A must-read article from Washington Post :)
"Why I'm not fleeing Japan"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-im-not-fleeing-japan/2011/03/16/ABQsdhk_story.html
Thanks to Cori, owner of "Baby Pink, Baby!" ~~
http://vanillaspice165.blogspot.com
Freitag, 25. März 2011
Donnerstag, 24. März 2011
I'm sorry for the lack of updates...
Since I'm Germany I feel a lot more depressed and frustrated than being in Japan, just a few kilometres away from one of the world's biggest catastophe's areas...
Since my university hasn't started yet, my daily life is controlled by checking the media. Since I don't have trust in any TV channel around, I follow Reuter's Live Ticker, which gives a lot of information about the N-Plant situation in Fukushima.
Please take a look if you want to have serious information, followed with comments by people living around the world and in Japan. It's my only hope these days and helps me a lot to feel informed.
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2
Tomorrow I will have an interview with a German newspaper about the whole situation in Japan. While everyone is in panic and annoys me with stupid comments about cancer and other risk, I hope I can give a statement about Japan not as person who enjoys buying fashion in Tokyo or eating Sushi everyday, but more as a person who lives there, who has a life there which isn't easy or possible to give up.
Next week they will decide about the scholarship for my BA-thesis. It's my biggest wish to obtain this support and return to Japan as soon as possible.
Yoshi and I are doing 4~5 hours of Skype everyday. Since he has got his new job which will start in April, he took some days off work to check out if the situation will be ok or if he needs to return to his family in Koichi.
And of course he spent time with Peko. Happily one of his ex co-workers, who lives in Saitama with his family, will help him out and take care of Peko since Yoshi's part-time job will begin on Saturday. They have another small dog, who loves other dogs. So I hope they get along well for the time I'm absent in Germany...
I just want to return as soon as possible...if everything works out, we're thinking to change apartments in the middle of April ^-^
We have talked about various stuff these days and in this huge crisis, I truly believe that I can't live here in this country...I want to be with Yoshi, even if it'll be a risk to my health XD Sounds pretty Disney-movie-like, huh? But maybe that's the sweet feeling of loving someone beyond every clear thought.
Yoshi is following the media, too. In case the situation will get much worse, we're thinking to move to Koichi which is pretty far away from everything. Since we're thinking about marriage and children this is a serious concern, although until today there is no need to worry yet. We love Tokyo and hope the levels of radiation won't go up anymore.
(if you have followed the right media, you would know that the risk of dieing of cancer is already around 25%...if you stay in Tokyo for years, it may change up to 25,003%...in fact: If you smoke, your chance of dieing of cancer is already much higher than living in Tokyo ^_- Sorry guys...).
We all hope for the best and I try to update next week when I have some news about my scholarship. Let's pray and think of those poor people in North Japan who don't even have a home to sleep...I think this is much more tragical than counting 0,003% chances of dieing of cancer or 0,005% of getting a sick baby...
Since I'm Germany I feel a lot more depressed and frustrated than being in Japan, just a few kilometres away from one of the world's biggest catastophe's areas...
Since my university hasn't started yet, my daily life is controlled by checking the media. Since I don't have trust in any TV channel around, I follow Reuter's Live Ticker, which gives a lot of information about the N-Plant situation in Fukushima.
Please take a look if you want to have serious information, followed with comments by people living around the world and in Japan. It's my only hope these days and helps me a lot to feel informed.
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Japan_earthquake2
Tomorrow I will have an interview with a German newspaper about the whole situation in Japan. While everyone is in panic and annoys me with stupid comments about cancer and other risk, I hope I can give a statement about Japan not as person who enjoys buying fashion in Tokyo or eating Sushi everyday, but more as a person who lives there, who has a life there which isn't easy or possible to give up.
Next week they will decide about the scholarship for my BA-thesis. It's my biggest wish to obtain this support and return to Japan as soon as possible.
Yoshi and I are doing 4~5 hours of Skype everyday. Since he has got his new job which will start in April, he took some days off work to check out if the situation will be ok or if he needs to return to his family in Koichi.
