Happy 10th Anniversary To Us

Dear Yochan,

You are the one for no reasons, colors my day with for many reasons, made me laugh, sometimes cry and often times makes me blush. It has been 10 years since we are married and we have gone a lot most especially of last year but it has only made us stronger. I love you with all of my heart and I will be here right by your side and even when the trials might come, WE WILL STAND STRONG.

Happy 10th Year Anniversary to us, my love! ^_^

Back From Hiatus

Hello friends! I haven't been here for awhile and a lot of things happened already most especially to my kids. Been busy attending school events with Wakaba in gradeschool and Haruka in kindergarten. Wakaba chan is doing well at school and she's enjoying her Unicycle which we bought for her a month ago and she's out( with me of course) almost everyday busy practicing with balance and guess what? She can now do it by herself!^_^

Haruka chan had their Sports Festival, Bazaar and a couple of Observation Day and I've been busy doing volunteer works at her school lately. I must say that I love what I was doing with some moms at school although it took some time of my online activities.

There are so many things to write and photos to upload and I'm excited to share it to all of you guys^_^

Because I Miss Our Community In Namie

I will be reposting the post I've written on the year 2009~ I am praying that the day will come that we will see each other again. ( wondering why? please read my Fukushima posts) Same happy faces...living on the same old town....

Reading my blog during the past years, I have been blogging all about our life in Namie ~ the so-called Our bukid of tralala....a big part of our lives is missing..

Sports Festival Part 2- Community Bonding

This was taken last year of October, and I don’t want to receive a call from my in-laws during that month coz there’s always a sportfest at my husband’s hometown and we’re forced to participate for the so-called “ community bonding ” wherein the community residents gather and do some sports act. Of course we don’t have a choice but to participate coz their blocks team don’t have any other younger members(?) and I guess I don’t have much more alibis to make–last year was I have my monthly period and the other year was ….unnnmmmn!! I forgot!!! and the other year was….. lol
Well,here are some of our sports act we did —the highlights includes stretching (LOL),tama ire games ( shooting small balls to the basket),tug of war, giant geta race ( wearing giant japanese wooden slipper with a member of six, kind of hard ), relay –for the aged about 16-20’s a 200 meter race, aged 30’s, 40’s and 50’s a 100 meter race and more. Would you believe that I ( on my 30’s ) did ( forcedly ) a 200 meter relay coz there’s no one participating on aged 20’s on our team?!!huhuhuu!!! My sore muscles reminds me how important excercise is!! So, here it is……I enjoyed it very much!!!!!!! Except for the relay (T_T)

Giant Geta Slipper Race

Team work!

Hubby and I,waiting for our turn..
Shoot that ball!!

The Button Relay

Our team placed 3rd—BANSAI!!! \(^0^)/

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Monitoring

~ before ~

A lot of parents at school were worried about radiation, the soil that was exposed to radiation leaks at the playground of the school was removed ( please read my post about it here ) My daughter's kindergarten and in gradeschool is doing it's own monitoring here in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture and constantly getting the results that there are no problems. Before, kids at school are allowed to play outdoor for only 30 minutes but now the topsoil were removed, kids are now back playing outdoors ( but still time is limited but longer).

~ after ~

*** There were some 'wakaii mama san tachi ' ( young mothers) often says that they don't want to eat something that comes from our Fukushima Prefecture and that they're frightened of being exposed to radiation but are SMOKERS~ don't they know that they are directly exposed to radioactivity in cigarette smoke? Or is it just me being affected when somebody says something bad about Fukushima on TV? ***

Updates

I would like to share some updates and some good ( and the not-so-good ) news of my PIL's situation and for some of those who haven't known yet, they were forced to evacuate their home because of the high radiation levels that could harm their health. Their home is inside the 20 km government-mandated evacuation zone and the residents are now gone at their hometown leaving their homes, livelihoods and pets.

My PIL received 5 items of electric appliances from the Japanese Red Cross Society ( I would like to thank friends who funded for the Kizuna Love Fund , the received money was donated to JRCS ) and some relief goods from the government. They have returned to their home in Namie last month for two hours only wearing a white full-body protective suit to pick up some important belongings. They also looked for their pet Shiro but he's nowhere to be found.

It seems that we woudn't be returning to our home in Namie anytime soon and that makes us more depressed. It is said that it'll take 35-40 years to be able to come back and they are worried about how they will recover. Although their home wasn't hit by the tsunami but it feels like just the same. Home is gone! They still have a home but yet cannot live at their own house and make a living. Memories are precious to peoples live's and I feel sad too because Namie is my kids birthplace and although it doesn't show to their faces, deep inside they're hurting to be away with their home, friends and relatives . I can feel their sufferings, silently...

