Friday, March 11th, 2011. This day will be forever remembered as the day I was SO close and yet still far enough to evade a HUGE natural disaster. I have had my scares in the past with Mother Nature: a few tornadoes here and there dancing around the house, a couple of hurricanes blowing past as my brother and hunker down in the downstairs bathroom praying that we would still be there when my mom arrived from being held at work. Hell, I've even had other life-threatening situations: almost drowned on 3 occasions, being caught up in a drive by at the park (shhh, my mom doesn't know about this one), being chased down by a black Trans Am while pulling my baby brother as we walked home from school (I didn't grow up in the best neighborhood), and almost being tossed off a carnival ride into the middle of traffic. All of these I managed to come out unscathed; both physically and mentally. However, the events that took place on Friday March 11, 2011 managed to reach a deeper part of me, a part I thought I had well protected from outside events.
Friday, March 11th, I was at school having a really good day. My schedule for the week had changed and I didn't have as many lessons to teach. So, I did what I usually did during my free-time, I went to see what the students were up to. I decided to hang out with my favorite bunch-the 7th graders and one of my favorite teachers Kasagi-sensei as she taught 5th period Kokugo （国語)-Japanese class. It was a pretty interesting lesson in which I only understood about half (junior high Japanese/kanji is a bit over my head). The presentations the kids did on the different types of very casual forms of the language and how it differs from region to region was very intriguing. After a successful lesson, it was time to for us and the students to prepare for the 6th and final period of the day. It was during the 10 minute break when it happened. I was helping Kasagi-sensei carry here material to her next class when we started swaying. At first, we had NO idea what was happening. One of the students said, "Look at the lights, they're swaying." We looked and suddenly it hit us, we weren't the ones swaying, the building was; EARTHQUAKE! Kasagi-sensei and I started yelling for the kids to get under the desks and hold on. "Protect your heads!" We shouted. As some of the other 7th graders were coming from another class into our section looking drunk from the swaying, we quickly told them to get under a near by desk. The announcement came over the speakers "This is an earthquake..." I couldn't hear the rest from trying to keep it together. We swayed and swayed, back and forth, left and right. It lasted for such a long time I thought I was going to be sick. In my mind, I kept waiting for ball to drop and this massive quake to hit that would toss us all over the place. But it never came, we just swayed and swayed. Kasagi-sensei looked over at me and said that she was extremely worried about her son who was in kindergarten. Around this time, he would be preparing to go home on the school bus. I couldn't say anything in return; I was so far in my own head just waiting to be thrown from the safety of my desk. Finally, after what the LONGEST shake-up I have ever experienced, it stopped. After waiting a few seconds, Kasagi-sensei and I got up and started telling to kids to do the same and head outside onto the open field. There, would be one of the safest places to be if it got worse. I noticed as we were all clambering from under the desks, a few of the girls were crying from the scare. I thought to myself, "now is not the time to break Summer." So, I went over to them and comforted them as we walked the halls, down the stair and outside. Along the way, I saw a group of 5th grade girls still squatting in the hall covering their heads as they were caught outside of class during the quake. A couple of teachers were sweeping up some broken glass from stuff that feel off the walls-not much glass at least. We never made it outside because we got a call from the staff room saying that everything was ok. With the kids taken care of, I made my way to the teacher's bathroom and broke down a bit-not much, but I did allow some tears to flow. I gave myself about 1 minute to feel it and then had to stop and pull myself together. Kasagi-sensei came in shortly after and spotted me. She helped in the calming process and gave me some much needed comfort. She said that it might have been worse because we were on the 2nd floor and the swaying was much more noticeable. So, I decided that for 6th period, I would go back to the staff room on the 1st floor.
Friday, March 11th, I entered the staff room. The administrative staff were moving around hurriedly, the big screen TV was one showing fires that had erupted somewhere. I made it to my desk and sat. My co-worker Derek came over and said "Are you ok? Your eyes are red." I told him that I was well aware of the color of my eyes. "Did you cry?" he asked. "Yes, that was scary." I replied. With a look of compassion in his eyes and fear in mine, we ended the conversation. I tried to make sense of was what going on on the TV, but I started feeling sick to my stomach and dizzy. Now, I have never been the type to succumb to motion sickness, so I thought this was highly out of the ordinary. I looked up and the lights were swinging. Another earthquake! It felt as if the ground beneath us wasn't connected any longer and was just sliding around. I hoped it would stop before I puked. Luck for me (and the laptop on my desk) it did...only to pick right back up a few seconds later. After that last tremor and my failed attempt at understanding the television, I made my way back upstairs (the movement of the earth on the ground level was worse than upstairs for me).
