Asia-bound Teachers Face Grammar/IQ Tests on Arrival

Personally, I think this is a good idea... And the ASEAN authorities make a valid point, I think:

The measures, proposed by education department officials in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), are intended to prevent large numbers of unemployed foreigners from countries including the US, the UK and Australia from flooding the local job market in search of employment as “native English teachers”.

http://eslblogs.englishclub.com/blog/news/asia-bound-teachers-face-grammar-iq-tests-on-arrival/

It may feel like a kick in the gut, but many of the Asian countries have a much tougher scholastic curriculum than those in North America.

I am not particularly in favour of the applicant footing the bill for the battery of tests, and wonder if the sponsor school might consider doing so as a responsibility. That way, the schools would also be more strict in their vetting of applicants for teaching positions in their programs, and eliminate those not up to the requirements from the beginning.

Charles, what do you think?
Any other TEFL language educators out there in the world have any thoughts on this?

Cam

Here's why we have rolling blackouts in Tokyo when only 2.5% of the total energy source is compro

"Respectfully Yours John S." asked me a few weeks ago why on earth TEPCO had to start "rolling blackouts" in Tokyo and the outlying areas after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Reactors went into "disaster mode". This article explains very well why, when nuclear energy in Japan makes up 35% of Japan's total energy production, and four out of 55 nuclear reactors across the country are compromised (that works out to 2.5% of Energy production compromised) TEPCO decided to initiate power outages.

http://tinyurl.com/JapanEnergy

If you aren't interested in reading the article, here's a quick summary:

Japanese electric companies are extremely greedy, do everything possible to prevent competition, and should all get slammed for anti-competition infractions!

I recommend taking a look at the article; it's quite an eye-opener.

Cam

TickerTapeNews from NHK for 2011/04/01 a.m.

Here is a summary of the NHK Online (English) News for today, April 1st, 2011.
Have a great day.
I love you!
Cam

***********************

* The IAEA says radiation levels twice as high as its criterion for evacuation were detected in a village 40 km from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
(Cam: I wonder if Japan will re-evaluate it's criterion after this?)
.
* A Japanese researcher has explained how radioactive substances that leaked from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have spread and reached Tokyo and other parts of the Kanto region.
(Cam: Will that cause more panic, or will people look at it objectively? Or, will they simply ignore it and continue on with life?)
.
* Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has not provided every worker at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant with radiation monitors, breaking government rules.
(Cam: More news that shows TEPCO deserves a really severe spanking after this mess is all cleared up.)
.
* The death toll from the March 11th quake and tsunami in northeastern Japan rose to 11,532 as of Thursday night. The National Police Agency says 16,441 others are missing.
(Cam: The death toll will continue to rise, until the missing toll approaches zero.)
.
* The US military is sending Marines specialized in responding to nuclear emergencies to Japan to help deal with the trouble at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
(Cam: Go Marines!)
.
* Japan's Meteorological Agency advises continued caution due to powerful aftershocks 3 weeks after a magnitude 9.0 quake hit Japan.
(Cam: It's been pretty quiet in Tokyo, but this site shows that the world is anything BUT quiet: http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/ Did you realize that there are tons of earthquakes occurring daily over in the USA as well?)
.
* Video footage of the March 11th tsunami, apparently taken by someone at a thermal power plant in Fukushima prefecture, has been posted on YouTube.
(Cam: Great! More death and destruction for the TV media to latch onto!!)
.
* The Health Ministry says radiation exceeding safety standards has been detected in beef from Fukushima and vegetables from Ibaraki, Tochigi and Chiba prefectures.
(Cam: So, being a vegetarian is not healthy, and being a carnivore is not healthy... What's a poor sap to do?)
.
* Britain has hailed the defection of Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa as a blow to leader Muammar al-Qadhafi.
(Cam: Why do these guys all have such catchy sing-song names?)
.
* New York Stock Closing on Thursday: Dow Jones 12,319.73, down 30.88 from Wednesday. NASDAQ 2,781.07, up 4.28.
(Cam: Just thought I'd add something other than death and destruction for those of you not "into" it.)
.
Read the details here: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/31_19.html
.

First Attempt @ Skating in X Decades: HARD!

OMG! I never would have guessed how difficult it is to skate! I went for my first time today. It reminded me of when I was a kid skating on the ice rink. All those years of lessons and how much I hated them (and sucked at it) all came back to me.

Wow... this. is. difficult.

What. a. challenge!

I think I was right to order that book (that didn't arrive yet), but I wanted to try something new (as Darrell suggested) so I put the skates on anyway and went out for a bit.

A bazillion thoughts ran through my mind:

"How do you stop? How do you go? How do you turn? How do you turn the other way? How do you stay standing? How do you sit down? How do you do this? Will I die if I get run over by a car? What should I make for dinner tonight? Is that dried dog poop I'm heading straight toward? Help!!"

I made sure there were lots of "things" around me to grab on to because for the life of me, I have no idea how pushing that rubber stopper on the right heel into the ground is supposed to stop me.

I bet my ankles are going to be stiff tomorrow, because they sure were burning as I was trying to simply stay upright. I sure was wobbly. (That will be a fun memory).

Twenty minutes. That's the best I could do today. Good thing I bought lots of protection, too. I just wish they had a bum protector that works as well as the hands, elbows and knee protectors. Ouch!

Think of a staircase, for a moment. We FEEL that we are progressing when we move up the staircase. But while we are horizontal, it doesn't feel like we are getting anywhere. This is the PERCEIVED Learning Curve. This horizontal period is also when many students decide to quit whatever it is they are learning, because they feel they are not progressing. 

However, the actual learning curve is a little bit different. Think of those stairs again, and draw a line through the tops of each step. Can you see now there is a graph that is continually moving upward over time? This is the ACTUAL Learning Curve. Even though we don't perceive we are learning, actually we are. We just don't realize it.

Last weekend I made a teeny step forward and up: I bought my skates. Today I took another step forward: I used my skates. If I continue to use them, I know I will get better; I know I will learn. Even if it doesn't FEEL like I'm getting better, as long as I keep doing it, I am pretty confident that one day I may suddenly realize, "hey! I'm doing it!"

This IS going to be a challenge! I got a snicker out of a couple of 9 or 10 year old girls as I was holding onto a stop sign to keep myself from falling down... At least I was able to make somebody happy from my adventure. Can't complain about that.

I love you!
Cam

TickerTapeNews for Japan 2010/03/31

Here are the main news headlines from NHK Online, as of 2011/03/31, 13:00. We've got a ways to go yet, that's for sure. But we'll get there. One. Step. At. A. Time.