Kizuna On Blog Leave

Love Letter from WiddlyTinks.com

Mommy Moments- Home

I would like to share with you our second home~ we've been missing this home which is a 20 km away from Dai-Ichi Nuclear Plant in Fukushima and is inside the danger zone. My PIL has to leave this home because of the radiation level ( I can't hold my tears as I was writing this ) that could harm their health and sad to say that my husband's hometown now seems like a 'ghost town'. Everybody has evacuated the area including their livelihood...

I guess you're wondering why I preferred to write about my PIL's home~ my kids spend their first few years at their Grannies home and they grew up with them. They played with their cousins and tend to their favorite dog, Shiro. Wakaba blurted out one day that she wants some corn and I told her that I would buy her some at the market but she told me that 'she wants the corn from their Grannies farm' and it's kind-a hurting me knowing that it would take awhile for us to come back. And I'm sure that the one's hurting the most is my PIL, BIL, SIL and hubby~ he grew up there and has so many memories. It was hard for them to leave their home and their livelihood but there was nothing else that they could do but HOPE and PRAY. I'm praying for the day that we could all be together again at our home in Namie.
Peace - that was the other name for home.

~ Kathleen Norris ~
It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home.
~ Author Unkown ~

Where thou art- that- is Home.
~ Emily Dickinson ~

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.
~ Jane Austen ~

Home is a shelter from storms- all sorts of storms.
~ William J. Bennett ~

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
~ Henry Van Dyke ~

Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~ Robert Montgomery ~

A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless.

~ May Sarton ~

He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ~

The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there.
~Ellie Rodriguez ~
Quotes

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Tohoku Earthquake 2011

Last March 11, 2011~ a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that ever recorded has taken many lives of people living in Japan. Many are homeless, injured persons and some are still missing. For those who lost their families and friends, may their souls rest in peace. My heart goes to them...Words cannot describe how terrible I feel for Japan, it breaks my heart to think of the towns I've visited before were simply washed away by the tsunami...so sad... It's devastating to see all that has happened and the destruction left behind. It's been a month since the 3-11 earthquake but it feels like yesterday to me....

March 11, 2011 ~ Friday

I started my day as usual: waked up early in the morning, cooked breakfast and made bentou for my husband and went to my morning duty for a 'hata toban'. I went out with a yellow flag as a cross guard and spent 30 to 40 minutes at the cross walk until 15 to 30 children leave the neighborhood for school. Then did my laundry after, cleaned the house and dropped Haruka to school before 9 am. Hours later, wrote an entry to my Friday favourite meme and bloghopped for awhile. It is a routine for me to do bloghopping when the kids are at school, it's one of my 'Me time'.

Picked up Haruka before 2:00 PM at school and went home early without letting her play after school coz my kids will be picked up by their Grandfather for a sleepover at their home in Namie for the weekend. 35 minutes later, Wakaba came with her project from school and as we're gladly looking at her drawings, we could feel the shaking in our apartment and thought that it was just the usual short earthquakes but it wasn't..the shaking was so violent and long. Though we have experienced an earthquake simulation before during an event, I have never experienced a strong earthquake before here in Japan and panicked for 'twas real! It felt like a lifetime to me. I guess Japanese are well trained on what to do when earthquake strikes coz after I shouted " jishin! " or the earthquake, Wakaba and Haruka went under the table and both of them seemed so calm unlike me. It felt to me like our apartment was on a railway car that was being pushed back and forth on it's rails. It was scary, terribly scary! The moving was violent, shaking and the things were falling all over and was afraid that our HDTV would tip over so I hold it but 'twas rocking from side to side and I'm also losing my balance!

The earthquake was long, felt danger inside the apartment and called my kids to run outside, Wakaba runs first, then me holding the hands of Haruka. Friends in the neighborhood were also outside and couldn't help but worry constantly. I didn't even noticed that we're on our barefoot until a friend told us so. Minutes later my husband came, still with his white uniform on ( he's a radialogist ) and was relieved after seeing us outside. He went up to the apartment to get some blankets, some food and checked if we have running water but there was none and hurriedly went to the nearest conveniece store to buy some food and bottled water to drink. My husband came back with a few snacks in hand--he said that the convenience store were all cleared of all food. We don't have power, gas and communications were knocked out! We were given sandwiches and bread to eat for the night and gave them our bananas in return. Blessings! Don't know why but tears came falling down...Things aren't looking so good but hopefully something will work out for us...with God's help.

