There are some who have called me an alarmist or sensationalist when it comes to writing about all that’s happened since the March 11th earthquake/tsunami though I believe my writings to be mild compared to what’s really happening in the “truly affected” area. This post is only to highlight one of many new challenges that has turned adventure from 3/11.

It’s finally spring break in Japan. The week running up to it has been rough… Schools have had to balance the final weeks activities (graduation, grades, etc.) with fuel shortages, (threatened) power outages, and a concerned body of youth who never have experienced hardships on a scale like this. With spring break’s arrival however, it’s allowed me to travel with my neighbor Alex to Tokyo and beyond.

In a typical setting we would get on the Shinkansen (Bullet train) from Aomori or Hachinohe and take it down through Sendai to Tokyo then (for me) Hiroshima (to meet my GF in Shimane Pref.) all in an one day 8 hour train ride.

Except Sendai is broken.

So when recalculating our plans initially we thought it just wouldn’t happen, however cabin fever coupled with spotty services in our town (as a result of the challenges South in Touhoku) we decided to figure an alternative route. This is what JR East came up with for us:

So to explain the map: (if the kanji (漢字) show up as boxes go to View > Character Encoding > “Unicode – UTF-8″ or “Japanese”)

Key: 青森- Aomori　秋田 – Akita　新潟 – Niigata　盛岡 – Morioka　東京 – Tokyo　仙台 – Sendai

Green lines are “doable” train routes

So if you see the map what Alex and I did was drive to a town and take a local train to Aomori. Then from Aomori (~10AM) we took the Tsugaru express train (A fast train that runs on local train tracks) to Akita (~12ish PM) then we transferred to A train from Akita to Niigata (4:30ish) where we spent the night. Then the next day took a MAX Double decker Bullet train from Niigata to Tokyo where I Alex got off, but I transferred to a Nozomi bullet train to Hiroshima (~4 hours) where service was running normal.

The trip went smoothly and both of us was surprised by the beautiful scenery of the Japanese Sea side (West side) of Japan all the way down. Add to that the nice town of Niigata where we met some locals, ate some good food, and enjoyed a night at a great hotel that had an onsen.

We’re still not done, just spending some much needed time with our loved ones. We’re hoping things get more back to normal before we have to go back. Mainly we’re hoping for the shinkansens to come back online. Also it’s important to note we’re on break till April 10th.

More to come…

~J out

“The greatest prayer is patience”

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

-Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

My apologies for the long post, but this is an attempt to set the straight story for all of you who are confused by the mixed messages by the media, by me, or by the Japanese or American governments.

I want to first apologize deeply for not communicating to everyone everything that’s been happening here in Mutsu. My inbox has been on fire with concerned emails from everyone, for which I am eternally grateful for, and the most I’ve been able to send you individually is a message that, “I’m ok.”

The truth is that me and most people here are truly fine. Everyone is being asked to conserve electricity now– all to avoid rolling brown outs and it’s working! We haven’t had a scheduled blackout at all this week. Additionally, supplies of food & fuel from Hokkaido have been arriving here in Mutsu. Some store shelves do continue to be bare, but supplies like milk, meat, & eggs have been in stock lately. For fuel, yesterday a gas station near one of my schools had gas & kerosene and I was able to fill up my car and get 18L of kerosene for my stove.

So as of right now I’m doing good. Food-wise: Last night I ate big bowl of rice & beef stew and this morning I made Irish hash browns with onions & green peppers with toast. I tell you this because the “news” would have you believe otherwise.

Areas like Shimokita are safe and habitable. We’re being asked to save what we can, recycle what we can recycle, donate money if we can donate and to try to stay out of the tsunami evacuated areas. There is a current situation with how Japanese & American military are dealing with the disaster but it is no more then a bit of Japanese culture shock– something everyone experiences here. There is a need for you to show confidence to the Japanese government as they deal with this crisis.

The major problems isn’t supplies or radiation, but the recent foreign sensational media that is complicating all rescue efforts. The foreign population in Japan, like me, are getting mixed messages from the US & other media telling us that it’s not safe and that we need to evacuate –when organizations like the World Health Organization report otherwise:

Quote:

The World Health Organization has said radiation levels outside the evacuation zone in Japan are not harmful for human health. WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl made the remarks at a regular news conference in Geneva on Friday.

The Japanese government issued an advisory on Tuesday to evacuate from a 20-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It also told people living within a 30-kilometer radius to stay indoors.

