It's been wonderful being back in Australia for a short holiday. Lovely seeing all my family and catching up. Lots of time to enjoy the fresh air, eat lovely fruits and vegs. Thanks for a wonderful visit. Sad to be leaving :(
Now it's time to head back to Japan. Will be in Yokohama from Saturday 2nd April. School will reopen on Monday 4th.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Friday 6pm, 18th March
At the airport now and checked in, Qantas QF22 8pm via Hong Kong landing in Sydney 1.35pm on Saturday 19th March.
All going well,
Airport busy but calm.
Many families with young children looking a little more stressed than the rest of us.
Whilst in queue we had a shake and everyone took a deep breath.
All going well,
Airport busy but calm.
Many families with young children looking a little more stressed than the rest of us.
Whilst in queue we had a shake and everyone took a deep breath.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Update - Thurs March 17th
I am still in Yokohama.
Australian Government are now advising people to consider leaving Tokyo.
They are also saying this because of disruptions to major
infrastructures.'That includes interruptions to transport,
communications, power and other infrastructure, school closures and
continuing aftershocks.'
Not much else to report except that I'm getting used to the aftershocks,
the shaking and rattling of my apartment is itself a richter scale.
Anything over magnitude 6, gets my full attention, smaller stuff just
raised eyebrows. Now that's weird and who would ever have thought I'd
develop that skill set.
Donated almost all my winter clothing and hope it goes to good use here
in Japan.
I'm flying out Friday night, via Hong Kong to Sydney. Will be wonderful to touch down on aussie soil.
by 9pm in the evening the aust.gov had stepped up their advice:
Australians should not travel to Tokyo and northern Honshu unless their presence in Japan is essential. Australians in these areas should leave unless their presence in Japan is essential, including Tokyo.
But they didn't send any planes to help get people out.
Thanks to all my wonderful friends around the world who have sent positive energy and good vibes.
Special thanks to friends in Australia who I have skyped in moments of stress and been calmed by their positive comments.
Australian Government are now advising people to consider leaving Tokyo.
They are also saying this because of disruptions to major
infrastructures.'That includes interruptions to transport,
communications, power and other infrastructure, school closures and
continuing aftershocks.'
Not much else to report except that I'm getting used to the aftershocks,
the shaking and rattling of my apartment is itself a richter scale.
Anything over magnitude 6, gets my full attention, smaller stuff just
raised eyebrows. Now that's weird and who would ever have thought I'd
develop that skill set.
Donated almost all my winter clothing and hope it goes to good use here
in Japan.
I'm flying out Friday night, via Hong Kong to Sydney. Will be wonderful to touch down on aussie soil.
by 9pm in the evening the aust.gov had stepped up their advice:
Australians should not travel to Tokyo and northern Honshu unless their presence in Japan is essential. Australians in these areas should leave unless their presence in Japan is essential, including Tokyo.
But they didn't send any planes to help get people out.
Thanks to all my wonderful friends around the world who have sent positive energy and good vibes.
Special thanks to friends in Australia who I have skyped in moments of stress and been calmed by their positive comments.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Changes daily - Tuesday 15th March
Hey I'm still here, alive and well and perhaps even a little bit glowing!!!
I've been out on the bike the last couple of days just to give myself a break from the news reports.
The streets seems a little quieter. Depending on which shop you enter you may find food or you may not. Generally fresh food is not available in the smaller stores. The supermarket closest to me was closed yesterday. I did cycle further out of the city today and found bananas, tomatoes and yoghurt.
It feels very uncertain to be here. Almost all foreigners I know have left or are in the process of leaving.
I will be joining them.
I am hoping to get a flight out on Friday and I will be back in Australia by the weekend. Looking forward to the fresh air and seeing my family and friends.
Cars are lined up for 2-5 km attempting to get fuel.
I am using my time wisely and cleaning out cupboards, staying inside for the afternoon.
As the earthquake becomes a distant memory, the tsunami devastation is shocking but the potential meltdown of the nuclear reactors has captured the media's attention. I hope the survivors of the tsunami are receiving the aid they so desperately need.