I love you!
Have a good one.
Cam
.
.
* Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA detected higher than the standard levels of radiation in soil at Iitate village in Fukushima outside of the evacuation area from the damaged Daiichi nuclear power plant.
.
* Workers are still struggling to resolve the problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant where the disposal of radioactive water is hindering cooling efforts.
.
* Teams working on the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are going to use a synthetic resin to try and prevent radioactive dust from becoming airborne or being washed into the sea.
.
* The UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA, has decided to dispatch a marine environmental expert to Fukushima to analyze seawater around the troubled nuclear power plant.
.
* US President Barack Obama has reiterated his support for more nuclear power despite growing public concern in the wake of the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant.
.
* The number of dead continues to rise in quake and tsunami-hit eastern Japan. Police say the confirmed death toll rose to 11,417 as of Thursday morning while 16,273 people remain missing.
.
* Disaster-hit northeastern Japan still faces acute shortages of gasoline and other fuels due to damaged transportation and distribution systems.
.
* Honda Motor will reduce vehicle production at its 5 plants in North America from Wednesday, due to expected shortages of car parts from Japan.
.
* Libyan foreign minister Mousa Kousa has conveyed to the British government his decision to resign.
.
* A senior North Korean official has indicated the country would agree to have its uranium enrichment program on the agenda at the 6-party talks on the North's nuclear program.
.
* Tokyo stocks at Thursday morning close: Nikkei 225 9,705.91 down 2.88 TOPIX 865.94 down 0.15 from Wednesday.

"When it comes to the words you choose, whether in your mind or amongst friends, let them be of what you like and love. What you care about and cherish. What makes you happy. What gives you wings. What makes you dream. And very little else." - The universe (3/30)

Meet My New Roommates: Mr. Benjamin & Lady Palm

Meet my two new room mates:

Mr. Benjamin 

and

Lady Palm

Both arrived today in the late afternoon, ready and raring to commence cohabitation with me. 

They come from the Japanese Amazon and are excited to begin their brand new lives here in the thriving metropolis of Tokyo.

They add some very much needed character, and joie de vivre to my humble abode, don't you think?

I love you!
Cam

Japan Disaster TickerTape Update 110329 13:55

Here are the TickerTape Updates from the NHK Online Website as of 13:55 on March 29, 2011.
.
One other bit of news that keeps showing up, is that TEPCO seems to be continually apologizing for their errors, discrepancies, poor reporting, etc. in spite of being spanked a few times by Yukiyo Edano (that guy in the blue work uniform who shows up all the time for the news conferences). But... they apparently continue to resist outside, international oversight, and visits to the actual site.
.
.
* Tokyo Electric Power Company says plutonium has been found in soil samples from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. But it says the level detected is the same as that found in other parts of Japan and does not pose a threat to human health.
.
* Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the detection of trace amounts of plutonium in ground at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant means the situation there is extremely serious.
.
(Cam's Note: Do the above two reports not seem slightly ... contradictory?)
.
* The government's nuclear safety agency has ordered Tokyo Electric Power Company to closely monitor radiation and water levels in tunnels outside the turbine buildings for 3 damaged reactors.
.
(Cam's Note: It's time that the work be taken out of TEPCO's incompetent hands, and given to another body, methinks.)
.
* Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says water must be pumped continuously into the No.2 reactor at the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant, despite the leak of highly radioactive water from the unit.
.
* Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa says Self-Defense Forces troops if asked would work to remove highly radioactive water found leaking at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
.
* Prime Minister Naoto Kan has rejected views that his visit to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant a day after the earthquake delayed the crucial initial response to the developing disaster.
.
* Japan's semi-public Geospatial Information Authority says the March 11th tsunami flooded a total 443 square kilometers of land in the 4 prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima.
.
* Japan's Land Ministry has found that the tsunami on March 11th ran more than 40 kilometers upstream from river mouths.
.
* A government study has found that dramatic changes in tide levels in the sea off northern Japan continued for about 6 hours after a massive tsunami struck on March 11th.
.
* Over 28,000 people are dead or missing following the huge earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan's northeastern coast on March 11th.
.
* Electric power companies in Japan have put on hold plans to restart nuclear reactors now undergoing checkups, and to build new ones.

TickerTape Update for Japan 2011/03/28

Here are tonight's ticker-tape updates for tonight.

And for the record...

No, the rain is not giving people skin blisters and red, dotted rashes.

No we are not without water.

No we are not running around in panic and evacuating Tokyo.

Anybody who claims any of the aboveis a brazen-faced liar.

Or they have been watching too many conspiracy theory bulletin boards.

Or they have contracted syphilis and are suffering one of the debilitating stages of dementia.

In the case of any of the above, I highly recommend a good swift kick to the arse to eject them from Japan as quickly as possible before they mindlessly infect anyone else.

We WILL fix this mess. We're Japanese.

 

* TEPCO says very high levels of radiation have been observed in water found in a tunnel outside the turbine building for one of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

* Earlier, Japan's nuclear safety watchdog has said radioactive elements from melted nuclear fuel have possibly found their way from one of the reactors to a turbine building at the nuclear power plant.

* Efforts to cool the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant are being hampered by the leakage of highly radioactive substances.

* Three men exposed to high levels of radiation while working at the damaged nuclear power plant have left the hospital with a clean bill of health.

* The confirmed death toll in Japan's devastating March 11th earthquake and tsunami has climbed to 10,901 people, with 17,649 others listed as missing.

* The construction of temporary housing began on Monday in disaster-stricken Miyagi prefecture.

* All the fishing ports on the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan suffered extensive damage in the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, and the marine products industry has been decimated.

* Japan has received offers of help from 134 nations and territories as well as from 39 international organizations in the wake of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami, the foreign ministry says.

