Thoughts on the Japan quake

Tokyo resident Chaminda da Silva delivers some good news

WHEN I WAS a kid, an adult said to me: "It never rains, but it pours." I looked out the window. Huh? It was a hot, dry, cloudless day. But this didn't really bother me, since I'd already decided adults were insane.

They always looked at me and said "he's grown," with surprise in their voices, as if they thought children shrunk every year.
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Eventually I worked out that the rain idiom means "bad things happen in clusters."

People kept using the phrase about Japan last week. First, there was an earthquake, then a tsunami, and then nuclear plants started exploding. You can't blame unfortunate residents for saying life couldn't get any worse. Then a volcano started erupting.
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The scale of the disaster can be gauged by the fact the news even penetrated the reality-proof bubble in which modern children live. My son looked up from his computer and told me an urgent bulletin of shock news had been posted on the Pokemon fan club site.

"There's been an earthquake in Japan. But the Nintendo factory is safe," he said, wide-eyed that his world had come so close to ending.
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Reader Chaminda da Silva, based in Tokyo, sent detailed reports from his shaken office. (You can read his earlier reports by clicking here.)

Everyone was amazingly calm and dignified, he said, with almost no panic-buying. In fact, almost everyone who commented via the internet was deeply sympathetic, except for YouTube users who said stupid things like: "Karma is punishing them for eating dolphins."
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To digress for a moment, tell me, why are YouTube commentators so imbecilic? Do you have to have a degree in stupidity before you're allowed to post on that site?

• Under a video called "Killer Whale Attacks Woman" is the question: "Did he died?"
• Under a Michael Jackson video is the comment: "Allmost every song he maked is 999999 percent good."
• Under a clip from Gulliver's Travels was the question: "Is this acktual dockumentary footage?"

One of my videos attracted a nasty response: "Lean 2 speak english u retard."

I replied: "After you."

The guy was so annoyed he sent me what he thought was the ultimate insult:

"I UNSUSSCRIBE U!!!"
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But back to Japan. While residents reacted calmly, people in other places, such as Hong Kong, China and America, panicked. Troy Jones of nukepill.com told reporters he'd sold 6,500 orders of "anti-radioactivity" pills in four days. Buyers were from Washington state, Oregon and California, none of which are in North Japan.
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Anyway, if you are reading this in Japan, you have our sympathy. And a warning: the US Republican Party is planning a mission to your country -- as soon as the "no travel" advisory note is lifted. I just hope if accident-prone amateur hunter Dick Cheney is on the trip, he remembers to leave his gun at home.
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CHAMINDA tipped us off about a website which acts as a “wall of shame” for journalists who exaggerate. For example, a CNN headline which said: “Radiation could reach US Friday”.

Or a big Scottish newspaper, the Record, referring to "mass panic" and thousands "fleeing in terror" from Tokyo. Says people in Tokyo who have not fled are locked in their homes. Refers to the situation as "apocalyptic meltdown"; using the words "deadly radiation cloud".
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Tokyo friends say the best way to show support is to buy Japanese fish. Now THAT'S a campaign I can go for. Who fancies heading out for sushi with me later this week? |
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Technorati Tags: Japan. earthquake,stupid youtube users

Comments

[Dancer Arroyo]

I think the difference between panic buying in Hong Kong and other places is that people here tend to switch their focus with amazing speed.
Day 1: baby formula
Day 2: salt
Day 3: soy sauce
Day 4: salted fish
Day 5: Miso soup (bean paste)

[Ram]

Actually, many north americans are suffering from Iodine deficiency which is believed to have some association with lot of above ground nuke tests conducted and some incidents and accidents in nuke plants in america...

One report I read says that the number of accidents and incidents (graded 1 to 7 scale with 7 being very severe, as in Chernobyl) in nuke plants across the world after the Chernobyl disaster is responsible for more deaths and loss of money when compared to the loss from aviation accidents roughly in the same period of time...

Those incidents and accidents didnt come into attention. Just that now Japan is facing lot of trouble and this thing came out and I will say, the media is blowing it up. Just wait for few more days, when some other interesting news is there, they will completely forget about this one, as if nothing like that happened.

[Finoa]

Hi Nury,

I started reading your articles in Standard some years (or a year) ago and I adored them. Then you disappeared for some time but luckily I've kept one of your articles (the one about twitter - maybe you've forgotten) so that I eventually started following your blog here.

