Pray for the Philippines

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Philippines, and to those who were affected by the powerful typhoon. Seeing the images from the aftermath of Supertyphoon Haiyan, I am struck once again by the power of mother nature, and the devastation it has caused.

Looking through the images posted online of damaged houses, ships washed ashore, as well as the rubble and debris...brought back vivid memories of March 11th. I send strengths and energy to the people who were affected, and hope the relief efforts will reach those who are in need of help.

Here are just some aid groups and charities we can all support to help with the relief efforts:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/10/help-typhoon-haiyan-relief-effort

I know that sometimes, people may be hesitant to make donations to these organizations-unsure if the support will actually reach the people in need. However, providing the support (i.e., donations) to those who can take action at the devastated areas, I believe is one of the best ways to help from afar. And it will make a difference!
 

Just imagine...being in their shoes. By joining relief efforts, we can all help out in providing the basic necessities to live for those who are in need of support.  And let us also take a moment to be grateful and reflect on the things that we already have in our everyday lives.... our family, friends, home, a nice field to play pick-up soccer, the breath (it can be anything!) ...the daily blessings that we sometimes take for granted.

Tokyo 2020

Congratulations to Tokyo for being chosen to host the 2020 Olympics!!

Watching the news, and seeing the people in Japan enthused about the decision made me miss home- miss Tokyo.

It also made me intrigued by the power of sport to inspire- which was mentioned by Paralympic long jumper Mami Sato, whose home town (Kessennuma, Miyagi) was devastated by the tsunami. She mentioned how many athletes who visited the affected areas brought smiles and hope to the children affected during March 11th, and how this made her realize the potential that lies in sport.

Her comment made me recall back to the Women's World Cup in 2011, when the Japanese women's team, Nadeshiko, inspired our nation. A nation devastated by the March 11th disaster. I clearly remember that was the first time since March 11th when I felt I could truly smile and cheer from deep inside :) That was such an inspiring moment, and a moment that brought smiles and hope to the people in Tohoku, and all throughout Japan.

The 11th of this month will mark 2 and a half years since the earthquake and tsunami struck Northeastern Japan. Even though I go through the radio exercises (Oraho no Taiso) in Tohoku dialect to keep the people in Northeast Japan close at heart, I sometimes feel I have started to drift away- even though I do not want to forget.

I hope that with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind and in the future, the power of sport to inspire will in some way have a positive impact on the recovery process. And in 7 years, let us hope that Tokyo will host a summer games that everyone will treasure and be proud of.

Fit 3 minutes of "Oraho no Radio Taiso" into your day!

Starting your morning off just right is important for many of us as it may impact how you go about the rest of your day.

For some, this may mean taking a morning shower, stopping by at your favorite cafe for a morning cup of coffee or waking up at a certain time so that you have plenty of time to eat breakfast, dress nicely, and have a smooth transition to work, to school, or to wherever you are headed for the day.

Well, recently, I've added a new routine to my mornings :)  The new routine is to do a “radio exercise”( rajio taisou: ラジオ体操).

For those who are unfamiliar with this term, radio exercise is one of the famous styles of exercise which has been frequently shown on TV or the radio for quite a long time in Japan. In just three minutes, this brief exercise allows you to go through diverse movements (stretching, turning,  jumping) which targets the major muscles and joints of the body. The majority of Japanese people (across generations) are familiar with this exercise, as well as the background music that goes with it. They even know the exact order of each movement!

So, my new morning routine was to do a radio exercise. Not just any radio exercise but the "Oraho no Radio Taisou", which was introduced earlier in this blog: a project launched in Ishinomaki to help maintain and promote the health of the region’s residents affected by March 11th, and to contribute to the restoration of the community.

What inspired me to incorporate this into my day was actually a brief TED talk  by Matt Cutts which states to simply try something new (e.g., take a picture everyday, ride your bike to work everyday) for 30 days. So my first challenge was to complete the "Oraho no Radio Taisou" for 30 consecutive days! 

It was so great, starting my day with smiles from Ishinomaki, exercising together, and feeling closer to the people in Tohoku (I also love that it is in Tohoku dialect!) that this routine has stuck with me past the 30 days.

I hope you will try it out one day, too!! 

もう一度 (One More Time... )

My mom always sends me goodies from Japan. Like seasoning to put on onigiri (rice balls) I make for lunch, dried seaweed to put into miso-soup, Japanese saran-wrap (I know these all sound like mundane things but you will only understand if you are Japanese and live outside of Japan...). It always brightens up my day when I come home to a box from my mom. This one time though in the box from mom- were also newspapers from March 11th 2013.

I had been so engrossed in graduate school related stuff that I hadn't even looked carefully at the newspapers until sometime, late in April. But one day, just out of the blue, I picked up the newspapers, and took a moment to look, and to  read carefully.

The cover pages (front and back) of the Asahi Shinbun read:

「一歩ずつ　この二年」"One step at a time, these two years"
and 「一日ずつこの先も」"One day at a time, from here on also"

With pictures of the recovery process filling the entire front and back, as well as the insides of the newspaper.