Update on Japan for 2011/03/28 (13:00)

Here is a (very) brief update on what is going on in Japan today. Actually there's a lot more than just earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear stuff, but this probably interests you more:

* A high density of radioactive materials was found on Sunday in sea water near the quake-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, for the 3rd straight day.
* At the quake-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant, high radioactive density detected in 3 turbine buildings may further delay work to restore the cooling systems for the overheated fuel rods.
* An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 occurred off Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan at 7:24 A.M. on Monday. A tsunami evacuation advisory for the coastal areas was issued, but later lifted.
* Japan's Defense Ministry has released a new aerial video of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which shows the damage to the reactors more clearly than previous footage.
* The death toll in Japan's devastating March 11th earthquake has climbed to 10,872 people, with more than 16,200 missing. More than 190,000 people are still in shelters.
* An increasing number of residents have reportedly returned to their homes in suburban areas surrounding the troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
* Toyota has resumed production of hybrid vehicles in Japan, 2 weeks after the auto manufacturer halted all domestic output following the March 11th quake.
* Secretary General Katsuya Okada of the governing Democratic Party of Japan has suggested that his party may review the proposed corporate tax cut as part of its effort to raise funds to rebuild quake-ravaged areas.
* The Tokyo University of Foreign Studies is providing on its website information in 16 languages about radiation arising from the nuclear incidents in Japan.
* Tokyo stocks at Monday morning close: Nikkei 225 9,501.64, down 34.49 TOPIX 857.58, up 0.20 from Friday.
* It's sunny today turning to cloudy later in the day with highs of 11C and a low of 5C.

The Smallest/Narrowest Restaurant in The Multiverse

Today I cycled 15km to Jimbocho and bought the K2 Inline-Skates I looked at last weekend (finagled a 5% Discount). I also got palm/wrist, elbow, knee pads.

Then I rode over to Ochanomizu Stn to exchange the train ticket for Kobuchizawa on 3/14 (earthquake etc stopped all trains so I couldn't go) but the lines are all still affected by planned power outages and JR could not issue me a ticket.

So I went to look for something to eat instead. That's a reasonable alternative, don't you think?

I found the smallest/narrowest restaurant I have ever seen. The stairs were so narrow that I had to take my pack off and my shoulders brushed both walls on the way up.

This place has been in operation since 1954 which is cool in itself. It was so narrow that when I leaned slightly back to take this photo I almost touched the guy behind me eating against the opposite wall.

Unfortunately the food didn't quite suit me (loaded with pasta and rice), though it was tasty. Now I'm suffering dry mouth from the carbs. I'll likely have insulin-induced nightmares tonight and wake up with two inches of cotton on my teeth and tongu tomorrow morning.

But it was worth it!

Have yourself a very merry Sunday.

Glowingly Yours,
Cam

P.S. The nuclear situation still sucks.

U.S. Department of Energy said that no significant quantities of radiological material had been deposited in the area around the Fukushima plant since 3/19, according to tests on Friday. (http://blog.energy.gov/content/situation-japan/)

This is a video I made for my friend Bev, who suffers from back pain: "Building Core Strength" http://t.co/ntUxxq0

Another VERY interesting thing to note is that while the radiation levels in the drinking water are set at 100 Becquerel/L for infants and 300 Becquerel/L for adults, the INTERNATIONAL standard is a WHOPPING 3,000 (Three THOUSAND). That's a power of 10! Our "danger for infants" likely wouldn't even register on your international standards. More food for thought, eh?

In Tokyo (Sat) ambient radiation is 0.22 microS/hr, well within the global average of naturally occurring background radiation of 0.17-0.39 microS/hr set by the World Nuclear Association. There is NO NEED to panic.

Radioactivity Readings: Tokyo vs Fukui vs Kagoshima

As you can see by looking at these graphs, Tokyo and Fukui are not THAT much different in terms of actual radioactive levels.

The interesting thing to me is that on average, Fukui has HIGHER levels of radioactivity that Tokyo under normal circumstances (though it is actually not that much higher). If you look at the highlighted average scores, you can see the difference.

Cam

Tokyo Radioactive Levels as of 2011/03/26 14:59
(click for a larger image)

 

Fukui Radioactive Levels as of 2011/03/26 14:59
(click for a larger image)

 

And just to give you a reading from far far away, here is Kagoshima at the furthest tip on the island of Kyushu:

Kagoshima Radioactive Levels as of 2011/03/26 14:59
(click for a larger image)

The "usual rates" in Kagoshima are actually higher than those of Tokyo. And the current levels of radioactivity look like they might be "zero" but they probably are up a little bit.

Update (15:11): The previous images didn't enlarge so I grabbed new images and put them here for you to look at. The INTERESTING thing is that these images (updated to 13 minutes before typing this sentence) shows that the level in Tokyo has actually GONE DOWN from yesterday's reading at 20:28. Good news, eh?

Puts things in perspective, don't you think?

I love you!
Cam

Update to the Situation in Japan as of March 25th, 2011

Here is an update of the current situation in Japan as of March 25^th, 2011.

 

RECOVERY & REPAIR EFFORTS

·   Crime in the areas is up, looting continues, so police are stepping up number and frequency of patrols by sending more officers into the area.

·   There are 660,000 households without water and 209,000 households with no power.

·   Two weeks after the earthquake/tsunami, Japan has confirmed that the known death count has exceeded 10,000 and the total number of dead or missing is over 27,000.

·   56 patients in the area have died after being transported to hospitals. The general consensus among doctors is that these deaths are due to insufficient treatment caused by power outages.

·   Support from many countries, businesses and individuals around the world continues to pour in.

·   The Japanese government is preparing special legislation to assist the victims of the tragedy. An example may be exempting survivors from taxes.

·   People’s lives in the affected areas have somewhat stabilized (I use that term loosely) so now they are starting to turn toward thinking of cleaning up, and starting their lives over again.

·   The Tohoku expressway is reopened to all traffic now so fuel, aid and assistance should increase dramatically over land to the affected areas.

·   More food is reaching the areas so people are not surviving on one rice ball per day.

·   The damaged seaports in the area are once again functional so we should see a pickup in recovery and restoration efforts moving forward.

·   General reconstruction is estimated to take over five years and cost about $309 billion USD, the most costly disaster on record.

·   The size of the tsunami has been reassessed at 23m (76ft) instead of the original estimate of 10-15m.

 

RADIATION LEVELS

·   Tokyo has lifted the advice on the water ban for infants in Tokyo as radiation levels have dropped to below the maximum limit for children (100 Becquerel/L)

·   At the same time, levels in five other prefectures and a total of 18 purification plants have risen above the safe level for infants under one year of age. People in those areas have been recommended not to use tap water for their infants.

·   It is important to understand that radiation levels are much more strictly regulated in Japan than the international standard. For example, The Japanese limits radioactive Iodine in drinking water at 300 Becquerel/KG for adults, while the internationally accepted levels are 3,000, or 10X that of the Japanese standard.

·   Several Electric Companies around the country are re-assessing their nuclear policies and either suspending booting up reactors for a while, or putting the production of new reactors on the backburner until more information and government stance is better understood.

·   Public trust in nuclear energy has definitely been shaken.

 

AROUND TOKYO

·   TEPCO has announced that they will continue with their planned power outages until April 3^rd, and then conduct a review as to how they should move forward at that point.