More and more people are being evacuated from around the power plant as explosions occur.
I have not taken any photographs of the earthquake damage that I have seen, everyone has seen enough on the news.
Fingers crossed that Japan will pull through this.
xxx
I've been out on the bike the last couple of days just to give myself a break from the news reports.
The streets seems a little quieter. Depending on which shop you enter you may find food or you may not. Generally fresh food is not available in the smaller stores. The supermarket closest to me was closed yesterday. I did cycle further out of the city today and found bananas, tomatoes and yoghurt.
It feels very uncertain to be here. Almost all foreigners I know have left or are in the process of leaving.
I will be joining them.
I am hoping to get a flight out on Friday and I will be back in Australia by the weekend. Looking forward to the fresh air and seeing my family and friends.
Cars are lined up for 2-5 km attempting to get fuel.
I am using my time wisely and cleaning out cupboards, staying inside for the afternoon.
As the earthquake becomes a distant memory, the tsunami devastation is shocking but the potential meltdown of the nuclear reactors has captured the media's attention. I hope the survivors of the tsunami are receiving the aid they so desperately need.
More and more people are being evacuated from around the power plant as explosions occur.
I have not taken any photographs of the earthquake damage that I have seen, everyone has seen enough on the news.
Fingers crossed that Japan will pull through this.
xxx
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday 12th March - the day after
A restless night due to the aftershocks, the worst being at 4am, the room was rather shaking on the 10th floor.
I went back to school this morning and everything is being managed in and orderly manner - well we are in Japan after all.
Seriously though the YIS community are amazing and all the students are being well looked after until they can be reunited with the parents.
I walked around Yokohama and some structural damage is obvious on some buildings but really nothing like NZ.
Clean up of glass and broken pavements was well underway this morning.
Thanks to everyone for all there emails and Facebook messages. Yes I'm fine.
In fact I'm more than fine.
I am lucky and have nothing to complain about.
People in Sendai and the tsunami affected areas are were we now need to focus our attention.
I went back to school this morning and everything is being managed in and orderly manner - well we are in Japan after all.
Seriously though the YIS community are amazing and all the students are being well looked after until they can be reunited with the parents.
I walked around Yokohama and some structural damage is obvious on some buildings but really nothing like NZ.
Clean up of glass and broken pavements was well underway this morning.
Thanks to everyone for all there emails and Facebook messages. Yes I'm fine.
In fact I'm more than fine.
I am lucky and have nothing to complain about.
People in Sendai and the tsunami affected areas are were we now need to focus our attention.
Friday 11th March Earthquake
It was 2:46pm and we were in the classroom when the earthquake started. My young students responded perfectly and were quickly under the tables and the room shock. Luckily nothing in the classroom fell off the shelving or the wall, our room is on the ground floor. It seemed to last for a couple of minutes. During that time we followed the procedures, stayed calm and supported each other. When the instructions came that the earthquake had stopped we all sat together and held hands and began to talk about the experience.
Families then started arriving and it was 3pm and the end of the school day. As the aftershocks began we formed a group and stayed in the middle of the playground away from the buildings. After some time we moved to the library which became the central hub for the remaining ES students.
Many teachers and I stayed at school for an extra 6 hours whilst we attempted to get each
child home safely or in the care of their parents. At 9pm the decision was made
that some children would go home with teachers, their parents stuck in
the city.
No Trains, highways closed, no phones. Must say my young students were
fantastic as we all got under the tables, then evacuated to the
playground and felt more aftershocks. I was so proud of them. The
footage I see now of the tsumanis is so shocking and most fatalities
will come from the tsunami and not from the earthquake itself. It brings
back too many memories.
I'm at home now, with internet and electricity.
The streets were almost deserted as I walked home. Sirens in all
directions. Really eerie.
The major road full of traffic at a complete standstill for the 15 mins
I walked along it.
Lots of smashed glass at the shops.
