37 Frames : Great Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami… Follow-up: On dee, places & posts.

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.” ~ Charles Austin Beard

You can see the stars in Tokyo at night these days. It’s not often that we can. But with life still at half power, Tokyo is putting on a show skywise like she hasn’t done before.  I wanted to thank everyone first and foremost for sharing and visiting our blog. We had tens of thousands of hits and have been contacted by loads of people, charities and media wanting to help spread the word and awareness. We are just so happy that we were able to reach so many. Of course the story isn’t done and we will do our best to keep reporting month by month, the rebuilding and find more people to touch our lives with their strength and kindness.

So this is Tracey here today.  I know it’s usually Dee speaking for us here on the blog, but today is Dee’s birthday and I’d thought I’d hijack the account for a few minutes to give this remarkable woman a break from her words. And pay tribute to her and everyone living in this amazing country.

As we’re taking our cues from the people of Japan, we’re not celebrating in a big way this year. The nation is still in mourning for the near 30,000 people dead or missing, and tiptoeing towards normalcy.  Here in Tokyo, things are settling – many wonderful friends returning from overseas and bringing with them some fresh energy. The one thing I have noticed though is their sense and urgency in telling us to ‘take care of yourselves, and move on with your life.’ We appreciate this so much although it will take some time, certainly not there yet. I think the Japanese are perfect models for doing that, although the extra work they have taken on this week, the power shortages, the stress of a national disaster – of course, are all simmering just below the surface. Brave faces look towards tomorrow when it is time. And I’m hoping that we are doing that too in our own way.

This week I met up with a group of Japanese ladies that have been dear friends of ours for almost 15 years. Having met them in their late 50’s, we went on to celebrate their 60^th birthdays and more recently their 70^th.  They are some of the most traditional influences we have had in our lives, and we owe so much of our cultural understanding and traditions to them. They have always had giggles at our faux pas, stood beside us at funerals when one of our group passed away, and have travelled with us on numerous occasions to Australia where they have extended such kindness on our families and taught us so much.  This week, after coming back from Tohoku, we met and cried for a long time.  One member having lived through the bombing in Hiroshima at aged 5. Losing her mother, father and grandfather August 6th. Having to live through a second disaster of that that type of scale is just cruel to endure. But she’s down here this time – not right in the chaos. And talking to these women I got a much better glimpse into the way they and the Japanese are all thinking.  One lady told us – everyone does their part.  The people up there whose lives are devastated – we can help them by helping the economy. We keep working, we hold our heads up and move forward. They need money and we will make the money for them by working hard.  This is the order of things. This is how we do it. There is a system and everyone has a role to play.

The flower festivals here in Tokyo are either cancelled or toned down, with people being urged to go out and enjoy the pure beauty of the cherry blossoms, without the more boisterous sake and karaoke parties that usually accompany them. And today we are trying to do that with some amazing friends, new and old, who are all doing the same as us. We are shell-shocked, we are anxious, we are doing our best to channel our energies into making sense of things.  The Japanese haven’t seen devastation like this since WWII. Our Japanese friends also told us that after the war, it was songs like ‘Sukiyaki’ talking of hope and a future that always helped move forward. Because there is a future she said.  And that is the most important thing for the people of Tohoku to hold on to. There is a future. I think I’ve never been so moved by the Japanese over our decade and a half, as I have been these last 3 weeks.  I know my character can only grow stronger, more resilient and hopefully more respectful from learning from them.

As our foreign friends return from abroad, a lot of them seem amazed by those of us here that are still in some type of shock. I thought there was something really wrong with me – with us – as everyday we woke up with the same feeling. That darkness like someone had died, or needed help. And of course, they had. And they did.

But it was this overwhelming grief that people often didn’t understand. It felt like I had lost someone from my own family. I wasn’t being overly dramatic. I just felt so connected. With family living in Iwate, and having numerous trips to the region. Having experienced the kindness of the countryside residents – it was all too much really. It wasn’t until a friend pointed out that there were many feeling the same that I realized we really weren’t alone. And thankfully many of us have connected and are working through things. We are experiencing a type of grief, and we will heal when the time was right. We’ve been told that we shouldn’t get pushed into ‘going out and enjoying ourselves’. We weren’t wallowing in anything. People would show their concern, but they will have to give us time and space like they would anyone who is in mourning to heal at our own pace and in our own way. And we are. A lot of that is by helping. Day after day. Yesterday, I felt hopeful for the first time in weeks, I felt like things were getting better and would continue to. Little by little.  Daily necessities are returning to the shelves and pretty much the worst thing we are experiencing down here is toilet paper selling out quickly, still scarce natto (which we don’t eat) and our morning read of seiverts and microseiverts.  We returned to work last Sunday and although very few people followed through on their bookings, the families that did were fabulous and understanding. We will soon get back to posting our sessions, images and work here on the blog. We’d all been through something life-changing, and as it was our first day back from Tokoku, the kids joy and enthusiasm were infectious and so very needed.  This week, we have turned our focus on getting our own business back and running with also working daily on relief efforts. 50 more peace Boat volunteers went up last week and 90 more yesterday. 150 more going next Friday. We are hearing stories of how things are moving, how people are dealing and how so much aid and relief has been getting through from all the NGOs and NPOs and the very very dedicated and hard work everyone these last 3 weeks. I will always be mind-blown by the way everyone here mobilized, joined forces and just got it done.