He said the amount of radiation being reported outside of the evacuation zone continued to be below the levels considered a public health risk.

He said the WHO finds no public health reason to avoid travel to Japan, except to the affected areas, or to recommend that foreign nationals leave the country.

Some countries are encouraging their citizens to leave Japan or are moving their embassies from Tokyo to Osaka.

Referring to an examination of Japanese food imports by some countries, he said he cannot imagine that any food from the quake-damaged areas was able to have been delivered. He said he concludes there is no risk that exported Japanese foods are contaminated with radiation.

Saturday, March 19, 2011 08:04 +0900 (JST)

(Emphasis added was mine)

I ask that you read & listen to reports by credible organizations themselves, like this, rather then watch or listen to the bombardment of misinformation & conspiracy theory coming from news organizations like NBC, CBS, FOX and others. This sensational news is not good journalism-  More then that it is distracting and starting to get the foreign population living here in Japan agitated over having to correct everyone at home from the abundant misinformation.

Turn OFF the T.V. and Trust the Facts for a moment!

Here’s an excellent spread sheet (click on the link) from Aomori’s JET Prefectural Advisor showing the levels of radiation in Aomori. All normal– all within good levels.

As far as Americans evacuating Japan– there is no official evacuation order from the US State Department. This is their official message as of yesterday March 18, 2011. If you read it they say that all evacuation is voluntary (read: by one’s own expense)

The U.S. Department of State warns U.S citizens of the deteriorating situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.  The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recommends that U.S. citizens who live within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area or take shelter indoors if safe evacuation is not practical.  The State Department strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time and those in Japan should consider departing…

Note that Mutsu City, where I live, is 308 miles (495km) from Fukushima Prefecture. The Department of State does authorize a voluntary evacuation of government employees

Quote: the State Department has authorized the voluntary departure from Japan of eligible family members of U.S. government personnel

But there’s no recommendation that US Citizens need to leave Japan. Rather the Department of State recommends we focus our attention on warnings by the Japanese government with concern of future aftershocks & tsunamis should they occur. They say,

Due to the continuing possibility of strong aftershocks, Japan remains at risk for further tsunamis.  Japanese authorities have issued a warning for people to stay away from low-lying coastal areas.  If a tsunami alert is issued by Japanese authorities, evacuate immediately to higher ground.  Further information about what you can do if a tsunami occurs can be found at the National Weather Service’s TsunamiReady website, and the International Tsunami Information Center’s website.  Current tsunami alerts can be found at the Japan Meteorological Agency website, and the website of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The U.S. Embassy continues to deploy consular assistance teams where needed; these teams are actively working with our taskforce and local authorities to locate U.S. citizens, visit shelters and assistance centers, and help U.S. citizens identify public and commercial transportation options away from affected areas  U.S. citizens requiring emergency consular assistance should contact the Department of State via e-mail or through the emergency contact numbers below.  U.S. citizens in Japan should contact family and friends in the United States to confirm their well-being at the earliest opportunity.  Where internet and telephone services are not available, it may be possible to contact people using SMS (Cell text message) or other forms of social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

The Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (which I’m a participant of) has this to say from their website:

If you are in the affected areas, take precautionary measures by avoiding low-lying areas and shorelines of rivers and coastal regions for the next 24-48 hours, or more if instructed by local authorities. Follow any safety instructions issued by the local municipalities. If you have not already, try to contact friends and family, supervisor and contracting organisation to let them know whether you are safe or not. Telephone service is affected in many areas, so please keep trying if you cannot get through, use email, texting, Facebook, etc.

So I apologize for the length of this post, but I hope the information is useful when you’re thinking about me or others here in Japan. We all need to Be Prepared! and follow the Scout Oath and Law

• Trustworthy,
• Loyal,
• Helpful,
• Friendly,
• Courteous,
• Kind,
• Obedient,
• Cheerful,
• Thrifty,
• Brave,
• Clean,
• and Reverent.

Again thank you for your concerns and for reading this.

If everyone does the right thing and trusts that it will all be OK– then it will be.

~J out

Or for those who are just curious here’s a link to all my current photos of Mutsu (i.e. everything I’ve posted to FB) on my flickr photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11136143@N00/sets/72157626157507479/

check it out, & comment please,

~Josh

The chances of experiencing an epic disaster in one’s life- one so devastating that it probably shifted the earth’s access 23cm is probably rare. As a child, the mass media conditioned me to take the brunt of devastating news with solemness, but somewhat indifference. There has always been a separation between the event and me– thus the impact hasn’t been as alarming as this recent earthquake that struck me where I live in Japan.