·   A large amount of the escalators that go far down to the train lines in Tokyo are shut down to conserve energy.

·   Many of the ubiquitous drink machines around the city are turned off as well.

·   Retail and entertainment stores continue to close early in order to conserve energy.

·   The flashing lights, neon signs, wall-sized billboard TVs, and internal lighting to many commercial businesses are turned off, or dramatically reduced; The busy parts of Tokyo (e.g. Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc.) seem much darker and quieter than usual.

·   Businesses seem to be doing their best to help keep energy use to a minimum.

·   Supermarket shelves in Tokyo are still devoid of basic staples like bread, rice, milk, noodles, eggs, etc.

·   Bottled water is nearly impossible to find. Many supermarkets have signs outside apologizing for not being able to supply water. (Anecdote: after visiting four supermarkets in my neighbourhood, I could not find a single one with water.)

·   The radiation levels in vegetables from the Tohoku region have already affected shoppers in Tokyo who now are digging through bins looking at details for location of production.

 

PRODUCTS FROM JAPAN

·   Radiation in foods from the four affected prefectures is high, which has caused the Japanese government to put a stop to sales of some products (including milk products) from the Tohoku area.

·   Many countries around the world have placed restrictions or outright bans on Japanese products from that region.

·   The USA, Hong Kong and several other countries have implemented outright bans on many food products from the affected area.

·   The EU has decided to place the onus of responsibility upon the Japanese government for proving thorough documentation and proper labeling to guarantee that the radiation levels are acceptable under EU guidelines. Producers are also required to label their origin of product.

·   Taiwan has been testing food products from Japan since 3/15 and now they have started testing mail, packages, electric appliances and household utensils for excessive amounts of radiation.

·   Canada’s reaction to the situation is entirely reasonable, placing the onus of safety upon the importers to provide documentation from the Japanese government that the products they import are in fact, safe. It makes more sense than an outright ban.

·   Japan’s share of Canadian food imports is only 0.03% of the total. Canada imports over 20X more food from China than it does from Japan, or less than one half of one percent of that coming in from China.

·   Today (3/15) radiation exceeding the legal limit has been found in a vegetable grown in a Tokyo research facility. It is not for sale on the market. This is the first time vegetables from Tokyo have shown excess levels of radioisotopes.

 

RADIATION LEVELS

·   The IAEA, WHO, and Food & Agriculture Organization all agree that the Japanese government is following the correct procedures by measuring the radiation and reporting the results publicly.

·   Pressure at Reactor #1 is still high, so the workers have been pumping more water into the buildings, hoping to keep the temperatures down (while the pressure from water turning to steam goes up). It’s a balancing act because when they stopped sending in water on the 24^th, the internal pressure dropped BELOW the acceptable safe limit.

·   Three workers were exposed to extreme amounts of radiation in water when they where working at the plant. It seems to have seeped through their boots. Two are now hospitalized.

·   Electricity has been restored to Reactor #1 control room and the lights have been turned on.

·   It is currently believed that Reactor #3 may actually be damaged, leading to a leakage of high levels of radiation, says Japan’s Nuclear Safety Agency as of 12:07 on 3/25.

·   Results of radiation counts after 3-4 days have been shown to be about 10-20% of that which was emitted from Chernobyl over a total of 10 days cumulative.

·   The large majority of the radioactivity was dispersed over the Pacific Ocean, diluting it dramatically.

·   Because of the radiation levels in the ocean being elevated, the Japanese authorities will continue to monitor the fish and seafood populations to determine the effects on the marine life.

·   The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authorities say that the peak of radiation emission occurred a few days ago, but has since decreased. “Radiation measurements from around Japan are not very elevated.” claimed the spokesperson. (3/23)

 

 

Cameron Switzer, Tokyo Japan

2011/03/25

My Second Interview with Karen Black of CJOB (mp3 Attached)

I had a second interview with Karen Black of CJOB today (Friday, March 25th) which aired at approximately 15:10 in the afternoon. We discussed the current situation in Japan, radiation levels, products coming and going from the country, and the infrastructure in the Tohoku region.

If you would like to listen to that interview, you can visit www.cjob.com and go to their audio vault, choose Friday March 25, 3pm - 4pm and listen.

Or...

You can download the mp3 of the interview that Karen was so kind to send me.

Have a great evening.

I love you!
Cam

Attachment: cam on the drive 2 CJOB 110325.mp3

In the Blink of Luxury

When I climbed into the hot bath at the gym last night, waves of gratitude and appreciation for even the few rushed minutes I could get at the gym due to their early closure this month, in response to the power outages, rolled over me.

I was thinking, "close at 8pm?! I can't get to the gym after work for a workout and a bath and be out of there by 8pm!"

But that all melted away when the hot water reminded me quite clearly how the people in the disaster zone don't have ANY water at all, let alone a huge tub to sit and soak in...

Than you for the few minutes of luxury.

I love you!
Cam

Reading of environmental radioactivity level by prefecture

Here is an excellent resource showing all of the current radioactive levels across Japan per
prefecture (one point).

http://www.mext.go.jp/english/radioactivity_level/detail/1303986.htm

This resource is provided by The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and (deep breath) Technology.

You can also see the current level of radioactivity in the water source.

Warning: This shows only data, with absolutely no hype, nor interpretation.

It is an excellent resource for those who do NOT want to get sucked into the mass media's hype, hysteria and paranoia.

Enjoy the data.

I love you!

Cam

A Good Link for Recent News in Japan

Here is a good link to catch up on all of the National J-news that is being translated on "Japan Today".

http://www.japantoday.com/archive/national/page/1

 

If you scroll down, you can click on links to many more news pages.

Take a look and see what's going on from the Japanese perspective.

I love you!

Cam

This Medscape article's title put a smile on my face this morning (but not the content)

OB/GYN & WOMEN'S HEALTH
"Study Examines Factors Leading to CAM Use for Vaginitis"

http://mp.medscape.com/cgi-bin1/DM/t/eDHcL0XLW6e0F6A0DA1Z0GF&uac=143390MN

(you need to log in to read it, sorry).

Tokyo's Tap Water is Currently Bad for Babies

This is NOT news I wanted to read about...

"Radioactive iodine exceeding limit for infants found in Tokyo tap water"

Wednesday 23rd March, 02:40 PM JST
TOKYO -

The Tokyo metropolitan government warned Wednesday that infants
should not drink tap water as radioactive iodine exceeding the limit for
them were detected in water at a purification plant..

