Sunday, March 13, 2011

in japan:: relief & gratitude

its with great relief that i share my major victory of the weekend. i managed to speak to my mum (and aunt and cousin in hokkaido)!! thankfully she is unshaken, and in fact she had no clue if she was on the domestic plane or in a bumpy bus when the earthquake happened. but she had no access to her cellphone and her hotel lines have been completely swamped. when i finally got hold of her (after she came back from the onsen *grrr*) it was a mixed emotion of happiness and anger. so i chose the latter and unleashed everything on her. 

how she should have her bags packed, water & food for 72 hours, avoid all visit to any coastal area, stay indoors during a quake and that if anything happens she is to fly out immediately and not come to tokyo. everything. and all she wanted was to tell me she is ok. and that she is not afraid. sometimes, our roles are kinda switched. im going to give her a huge hug when i see her.

but important thing is, they are ok now. *phew* and everyone and their families are safe and accounted for. (thank you, god.)

this weekend has been kinda tough emotionally for everyone. watching international news on our computers around the clock has been draining and very depressing. on one hand, we're celebrating life. but on the other hand, the magnitude of the damage is heartbreaking. and i kinda feel guilty. 

in our little ways, we're trying to do our bit. to conserve energy and water, we're minimizing our usage during peak hours and have switched off anything that doesn't belong to the necessity category. like the tub, the heater, the heated toilet seat. its freezing in the house and we're suffering from cabin fever a little but a very tiny sacrifice compared to what some others are going through.


we've had our "go"-pack & clothes ready at the door since the first quake, candles, batteries, 72-hours worth of food stocked at home and our bicycle route to haneda airport printed. you can never be too ready. but you know? it really makes you figure out what's most important in life. if something happens, what will you grab in your arms when you're running.

and for us, it has never been clearer than before. and for that i'm very very grateful.

11 comments:

  1. take care and stay safe!

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  2. zhiying!!! i'm so glad to see your blog. jotted out of my couch to check you out when i remembered you are in japan! to read that your mum is in japan too in this blog worry me too. but glad that everyone is fine. phew. yeah, as i talk to my kids about natural hazards and how people adapt to risks, sometimes i really think i'm quite an armchair geographer, living in a natural hazard-free country. glad you are well prepared. whichever, you survived your first quake and a high magnitude one. i thank god. hugs and kisses...

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  3. @fenzc

    thanks ah fen! :) BIG BIG hugs! nothing wrong with being an armchair geographer. i won't wish it to happen to anyone i know!! love you , hang tight and keep you posted!!

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  4. @fernoftheforest79

    thanks hon! :) we will! such a shame. sendai was so pretty!

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  5. thank god you both and family are safe! Keep Safe!

    - iky

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  6. Hey I'm so glad you guys are all okay...I was in China this weekend and didn't have any internet connection while out in the boonies, but definitely thought of you, Daniel and Musashi. Hope things stabilize quickly...in the meantime, be safe and thoughts+prayers from Hong Kong!

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  7. @Pei

    thanks so much babe!! we are ok. were thinking if its wise to fly out. but musashi cant leave. so we're staying put. hope its a right decision for everyone!! thanks for your thought!!

    iky:: we are alright. thanks for your thoughts too! love to your little family!

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  8. good to know that you are safe and sound! :)

    take good care and hear from you soon!

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  9. @ladytricia

    thank you very much! we've been relatively blessed compared to many other in japan now.

    can't wait to get back into the fun things. dealing with natural disasters can be so depressing. (needless to say!) xx

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  10. Are you guys going to stay in tokyo in coming days? Heard that aftershocks predicted at least till sunday.. I cant imagine it! Pls stay safe and evacuate if possible..
    Update us when you can. Take care and our prayers are with you.

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  11. @Sherl

    yeah, we're staying put because mum's flying in tomorrow. but will keep monitoring the news.

    thanks! we really appreciate the thoughts and prayers.

    x

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