It has not been a good day. The day began at 5:00AM, being wrenched into consciousness by two alarms. Sarah's flight left at 11:10, about 2 hours ago, and tomorrow I'll be joining her in the sky. After a week of aftershocks, I never want to feel the ground shake beneath my feet ever again. the sensation that, when first felt in February, filled me with excitement and fascination, now does nothing but raises my heart-rate in fear.
The bus trip to the airport was a depressing one. I passed by many parts of Tokyo I had yet to see or explore. It reminded me of things I've fell in love with, and grown accustomed to, that will abruptly stop very soon. Before I came here, I had heard of places like the Ghibli Museum, Akihabara, Nakano, and Shinjuku. I held them all in a sort of Dreamlike unreachable place. They perched there without any real convictions of future travel. They where out of mind, flowing in now and then only to fill a gap in my thoughts. And in a few days, that's where they'll be again, on the fringes of possible travel, too far to be considerable. Being here and experiencing these places, I feel a twinge of regret. I feel like I was preparing to part ways with them since I first came here, but my remaining time spent in these locations has been wrenched from me, victims of circumstance. I think of Akihabara, in all it's lights and sounds. It's so close. I can hop on a train and be at the start of a Geeky adventure. But that ends tomorrow. These places go back to being intangible, shackled once more by distance and financial obligation.
I want to also take this time to honor the Fukushima 50. The plant is withering and circling the drain. The possibility of catastrophic meltdown is ever reaching a peak. the only thing standing in the way of total collapse, is a collection of 50 technicians.
50 nameless, faceless technicians who have chosen to stay at the plant and do everything they can to prevent the total meltdown of the nuclear reactors. These men and women have devoted themselves completely to protecting their home, their families, and the millions of people that hang in the balance.
They will most likely not survive.
It is a sentiment that nearly brings me to tears every time I think of it. These people are giving everything they can for strangers, up until the very end. In times like this we can all learn to be stronger people. I'm going to try as hard as I can to embody that same sense of selflessness, that same sense of courage, in my own life.
Much like Akihabara and the places of my dreams, for many Americans the distance from this disaster makes it seem intangible, and somehow detached from their lives. It is a terrible thing, but it remains on the fringes of one's mind, safe behind a barrier of daily life issues.
Tomorrow I'll be on my way home, and within days, I'm sure I will slip this disaster behind that same barrier. But for right now, I cannot allow myself to do that. I can't drift off to Narita, unaffected by the sorrow, and the death, and the selfless bravery of people in the face of utter hopelessness. I ask that everyone reading this keeps those families and technicians in their thoughts. We all have our own problems, and it's easy to float by events that have no direct effect on our lives, but if nothing else,
I ask that you remember what happened here.
-FINAL POST-
~Zachary Urtes.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
The Tsunami and Earthquake.
In light of....er.... recent events, I have held off on the 2nd and 3rd parts of the Kyoto trip for the time being. for the sake of chronology, however, these filler posts will have to suffice.
I'm a little bit jumpier than usual.
I suppose being on the 8th floor of a business hotel during several Aftershocks can have that effect on someone. I'm keeping my cool, and keeping a level head. (For the time being at least.) Me and Sarah have been lying low for the last two or three days. I haven't experienced a blackout yet, and people tell me that it's because the good people of Tokyo are being conservative enough with the power that it is unnecessary. it speaks volumes about Japan that it's people can rise to the occasion when it comes to unifying through these events. The Tsunami and Earthquake where the worst the world has seen in over 150 years.
And I was less than 300 miles from the carnage.
It's hard to imagine just how incredibly destructive the disaster was. The death-toll has reached 10,000, and Japan is forever changed. I don't know how it can pull itself from the ashes, but I trust that it will find a way. Radiation levels in the plants continue to rise, and from time to time the ground continues to shake, like the restless kicks and twitches of a sleeping child after a tantrum. The Government says that Tokyo is not in danger of contamination, but if it gets worse, than you might be seeing me back home sooner than you thought. I don't want to leave. This country has given me so much growth and perspective. I would hate to abandon it when the going gets tough.
