Just recently, horrific and heartbreaking images have confronted the world and my family yet again: Tall buildings and a nuclear reactor on fire, hundreds of homes destroyed like matchsticks as giant tidal waves hit theshores of a sleepy village near the capital city Tokyo in the island of Honshu.
The surging deluge of mud has decimated almost anything in its path!To date, the figures look grim as Japan grapples with the catastrophic effects of that powerful 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit last Friday, 11 March 2011.The quake triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific from the coast of California to Indonesia.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum said the tsunami thankfully dissipated in strength as it crossed the Pacific towards the Philippines later on.
There are around 60 to 70 % of about 225,000 Filipinos living in the Tokyo area according to the Philippine Ambassador to Japan, interviewed over a radio news program. We hope for the best as communication has been difficult but efforts are being done to track them.Nature's wrath has been unleashed yet again. Ironically, no amount of disaster preparedness and technological advancements on earthquake detection have prepared this nation.As many as 1,500 earthquakes are recorded there each year as it sits along the "Pacific Ring of Fire. ” The United States of America's GeologicalSurvey reports that the recent tremor is the seventh largest on recordfor Japan.
There are grave fears of a catastrophic nuclear meltdown too. But Japanese authorities are quick to down play these and we hope they are right! New questions about the safety of nuclear energy have resurfaced.
Memories of Japan and Its PeopleThe magnitude of the devastation will take months to be measured. Hence, I like to honour and remember this unique nation and offer our deepest sympathies for the loss of many lives and properties!indent:
In 2007, we visited Tokyo and rode its magnificent&;bullet train to Hakone and Mt Fujiyama. In all our travels to the city and countryside, we saw evidences of the Japanese' unique way of life. These stood out: clean streets with vending machines everywhere dispensing fromsteaming coffee, hot potato chips, spaghetti and even strawberry sandwiches among many products! There were also no graffities seen!
Although trains were&always packed like sardines,you would probably hear a pin drop inside! Not one passenger used a mobile phone or talked loud in the 10 days we've used their very efficient transport system!
We never had to wait more than five minutes for a train! Getting in and out of trains, buses, or going up the densely populated train stations was always orderly as the Japanese stayed on the right side all the time allowing those in a hurry topass through!Courtesy was another remarkable trait the Japanese perfected!<
Japan for us is much more than fast and sturdy cars,modern gadgets and games or animation.We've been hooked for life with their overwhelming search for beauty and perfection.
We admire their unique way of preparing and serving food using the freshest of ingredients;Sushi, tempura,teriyaki, yakitori and varieties of noodles like ramen, udon, soba (a personalfavourite) and many more dishes form part of an intricate cuisine uniquely& Japanese. It is always a delight to taste the exotic flavours;served with a lot of skill and grace.
Near Ginza, a famous Tokyo shopping district ,we found rows and rows of small, yet fascinating dining places. Inside the tiniest eateries were organisation (a basket on the floor of each table for your=personal things like bags, etc.), cleanliness and the friendliestservice!
We got lost often but it was easy to find help.At one station, we were floored to see a head popping out of one supposedly automated machine; A smiling man inside the train office helped sort our tickets! In Sydney, we would have been penalised for incorrectly paying our fares!
Despite this "armageddon" that confronts Japan, this writer is confident that with its people's resiliency and patience, those devastated areas will be rebuilt. Japan, third largest economy in the world has a gargantuan task ahead and I wish her success!
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