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radioactive-iodine-exceeding-limit-for-infants-found-in-tokyo-tap-water

6.0 @ 7:12, 5.? @ 7:13, 4.1 @ 7:25, 5.8 @ 7:36 and another right now. I don't like the look of this...

Apparently I look like Clark Kent with these glasses

I've been called a lot of things during my 20 years in Japan. It has run the whole gamut from Arnold through Princess Diana to recently Hugh Grant.

Today four indepent people at the office said that I look like Clark Kent in my suit, with my wavy hair but especially wearing these new black glasses.

I won't complain about that comparison!

Loved the 6.3 mag quake we had 20 minutes ago, too...

Cam

Lucky Strike 5.7 in Chiba

Well that one sure rocked the office. And it wasn't too far from Tokyo. I thought the plate shifting had moved further down the island. These earthquakes are getting rather tedious.

A New Challenge

I really don't find riding in the city much to my liking and haven't been able to do nearly as much riding as I would like.

I have also been thinking for some time now that in-line skating, as much as I sucked at ice skating, might be a new exercise to start up.

Also, it might mean that once I got stable and safe enough on them to actually do it with some confidence, I could consider takimng them to work and then skate home the 12km once in a while, when the weather is good (which is often in Tokyo).

There was really nowhere to skate any distance safely in Fukui and the Edogawa walking/cycling path would be a great way to easily get in a good workout.

So yesterday I bought a book for beginners (Amazon) and plan to read it when it arrives. Today I went to Jimbocho/Ochanomizu and looked at some skates. I also asked a ton of questions.

There was some big hesitation after while I thought about it over coffee and when I looked up the sleeve, it came down to this: fear of being seen a novice, worry that I won't be able to do it, and the memory of hating and sucking at ice skating (for a Canadian prairie boy that's a big admission). Once I realized what these hesitations were all due to, I could see that they are all foundless and that if I put my mind and body to it, and realize that nobody is going to ridicule me here for looking foolish, I was able to conclude that I will do this. (I also want to relearn how to play the guitar and have a ton of unfounded excuses for not having started that years ago as well).

So...

I will read the book when it arrives, then go and buy the skates and just do it.

My old lunchbag that finally melted away said this on it in big, bold letters: "Do one thing a day that scares you."

So I will!

I love you!
Cam

I watched "The Road" last night.... OH. MY. GOD. (acting was, in my opinion, superb). But OH. MY. GOD.

Lost in The Big RiceBowl

It was a good ride. 40km round trip and total spinning time of 2 hours. Coming back was a bit windy which cut my speed down by 5-10km/hr. I also ended on the wrong roads, mysteriously, thanks to the idiosyncrocies of Tokyo roads and their numbers suddenly changing on you for no apparent reason. Now I need protein or I'm going to get cold, shaky and cranky. And there's nobody to crank!

The "Great" ... Outdoors?

Well I made it to Shinjuku by bike. It's my first time to really ride any semi-long distance in Tokyo. The route is extremely simple: one highway straight for 20km. It took 45 minutes of riding and a total of 55minutes from door to door. The extra 10 minutes were due to traffic signals. I guess I'll finish my latte from Starbucks and then start the ride back.

It sure is nice to get out of my hammock-apartment into the great "outdoors".*

I love you!
Cam

* Consisting of concrete, steel, automobiles, infinite amounts of people and auto exhaust!

New Challenge Today: Cycling from my place to Shinjuku. In Tokyo traffic. Scary but exciting! Looking forward to the glow - I mean burn! Ta!

Another quake in Fukushima. 5.7magnitude. You can feel it in the body before it strikes the building. It's hard to explain. It feels like... the sound waves from an orchestral triangle struck under water as they pass through you. Help me out here, Sis.

A SUPERB article about what we long-timers in Japan really feel like here: "Overreactions worsen Japan's misery" http://t.co/tCwQlFG

Over 30K people have been evacuated from the 3 prefectures affected by the earthquake&tsunami. That's a LOT of blankets for UniQlo to donate.

On another note, 6 workers have received OVER 100milliSieverts of radiation. Smoking 1.5packs of cigarettes a day = 13-60 mSieverts / year.

Since 7pm they have been pumping seawater into the #1-#3 Fukushima reactors and the newspaper claims that the cores are being cooled.

Japan Meteorological Agency says NO WORRIES of tsunami with this last quake. All's clear. (And I thought I'd get a break this weekend...)

I've been quiet. So has the earth (sort of). But right now my apartment is making a LOT of noise and doing some serious... "wiggling". Epicenter is Ibaraki @ 6.1. Felt that!

My Interview With Karen Black from CJOB

Here is an mp3 file of my interview. Sorry that the quality is poor but we didn't have a good connection. I was able to get a file, though.

Please let me know what you think.

And thanks for hanging in with me this entire week. What a ride!

I love you!
Cam

Attachment: cam on the drive.mp3

Karen Black from CJOB said that her interview with me will be on her show between 3-4pm Winnipeg time today. If you miss it, you can likely get it again on the audio vault (same as last time) at www.cjob.com I hope it works out! Night everyone! 250 millisieverts, 251 millisieverts....

A Message from the Canadian Government

This just arrived from the Canadian Government:

On March 12th, the Prime Minister of Japan declared a nuclear emergency following a problem with the cooling system power supply at nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plants. The emergency declaration followed the March 11th 8.9-magnitude earthquake off the country's northeast coast.

We strongly advise against non-essential travel to Tokyo and surrounding areas, as well as the prefectures of Chiba, Miyagi, Ibaraki, Iwate, Aomori and Fukushima (see regional warning below), due to damages caused by the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. Sendai City, Fukushima City and Aomori City have been hardest hit.

Reports indicate that the earthquake caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the northeastern prefectures of the country. Power and telecommunications have been disrupted. Transportation routes, emergency and medical care, as well as water, food, and fuel supplies may also be affected. Canadians travelling to affected areas should contact their airline or tour operator to determine whether the situation will disrupt travel arrangements. They should also exercise caution, monitor local news and weather reports, and follow the advice of local authorities.

The Tokyo region also experienced significant shaking. Travellers should be aware that transportation routes, power and telecommunications systems could be affected in some areas. Travel to and from Narita International Airport may be difficult.

Temporary rolling blackouts in Tokyo and neighbouring areas are occuring. Canadians in need of assistance should visit our Assistance for Canadians in Japan page.

We advise against all travel within 80 km of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.