Reading your writings has always been one of my greatest pleasures. You're witty and humorous - I just love your tone!! And I also learn some advanced english from you :)

This is one of the very few blogs that I'd read also the comments. I wanted to post one myself but I felt that I'm not up to that level of mastery of english....(I can't probably come up with puns and humorous gags that add to the satire...) But anyway I've plugged up my courage to post one this time...

[Sara]

Dear Finoa don't worry, there are lots of us who read this blog and the comments who are not witty at all. I never say anything funny but nobody minds!

[Mich]

Some times or maybe MOST of the time, those comments in Youtube are really stupid ! No offence, but Mr. Jam..if that guy who commented on your video calls you a retard, then he's a retard subscriber until he UNSUBSCRIBE you.. !

Just wondering, what are people doing with their brains nowadays..

[Lift Lurker]

Very good reporting job Chamin. We all enjoy your daily dispatch. (Uncle Jam, can we also send Chamin to Libya to get real scoop)

It is amazing there is no looting in Japan. I hear Japan has aging society so maybe everyone there is very old and they cannot loot anymore.

Maybe this is about dignity and self-respect. Maybe we can all learn something from Japanese in this regard.

But I think this is due to everyone there work in Toyota which invent Lean Just In Time working procedures.

No need to loot. No need to hoard. No need for inventory. Just buy what you need when you need because everything works. If it doesn't work, it will work very shortly.

[Bianca Schlimm]

besides he is real cute isn't he?!
:-)
I mean Chaminda.
Will make good book selling.
:-)

Now Nury before reading you wanting to eat sushi I read another "expert" saying this nuclear crisis was the end to sushi (pacific fish being seriously contaminated he said). I don't know whom to believe anymore more than ever before...

I read a very good book last week. One of the news to me: humans are also herd animals.
Now tell me please: if a red light is being ignored by another adult next to you, are you kind of swept to do the same thing?
how are the Japanese in that regard?

[Ram]

@Chamin: AHA!!! Seems like you are getting a rapidly growing fan base... Hope you don't suffer a (+H)EART(-H) QUAKE...

[Paul]

Glad to know that @Chamin is safe. And I would still urge people to give what you can to redcross.org or some organization of your choice.

Interestingly on the issue of radiation, I was accosted by a local youth today begging me to sign a petition against the use of nuclear power in Hong Kong.

I was in a rush to catch a bus so I just waved him off, but I wanted to say, "I'll sign your petition...just as soon as your group invents the technology that can harness energy from all of the hot air that our local politicians emit." Such a technological breakthrough would be revolutionary...indeed. ;-)

[Bianca Schlimm]

Some nice group of Spanish poeple wanted to show their solidarity. I am very fond of solidarity. Unfortunately they brought their flowers to the embassy of China.

My Uru (Uru-gay man as the simpsons say) said: they behave just like in the jokes we make about them...

[Chamin]

Hi All,

Thanks a lot for the messages and wishes! I am happy that I can at least give you some information from Tokyo (far from Sendai and Fukushima, but we have to wait a bit more before any volunteering).

Today, Tokyo had rain for the first time after the quake. Some people were scared about rain bringing radiation. I think this did not happen to Tokyo because the winds were from the South for the last couple of days and rains start when the direction is about to change. But some of the troubled areas are having both snow and rain. This makes life hard for them, staying in places without proper insulation and heating. Relief workers are preparing/building emergency shelters just outside the troubled areas, and moving people into them.

With roads being cleared gradually, many places are getting improved supplies of food, water, clothing, baby diapers etc. Several town offices in Tokyo metropolitan region have organized donation and delivery of these things, and people are helping.

One problem Tokyo has is the power cuts and other measures for saving electricity. This is done to prevent sudden blackouts, caused by too much demand when some power plants are not running. With all the rescue work etc, it is better to try our best to prevent them.

Only 50-80% of the usually scheduled trains are operating. Most workplaces have arranged for flex-time work and work-from-home, and some people use bicycles (not uncommon here). The illuminations and big displays in most shopping districts are off.

There is a minor shortage of the supply of diesel, as I found out from a friend attached to a volunteer organization distributing food in the region. About 70% of the oil refineries are working at normal capacity. With more buses and trucks covering the absence of trains, and priority to provide fuel for relief work, a shortage in supply for ordinary vehicles seems normal.