And of course he spent time with Peko. Happily one of his ex co-workers, who lives in Saitama with his family, will help him out and take care of Peko since Yoshi's part-time job will begin on Saturday. They have another small dog, who loves other dogs. So I hope they get along well for the time I'm absent in Germany...
I just want to return as soon as possible...if everything works out, we're thinking to change apartments in the middle of April ^-^
We have talked about various stuff these days and in this huge crisis, I truly believe that I can't live here in this country...I want to be with Yoshi, even if it'll be a risk to my health XD Sounds pretty Disney-movie-like, huh? But maybe that's the sweet feeling of loving someone beyond every clear thought.
Yoshi is following the media, too. In case the situation will get much worse, we're thinking to move to Koichi which is pretty far away from everything. Since we're thinking about marriage and children this is a serious concern, although until today there is no need to worry yet. We love Tokyo and hope the levels of radiation won't go up anymore.
(if you have followed the right media, you would know that the risk of dieing of cancer is already around 25%...if you stay in Tokyo for years, it may change up to 25,003%...in fact: If you smoke, your chance of dieing of cancer is already much higher than living in Tokyo ^_- Sorry guys...).
We all hope for the best and I try to update next week when I have some news about my scholarship. Let's pray and think of those poor people in North Japan who don't even have a home to sleep...I think this is much more tragical than counting 0,003% chances of dieing of cancer or 0,005% of getting a sick baby...
 |
| Peko-Cam! |
 |
| With my wig XD What a pretty girl XD |
 |
| Make me smile ~ |
Freitag, 18. März 2011
I know you all hear terrible news about the situation in Japan...and I have to say that in all the past years which I have been in Japan this was really the BIG ONE.
BUT!!! Please don't trust the Western Media so easily. Check CNN or BCC. And have hope! Tokyo is still pretty fine!!
I have arrived in Germany to calm down my grandparents who have gone nutｓ because of the wrong information which is spreading in Europe.
I'm hoping the situation will be calm down a little bit and I wish I can return on Friday or around 28th ~
In Narita there are still plenty of cheap flights back to Europe. My family and I could change tickets without problems. So please DON'T believe the Western media that easily...
Friday
It should be the day when my family would meet my boyfriend for the first time. They wanted to spend 10 days in Japan and enjoy a wonderful holiday...all these dreams were crashed down because of The Big One.
My parents arrived at 1pm at their hotel in Odaiba. We were preapring ourselves to get the next train when the BIG ONE surprised us...2.43pm....at first we were expecting a small earthquake, which always happens about 2 times every month...but then our whole stuff was flying arund and because we were afraid of getting burried under the roof we ran outside on the street. Just in underwear...I wasn`t able to put on shoes or a skirt, because I simply had to take Peko with me. Most of the people ran outside their houses and we all watched the houses shaking.
After a second earth quake, we decided to go in&check the FNN News which showed terrible pictures of a huge Tsunami...it looked like some kind of Hollywood movie. The cellphones weren't working and because the telephone at the hotel of my parents was dead, too, we decided to try to go to Odaiba by car or taxi.
My fahter is able to speak English, but it was their first time in Japan and most of you know that the English level at Japanese hotels isn't the best...I was afraid they would be in panic, just watching Japanese news without knowing what has happened exactly&if I was fine.
In Sangenjaya's 24-hour-car, the shop where we always have rent a car, was crowed with people and we had to give up. Thousands of people were on the streets, trying to get home. I simply hold on to Yoshi's hand and Peko.
We took a bus to Shibuya and wanted to get a cab...but this was impossible. We ended up walking 4 hours to Odaiba, but the cold wind and weather made us giving up. No way to get there. I could send a mail to my to my father. The building close to their hotel had a small fire and they were quite shocked, but ok (first time in Japan AND then The Big One...they weren't lucky...).
Around 11pm the trains started again. It was terribly crowded. We went home, totally tired. But all the aftershocks kept us awake. I could phone with my parents. They were fine and felt save.