Memories came back one by one from the moment the earthquake struck. That day, at 2:47PM on Aoyama Dori in Tokyo, I tried to keep my cool as the ground refused to stop shaking, and as buildings swayed violently back and forth. Then, struck the memories from the times I spent in Tohoku. Recalling my volunteer experiences and the people I met at each location, I wondered how they were doing. Tears filled my eyes as I read about those who lost their loved ones, and how each was still struggling to move forward one day at a time.

One of the words of those who had been affected stood out to me:

"Please don't forget the affected areas. Nothing has changed yet. It's painful when people just remember at the marks of the day"

I also found with the newspapers, a light-pink envelope addressed to me from Kessennuma City.

The letter thanked me for supporting the city during difficult times. It was a letter of gratitude but there was also a hint of regret (due to the slow recovery process) in not being able to offer me with the city's pride: its delicious seafood and its beautiful scenery. Due to the long recovery process that still lay ahead, there was also a wish for continuous support.

At first, I was shocked at how they even got a hold of my address and how they had held on to it for the past two years or so. But I was even more shocked because they were thanking me, when I was slipping away, forgetting.

And it hit me hard. I am beginning to forget, I am beginning to not care...

So even if I may not have time to update this blog as much as I would like to, one more time, I will give it a try. I will keep this blog alive so that I don't forget. And so that others who may stumble upon this blog can also remember, support, and watch over the affected areas and the people as they continue to make steps towards recovery.

In Closing and Wishes for the Year 2013

Being miles away from Japan, and with graduate school in progress, I become more and more engrossed in my own life and everyday tasks that I often don't have the time to care about what is happening in Tohoku (Northeast Japan).

Although Facebook is a powerful procrastinating tool, it is also the one place I can keep up with the situation in Northeast Japan- so I am thankful for the social network. Through facebook, I am connected with Rikuzen-Takata's facebook page, people I met through volunteering, and volunteer organizations that keep me updated on news of the recovery process in Tohoku.

The first catching of Abalone (type of shellfish) this year at Hirota Bay

Salmon return to Kesen river once again this year in November

On December 23rd, the volunteer center in Rikuzen-Takata closed down. (This does not mean we should stop supporting Rikuzen-Takata!) It ran for one year and 9 months, serving as a center for the relief efforts of the city. It initiated on March 17th, and throughout this time, about 129,469 volunteers are said to have come to the center.

I was one of the many many volunteers. The other day, I came across an interesting article (in Japanese) which discussed the reasons why volunteers (this article specifically focused on student volunteers) kept going back to Tohoku to volunteer and what the driving force was. The author suggested it was because volunteering gave people, and especially the young people of Japan, a sense of belonging. Volunteering made you feel needed, and gave you a sense of purpose. This may indeed be something that is lacking: a sense of connection to Japanese society.

Although phrasing it in this manner stresses the fact people volunteer for their own good, I completely agree. Of course, it is problematic and wrong to volunteer for one's own satisfaction. And as a volunteer, you should not do what you want to do, but you should try your best to volunteer together (i.e., with the people) to meet the others' needs. But in the end, it comes down to what you benefit out of the experience- many valuable lessons can be learned, and rich experiences can be gained.

But the author insists, it should not stop there. There is also a need to prevent the memories from fading. We need to keep March 11th and its aftermath alive, and he suggests the power to do this is through words. There is a meaning to each of our volunteer experiences, and although memories fade away, we should pay our experiences forward, through words.

Although my blog is just one of the many volunteer stories that are out there, I hope it has been meaningful for others. This will sadly be my final blog post. Still, I hope people will come across it from time to time, and read about my volunteer experience. I know I will be coming back to this blog to remember. And we should listen to others' stories as well. How can we stop the memories of March 11th from fading away? How can we keep caring and keep supporting Tohoku?

 As my volunteer leader from NICE wrote recently as the volunteer center in Rikuzen-Takata closed down:
けれどこれで終わりじゃない！
これからも思いを気持ちを繫げていこう！
みんなで広めよう「なじょにがすっぺ」の輪。
みんな繫げて！ 

"But this is not the end! We need to keep our thoughts (for Tohoku) alive and moving forward! We need to keep spreading the "Na-jyoniga-supppe" (a dialect meaning, Let's do something! /Let's take initiative!, this has been the relief effort motto for Rikuzen-Takata city) circle of support. Let's pay it forward!"

The people in Tohoku will be welcoming their 2nd new year since March 11th. There are still people living in temporary housing throughout Japan, and people who have been forced to evacuate due to the radiation issues in Fukushima. While harsh conditions still continue, I pray that the people of Tohoku are welcoming the year 2013 with more hope and smiles. I also hope they are all keeping warm, as Tohoku winters are known to be quite cold.

In the year 2013 and years to come, I will keep Tohoku in my thoughts and keep supporting in my own ways. One day, when I can make a visit back home, I will visit Tohoku. Even though I may not be able to see all of the places I volunteered at, I hope to visit each and every place in the future. And my hope is to see the recovery process with my own eyes, and reconnect to the place and to its people.

Wishing everyone a happy new year!!!