Friday, March 11th, I was back upstairs with Kasagi-sensei. We were with the second group of 7th graders. She had the radio turned on as announcement after announcement blasted about the quakes. At the moment, I still didn't know where the epicenter was or where those fires were. But I did pick up "tsunami" amidst all of the static. I was a little concerned because my school was very close to the port, but I didn't think the tremors down here were big enough to cause a destructive wave. There were to be no presentations for this class, everyone sat at there desks, did some worksheets and listened.
Friday, March 11th, as I was walking to the bus stop with the librarian, I discovered that the epicenter was in Sendai (about 200 miles away) and that it was 8.9 in magnitude. At the point, only 32 people were confirmed dead. I thought that that wasn't too bad considering how big it was. I wasn't happy that people lost their lives, but 32 was a number I could live with.
The bus and train ride went smoothly and I was able to make my way back home. That is when things started to take a turn for the worse; not for me, but for those up north. The "tsunami" I kept hearing wasn't in regards to my area, but for the thousands in Fukushima prefecture. These waves took out everything in their path: building, houses, people, cars, whatever. It showed no mercy as it made its way through the already hurting towns and villages. I was dumbstruck at seeing the devastation. To know that I was only 200 miles way from all of that hit a chord. I cried for those who were lost, hurting, or just left homeless with a feeling of despair and hopelessness.
Saturday, March 12th, the death toll climbs, from 32 to 60, to over 200, to over 1000+. As if the earthquake and tsunami weren't enough, BOOM! Explosion at the nuclear plant! Meltdown? We all wait...no. BOOM! A second explosion! A 2nd reactor is now in danger. As the day progresses, I sit and wait, listening to update after update. A 3rd reactor is now threatening to meltdown. "What is going on?!" "Why weren't these safeguarded for an event such as this?" I know that I'm hundreds of miles away and that the likelihood of being terribly affected by the radiation that might seep out, but I could only think of those who would.
March 12th-19th, still trying to wrap my brain around everything. A trifecta of events that happened back to back to back and I was able to witness them almost first-hand. I think that these events touched me so because they weren't man-made (like the terrorist attacks on 9/11). Like Katrina, they were an act of nature non of us could control. All we could do was hold on for the ride and hope it wouldn't be our last. For thousands, it was their last. Their lives ended in panic and fear. They aren't here to write about their feelings and post them for everyone to read. They won't be able to tell this story to their children and their grandchildren in the future. Their feelings, their stories have all been swept away and buried. I could have been one of them. I could have been in that area teaching, or visiting. Or, the massive quake could have taken place a few hundred miles to the south destroying Nagoya instead. Although I don't like living in the could have, would have realm of existence, I can't help but visit there every now and then.
Sunday, March 20th, I sit here rambling on about the past week hoping that it would make me feel better. At least, now when I think about it, my eyes don't tear up anymore. I will continue to do all that I can when I can in donating to those who need it. I will continue to live my life as if it could end in the next few seconds. I will continue not taking anything or anyone for granted and thanking God for the little blessings I receive daily. I will continue...
Friday, March 11th, I was at school having a really good day. My schedule for the week had changed and I didn't have as many lessons to teach. So, I did what I usually did during my free-time, I went to see what the students were up to. I decided to hang out with my favorite bunch-the 7th graders and one of my favorite teachers Kasagi-sensei as she taught 5th period Kokugo （国語)-Japanese class. It was a pretty interesting lesson in which I only understood about half (junior high Japanese/kanji is a bit over my head). The presentations the kids did on the different types of very casual forms of the language and how it differs from region to region was very intriguing. After a successful lesson, it was time to for us and the students to prepare for the 6th and final period of the day. It was during the 10 minute break when it happened. I was helping Kasagi-sensei carry here material to her next class when we started swaying. At first, we had NO idea what was happening. One of the students said, "Look at the lights, they're swaying." We looked and suddenly it hit us, we weren't the ones swaying, the building was; EARTHQUAKE! Kasagi-sensei and I started yelling for the kids to get under the desks and hold on. "Protect your heads!" We shouted. As some of the other 7th graders were coming from another class into our section looking drunk from the swaying, we quickly told them to get under a near by desk. The announcement came over the speakers "This is an earthquake..." I couldn't hear the rest from trying to keep it together. We swayed and swayed, back and forth, left and right. It lasted for such a long time I thought I was going to be sick. In my mind, I kept waiting for ball to drop and this massive quake to hit that would toss us all over the place. But it never came, we just swayed and swayed. Kasagi-sensei looked over at me and said that she was extremely worried about her son who was in kindergarten. Around this time, he would be preparing to go home on the school bus. I couldn't say anything in return; I was so far in my own head just waiting to be thrown from the safety of my desk. Finally, after what the LONGEST shake-up I have ever experienced, it stopped. After waiting a few seconds, Kasagi-sensei and I got up and started telling to kids to do the same and head outside onto the open field. There, would be one of the safest places to be if it got worse. I noticed as we were all clambering from under the desks, a few of the girls were crying from the scare. I thought to myself, "now is not the time to break Summer." So, I went over to them and comforted them as we walked the halls, down the stair and outside. Along the way, I saw a group of 5th grade girls still squatting in the hall covering their heads as they were caught outside of class during the quake. A couple of teachers were sweeping up some broken glass from stuff that feel off the walls-not much glass at least. We never made it outside because we got a call from the staff room saying that everything was ok. With the kids taken care of, I made my way to the teacher's bathroom and broke down a bit-not much, but I did allow some tears to flow. I gave myself about 1 minute to feel it and then had to stop and pull myself together. Kasagi-sensei came in shortly after and spotted me. She helped in the calming process and gave me some much needed comfort. She said that it might have been worse because we were on the 2nd floor and the swaying was much more noticeable. So, I decided that for 6th period, I would go back to the staff room on the 1st floor.