Yoshi prepared a bag with clothes, a blanket, water and some candles. We needed to prepare to leave the house at any time to escape.
Saturday
The first pictures of North Japan in daylight. We were both watching TV and started crying. This was beyond our imagination. Yoshi already expected more than 15.000 people had died in The Big One...
And now a new, dangerous&heartbreaking news arrived Tokyo: Fukushima Power Plant was in huge trouble. Experts were trying to avoid a meltdown. Fear spreaded among the foreigners. Most of my friends tried to escape from Osaka airport. Panic was there, even in foreign communities in Tokyo...
The trains started to work again. We could reach my parents and had a dinner together. Everything was pretty fine...except the fear of a meltdown.
Sunday
Many shops were still closed. We visited various shrines in Tokyo and ate dinner in Shibuya. Some of my friends escaped to Kyoto to be far away from the dangerous power plant...
At night I had a talk with Yoshi. We decided to take out my family from Tokyo and bring them to Kyoto. Yoshi wanted to stay. His job had no holiday.
Monday~Wednesday
We spent some days in Kyoto. The earthquake was totally minimal in this city. A lot of foreigners were doing trips. Everything felt normal. Except the news in TV...
My grandparents and people in Germany got nervous, they called me and my family and begged us to go back as soon as possible.
Rumours were spreading and the fear of a meltdown was shaking my trust in the Japanese government...
But I couldn't leave Japan without seeing Yoshi again! And so we headed back to Tokyo. The radiation level was totally fine. Tokyo's shop had water&enough food. The Western media was abusing the terrible things of North Japan to fear the people in Europe. To calm down my family I decided to go back to Germany for some days. We could change the airplane tickets without problems. Furthermore there were still tons of free seats at reasonable prices...I'm shocked about the German News telling there was no way out of Tokyo...
At night I talked to Yoshi. We ordered some pizzas and realxed. His family lives in the South of Japan, 450km from Tokyo. In case of emergency he wants to stay with them. But at first he had a really important job interview on Friday and since the was no official holiday he wanted to stay.
I respect his decision.
If the worst-case really happens, Tokyo can't be evacuated...it's impossible to bring 30.000.000 out of town. And I respect their trust in their own country. We need to hope for the best.
Thursday
My family& I leave Japan.
I have a small suitcase with me...clothes for about one week. I won't stay. I can't. It's not a country I go for to do my shopping&getting a beach holiday...it's my home! My life is there. I would rather die early than living a 100 years unhappy and heartbroken.
In the worst case Yoshi&I will move to Koichi and start a life there.
My grandma was giving me a 30-minutes speech how dangerous Tokyo is and that I should give up Japan. No way. It's not Japan which I can't give...it's myself which I won't give up. I mean, I have something like a family there...and this is something which makes me believing!
Friday
I talked to Yoshi on Skype.You can find water&food in the supermarkets around our city. Schools&Jobs have started. The blackouts became more or less normal.
Yoshi went to the job interview this morning.The company sells extravgance houses in the Tokyo area&he should become an agent for it. The salary is amazing, although the working times will be a little bit hard, but still nicer than being a stylist (10am~20pm/ holiday on Tuesday and Wednesday).
Normally this job if for university graduates (he just attended a 2 years-college), but somehow his application papers impressed the company and so he was invited for the interview&test.
We were both really nervous about it, since this is a big chance for him. Anyway, he had an 1 hour interview and a general knowledge test. When he arrived at our apartment, we had a long Skype talk. He wasn't sure about the test, although the interview was pretty fine. The test included some stuff which he hasn't studied, but since he likes to read and went to a really good high school, he somehow made it.
While we were talking, the company called him AND!! He got this job ^-^ They loved him and even though he just 80% of the test, he was better than many university graduates.
Among all this tragedy, these heartbroken feelings, the pressure from my family and friends...I somehow felt happy today.
On next Friday he has a meeting and getting details where his work place will be and when he will start. Maybe around April 10th :)
We were both so happy. Life needs to go on! It has to be!