Following damage to the Fukushima nuclear power station in Okumacho, Canadians are strongly advised to follow the advice issued by the Japanese authorities. An evacuation order is in effect for the zone within 20km of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Japanese authorities recommend that people between 20km and 30km from the plant remain indoors with windows and doors closed and refrain from using ventilation systems.

There is no radiation health risk to Canadians travelling into or out of Japan, provided they have not been within the evacuation zone established by Japan.

Given the evolving situation, Canadians living within 80 km of the plant are advised that they should, as a further precautionary measure, evacuate this area. The directions of the Japanese government and local emergency response personnel should also be followed by all Canadians in Japan.

Information on the status of nuclear facilities in Japan can be obtained on the websites of the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

If you require assistance, please let us know by sending an e-mail or calling us at 03.5412.6200.  If you require immediate emergency assistance after Embassy office hours (09:00 - 17:30 JST), you may call 03.5412.6200 and your call will be transferred automatically to our Emergency Operation Center in Ottawa, Canada, or you can call directly at 1.613.996.8885. They are available 24/7.

We also suggest that you contact your family in Canada and inform them of your situation.

Best regards,

Consular Section / Section consulaire
Embassy of Canada / Ambassade du Canada

Quick Update

* Japan's science ministry says radiation levels of up to 0.17 millisieverts per hour have been detected about 30 kilometers northwest of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  Experts say exposure to those levels for 6 hours would result in absorption of the maximum level considered safe for 1 year.　　　

* Japan's government has raised the radiation exposure limit to 250 millisieverts for police and Self-Defense Force personnel to allow them enough time to engage in an operation to cool reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.　　　

* Japanese police have so far confirmed 5,583 deaths in Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunamis that hit northeastern Japan.  9,594 people are still missing.　　　

* US President Barack Obama says that the United States will give its full support to Japan for reconstruction of the areas devastated by Friday's earthquake and tsunamis.　　

* Japan's Self-Defense Forces have sprayed water on the overheated No.3 reactor of the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  The forces finished the 30-minute operation on Thursday evening. Five fire engines loaded with a total of 30 tons of water were used.　　

* Yen hit a high of 76 to the dollar today! That is amazing!

Goddamn, we are having ANOTHER big shaker that is making this entire block bounce WHILE swaying... It feels rather close. I think I'll go and put on my jeans, and say "to hell with Japanese tradition" and wear my boots to bed tonight. Ugh!

Tokyo would you STOP the earthqakes now! I'm tired of my photos & clock swinging back and forth on the wall! 21:34 in Chiba @ a 5.8. I had trouble walking down my hallway. Jeeez! Matt's going to be sleeping on his futon by the door, in his Avirex boots again tonight after that baby.

Geiger Boy Shows All Is Well in Tokyo

My friend Matt, another very level-headed Canuck in Tokyo, has posted this several times to show people the REAL radiation count in Tokyo.

This is a geiger counter that is placed in Hino, Tokyo. I'll include the location so you can see exactly on Google map if you wish.

This is not something that was just placed for this event; it has been around for some time and has been recording real time alpha, beta, gamma radiation for years I think. Therefore there is actually historical data.

If you follow the link, you will see at the top, the real time reading at the location. And below that you will see the historical readings of one year ago.

They are pretty much identical. Which means, that the radiation we are receiving NOW, is really no different than that which we had received when "all was fine" and the nuclear reactors were chugging away, producing power for 135 million energy-guzzling Japanese.

The Link: http://park18.wakwak.com/~weather/geiger_index.html

The Data:

Nuclear radiation detector：Black Cat Systems GM-10 Geiger Counter Radiation Detector
Radiation detected： Alpha - Above 3 MeV , Beta - Above 50 keV , Gamma / X-Ray - Above 7 keV
Location： 　Latitude:N 35 ° 39 ' 28 '' ( 35.658 °) , Longitude:E 139 ° 24 ' 5 '' ( 139.402 ° )　
100CPM = about 1 micoro Sievert/hr
Reload every 10 minutes.

So, I'm with Matt. There currently is nothing to worry about in Tokyo, and we shouldn't be over-reacting.

Of course, I wouldn't wander into the "no go zone", but the distance Tokyo is from these reactors is further than the distance of New York City from Three Mile Island. Did America evacuate NYC during the Three Mile Island Crisis?

Back to a relaxing dinner, then to do the dishes, and have a nice, slow, triple espresso.

I highly recommend those folk in the USA who are suddenly concerned and buying up KI (Potassium Iodide) pills to reconsider (as professionals in the USA are trying to explain). Any airborne radioactivity won't be strong enough to do any damage there, in Alaska, or Hawaii. Hospitals and pharmacies are recommending people NOT to request it needlessly. Stockpiling is not the right approach because it has a very short shelf life and is also apparently very easy to produce, or acquire when needed. And taking KI needlessly can actually cause other health issues. This was reported in the N.A. news feeds.

Water Air Drop has NO Effect

30 tonnes of water were dropped on the reactor over four times from helicopter and the reduction in radiation emission is negligible. On the other hand there were no apparent negative effects.

The government has decided that they will most likely not repeat this tactic.

This from live Japanese TV right now.

Technology & Disaster

One of the amazing things about this disaster is that our modern technology is being used to locate people and find out information about people in the areas. There are several sites for computers and cellphone users who can use their internetenabled phones and send news, updates, photos and more to a server. People outside the area can access the servers and then search for people and information on them. The phone lines are down and systems are overloaded so calling into the area is impossible however the internet is functioning.

That. Is. Amazing!

News from the TV Now 14:20

In Sendai the temperatures have dropped back to winter and it is snowing heavily. People are using the snow on cars to flush their toilets... Tomorrow will be colder... Some supermarkets opened selling limited goods at 30-40% discountrd from regular prices. The survivors are doing their best to carry on with what they have...

Confusing "Timely" Updates

3/17 9:49am At Just after 9am on Thursday March 17th, the police were preparing to use specialized police water trucks (cam: water cannons regularly used to disperse demonstrators??) to spray water into a hole in #3 reactor of the Fukushima Dai Ichi nuclear plant.

3/17 9:48 BUT... at 9:48 the news says that the SDF have started to drop water down the holes in the same reactor.

And then earlier news said that the SDF gave up the helicopter idea because it seemed too technically difficult and that the success rate was low.

So as you can see, news is coming in minute by minute but it is also changing... no sense trying to give a play-by-play show...

My boss just arrived and brought batteries from Osaka because apparently you can't buy batteries in Tokyo now as everyone is stockpiling them.

Cam

Yaaay! Aside from the gale force winds and dramatic drop in temperature, it's been relatively peaceful for the past several hours. I feel like celebrating! I think I'll go and have a shower, and wash all of the radioactive "poop" off of me and then cook dinner. Yep.

