to ask if I was all right, and could I get up or did I need assistance. He was kind enough to side step up the mountain to retrieve my poles so I could use them to get up.
Having done research on knee injuries, I realized that a 'pop' often meant a torn ligament, but, miraculously, I had no pain and could put weight on my leg. Turning was out of the question, so I slid my way down to the rest house, around 50 meters down the hill. I took off my skis and went inside, and just sat for a bit with a bowl of ramen (it was around 1pm and I was about to stop for lunch anyway) and a coffee to warm up. There was a beginners run which led to the base, so I took my time and got myself down to the base and on the shuttle bus back to my accommodation.
I knew I needed a doctor, even though I could gimp along. I've sprained my knee before, but this was much different. I made it home from Nagano on a Monday, and returned to Sanno Hospital on Wednesday morning to see an orthopedics doctor. She was in immediate agreement that ACL damage was a highly suspect result of the 'pop', and sent me to x-ray to confirm that I hadn't broken any bones. Everything was intact, so I was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday afternoon-- there is only 1 machine, and I wasn't a priority case, so this was literally the first open time slot available.
The MRI was an interesting experience. I had to remove all the metal objects from my body-- even a forgotten bobby pin can break this expensive, expensive machine-- and lay absolutely still for 30 minutes, or the image would be damaged and they would have to redo some or all of the work. Even with the headphones on, I could hear the various noises of the machine as it did its work. Image processing took 2-3 days (again, I wasn't a priority case so join the queue no problem), and I was back the next Wednesday for the result.
The image was really, really cool! It's a 3D picture that the doctor can turn left, right, up, down... she had a knee model and explained what I was seeing on the screen.
Sure enough, I have a torn ACL. Unlike other parts of the body, ACLs can't repair themselves, nor can they be repaired in most cases even with the advancement of medicine, so fixing the problem completely requires reconstructive surgery.
However, the doctor is not definitely recommending surgery in my case. I had a knee injury in high school which was diagnosed as a sprain, but no images were taken. So she isn't sure if all the damage is new, or if I have been functioning with some damage for over 10 years. There is no way to tell new damage from old from the MRI, or any other procedure (yes, I did ask but already suspected this). Also, right now, a major problem is that the muscles around my knee are stiff and weak. ACL reconstruction surgery rehabilitation is a long and tedious process, and definitely not for the weak at heart. So, at this point, to have surgery would mean that trying to complete the rehab with weakened muscles would complicate matters further. So I have been given at-home rehabilitation to do, and I also have a knee brace which I am wearing for support. Thus far the rehabilitation seems to be doing some good. Even after the first day I noticed a definite improvement in my walking, and I most certainly wasn't as stiff. However, if I start experiencing pain, or another bad pop, or have instability, then surgery becomes more of a requirement.
I'm quite lucky. I haven't had a lot of pain, and I do have to be careful not to overdo physical activity. I am slowly improving, and I know that recovery will take time. Staying positive is important in any illness or injury, and I am thankful that my accident wasn't worse. I could have easily broken my leg, requiring pins and plates, or landed wrong and ended up sitting for the rest of my life. I am walking, and will no doubt eventually regain more and more functionality. This may mean that I can't take part in contact sports such as rugby, but then again I hadn't joined the rugby squad before I got hurt and was getting on okay, so I can continue to do so. I am not sure if I can take part in kendo again due to the force placed on the left leg, and chances are arts such as judo or karate are out, but there are other things I CAN do. Bicycling is good as it isn't placing weight on my leg, and surely swimming will also be good, as will diving.
My friend once pointed out that mountain climbers and hikers have a saying, "The mountain will be there tomorrow. The question is, will you?" I sincerely hope to ski again someday, but I know that this season is over because the chances of reinjury are just too high still. On the other hand, since skiing is a high impact sport on knees, if this means that my days on the slopes are done, then I will accept this truth and get on with things. Meanwhile, though, I can count my blessings and prepare for the next adventure in my life : a working holiday in Australia. But more on that later!
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