And for now, I just have one request: Please be positive for Japan! Don't think it's the end of the world! Believe in them! Pray for them! Suppport them! Concentrate your worries to the poor people in the Miyagi , Fukushima and Sendai! Send money, food, whatever! But please! Don't give up yet! And please don't trust the shitty News around you! Try to check BBC or CNN. And let's all hope for the best!
And here are some pictures from the last days~
BUT!!! Please don't trust the Western Media so easily. Check CNN or BCC. And have hope! Tokyo is still pretty fine!!
I have arrived in Germany to calm down my grandparents who have gone nutｓ because of the wrong information which is spreading in Europe.
I'm hoping the situation will be calm down a little bit and I wish I can return on Friday or around 28th ~
In Narita there are still plenty of cheap flights back to Europe. My family and I could change tickets without problems. So please DON'T believe the Western media that easily...
Friday
It should be the day when my family would meet my boyfriend for the first time. They wanted to spend 10 days in Japan and enjoy a wonderful holiday...all these dreams were crashed down because of The Big One.
My parents arrived at 1pm at their hotel in Odaiba. We were preapring ourselves to get the next train when the BIG ONE surprised us...2.43pm....at first we were expecting a small earthquake, which always happens about 2 times every month...but then our whole stuff was flying arund and because we were afraid of getting burried under the roof we ran outside on the street. Just in underwear...I wasn`t able to put on shoes or a skirt, because I simply had to take Peko with me. Most of the people ran outside their houses and we all watched the houses shaking.
After a second earth quake, we decided to go in&check the FNN News which showed terrible pictures of a huge Tsunami...it looked like some kind of Hollywood movie. The cellphones weren't working and because the telephone at the hotel of my parents was dead, too, we decided to try to go to Odaiba by car or taxi.
My fahter is able to speak English, but it was their first time in Japan and most of you know that the English level at Japanese hotels isn't the best...I was afraid they would be in panic, just watching Japanese news without knowing what has happened exactly&if I was fine.
In Sangenjaya's 24-hour-car, the shop where we always have rent a car, was crowed with people and we had to give up. Thousands of people were on the streets, trying to get home. I simply hold on to Yoshi's hand and Peko.
We took a bus to Shibuya and wanted to get a cab...but this was impossible. We ended up walking 4 hours to Odaiba, but the cold wind and weather made us giving up. No way to get there. I could send a mail to my to my father. The building close to their hotel had a small fire and they were quite shocked, but ok (first time in Japan AND then The Big One...they weren't lucky...).
Around 11pm the trains started again. It was terribly crowded. We went home, totally tired. But all the aftershocks kept us awake. I could phone with my parents. They were fine and felt save.
Yoshi prepared a bag with clothes, a blanket, water and some candles. We needed to prepare to leave the house at any time to escape.
Saturday
The first pictures of North Japan in daylight. We were both watching TV and started crying. This was beyond our imagination. Yoshi already expected more than 15.000 people had died in The Big One...
And now a new, dangerous&heartbreaking news arrived Tokyo: Fukushima Power Plant was in huge trouble. Experts were trying to avoid a meltdown. Fear spreaded among the foreigners. Most of my friends tried to escape from Osaka airport. Panic was there, even in foreign communities in Tokyo...
The trains started to work again. We could reach my parents and had a dinner together. Everything was pretty fine...except the fear of a meltdown.
Sunday
Many shops were still closed. We visited various shrines in Tokyo and ate dinner in Shibuya. Some of my friends escaped to Kyoto to be far away from the dangerous power plant...
At night I had a talk with Yoshi. We decided to take out my family from Tokyo and bring them to Kyoto. Yoshi wanted to stay. His job had no holiday.
Monday~Wednesday
We spent some days in Kyoto. The earthquake was totally minimal in this city. A lot of foreigners were doing trips. Everything felt normal. Except the news in TV...
My grandparents and people in Germany got nervous, they called me and my family and begged us to go back as soon as possible.
Rumours were spreading and the fear of a meltdown was shaking my trust in the Japanese government...
