Japan's biggest earthquake in Japan............and we were there....

So, probably everyone knows about the 8.9 earthquake that shook Japan yesterday afternoon. In the almost two years I live in Tokyo, this has been by far the worst and apparently Japan's worst in 140 years, since they begun recording them.

I wrote my experience of the moment of the quake for Argentinian newspaper La Nacion. Here is the transcript (it's on Spanish only, sorry!)


"El sismo se sintió súper fuerte en Tokio. Yo estaba en casa con mi hijo de 2 años y de repente, a eso de las 14.50 hora local de Japón, se empezó a mover todo. Fue muy fuerte y duró mucho, como dos minutos fuerte y otros cinco un poco más leve. Cuando paró un poquito empecé a preparar la mochila que tenés que tener lista en caso de evacuación, con un poco de agua y comida, una radio a dinamo, etc, y agarré a mi hijo para irnos afuera. No se cayó nada dentro de mi departamento, pero las puertas anti-fuego del edificio se habían accionado todas. El portero estaba muy asustado pero vino a decirnos que según la radio no había que evacuar, pero como yo estaba tan nerviosa preferí irme para el parque cercano a casa donde es el punto de encuentro en caso de catástrofes. En la puerta de calle ya estábamos reunidos casi todos los vecinos del edificio, con nuestros hijos y nos fuimos al parque y ahí se sintió otro temblor fuerte, tanto que un taxista se bajó del taxi que se movía horizontalmente con mucha fuerza. Los cables de electricidad (en Japón son aéreos por los terremotos) se movían un montón, lo mismo que los árboles. En el parque Arisugawa, donde nos reunimos, hay una estatua ecuestre de bronce pesadísima que se movía un montón. Estuvimos en el parque como dos horas y luego fuimos a casa de una amiga que vi en el parque, que vive cerca y en planta baja. Ahí nos quedamos otro par de horas, sintiendo varios temblores leves más. Dicen que hoy hubo más de 40 temblores en Japón. Todo el transporte público se cortó y el tráfico es un caos. Mi esposo tuvo que volverse caminando de la oficina una hora y media a pie y le prestó una de nuestras bicicletas a un colega que vive a 50 kilómetros de Tokio porque no funciona ningún tren. Hace dos años que vivo en Tokio y, en general, los japoneses ni se mosquean cuando hay un temblor. Esta es la primera vez que los veo súper asustados. Pero eso sí, súper bien preparados. Por ejemplo, enseguida la gente se puso el casco anti terremotos y veías muchos nenes con la protección para la cabeza. Y la gente súper ordenada. Vi por la calle mucha gente con bolsitas con comida y botellitas de agua, comprando mucho como para pasar la noche o un par de días, pero ninguna escena de histeria ni pánico. Ahora vamos a intentar dormir un poco, pero hay un temblor leve cada 30 minutos más o menos, así que calculo que va a ser una noche larga."


Right now, we are closely following the news on the issues at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Apparently the latest news say that the radioactive leak has been small and there is no immediate risk for Tokyo. It's surreal times. There are still tremors as I write this. In all honesty, I just want to be out of Japan as soon as possible. We are living in a month's time to Belgium, anyway. But I cannot wait. We are even looking into available flights out of the country..... I just hope things stabilise and the tremors end. My thoughts go to all the afected people, people in the refuges and the ones who have lost family members or friends. It's a horrible experience and we in Tokyo got it relatively easy.

Eight little boys in kimono

So, last Friday was the day of the delayed photoshoot with all the boys from Bibu's class at kindergarden. A while ago, all maums had agreed on organising a photo session with the boys dressed in taditional kimono, at a small photo studio in the same floor of the Acachan Honpo shop in Gotanda. I thought it was a great idea, as it will be a wonderful souvenir for Bibu of his friends in Japan, specially since it looks like we'll be heading home for good end of April (iupiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!)

Anyway, the first date we agreed upon had to be cancelled as Bibu was sick, so last Friday was the re-scheduling. It went fairly well, considering the appointment was right after school, early in the afternoon, which is the nap-time for most of the kids. By the end of it, they were all cranky, tearful and sleepy, but we managed to get a couple of nice photos of the whole bunch. At least some where noe of them was picking their nose/ crying/ trying to escape/ all the above.

I chose a green jacket kimono for Bibu and he kind of stood out among the more demure blue and grey kimonos of the Japanese kids. Probably a gaijin faux-pas, but well, it's not about blending in the background, uh? Will share the result as soon as it becomes available. Watch this space.

Please, February, end once and for all!

Yes, indeed, please. Just go away. You have brought us.....

1) stomac flu. All three of us had it on your first week back from Argentina. Nothing to feel more at home than a good old gut-spilling bug to begin the Chinese new year in top form. The worst I've felt in years.... Made me realise how great is to have good health and how trully minor things like a stomac bug can ruin your life

2) more sickness for Bibu, as in 6 days of continuous high fever courtesy of an ear and throat infection. Lovely....

3) depressing weather... I'm done with the cold, ok?

4) depressing reading: Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" is a great book, but surely not for February, right?

5) Mr M being away on a business trip for 10 days (also, said business trip was to Belgium, so big envy vibes going on) Add point 5 to all previous points and you get the picture.

So, I won't me missing you, dear February 2011. Bye.