All the semantics aside though, safety comes first, end of story. If things go downhill, I'll jump-ship without a second thought. No need to worry about a sense of "honor" endangering my well being. I am going to stick it out for the time being though, as things are fairly safe here in Tokyo. The biggest things I've noticed is that Convenience stores are stripped bare, and I'd wager about a fourth of most public establishments (I.E. Arcades, stores, restaurants) are closed for the time being. Most convenience stores operate with the lights off to conserve power. From the emails I've received, every TUJ student is accounted for, safe and sound, and uninjured.
I have a lot of real world work ahead of me, like building my resume, portfolio, and applications for internships, so for at least the next week and a half, I'll probably be getting that out of the way. I'm going to stay inside as much as possible, wear a face-mask, and for the most part, hunker down and play it safe. I wouldn't worry too much, as I'm not stranded, nor do I intend to be. Keep me in your thoughts, but not your worries! It's too much energy. Trust me, I'm pretty exhausted right about now. I'll try to keep you all informed, and who knows, maybe I'll even finish the Kyoto trip posts! Anyway, I'm safe, Sarah is safe, and right now the situation is fairly stable. I'd crack a joke at about this point in the post, but I think in light of the thousands of lives lost, I will just say best wishes, and I can't wait to see you all soon.
~Zach
I'm a little bit jumpier than usual.
I suppose being on the 8th floor of a business hotel during several Aftershocks can have that effect on someone. I'm keeping my cool, and keeping a level head. (For the time being at least.) Me and Sarah have been lying low for the last two or three days. I haven't experienced a blackout yet, and people tell me that it's because the good people of Tokyo are being conservative enough with the power that it is unnecessary. it speaks volumes about Japan that it's people can rise to the occasion when it comes to unifying through these events. The Tsunami and Earthquake where the worst the world has seen in over 150 years.
And I was less than 300 miles from the carnage.
It's hard to imagine just how incredibly destructive the disaster was. The death-toll has reached 10,000, and Japan is forever changed. I don't know how it can pull itself from the ashes, but I trust that it will find a way. Radiation levels in the plants continue to rise, and from time to time the ground continues to shake, like the restless kicks and twitches of a sleeping child after a tantrum. The Government says that Tokyo is not in danger of contamination, but if it gets worse, than you might be seeing me back home sooner than you thought. I don't want to leave. This country has given me so much growth and perspective. I would hate to abandon it when the going gets tough.
All the semantics aside though, safety comes first, end of story. If things go downhill, I'll jump-ship without a second thought. No need to worry about a sense of "honor" endangering my well being. I am going to stick it out for the time being though, as things are fairly safe here in Tokyo. The biggest things I've noticed is that Convenience stores are stripped bare, and I'd wager about a fourth of most public establishments (I.E. Arcades, stores, restaurants) are closed for the time being. Most convenience stores operate with the lights off to conserve power. From the emails I've received, every TUJ student is accounted for, safe and sound, and uninjured.
I have a lot of real world work ahead of me, like building my resume, portfolio, and applications for internships, so for at least the next week and a half, I'll probably be getting that out of the way. I'm going to stay inside as much as possible, wear a face-mask, and for the most part, hunker down and play it safe. I wouldn't worry too much, as I'm not stranded, nor do I intend to be. Keep me in your thoughts, but not your worries! It's too much energy. Trust me, I'm pretty exhausted right about now. I'll try to keep you all informed, and who knows, maybe I'll even finish the Kyoto trip posts! Anyway, I'm safe, Sarah is safe, and right now the situation is fairly stable. I'd crack a joke at about this point in the post, but I think in light of the thousands of lives lost, I will just say best wishes, and I can't wait to see you all soon.
~Zach
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