Friday, March 11th, I entered the staff room. The administrative staff were moving around hurriedly, the big screen TV was one showing fires that had erupted somewhere. I made it to my desk and sat. My co-worker Derek came over and said "Are you ok? Your eyes are red." I told him that I was well aware of the color of my eyes. "Did you cry?" he asked. "Yes, that was scary." I replied. With a look of compassion in his eyes and fear in mine, we ended the conversation. I tried to make sense of was what going on on the TV, but I started feeling sick to my stomach and dizzy. Now, I have never been the type to succumb to motion sickness, so I thought this was highly out of the ordinary. I looked up and the lights were swinging. Another earthquake! It felt as if the ground beneath us wasn't connected any longer and was just sliding around. I hoped it would stop before I puked. Luck for me (and the laptop on my desk) it did...only to pick right back up a few seconds later. After that last tremor and my failed attempt at understanding the television, I made my way back upstairs (the movement of the earth on the ground level was worse than upstairs for me).
Friday, March 11th, I was back upstairs with Kasagi-sensei. We were with the second group of 7th graders. She had the radio turned on as announcement after announcement blasted about the quakes. At the moment, I still didn't know where the epicenter was or where those fires were. But I did pick up "tsunami" amidst all of the static. I was a little concerned because my school was very close to the port, but I didn't think the tremors down here were big enough to cause a destructive wave. There were to be no presentations for this class, everyone sat at there desks, did some worksheets and listened.
Friday, March 11th, as I was walking to the bus stop with the librarian, I discovered that the epicenter was in Sendai (about 200 miles away) and that it was 8.9 in magnitude. At the point, only 32 people were confirmed dead. I thought that that wasn't too bad considering how big it was. I wasn't happy that people lost their lives, but 32 was a number I could live with.
The bus and train ride went smoothly and I was able to make my way back home. That is when things started to take a turn for the worse; not for me, but for those up north. The "tsunami" I kept hearing wasn't in regards to my area, but for the thousands in Fukushima prefecture. These waves took out everything in their path: building, houses, people, cars, whatever. It showed no mercy as it made its way through the already hurting towns and villages. I was dumbstruck at seeing the devastation. To know that I was only 200 miles way from all of that hit a chord. I cried for those who were lost, hurting, or just left homeless with a feeling of despair and hopelessness.
Saturday, March 12th, the death toll climbs, from 32 to 60, to over 200, to over 1000+. As if the earthquake and tsunami weren't enough, BOOM! Explosion at the nuclear plant! Meltdown? We all wait...no. BOOM! A second explosion! A 2nd reactor is now in danger. As the day progresses, I sit and wait, listening to update after update. A 3rd reactor is now threatening to meltdown. "What is going on?!" "Why weren't these safeguarded for an event such as this?" I know that I'm hundreds of miles away and that the likelihood of being terribly affected by the radiation that might seep out, but I could only think of those who would.
March 12th-19th, still trying to wrap my brain around everything. A trifecta of events that happened back to back to back and I was able to witness them almost first-hand. I think that these events touched me so because they weren't man-made (like the terrorist attacks on 9/11). Like Katrina, they were an act of nature non of us could control. All we could do was hold on for the ride and hope it wouldn't be our last. For thousands, it was their last. Their lives ended in panic and fear. They aren't here to write about their feelings and post them for everyone to read. They won't be able to tell this story to their children and their grandchildren in the future. Their feelings, their stories have all been swept away and buried. I could have been one of them. I could have been in that area teaching, or visiting. Or, the massive quake could have taken place a few hundred miles to the south destroying Nagoya instead. Although I don't like living in the could have, would have realm of existence, I can't help but visit there every now and then.
Sunday, March 20th, I sit here rambling on about the past week hoping that it would make me feel better. At least, now when I think about it, my eyes don't tear up anymore. I will continue to do all that I can when I can in donating to those who need it. I will continue to live my life as if it could end in the next few seconds. I will continue not taking anything or anyone for granted and thanking God for the little blessings I receive daily. I will continue...