I haven't heard anybody in Tokyo complain, we know what the victims went through and what the evacuees are going through. we in Tokyo have been the lucky ones.

As for the nuclear plant, water in a cooling tank of one reactor started boiling. Having enough water in these tanks is very important, so the fire department, self defense forces and a building contractor are working on hosing extra water.

Reconnecting electrical supply to the last two plants is in progress. It takes a long time to fully test the connections and start electrical cooling pumps, but there is no way to rush it. Everyone's eagerly waiting for this.

Next, I will add a few other links to better-written and thought-provoking articles by fellow foreign students.

[Chamin]

Some articles by other foreign students and workers here:

About "Panic in Tokyo"
http://udon.stacken.kth.se/~goran/nopanic.en.html

Brian Berry, an exchange student in our univeristy, wrote a nice article titled "Don’t let the Fukushima Nuclear crisis divide us."

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/home.php?sk=group_177355305643452&view=doc&id=179049485474034

The article is about growing tensions between foreign friends who had different opinions about what is better to do; leave Japan and be safe, or stay in Japan. In case you cannot link to the article, I post the concluding paragraph.

"In conclusion I only ask this; don't "turn on" your friends, neighbors, and family just because you might place your bets at a different table regarding the nuclear crisis. Each person is in an entirely different situation which will result in varying opportunities that dictate their response. Chastising them for their personal choices is extremely counterproductive, especially during one of the greatest disasters Japan has faced. Support them, offer help when you can, don't condemn, alienate, and abandon them. The most important matter here isn't whether you can boastfully say, "I told you so!" having guessed the end result of this nuclear crisis, but instead whether this crisis can be handled as soon as possible to allow minimal pollution and individual harm, so that everyone can further focus on helping those in the stricken disaster areas in the Tohoku. Finally, please donate, give blood, and volunteer if able."

About how Yakuza, Japanese underworld groups, have been helping (I cannot confirm or reject any of the claims here, though. I never had a chance to even talk to one).
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-18/japanese-yakuza-aid-earthquake-relief-efforts/

Finally, a radiation dose chart that reveals that even married life comes with some radiation :o)

[Chamin]

Hi Nury, Paul, Ram, and liftie,

Thanks a lot for the comments! I am curious about Libya too, but I don't know if things will improve when other countries go and attack them.

[Chamin]

Hi Bianca,

Thanks a lot! I did write a book, but I chose a publisher who prints on demand and sells online :o(. So, did not get much sales.

I should look into details about whether fish can be affected. I think it won't be the case because most boats fish far from the shore and most fish we eat do not move around the sea surface.

After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, many people in Sri Lanka did not want to eat fish because there were human bodies on the seabed.

[TS]

You can donate through the Yakuza by paying double your normal protection fee and not offer resistance or run away the next time you get mugged.

[Paul]

@TS lol

And I have heard reports that (for a limited time only!) Yakuza members will be chopping off two fingers instead of just one.... ;-)

[Mika (Web historian)]

Can i give a scientific answer to why youtube comments are so stupid? Youtube is basically built on lies. They put up all these questions that they know people will answer untruthfully. Do you own this video? Do you have the right to post it? Are you over 18, if so, click here...

The result is a community which has a large number of people aged nine to thirteen making comments which they can barely spell.

If you read the emails of the youtube founders (unearthed and revealed during a court case two years ago) they clearly discuss how they can encourage people to steal video material while retaining the pretense that the host company itself is on the right side of the law.

[rafanjr]

..."Just wondering, what are people doing with their brains nowadays.."

...nothing much, its just a pinkish-gray organ that our neck carries everytime we are upright and watching youtube videos...

[grandpa]

In order to show that their country is "modern"
in order to make believe that they country is "educated",some governments have set up a school system where the public can learn to write and to read,to count as well.
Only a few countries have taught there people to "think"

The result can be seen in the way a country develops or regress....
Western countries are (were ) very educated
Their government could not longer fool (and control) their people.
brainshrinkers were invented:TV , video games,football, soccer, rugby , cricket
Medias.......

"The result is a community which has a large number of people aged nine to thirteen"

This is the mental age of the youtubers..
They may be way older than that, depending of the region where they live

[Samu Thangadurai]

Time is so powerful it heals everything.. same with japan , they have moved and everything will be normal soon.... but without power and water

[Chamin]

Samu,

Yes, time will heal everything. I have been to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and talked with somebody who survived the bomb. He said schools in Nagasaki restarted in less than a week.

