I've been so distracted lately. Japan is in an utter state of crisis - it's kinda left me a bit flat in the Paleo writing department. I've started a few times on some posts, but they were just lifeless. Meaningless, given what's going on.
So this post will deviate ever so slightly (okay, massively) from the norm, and it will touch on some questions people have been asking me lately.
Q: Did the earthquake/tsunami happen in or near the town you went to in Japan last year?
A: The epicenter of the earthquake is approximately a 3-4 hour drive from Tomobe (Ibaraki Prefecture) to Sendai (Miyagi Prefecture), so no. They very much felt and saw the effects of the earthquake, but the damage in Tomobe pales in comparison to the damage in Sendai, from what I understand. The missionaries we worked with say that there were messes to clean up inside the house and church (broken dishes, food, etc.), but the buildings are structurally sound. People around them sustained damage to their roof tiles and stone walls, but that's about it. They're slowly regaining their utilities.
Q: Has or will the radiation from the damaged nuclear plants reach WA?
A: I'm guessing absolutely not, based on what I've read so far. Right now, it sounds like the latest explosion has put the population within an 18 mile radius of the plant at risk to low-moderate radiation exposure. One of the plants is approximately 100 miles from Tomobe. Check out this article for info on radiation in general and the radiation problems in Japan http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12722435. But yes, Mom and Dad - if I hear of any problems, I'll hop on a plane and head home. :)
Q: I've heard so many things on the news - some of them sound so scary, and some of them sound, well...less apocalyptic. How bad is it really?
A: Not only have I asked that same question and talked about it with tons of other people, I also don't know the exact answer. All I can say is please, please acquire the ability to discern hyped up news garbage from real facts if you don't have that ability already. I've read some ridiculous headlines from some (arguably) respectable news sources, and I've heard/read some that just do their best to lay out facts. If you see some beyond-shocking headline somewhere, double check it. Triple check it. Don't spread it around until you're sure it's reasonably factual. Spreading false information about a crisis is about as helpful as not trying to help at all.
Q: What can I do to help Japan?
A: Okay, I haven't exactly been asked this (why would anyone ask me? I'm just some nobody from WA!), but I feel compelled to share some resources with you.
Help Japan:
http://american.redcross.org/
text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your phone
http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org/Page.aspx?pid=332
text MED to 80888 to donate $10
Also, check out this article for more resources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/how-to-help-japan-earthquake-relief_n_834484.html
I've been trying to think of other ways to help - sometimes, it feels like throwing money at the problem doesn't always solve the problem. Maybe getting a group together and throwing a fundraiser for one of the churches we know of there (bake sale, knitted goods sale, knitting pattern sale, youth group auction, etc.), praying, spreading the word on how others can help...that kind of stuff.
If you have any great ideas or want to start something of your own, do share! :)
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