Now with so many returning and joining the efforts, things can only get better and better.  The Japanese are trying to be cheerful, and they will soldier on.  But it will take so much time to come to terms with all that has happened, and all that is yet to be done.  I’m so glad there are others out there that understand. Perhaps we are more Japanese after all these years than we’ve ever cared to admit. But at this time, I’m very honored to call so many of them our friends.   “Fall seven times, stand up eight times.”  A most apt Japanese idiom.

Care packages from home have been arriving now that he mail is back on track – the Petersons ‘personal’ one being just what we needed to keep spirits high. From headlamps (Buzz lightyear ones) from the kids, through to Caramello Koalas, chapstick and twisities… We felt the timing was just magical.  A fitting present for Dee – with absolute essentials for when we head back to Tohoku next week and some little treats that we so much need right now. Happy birthday Dee.

And so to celebrate subtly and respectfully, our day is going to consist of Cherry Blossom photos at Naka Meguro. If last week’s emotional portraits were anything to go by, I’d say some some very precious memories are in the making. This will be followed by our presentation for Peace Boat later in the evening. If you have time we would encourage anyone in Tokyo to drop by. Here are the details:

Volunteers for Earthquake Aid

by Peaceboat

Sunday, April 3 · 7:00pm – 9:00pm

The recent devastation of the earthquake in the Tohoku area has left many in the international community feeling uncertain and helpless about what to do.

Peace Boat would like to offer the international community an opportunity to;

*learn about daily and weekly volunteer work with PB in Tokyo and in the Tohoku area
*think of ways to raise funds in the following months for the people of Tohoku who are faced with a long journey ahead to rebuild lives.

This English-language event is to take place from 7pm to 9pm on Sunday 3rd April at Ulala Café (reasonably priced hot and cold drinks, snacks and light meals), near Shibakouen Station and is scheduled to include the following:

*An account of a volunteer’s experience in Ishinomaki with Peace Boat
*Recent video footage and photos of the first volunteer group in Ishinomaki
*A brief talk on volunteer work in Tokyo with Peace Boat
*An idea-generating session for fundraising in Japan and abroad.

This is a time when every effort can have a positive impact for those in need. We hope you will be able to take part in this effort to bring the international community together to support the country we’ve chosen to live in.

Free entry

Directions;
ULALA CAFE TOKYO
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~ulala/
Toei Mita Line, 0 min walk from Shibakoen Station, Exit A2, 2nd building on your right
JR Yamanote Line or Keisei Tohoku line, 6 mins walk from Tamachi station
Toei Mita line, Asakusa line 6mins walk from Mita station
Toei Oedo line, 5 mins walk from Akabanebashi Station

After that it’s onto BBC World Service to talk about our experiences in Tohoku and the Peace Boat efforts…  And perhaps, just perhaps we will squeeze a quiet dinner in there somewhere, or an evening walk under the blossoms with some yattai food to chew on.  However Dee wants to celebrate.

I am so pleased to be on this journey with such a remarkable woman.  Dee hates to talk about each other too much on the blog. ‘Self-indulgent’ she says.  But a few words, just today won’t hurt her reputation!  She has touched so many people and changed their lives in ways that even she doesn’t understand.  I’m sure she’ll come in and delete this – I’ll have to password protect this post…  She cares so much about always doing the right thing, always putting others first (I am a big beneficiary of this…) and only shows her wicked sense of humour with those closest to her.  You won’t ever meet a more beautiful soul.  And I know I speak on behalf of everyone who knows her when I say, thank you for everything. From the highs of a roof ride of a bus in Nepal, dinosaur bones and stolen pants in Mongolia, travelling by camel, Ghengis Khan, Route 66, King Arthur, exotic food, riding (gassy) horses, wine tasting our way through the world’s great vineyards, hanging out helicopters, chasing tornadoes, gatecrashing a Vegas Star Trek convention, climbing mountains, becoming connoisseurs of the world’s beaches, the Himalayas, islands, temples, jungles, roadtrips, deserts…

We see both the lunacy and the fabulousness of choosing Japan as our home. How can you not love a country that sells Jesus Body (some of of you will understand…)   Who would ever want to leave the daily fun of futon slapping?   The nuttiness often makes us question our sanity. But then it draws us back in always. The remote and untouched places of Shimokita-hanto to the backstreet teahouses of Kyoto and the bustling and tourist filled streets of Tokyo and Osaka. Weekends of hiking trails through the Southern Alps, Hakone and Fuji, Hiroshima, Izu and the islands, the stunning Rikuchu Kaigan in Tohoku, Hokkaido, fishing villages, the tea fields, the local historical sites, Kyushu, onsens, trails, legends and literature. 14 years and counting.

Everyone knows my favourite book is Paulo Coehelo’s The Alchemist. I’ve always thought I got the meaning. I connect with it. But until right now – we hadn’t lived it. The basic moral is that the secrets to living a happier, more fulfilled life are not far away or exotic: they are quite often right in front of us, right under our noses. But often we must travel far and wide in order to realize this. I’ve traveled… and I’ve wandered. And my treasure was right here all along. I’m finally home. Whatever country. Whatever shenanigans. Whatever tent, futon, ger, boutique hotel, bungalow, yacht, dormitory, communist hotel or truck we wake up in. I guess we are home. Here’s to a fabulous birthday, filled with love, smiles, compassion and bit of hi-jinx and life on the road.  Let’s go knock off another margarita. Or three. And start some healing.