Well, what a week! And what a roller coaster ride. As the news of the point 9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan spread, life almost came to a standstill here as well. Norio in Toronto spent a couple of days trying to reach his mother. I was able to reach our son, and be assured that they got a good shaking but little more. On top of emails, worrying about students over there, friends and family, he was called for interviews - and had a hectic and tiring week. Not to mention depressing and emotional.
Now, technically I know that both Dennis and Mother would be OK. They live several hundred kilometres from the centre of the devastation, but there is concern nonetheless. Plus there were friends in Sendai, and in the town of Hachinohe, not far from there. The pictures of the tsunami were so horrifying that one could be forgiven for believing the whole town was gone. Indeed many of the smaller villages are gone. The train line goes right along the coast beside the ocean. But in actual fact, much of Sendai is well back from the water - albeit on a small strip of land between sea and mountains, and there are alternate routes for travel. So our friends report that the homes are damaged but standing, no heat, little food; Tohoku University in Sendai was seriously damaged by the quake.
Over the week, both Norio and I received numerous phone calls, emails and messages from friends all over the world who were concerned. It was helpful to know that so many people made contact. By Thursday Norio heard from the last friends we had tried to contact, as well as some of his former students living there. They are well, if a little cold and hungry, and some are on their way home.
Monday I went for a long walk around the pond and the stream trail in Corner Brook, Tuesday walking at the Pepsi Centre, and Tuesday afternoon completely crashed and burned. Finally decided it was low blood sugar, from not keeping up eating properly, combined with the underlying anxiety.
By Wednesday things were back to normal, and I went out to dinner and to a movie with a friend - went to see “Rango”, and if you haven’t seen it, do. It’s funny but there is also a strong underlying theme about co-existence, collaboration, and the interdependence of everything. Most enjoyable.
Life in the church goes on, and this particular week also had its serious lows, requiring some rethinking about relationships with colleagues, and drawing some different boundaries. The stress of Japan didn’t help, for sure. Life is one long learning experience.
So there is little to say this week, except thank you all for your expressions of concern and caring. It has meant a lot.
Norio and I are off April 1, to Miami, and from there pick up the Liberty of the Seas - sailing to Nassau, Tenerife, Malaga, Seville and Valencia before docking in Barcelona. We’ve rented a car, and will be driving to Moncarapacho in Portugal, near the sea - and renting a house from the “Singing Captain”, former Royal Caribbean captain Kent Ringborn and his wife Inge. We are looking forward to being on the ocean, in the sun and sand, seeing some different places, and celebrating 40 years together. So likely this particular blog won’t appear until the beginning of May. However, as we have access to internet I will keep you up to date on the travels, and yet more new experiences.
...and since we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day this week - Slainte!
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