Status of quake-stricken reactors at Fukushima nuclear power plants

Wednesday 16th March, 03:00 PM JST
TOKYO —

The following is the known status as of Wednesday afternoon of each of the
six reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and the four reactors at
the Fukushima No. 2 plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by
Friday’s magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami.

Fukushima No. 1 plant

—Reactor No. 1 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core, vapor vented,
building damaged Saturday by hydrogen explosion, seawater being pumped in.

—Reactor No. 2 - Cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully
exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building damaged Monday by blast at Reactor
No. 3, damage to containment vessel on Tuesday, potential meltdown feared.

—Reactor No. 3 - Cooling failure, partial melting of core feared, vapor
vented, seawater being pumped in, building damaged Monday by hydrogen explosion,
high-level radiation measured nearby on Tuesday, plume of smoke observed
Wednesday, damage to containment vessel likely.

—Reactor No. 4 - Under maintenance when quake struck, fire Tuesday possibly
caused by hydrogen explosion at pool holding spent fuel rods, pool water level
not observed, fire observed Wednesday at building housing reactor, no water
poured in to cool pool.

—Reactor No. 5, No. 6 - Under maintenance when quake struck, temperature
slightly rising in spent fuel pool.

Fukushima No. 2 plant

—Reactor No. 1, No. 2, No. 4 - Cooling failure, then cold shutdown.

—Reactor No. 3 - Cold shutdown.

© 2011 Kyodo News
News.

HOT News Flashes from Japan at 14:40

Here are some Hot NewsFlash Headlines in the News as of 16:40 on March 16th, 2011:

* Japan's Foreign Ministry has received inquiries about 500 foreign nationals missing since Friday's earthquake.　　

* The US-based General Electric Company, GE, will send 10 gas turbine generators to Japan to help replace power generating capacity lost when nuclear reactors were damaged in Friday's mega-quake. 　　　　　

* The UN General Assembly held a moment of silence for the victims of Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan at the opening of its meeting on Tuesday.　　　

* The Bank of Japan on Wednesday is supplying an additional $62 bil. to calm financial markets in the wake of the massive earthquake.　

* Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says the radiation level at the quake-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, north of Tokyo, rose briefly on Wednesday morning. 　　

* Japan's nuclear safety agency says a possible radiation leak from the No.2 reactor may have caused the sharp increase in radiation levels on Wednesday at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, north of Tokyo. 　　　

* S.Korea says it will provide Japan with boric acid for the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.　　　　　

* The number of dead and missing from Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami has exceeded 11,000. 　　　　　　　　

US Military Offers Help

Breaking News: At 15:48 on March 16th the US military decided that it would allow the members of TEPCO to use the military water pump vehicles to spray water on the overheating reactors. Tthe US military will not be performing this act themselves.

If this is not successful, the Japanese SDF (Self Defence Force) will then consider the possibility of using military helicopters to drop water from above onto the reactors.

Currently there is a snowstorm in the area which prevents helicopters from flying, therefore the US military is not able to make any decisions at the current time regarding the use of helicopters.

Update: At 16:16 the Japanese SDF began preparing their helicopters to send them into the skies above the reactors in order to drop water on the reactors.

Comment: I guess the water pump trucks aren't having the desired effect...

Another Big One: 6.0

At 12:52 there was a 6.0 mag earthquake that hit Chiba (fairly close). It made our building shake and rattle quite.a bit. If you input 35.8, 141.0 into Google Maps you will see exactly where it hit.

Looking at the earthquake maps it rattled half of the main island.

The Numbers Don't Add Up

Here is the first
paragraph of the typical news that is floating around.

How everyone could DARE to
continue reporting this makes absolutely NO SENSE to me.

 

Look:

 

"Radiation levels around
the Fukushima Daiichi plant rose to 8 times the legal limit
(Point 1), according to the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) as reported by BBC News. After the third
explosion (on Tuesday morning in Japan), the radiation reading rose to
8217 microsieverts an hour (Point 2), having stood at
1941 just an hour earlier. The annual legal limit is 1000
microsieverts (Point 3)."

 

So... EVERYONE is saying
that 8,217MSv PER HOUR is 8X the legal
limit of 1,000MSv PER
YEAR.

 

Even an elementary student
can see that 8,000/HOUR is not equal to 8X 1,000/YEAR.

 

How can reporters be so
STUPID?!?!?!?!

 

To read the rest of the
article, you need to log in at:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/738998?sssdmh=dm1.672911&src=nldne

"Radiation From Japan's
Nuclear Plant Now Poses Health Risk"

 

Again, this is just
another of extremely poor, irresponsible reporting.

 

I'll try to add the PDF I
made, but I don't know if it will be posted (Posterous.com works well, but not
that well).

 

I love
you!

Cam

Another fire @ Fukushima Reactor #4 broke out @ 5:45am this morning. It was apparently the same location that fire occurred yesterday, 15th.

My friend Khanada just told me she cannot ship my PEOs to me via either the USPS or Fedex. Apparently Japan is NOT accepting postal deliveries outside of relief efforts at this moment. So, thanks for all your wishes to send me bacon, steak, and other essentials! I love you!

Nuclear Shopping, or How NOT to Shop During an Emergency @ http://youtu.be/02-H6QaN9c0

A Glowing Review: Nuclear Shopping @ it's Finest

I just came back from the supermarket on the way home (a little low on meat)...

WOW...

I am STUNNED at how everyone is stockpiling staples!

I mean...

There was no bread, no pasta, no milk, no water, no milk, no yogurt, no cream, no meat in 2 supermarkets, no cereals, no rice,  no tofu, no crackers, no instant noodles, no eggs...!

And I went to THREE supermarkets!

I have NEVER seen this before. You'd think we lived in a communist country!

Even the government has officially asked the people of Tokyo NOT to stockpile.

But they aren't listening...

I guess you could call that a sort of "panic", but I don't blame them with the nuclear updates escalatings, and the winds getting stronger and stronger...

Holy Moley...

Not to mention Tokyo now has about 20X the normal radiation count...

I love you!

Cam

P.S. I hope you still love me when I sprout another head...

camswitzer@yahoo.com has shared: Radiation detected in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama; Kan blasts TEPCO's handling of crisis › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion

Radiation detected in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama; Kan blasts TEPCO's handling of crisis › Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion Source: japantoday.com The troubled No. 2 reactor of the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was still unstable, the government said…

camswitzer@yahoo.com sent this using ShareThis.

