One year later...

3.11 marks one year after that big earthquake hit northeastern part of Japan and HUGE tsunami engulfed 20,000 Japanese people. I've seen many pictures of "now & a year ago", esp. those things which was destroyed by the earthquake & Tsunami. I can see Japanese people have been working hard to rebuild. But I watched BBC documentary on youtube today; the Japan's children of the Tsunami. This BBC program is almost one hour long, but mainly focusing the interviews on the survived children. The children talks about how they physically felt the earthquake, how they emotionally felt & have been feeling ever since, the totally changed everyday life, carrying the radiation detecter, no time frame of when they who had to evacuate from their own houses can go home (20~30 year?..)cuz of the high radiation level, to their dream when they grow up. Some wants to help people who suffers from natural disaster, radiation researcher... If you are interested, you can watch the documentary at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_AxnoNrr_8&feature=share
I keep praying for people in Japan ...

2011 Women's World Cup in Germany

Until we went out to eat & my friend saw on TV screen that Japan had just won in OT against Germany, I never knew that Women's Wold Cup was going on. Because they beat Germany, they had a game against Sweden a week later, and I could watch the whole game. Then, because they beat Sweden, I could watch the whole game a week later against US for the final. I even didn't know that there was a Women's World Cup! Baseball & Soccer are both very popular in Japan but I remember I watched only MEN's, not the WOMENs'. Japanese always have problems in those games they need lots of energy & speed, like Soccer, running that big field for at least 90 mins, with a bit of break. Just because they are smaller/shorter. Because they eat fish which helps to prolong your life than eating red meat but the meat usually gives boost & energy to young people, for shorter time, like in US, even it isn't healthy in a long run. Many Americans don't know all this but this is what Japanese always say. But maybe shorter people even here in the US have experienced in school, competing with TALL classmates in PE. I heard that Japanese team was the shortest in World cup, and Swedish was the tallest. I saw Swedish players just pushed and Japanese fell a couple of times through the game... That's why Japanese hardly ever win those games, track, etc. which you need speed & lots of energy, but they sometimes win, like gymnastics. So this was a BIG accomplishment for them!! I favored US, BUT I was shocked and CRIED after Japanese team won, because I could feel how All Japanese felt. For US, those people who were involved, winning the world cup is their dream come true too but soccer isn't as popular here, as it is in Japan. Probably most Americans only cared about "winning" the Gold/Cup, as a fellow American. But for Japanese, it's different, not only Soccer is very popular, but esp. this year, after 311. yes, I learned from my mother they call that earthquake & tsunami, "311" in their conversation (like 9/11), cuz the name of that earthquake is long. ... If they didnt' lose over 24,000 (?) people on ONE DAY in that Peaceful country after WWII, I probably didn't cry, but said I was shocked, and still be happy cuz I usualy root for Underdogs. lol. But of course, even US won, I would've been happy too :-) I luv to watch the game as long as it's exciting & very close, and as long as referee doesn't call the penalties wrong. The game was so exciting & very close. As Wambach said in her interview after the game, it looked as if it wasnt' meant to be, after missing several goals in the first 20 mins. or so when US was dominating the game & had numerous opportunities. Watching the first 20 mins., I thought US would win, like everybody expected by 2-0, if not more. Even US won, I wanted SAWA, the captain to score at least ONE to get Golden Boot (as the tournament's top scorer), so that at least, Japan would have something to be happy about. But not only she took World Cup & Golden Boot, she was also named as the Player of the Tournament (Golden Ball)! Many people might've forgotten about 311, but still across Japan is suffering from shortage of power due to 4 reactors aren't working. I heard that the team couldn't practice due to no light at night. I heard that one player lost 4 friends at once. I heard one's best friend working for that damaged nuclear power plants, not knowing what would happen next, and couldn't make it to Germany to cheer for her. Last night (US eastern standeard time), the team returned Japan, being welcomed by so many, incld. their prime minister, and he even said that he was encouraged by them (by those little girls, compared to the prime minister!), to NEVER GIVE UP. :-) I am too. :-) On lighter note, I'm impressed with them cuz Japan is still a MAN's world, NOT women's. My mom always get surprised whenever she sees American Ladies in spot light from Political to financial arena. I don't recall Japanese MEN's soccer team ever went to finals at world cup even they have Professional MEN's soccer LEAGUE in Japan. My mother told me that slowly but steadily she sees more women in business, management, politics. So, me as a woman, I'm also happy with this result! :-) The typhoon is approaching Japan as we speak, and has already hitting the southern part of Japan, with torrential rains... when this happens, the mudslide usually occurs, and people get killed... Japan really needed the emotional lift. Japanese had 25 games against US, and never won before, and they won this World Cup! I even gave up after US scored 2-1, but team never gave up. The winning money will go to the victimes from 311, according to a team member. At least hers, she said. Those victims from home was her biggest motivation. Before I close this post, I just want to add that I was amazed Megan Rapino's footwork when she kept the ball, Hope Solo & Wambach's interviews after the game. They are great girls & great teams! :) Congratulations to Japan, and thank you all for the great game, both US & Japan! :-)