Stopped off at a couple of small supermarkets on the way home and there
is almost no food left on the shelves, all fresh food gone, all torches
and batteries sold out.
Luckily I got something to drink!!!
My apartment is good, nothing smashed, just stuff moved around, draws
all open, even my wine glass balanced on the edge of the sink waiting
for me.
We just had a nasty aftershock that sent my hanging ceiling lights
swaying and my chair moving.
It feels like there is almost no one in my apartment complex tonight,
not many lights on, lifts not working and the bike rack is almost empty
- I guess most people are stuck in the city.
I'm lucky, safely at home. However I have got a few items right beside
the bed, shoes, gloves, coat, torch - hoping I won't need them during
the night.
could do with a big hug
Families then started arriving and it was 3pm and the end of the school day. As the aftershocks began we formed a group and stayed in the middle of the playground away from the buildings. After some time we moved to the library which became the central hub for the remaining ES students.
Many teachers and I stayed at school for an extra 6 hours whilst we attempted to get each
child home safely or in the care of their parents. At 9pm the decision was made
that some children would go home with teachers, their parents stuck in
the city.
No Trains, highways closed, no phones. Must say my young students were
fantastic as we all got under the tables, then evacuated to the
playground and felt more aftershocks. I was so proud of them. The
footage I see now of the tsumanis is so shocking and most fatalities
will come from the tsunami and not from the earthquake itself. It brings
back too many memories.
I'm at home now, with internet and electricity.
The streets were almost deserted as I walked home. Sirens in all
directions. Really eerie.
The major road full of traffic at a complete standstill for the 15 mins
I walked along it.
Lots of smashed glass at the shops.
Stopped off at a couple of small supermarkets on the way home and there
is almost no food left on the shelves, all fresh food gone, all torches
and batteries sold out.
Luckily I got something to drink!!!
My apartment is good, nothing smashed, just stuff moved around, draws
all open, even my wine glass balanced on the edge of the sink waiting
for me.
We just had a nasty aftershock that sent my hanging ceiling lights
swaying and my chair moving.
It feels like there is almost no one in my apartment complex tonight,
not many lights on, lifts not working and the bike rack is almost empty
- I guess most people are stuck in the city.
I'm lucky, safely at home. However I have got a few items right beside
the bed, shoes, gloves, coat, torch - hoping I won't need them during
the night.
could do with a big hug
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Morning sunshine
That morning we awoke to lovely sunshine, glorious views of snowy mountains from the 7th floor and another banquet for breakfast. We went out walking and exploring for a few hours before catching a local train from Yudanaka arriving back at Nagano ready for our super fast bullet train (the Shinkansen) back to Tokyo. Awesome weekend.
Grand Feast Fri 18th Feb
We leave the snow monkeys, catch a bus and walk the last 10 mins to the Yorozuya Ryokan in Yudanaka.
Our room is so Japanese and the evening meal is served in our room and it's like a 10 course banquet with the lovely Japanese lady doing her best to explain to us what we were eating and how to prepare certain items. The presentation was exquisite.
Our room is so Japanese and the evening meal is served in our room and it's like a 10 course banquet with the lovely Japanese lady doing her best to explain to us what we were eating and how to prepare certain items. The presentation was exquisite.
More Snow Monkeys
I can't believe how close we are to these wild monkeys. I keep thinking they must be drugged, however they are very well fed and so happy in their onsen (hot tub) that they ignore the prying camera's.
SNOW Monkeys - OMG
On Friday 18th Feb I was at the Ishikawacho Train Station by 9am, early for my 9:17am train to meet up with Gillian. We continued to the Tokyo Station to locate our Shinkansen Train, platform 23. We zoom out of Tokyo at rapid speed into the snowy mountains and soon arrive at Nagano. We locate our bus in the direction of the Snow Monkeys. By 1pm we are walking for 2km in a snowy wonderland, glorious scenery requiring many photo stops. We reach the Snow Monkey park and OMG they are so cute. There's babies, there's sleepy old granddads and they are in and out of the onset (natural hot spring). It starts snowing and the picture is perfect.
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