But I couldn't leave Japan without seeing Yoshi again! And so we headed back to Tokyo. The radiation level was totally fine. Tokyo's shop had water&enough food. The Western media was abusing the terrible things of North Japan to fear the people in Europe. To calm down my family I decided to go back to Germany for some days. We could change the airplane tickets without problems. Furthermore there were still tons of free seats at reasonable prices...I'm shocked about the German News telling there was no way out of Tokyo...
At night I talked to Yoshi. We ordered some pizzas and realxed. His family lives in the South of Japan, 450km from Tokyo. In case of emergency he wants to stay with them. But at first he had a really important job interview on Friday and since the was no official holiday he wanted to stay.
I respect his decision.
If the worst-case really happens, Tokyo can't be evacuated...it's impossible to bring 30.000.000 out of town. And I respect their trust in their own country. We need to hope for the best.
Thursday
My family& I leave Japan.
I have a small suitcase with me...clothes for about one week. I won't stay. I can't. It's not a country I go for to do my shopping&getting a beach holiday...it's my home! My life is there. I would rather die early than living a 100 years unhappy and heartbroken.
In the worst case Yoshi&I will move to Koichi and start a life there.
My grandma was giving me a 30-minutes speech how dangerous Tokyo is and that I should give up Japan. No way. It's not Japan which I can't give...it's myself which I won't give up. I mean, I have something like a family there...and this is something which makes me believing!
Friday
I talked to Yoshi on Skype.You can find water&food in the supermarkets around our city. Schools&Jobs have started. The blackouts became more or less normal.
Yoshi went to the job interview this morning.The company sells extravgance houses in the Tokyo area&he should become an agent for it. The salary is amazing, although the working times will be a little bit hard, but still nicer than being a stylist (10am~20pm/ holiday on Tuesday and Wednesday).
Normally this job if for university graduates (he just attended a 2 years-college), but somehow his application papers impressed the company and so he was invited for the interview&test.
We were both really nervous about it, since this is a big chance for him. Anyway, he had an 1 hour interview and a general knowledge test. When he arrived at our apartment, we had a long Skype talk. He wasn't sure about the test, although the interview was pretty fine. The test included some stuff which he hasn't studied, but since he likes to read and went to a really good high school, he somehow made it.
While we were talking, the company called him AND!! He got this job ^-^ They loved him and even though he just 80% of the test, he was better than many university graduates.
Among all this tragedy, these heartbroken feelings, the pressure from my family and friends...I somehow felt happy today.
On next Friday he has a meeting and getting details where his work place will be and when he will start. Maybe around April 10th :)
We were both so happy. Life needs to go on! It has to be!
And for now, I just have one request: Please be positive for Japan! Don't think it's the end of the world! Believe in them! Pray for them! Suppport them! Concentrate your worries to the poor people in the Miyagi , Fukushima and Sendai! Send money, food, whatever! But please! Don't give up yet! And please don't trust the shitty News around you! Try to check BBC or CNN. And let's all hope for the best!
日本！！がんばて！！！！！！
And here are some pictures from the last days~
 | |
| 03-11-11 ~ Tokyo's life has stopped...waiting at a restaurant... |
 |
| Bread is sold out...03-12-11 |
 | |||
| The night of 03-11 ~ aftershocks give us no chance to sleep... But around 5am Peko&Yoshi finally get some time to rest... |
 | |
| 03-12 ~ water is getting inside the stations, but everything is still fine. Tokyo was lucky!!!! |
 | ||
| Peace&harmony in Kyoto... |
 |
| HOPE! |
Samstag, 12. März 2011
Donnerstag, 10. März 2011
Anyway, I need to do a lot of stuff right now. Doing the laundry, cleaning the closet and preparing my outfit for tomorrow. We`ll meet my parents in the afternoon at Tokyo Beach. I think I will take some photos so my family will have a blog-debut :)
Sorry for my late update^^
My parents will visit Tokyo for 2 weeks starting tomorrow. I needed to prepare tons of stuff like getting a cell phone for them and making a plan where to go.