8 Times...

The TV just confirmed that the reactors are emitting 8 times the annual normal quantity of radiation we receive. PER HOUR!
Eight times by itself doesn't sound too bad but if we think a bit more...

... if we do the math that would be 8X24X365 times the normal amount. 70,080 times the normal amount of radiation we receive. This is at the source.

But... that's not how they are saying it of course.

Regarding Tokyo, they are currently saying that we shouldn't dally outdoors, keep our windows closed and wear masks. But other than that there is no need for concern in Tokyo.

Anybody want to come and keep me company? I would give you a glowing reception!

Nuclear Update

Locals within 20-30km of the Fukushima #1 reactor have been told not to leave their homes. The count is currently at 400 milliSieverts. At 500 the lymphocyte cells in the blood are compromised. This is 8000 X-rays worth of radiation.

There is also a fire in Reactor #4 now.

A Donation

It's quiet(er) in the earth today. The tremors are not as frequent nor as strong. Since 01:11 this morning there have only been 20 earthquakes (#20 at 10:41am) with the strongest being about magnitude 4 at the epicenter.

I decided that I really need to do something regarding helping the victims of the earthquake/tsunami. But what?

Kyoko showed me the Google Crisis Response Page that has access to a lot of important bits of information such as alarm and warning, disaster message boards, a person finder, shelter info, blackout info, flight and train info and more. You can access this site at http://goo.gl/saigai and select English in the upper right corner if it doesn't automatically go to the language of yor presence.

On the page is a Google Checkout spot that allows people to make donations to the Japanese Red Cross. So I did.

I hope it makes a little difference.

I love you.
Cam

Seeing Things Differently

Have you ever read a series of books that are so compelling you simply cannot put them down? Your entire life seems to get put on hold as you desperately cling to the lives of the characters in the story while they go through one adventure after another. But after a while, when these amazing, unbelievable stories continue, you start to think, "When is it going to end?" Sometimes the stories lose their lustre, as if the author of the epic Herself has gotten tired. The adventures begin to tarnish, and you hope that there will be an ENDING to the story, a HAPPY ending, of course, but an ending.

 

By now I'm sure you have all grown tired of the current Epic Adventure occurring in Japan and you are probably saying to yourself, "Please end the story soon, but don't kill off the main characters to do so! I want to get on with my life!" I totally understand that feeling.

 

So... in order to bring you a little respite, let's see if we can change our perspective a little bit. You know how it works, right? "Thoughts become things. Choose the good ones." Right. You put out the energy that comes back to you amplified, whether it is positive or negative. And HOW you perceive an incident that occurs actually completely changes the event in itself. I know that some people will disagree here and say that an event is an event and how you look at it changes nothing. To each their own, I guess. I prefer to believe that you CAN change the event, simply by seeing things differently.

 

This weekend was a weekend that will go down in the annals of history. It was one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences that we can look back on and say, "Wow...." knowing with total confidence that we are not over exaggerating in the least. Think Disney's Space Mountain, the scariest Haunted House you can imagine, and Six Flags (Six? Five?), Pirates of the Caribbean, the gnarliest roller coaster you have ever ridden and more, all rolled into one. Add to that the most compelling suspense story that would make even Hitchcock shudder, a Love Story to make Jackie Collins blush, adventure, terror and everything you could possibly recall in your life all rolled into one short weekend.

 

It was the kind of weekend that we will recall a hundred years from now and retell, over and over to thousands of listeners who will never tire of hearing it again. They will think that we have embellished the truth even though they will beg us to tell them again and again and again. And we will smile with the remembrance of it all, tucked away in heart heart, unable to forget a single detail, and able to recall even the most minute aspect of the adventure, even in our dreams.

 

Friday began ordinarily enough as a regular work day. Over the morning, a few exciting jumps in the schedule occurred, but we carried on with work as usual. Then at 14:46, the REAL adventure began, and the roller coaster ride that would never be forgotten had started. People were all talking excitedly, hunkering down for the duration of the event, and eventually heading out into the streets to share in their experiences with others in the neighbourhood.

 

When the news came rolling in like an epic tsunami in a movie, we all realized that "spring house cleaning" of epic proportions had begun in the north and that spring was indeed here with a bang! Mother Nature was doing her best to remind us of her existence so that we would all respect her even more.

 

The powers that have ultimate control over everything, the mass transit system included, decided that the population of Tokyo would do well to spend some quality time together. So they took it upon themselves to give us the opportunity to experience camaraderie as well as a decent amount of physical exercise together. In addition to that, we all re-learned the true value of community.

 

Then things started to heat up in the north, and we all realized that "spring was in the air" and something big was bound to happen. We continued to share in the unbelievable epic adventure that our brothers and sisters had themselves embarked upon. It was so unbelievable, so utterly “fantastic” that we stood with our jaws ajar, our eyes popped wide, and our entire bodies trembling in anticipation, wondering what would happen next. How would this story play out?

 

Eventually those of us in Tokyo all headed home and re-connected with our loved ones to share in the events of the day. Many of us decided to stay together for the evening, sharing stories, both happy and sad, but full of unforgettable memories.

 

Throughout the weekend, we continued to experience an amazing rollercoaster ride of a variety of feelings, both physical and emotional as the cleansing process began in earnest. Of course Mother Nature was always at hand to remind us to be respectful of her. She continued to give us push after shove into the direction that She felt was best for us. And how could we say no?

 

The world came together, everyone focused on one thing and one thing only. This in itself is amazing considering how divided the people of this globe have become. But nonetheless, those of us near and far all re-affirmed our unconditional love for everyone, and our respect for human nature, perseverance in times of duress and more.

 

It was amazing to see how community banded together to share in the celebration of LIFE, a blessing that brought tears to so many people’s eyes. There were tears of sadness and tears of joy for the precious gift of life.

 

An adventure of a lifetime. An adventure of Life. Life. Precious life. So precious.

 

I will remember this weekend forever. And I know that I for one will learn, and grow from this experience. I shall share my unconditional love with my family and friends more often, never taking for granted their presence ever again. This is the gift that I have received from this weekend Adventure.

 

Often the deepest learning experiences come with the most hardship. But we humans are amazingly resilient and we will continue to move forward in our lives as we learn the rules of the game, one rule at a time.

 

To live.

 

To love.

 

To learn.

 

And...

 

To leave a legacy.

That is the greatest gift that The Universe has bestowed upon humanity.

 

The adventure continues.

And I for one am in for the long haul.

 

I love you.

Cam

 

P.S. You really CAN choose to see things differently. All you have to do is try.