| Recalling 3/11/11 |
[Mar. 13th, 2011|06:11 pm] |
Recalling 3/11/11
The last 48 hours of my life have been so shocking, disorienting and frustrating, but I realize that I'll never forget what's happened, so it makes sense to put my thoughts into words for memories' sake. Hopefully I can look back at this entry in the future and appreciate what this entire incident has taught everyone about survival and human compassion.
I was at my new job when the earthquake struck around 14:45. A client from the U.S. had been in the office and we were in our third day of meetings. The discussions, held on the 3rd floor of a 6-floor building in the Kamata area of southern Tokyo, were proceeding as usual when the room began to shake. At first it seemed normal, but after what felt like 30 seconds, the shaking grew even more violent. I could hear the bookshelves near the conference table rattling, and everyone in the room stood up to brace for something. Somewhat amusingly, I managed to update Facebook and Twitter during the shaking. I look back at those updates and I don't think I was exaggerating at all. The shaking was very violent and frightening. As the building shook, I stood there telling the client from the U.S. that this may have been the big one Tokyo has been waiting for since its last huge earthquake in 1923.
One of my bosses then rushed over to hold a bookshelf in place and he was successful at doing so, but about 2 minutes into the shaking, one of the adjacent bookshelves fell over and that's when I really began to feel frightened. I think it's because of the strong noise it made. After what had to be 5 minutes, the shaking stopped momentarily and I sat down, literally in shock and awe. I could then hear sirens sounding off outdoors, probably initiated by the train tracks that run outside of the office. I could then hear someone going on the loudspeaker, but I can't remember what was being said. The office, with the exception of the fallen shelf, survived with no further damage.
I went on Facebook and Twitter when the earthquake was occurring and saw that many of my Japan-based friends, whether they were in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka or Nagoya, tweeting multiple times about the earthquake. If the people far out of Tokyo had felt the quake, then clearly it had to be the big one.
Everyone in the office was confused, but relieved it was over… until a few moments later, the first of what would be hundreds of aftershocks occurred. Several people tried making phone calls to their families, while I got on Skype and called my family back home. My mom answered, and I told her that a big earthquake had occurred and I had no other information other than that I was okay and that no one should worry (according to my Skype history, this was at 14:58). I remember checking the major U.S. news sites at this point and the quake had not been reported yet.
Everyone decided to calm down and resume the meeting. We managed to make some progress, but I could hardly concentrate. I kept following Twitter and Facebook for more updates. But the aftershocks continued throughout the meeting and this prevented me from focusing on work. Within an hour of the initial quake, the reports of the damage throughout Northern Japan, particularly the Sendai area in Miyagi Prefecture, began to pour in. I then remembered that with huge earthquakes comes tsunami, a lesson I learned at the end of 2004. Pictures of the damage to Miyagi and then Iwate Prefectures began pouring in and I could just stare in awe at the photos of the destruction that was taking place during those moments. That was when I realized how lucky people in Tokyo were compared to those parts.
During the initial hour, news began to spread around the world of the severity of the destruction. A lot of my friends and family back home sent me messages on Facebook and Twitter asking me to confirm if I was okay. I realized that it was a good idea to keep people updated, so I utilized those two social media sites. The phones were then unable to make phone calls or text messages, although strangely their internet connectivity remained functional. At 16:30 or so, I phoned my family again, and they had gotten wind of the situation.
Aftershocks continued to rock the rest of the meeting, which concluded at 17:30 or so. The company CEO sent all employees a message permitting everyone to leave early if they wished. I live in Yokohama, and the JR trains (the Keihin Tohoku Line in my case) was not operational. At around 19:00, the CEO informed everyone that all JR train operations were suspended for the rest of the day and that employees could stay overnight if they were otherwise unable to get home. I was screwed in that sense, since my home was approximately 16 or 17 kilometers away (10 or so miles).
It turns out that there was one national highway I could use to get home (National Highway #1). It would be about a 4-hour walk, but it would not involve any turns or getting lost. So, cold weather aside (it was between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, if I recall correctly), I went down the path at about 20:00 with hundreds of other people who were similarly stranded. I had never seen Japan's streets packed with so many people and cars. I jokingly thought that I had been part of a modern day reenactment of The Exodus. The Tama River separates Tokyo from Kanagawa Prefecture, so the first milestone for my journey back home was crossing over the bridge into Kawasaki City. From there, it was another 2.5 hour hike into Yokohama and then another 40 minutes or so until I made it to Hodogaya and finally back home a little after 24:00. I used my iPhone to stay in touch during the hike, and the damage continued to mount in Northern Japan. I felt privileged that I was able to walk back to a home, as many had clearly lost theirs.
I discovered that nothing in my room fell except for bottles of lotion, hand sanitizer and shampoo. Everything else remained close to where they were pre-earthquake. Finally able to lie down, the aftershocks continued and I could feel them.
I had a difficult time falling asleep as the aftershocks continued to keep me awake. I managed to fall asleep around 03:00 and woke up before noon on 3/12. And since then, aftershocks have continued virtually non-stop to the point where I hardly notice them anymore.
Now, the biggest issue is whether Japan will be enveloped by a nuclear meltdown or if there will be enough food to weather the next few days. I managed to make a trip to Tokyo using an alternative route, as the train lines that connect Hodogaya with Tokyo (the Yokosuka Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line) were out of commission the entire day. The trains, except for the JR Yamanote Line, were actually pretty empty and running slower than usual because of the aftershock threats. I didn't see anyone laugh or smile on my commute to Tokyo, and understandably so. Convenience stores and restaurants are getting their food supplies drained frequently, which is setting off a chain reaction all throughout the Kanto region. People here are fearful that something even bigger is going to occur in the next few days.
I have no idea whether things will get better or worse from here, but this disaster has been, for me, a life-defining moment. The last time I felt so tense and doubtful was 9/11, but it wasn't as if I was actually there in New York to witness it for myself. All I can do now is hope these aftershocks stop, a nuclear disaster is suppressed or averted and that life can get back to normal as soon as possible. |
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