The destruction is astronomical, and the pain of such a event is crippling. The earth quake with a magnitude of 8.8 (as reported by the Japanese media– 8.9 elsewhere) struck Friday March 11th just when elementary school kids were just leaving for the weekend. It’s graduation season here and elementary schools all around are doing “leaving ceremonies” around now, and graduation ceremonies next weekend– or they were planning to at least.

More broadly then that– Elementary School kids & 1st & 2nd grade Jr. High school students might not have a school to return to in tsunami struck coastal areas like Aomori, Iwate, and Miyagi. Additionally graduated Jr. High school & High School Seniors who graduated last week might not have a high school or college to go to in April either.

All that and it’s not over yet… Earthquakes of magnitudes 5 & 6+ still are rocking areas of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, and likely Aomori. Aomori, especially where I am, feels most of the aftershocks from these earthquakes. Earthquakes also renew tsunami warnings and leaves all of us in a heighten state of alertness.

How this all will work out has yet to be seen. At the moment the Japanese Self Defense Force has moved in to survey the damage and rescue stranded people from roof tops and from under rubble. After that will probably be a massive clean up effort given that another massive earthquake or tsunami doesn’t strike another part of Japan.

I and others are actively looking for ways we can help on the ground since we’re hours away from the carnage. If we do get involved it will surely be in ways that are safe, and beneficial to the victims who have no homes at the moment.

Friends, ways you can help is to send out your prayers to the people who have lost everything and now call community centers and school gyms their temporary home. If God has blessed you and you want to give– give money. Japan is a very capable and developed country that already has resources like food & water, but for emergency services, families that need aid, or to launch volunteer efforts to recover from the loss it might take a little extra money.

I want to finish by thanking all of you for your heart felt concerns. I receive your messages and am thankful that I have such a broad network of friends who are concerned for my welfare. It shows a compassionate side to humanity that to me more valuable then anything.

~Josh

The Winter Semester is here is the shortest of all semesters at only 9 weeks verses Fall which is like 15 weeks. However, despite it’s length, Winter is the hardest to endure. The cold that builds up over the later Fall months of October, November, and December peaks and it zaps one’s energy and motivation to do anything. A trial by ice that, to prosper in it, takes an array of distractions and courage.

Luckily Winter isn’t forever and eventually it slowly gives to Spring. In terms of school, this week is the third to last week of winter. In other words I just have to make it through this week, next week, and the following week then spring break starts for three weeks.

I’m glad to see, if only on paper, winter end. It’s a time that I believe mixes people up because the time they would be spending outdoors doing things and keeping busy they’re indoors staying warm and idle. Idleness led to boredom, boredom led to thinking about stuff, which led to “bummer thoughts” sometimes. In any case spring should hopefully rescue us by the end of March and brighten our hopes with the melting of winter’s blank snow cover.

With spring, like the seeds of plants, our love of the joys of life… grows.

~J out

Nothing deep today or spiritual today just an account of the last few hours…

I woke up this morning just 20 minutes past 6am with a headache from the fumes of lingering bleach from the kitchen when I spent 4+ hours on Sunday going at my apartment with a wire brush, sponge, and cleaning disinfectant to get it clean for some guests today and Lexi later this week (wed).

My back hurt getting up and I still have a cough from when I was sick. My head was still fogged with a convoluted dream about a big ship, my boss, and Al Roker trying doing a cooking presentation with Samuel L. Jackson constantly interrupting (must of been the bleach fumes).

It’s a sunny morning in Mutsu, but it’s cold. Outside was -3C, inside my apartment 10C and because last night my heater ran out of fuel I just sat frozen on my couch with a cup of coffee starring at the wall with my hair everywhere. I thought of writing something about something when I got to work, but I couldn’t figure out how to write it.

Getting ready for work took under 5 minutes. I’ve reduced my routine this winter to basically: Make coffee, put in my contacts, get dressed, dampen and blow dry my hair and comb it into a less offensive “I sorta tried” shape. Then run out and start the car, run back, and drink a cup of joe while I stare at the frost slowly melt off my windshield.