We decided to spend the night inside the car although the kids would feel uncomfortable but being inside the car is safer rather than spending a night inside the apartment which is on a second floor. Every once in a while, an aftershock would strike and it really scares the hell out of me, we could feel the ground shaking. Me and my husband watched the news inside the car and was shocked! Little did I know that a tsunami washed away Tohoku! Sendai is a favorite place of ours, Namie Machi is our second home, Onahama Machi is 10 km away from us. God, please help Tohoku!

Next day, we checked inside our apartment and this is what we saw....

Our wooden clothes cabinet, toy storage have fallen down Our desktop has moved backward, fallen down Dishes rattled We're still getting constant tremors inside our apartment that lead us to run outside every once in a while. All forms of communications were knocked out Watching the news over the navigation screen Wakaba and Haruka sleeping inside the car

March 12, 2011 ~ Saturday

We had our gas and electricity back and immediately cooked rice then made onigiri ( rice balls ) for breakfast and cooked curry for large batches that will fill our stomach for a couple of days. We've got no running water but luckily, I didn't throw the water that was being used during our ofuro( bath tub)~ it helped us a lot on flushing our toilet. What we didn't have running water and a kerosene to fill our heater but we have our blanket to warmth us. My husband went to collect water at a water station/delivery services run by the local government. He brought with him some jars and lined up for 4 hours to get water.

Little did I know 'bout the nuclear accident at Fukushima Nuclear Plant~ I never thought that three disasters could happen at the same time in one country... The government is asking the people to leave for those who are living 20 km( danger zone) near the plant. Us, ( living 40 km) however instructed to stay indoors. My SIL's house is 15 km and my PIL's house is 20 km from the plant. Worried, really worried about them but we can't use any source of communication. No phone, no internet!

What really shocked me was the convenience stores were all cleared of all food!

March 13, 2011 ~ Sunday~

My Mama tomo ( Japanese friend mum) came with a plastic bag that's full of cup soup, instant soup, cup ramen and tuna can. What a blessing! She asked me if there's something anything else we need~ I feel so blessed with generous friends!

Another blessing! Our neighbor brought us some snacks for the kids, we gave them our few bottled water in return. I'm so blessed to be here~ friends, residents help each other in time of need. I'm so grateful!

March 14, 2011 ~ Monday~

I went early to get some water~ good thing that the water station is giving water 24 hours, there's only a few people getting water, no loong lines and went smoothly and filled up my jar with water and when I was on my way to get home, saw cars lined up through the gasoline station. Little did I know that some drivers waited all day for just a few litres of gasoline.
Went to the nearest supermarket to buy drinking water~ stores forbid customers to buy one box (12pcs, 1000ml) of bottled water per person and luckily bought for us. Even at supermarkets were cleared of all food~ I was afraid that supplies would soon dry up.

Called to my Mom in the Philippines at the supermarket's phone box~ she cried upon hearing my voice, I wanted to convey to her that we're all safe and sound but she can't help but get worried most especially about the radiation threat. I told her we've got enough gasoline just in case the government warn us to evacuate the area...

March 15, 2011~ Tuesday

My husband went out to look for food but to his dismay, all the stores were all closed. I went out to check for other stores and looked around. The surroundings were different and it looks like a ghost town--no people, no nothing!
to be continued....
**********
Here's some things that you should have on hand just in case there is an earthquake. These includes foods, waters, flashlights and radio with batteries, wet tissues, plastic/food wrap or a cling wrap and aluminum foil. There is, of course, no guarantee that nothing will happened, but try to be prepared.

An idea to save water~ cover plates with wraps before putting the food on then peel the wrap off and disgard it after eating to save much water. Believe me, food wraps helps a lot! Quakes can be very terrifying, but we have to be prepared for them. Let’s do the best we can.

***********
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Glance Of Sakura

We're so blessed to have all the beauty of sakura near our apartment but I didn't even recognized it coz I was very down spirited because of what's happening in Fukushima ( most of you probably know ) until a friend reminded me of spring and hope. We went out for a quiet walk like we always did every spring time but I don't know why, this year's hanami ( flower viewing ) was different. The bright blue skies and cherry blossoms seems like a sign of hope for me and it feels like that everything is more colourful and more alive! Although sakuras are short-lived, I found happiness of those blooms of hope. 気持ちが落ち着く!

Brought some homemade lunchbox and had our lunch under the gorgeous sakura trees


" One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching "

~ Anonymous ~
Sakura burst into full bloom!

Us, enjoying every moment of spring in Japan!

Haruka chan gladly posed for me ^_^

Wakaba and Haruka played at the park~ it was good to see them running around and that day was especially fun because they were playing mostly indoors during the past weeks.
Wakaba chan
I pray that those who suffer and grieve will find strength and courage to carry on and that they may have hope.