Another great news: My best friend from Germany has arrived in Tokyo today :) Nice! We have spent the past two years in Japan and so you can imagine how happy I am hanging out with Steffi again ^o^
Anyway, I meet Cori in Sangenjaya today and need to get dressed ～～ a photo update will follow later.
My parents will visit Tokyo for 2 weeks starting tomorrow. I needed to prepare tons of stuff like getting a cell phone for them and making a plan where to go.
Another great news: My best friend from Germany has arrived in Tokyo today :) Nice! We have spent the past two years in Japan and so you can imagine how happy I am hanging out with Steffi again ^o^
Anyway, I meet Cori in Sangenjaya today and need to get dressed ～～ a photo update will follow later.
Samstag, 5. März 2011
Donnerstag, 3. März 2011
Yoshi and I have checked out some apartments and we can`t wait to move out...Our anniversary day will be pretty simple this year...since we need the whole money for the new apartment. I want to buy some furniture ^-^
He was a really good student at his high school and so he is trying to enter some companies. It`s pretty hard since some high level Japanese companies have an entrance examination. You can try to enter even without being a university graduate, but you need to study hard for it and even the elite university students from Waseda&Keio need two or three years to pass it.
He has already passed one interview. Maybe it will take one year until he finds a job, but that`s pretty ok since he still can work as stylist or at some other place which gives him enough free time to study in the afternoon.
But: To achieve all this and pass the interviews he needed to colour his hair black&get a hair cut.
He was frustrated about it XD But that`s how it is&I think he is the prettiest サラリーマンaround XD
 | |||
| Peko`s new shirt ～～ |
I`ve found this at Anastatsia`s blog Ｇｉｒｌｙ Ｇｕｒｌ ～Hope she doesn`t mind if I use those questions for my blog ^-^
13 Personal Questions
1. What do you order at Starbucks?
Staba *-* My second home XD I always order a Caramel Macciato and sometimes a tasty Cinnamon Role
2. What's one thing in your closet you can't live without?
My leather jackets+my many dresses. I love dresses
3. What's one thing that most people don't know about you?
My eyesight is totally damaged XD -4.9 and -5.3. I need to wear contact lenses. At home I mostly wear glasses and turn into a pink jersey nerd XD
4. What's one thing you want to do before you die?
Swimming with dolphins :)
5. What's one food you can't live without?
Noddles XD And Mozarella.
6. What's one quote that you live your life by?
«Chase your dreams until you catch them...and then dream, catch, and dream again!» (Dee Marie)&" Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." (W.J.Bryan) I think those quotes give a lot of motivation to achieve all of your dreams and live your life with all the sad, happy&wonderful moments. Bryan`s quote has motivated me when I was a dreamless 15 years old teenager and it still inspires me today to believe I can have exactly the life I have dreamt of.
7. What do you like and dislike about the yourself?
I don`t think about those things a lot...I have a great family, nice friends&a wonderful boyfriend, so even though I have times where I have those typical "why I`m not smarter, taller, prettier, funnier......??!!"-days, but all in all I like myself a lot, even the weak&bad points. It`s me and I like the full packet of it :)
8. What's your number 1 song on your iPodiTunes?
It changes every day but I love "Fucking Perfect" (P!nk)& "Eternal" from Akanishi Jin :)
9. What kind of style would you describe yourself as having?
I love Japanese fashion, but I don`t like bright colours. I mostly wear white, black, brown&grey. I like cute designs, feminine&grown-up. I think most of my clothes are from Ingni :)
10. Favourite number?
5
11. Two hobbies?
Sitting at Star Bucks the whole afternoon with sun shine and my friends & making trips with my boyfriend ^^
12. Two pet peeves?
Forgetting to brush one`s teeth&having a bad breath～ unforgiveable XD
Being impolite (for example not giving your seat to an older woman....)
Being impolite (for example not giving your seat to an older woman....)
13. Your guilty pleasure?
Waffles&cake...I think I would fail every diet XD
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