8.9 Earthquake hit Japan ~ Touhoku Kanto Dai Shinsai

It's been a week since Japan had a big earthquake & Tsunami. It's been a difficult one week, having my mother living in Tokyo. I've been talking to her every day (big thanks to US tel. companies who is giving us free service.) and sometimes twice a day so that she wouldn't get depressed nor worried, cuz of many big aftershocks and now radiation scare. My mother hasn't decided yet whether she leaves Tokyo or not...I've been trying to live my life as normal as possible but i'm having hard time dealing with my emotions. I've been glued to the news on tv & follow up online about the earthquake. I cry everytime I watch them, the survivors, who lost everything incld. the family members, but my feeling is nothing compared to those people who is facing the tragedy right now.... this morning, I heard from my mother that some relatives who went missing in Fukushima prefecture where those nuclear power plants are located, have survived!!, but again, too close to the nuclear power plants...I'm just praying for them to be able to fix the problem before it's too late...Today death toll rose to 6,900 and over 10,000 are still missing. It's like Kobe earthquake in mid 90s', when the death toll rose by 1,000 per day for several days... Over a year ago, I wrote my thought about the deadly earthquake in Chile, from my experience with earthquakes. I never thought I would be writing a year later, on this earthquake which happened on 3/11/2011 (2:46pm on Friday, local time). The 5th biggest in the world..... when words fail, prayer remains (from angsandy.blogspot)

Deadly earthquake hit Christchurch, NZ...

I've been watching the news this morning, and my heart is aching... as you can see on my blog, on travel map, Christchurch is #9 of my fav. places to go list, among so may placces I've visited in my life, even I was there for only 5 days, on business. Christchurch is such a lovely, small city (although it's the second largest city in New Zealand), and I luv "kiwis"! They are one of the nicest people on the earth, in my opinion! I've once heard from somebody ELSE other than Kiwis that "kiwi husband" means "GREAT husband"! ..... I saw the cathedral being damaged...I'm pretty much familiar with earthquakes, living in Tokyo, Japan & Guam. I'm famliar with Pacific Plate... I even learned it in college when I took a Geology class... Earthquakes really make me scared. Living in east coast of US, I know most people have NEVER experienced the earthquakes in their entire life. Very lucky, in my opinion. Even when I was living in Sydney, Australia where earthquake isn't common, the earth SHOOK once!!... Earthquakes happen all the sudden, and in very short time (like 20 seconds!), the big shake DESTROYS many things, incld. people's lives... You can see the short video how devastating the earthquake was here....6.3 was the scale & so far, 65 was killed... they are afraid that many still have been trapped in the buildings... My prayer goes to the people in Christchurch & the city...