A first in Tokyo

Bibu is playing next to me on the sofa (yes, the yellow one) and watching his 51651752175626 episode of Thomas the Tank Engine. He (Bibu, not Thomas) has been sick since Monday evening, when a low fever started. When the low fever turned into 40 degrees yesterday evening, I called the doctor and made an appointment for this morning.

As I suspected, he had an ear infection. It's been his first ear infection since we live in Tokyo. He used to have them very often in Brussels, what with the chilly and damp weather being the ideal weather for them. Oh, well, it's good to know at least what it was. Being the stoic and hyperactive kid he is, it was hard to even tell he was sick, apart from the readings in the thermometer.

So, with the exception of this morning, when we went out for a grand total of an hour to go to the doctor, we have been confined inside the appartment for the last three days. Mr M being in Belgium until today didn't make things any easier. Thank God he's back.

So, the casa de Detoured is a bit like a cabin these days. Bibu has the fever and I have the cabin fever.

It was a weekend of....

Finally visiting the DAIEI close to Toritsu Daigaku, sharing a sugar-glazed doughnut with Bibu at Stabucks, missing the pony ride in Himonya park for a few minutes, attending a proper for-grown-ups-only housewarming party that our ex next door neighbours threw in their quite lovely  new appartment in Roppongi, going for a long lunch in Nakameguro followed by walk to the park and some super delicious cheesecake and pancakes at Daikanyama with one of the mums from Bibu's school and his son.

In short, I ate a lot of sugary, evil things. But oh, so good....mmmmm!

Mr M away in the grey country (a.k.a. Belgium) since last Tuesday and back next Thursday. Doing it all on your own for 10 days in a row is hard, hard, hard. Again, my respect to single parents worldwide. It's now 19:30 and I am very tempted to jump under the duvet and call it a day, but it just feels wrong. Will hang on with chopsticks under my eyelids if necessary until.......mmmm, maybe 21:00 or something. Much, much better!

Ciao, bellos!

Setsubun and Chinese New Year

So, today is the Chinese New Year! Happy New Year to all ! (again). Good that I have not yet acted on any of my New Year Resolutions, pfew! :-)

It's also time for Setsubun here in Japan. For some strange reason, this bizarre chasing-demon-out celebration holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it's because it is all so..... magical and silly in a way. But also optimistic, full of new hope for the upcoming spring and new beginnings.

Roasted soya beans

Literaly, Setsubun means "division of the seasons" and it marks the end of the winter according to the lunar calendar. It usually falls either on February 3 or 4 (which is a bit early for ending the winter if you ask me, but well). On the evening of Setsubun, one must throw roasted soybeans inside and outside the house while repeating "Fortune in, devils out"! so as to invite good luck inside the house and chase the bad luck out.Typically, the oldest male of the house has to wear a demon (Oni) mask and the children chase him while throwing roasted soybeans at him.You are also supposed to eat the same number of soybeans as your age. Needless to say, Bibu has already failed at this point, as he has already eaten his roasted soybean bag that he got at school. I ate a few ones, but cannot remember how many....wonder if there is room for liberalism in this point.

Another practice from recent years it to eat a "Ehoo-maki" or giant sushi-roll filled with shiitake mushroom, cucumber, eel and so on. For good luck, one must eat it facing the "happy direction" while keeping quiet. I asked my Japanese teacher yesterday about this "happy direction" and she mentioned it changes every year and this year it is "south-south-west", as determined by the monks of the main shinto shrine in Japan.

So today I went for a walk in Jiyugaoka and bought a couple of these Ehoo-makis for Bibu and for me (Mr M has an office get-together tonight so will miss on the Setsubun fun. My maki is a traditional one and for Bibu I got one filled with tonkatsu. not very setsubun-ish but he will definitely eat that one. Mr M has more or less figured out the "happy direction" from our dining room, so we will be facing it at dinner. Not too confident that we will achieve the "eating it while keeping quiet" bit, but hopefully that's not the crucial point, hehe.

Leaving tomorrow

Buenos Aires, that is. After a good five weeks living the grand life down in good old Baires, meeting up with friends and family and working my way through far too much carne, it's time to call it a day and go back to Tokyo.

After taking Mr M's parents to Ezeiza airport this morning, my dad and I came back home and I started work on the suitcase packing. Thank God I bought an extra bag and got the Uniqlo manly baby-bag. In the end I'll be checking in one big suitcase and two bags. Didn't feel like I bought too much stuff, but when is time to pack, all those bottles of shampoo and hair dye and cheese and quince paste make up for a lot of space and weight.

Packing is more or less done. Couple of things still, but I have tomorrow morning to take care of that. My head now is filled with dread. Dread at the "goodbyes" moment when my parents walk Bibu and I up to the entrance to migrations. I don't want to think about it, it will be HARD. It's always hard and you would have thought by now I should be a pro at saying "see you in four months". But no, it doesn't get better, and with Bibu on the equation, it just gets worse every time.

En fin........ it's part of the reality I live in, must put a brave face on and get on with it. Anyway, not looking forward to that AT ALL.

Also not looking forward to 36+ hours travelling with a two-and-7-months boy........... Why oh why must Tokyo be on the other side of the planet? Grrr......

Bon, I think it's time to go to sleep. I guess this will be my last sleep in a horizontal, comfortable position in the forthcoming 50 hours, so better make the best of it.

Over and out, back in a few days from the land of the salarymen and the OLs, the TOTO washlet and the green tea kit-kats.