People move ahead slowly but steadily. Media, on the other hand, linger for a while and jump to the next incident.

[Chamin]

The day started with a small quake, but we are prepared for and used to this now. Things are improving slowly, in all fronts.

The government says they will not slow down spending on reconstruction because of worries about national debt or balancing the budget. So far we haven't seen party politics being a bother.

Power supply to all reactors has been restored. We have to appreciate this a lot, because that was done by about 50 people who were taking turns to work a few minutes and then get washed and cleaned before the next turn. Having power means we now have more accurate data from sensors in the plant. Later, cooling pumps can be started reducing the risk of further damage.

I will later write about how the foreign students reacted to the earthquake and related incidents.

[Ram]

Those people who work inside the power plants to get things right by even putting their life at stake are really great. There are no words to appreciate their effort and dedication. Hats off to you guys!!!

[Bianca Schlimm]

#mika. hello. is web history a university subject? where? can you give me a link for what affects the web has had so far on North Korea? thank you.

[Chamin]

Here is the update for today:

Good News:
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* The workers at the Nuclear plant confirmed that the steel containment vessel around the core containing nuclear fuel on reactor no. 3 is in tact. So, only one out of the four reactors with problems is not suspected to have a damaged contaiment vessel.

* Temperature measurements from inside reactors (other than one) are now available. One reactors has a higher temperature than desired, but is stable (not heating up further). Additional sea water will be pumped in today to cool it.

* People who have young children are buying bottled water, but there is the attitude of "leave for the others, too!". The metropolitan government is distributing bottled water to families with infants, starting from today.

* Radiation levels South of the nuclear plant (towards Tokyo) have reduced gradually over the past couple of days.

* There is no increase of radiation levels near the plant.

Bad news:
======

* Two of the workers got injured in an electricity-related accident while testing power connections at reactor no. 3 (they are being treated by a doctor who was flown to the place, and the injuries are not serious)

* Black smoke started coming out from one of the reactors, and this prevented the test run of its cooling pumps scheduled to yesterday's afternoon. Anyway, the smoke has since subsided and they will get back to work on it ASAP.

Panic News (if that is the right title):
======================

* 25 embassies in Tokyo are moving South to Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya. 14 of them are from Africa. It is evident that they have been influenced by a bigger country to do so, the usual petty diplomatics :-p

* The detected level of radiation in Tokyo's water is 190 Bk/kg, less than the Japanese standard for long term consumption (300 Bk/kg). Now we can scare the Europeans who believe in panic news, by saying "the limit for Europe is 500 Bk/kg, you might already be drinking more radioactive water!"

In unrelated news: A crow was making some noise in my balcony last morning. I went out to check and found out that she was trying to take a cloth-hanger made of wire. Must be building a nest. If she tries to do that at the apartment of a CNN reporter, we might see headlines such as "Severe Building Material Shortage in Tokyo" :-p

[Samu Thangadurai]

Chamin,

Thanks for your updates

[Karuna]

Chamin,
I think your Japanese crow plans to build a radiation proof nest with wire hangers.
once this news spreads, there will be panic buying of wire hangers in hong kong !!!

[Chamin]

@Karuna,

Good one! Next time, I will let the crow take it. After all, there will be infant crows there later.

[Chamin]

Finally, an English new report from somebody who has been to Sendai. Please listen if you have 5 minutes.

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/22/134755622/Life-Begins-To-Return-To-Normal-in-Sendai-Japan?ps=rs

I am posting much less here now because things are slowly but steadily returning to normal. I will keep daily updates in my blog for a while more, though.

[grandpa]

Modern sea walls failed to protect coastal towns from Japan's destructive tsunami last month. But in the hamlet of Aneyoshi, a single centuries-old tablet saved the day.

"High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants," the stone slab reads.
"Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point."

Hundreds of such markers dot the coastline, some more than 600 years old. Collectively they form a crude warning system for Japan, whose long coasts along major fault lines have made it a repeated target of earthquakes and tsunamis over the centuries.
The markers don't all indicate where it's safe to build. Some simply stand -- or stood, until they were washed away by the tsunami -- as daily reminders of the risk. "If an earthquake comes, beware of tsunamis," reads one. In the bustle of modern life, many forgot