Driving to work in the mornings I used to listen to “Iron and Wine” but their new Album I’m don’t like as much. I’ve sorta turned into a folk junkie and lately been enjoying this band “Horse Feathers”– this morning the song, “In our blood” particularly caught me (Lyrics and video at the end of the post).

Before getting to school I made sure to stop at a Lawson’s convient store to get some cash from ATM. I’ve been broke all last month and this month, but luckily it’s payday today. However, I’ve got used to being broke, sick, & sorta not doing a whole lot of expensive (over 2,000 yen) things– so maybe I’ll just keep it up and save whatever isn’t taken out by the “invisible hands” (bills) which probably will be everything anyway.

So that brings me into about where I’m at now. I sat down at my desk and booted up my laptop to write that thing I was going to try and write eariler when I read this article on the Willamette Week–

“I just want to talk less and less,’ says Holcombe Waller. “It’s like, conversations walk by and I have all these ideas of things to say, and I just sit there and let them go because I’m like, I don’t really need to say that…” Link

I feel this way sometimes– and I still find it remarkable at how common and “unremarkable” it is with us all linked up together for someone to be able to communicate something that I can read some 6,000 miles away– and have it be an attitude that I also share in one way or another. Wild

With that all out there– there’s nothing much more– that’s about the bulk of this morning’s state– What you should take away?

Everything isn’t so bad when the sun comes out, when it’s not in your eyes at least.. .

~J out

Lyrics to In Our Blood :

Ok so I was naive to think that an action I made wouldn’t be accompanied by a reaction of equal magnitude in the opposite direction. 

That is to say, “actio et reactio.” or translated, “My big mouth and the reaction to it”

Reading over my last post again, I realize that it’s in conflict with things I’ve written in the past. Specifically it conflicts with an opinion I had on April 21, 2009 in the post Don’t look back in Anger. Back then, when I was writing with regards to challenges of studying Japanese, I wrote that it’s “important to overcome challenges through persistence.” Here’s a quote from that post:

I’m becoming a firm believer of “that which is my weakness can be overcome through persistence.”…. The principal here is not to look back in anger and acknowledge that weaknesses you are having (or always had) are some sort of justifiable barrier. Because they are not, in fact every one of these ‘ghosts’ that re-appear that you conquer goes to show just how awesome you really are. Failure can be overcome with motivation. That because in an of itself, failure does not represent Total-Failure–

In trying to say “I can’t express myself to you” I’m acknowledging a weaknesses, a failure, I am having  (or always have had) as some sort of justifiable barrier… Thus I think an earlier Josh would read the last post and say, “Hey you just aren’t trying hard enough man” and he’d be right, I haven’t been.

I’ve allowed, to an extent, my location, my  isolation here, and other factors to take over my time and as a result neglected the important things I would have never allowed to be neglected in the past.  That’s a big flaw on my part.

However there’s still hope in that while I’ve failed many times,

failure does not represent Total-Failure

Or so I hope. Learning these lessons one by one is tough and takes time to work through what I really want.

I appreciate your comments and more importantly your patience.

~J

Edit:

A Multi-layered life is like a big taco

yum

~J out

It’s been awhile since I’ve written here, and this week being sort of sick particularly doesn’t exactly motivate to write either. However, seeing as I have some time I’ll write anyway.

It’s remarkable that I and so many others have “made it”, in a way of speaking, to 2011. Recently I re-watched “The Fellowship of the Ring” in the lord of the rings series and thought that, in some manner, a “dark presence” has befallen this realm. Each day brings with it another story of “bad news” but in this year perhaps we’ll make a special effort to read more good then bad.

Perhaps I’m all caught up in the hype with everyone else, but my mind swarms (sometimes to nausea) as to what to do next with my life. The truth is I have a job, a very good one with good pay, lots of vacation, and even very good health insurance. I feel lucky even though amongst some JET teachers this, “dream job” to some, carries warnings of it being rut-job straight headed for the big “what now” 5 years after getting hired (even though it took a year to get into it).

I agree that a new year should be focused on proactive thinking, but as I consider re-contracting for my third year, I sometimes find it hard to resist the lure of security for just a few more years. Perhaps it’s just me or perhaps its the bulk of today’s bewildered 20 sometimes, but honestly– I don’t know what I should be doing or what I want to do. It’s a very honest statement, bizarre in a way, and somewhat humbling to admit.

Why bizarre? Because I’ve accomplished the things and followed the right path when I was younger. I graduated high school when many in my high school didn’t (or couldn’t). I went to two colleges and got two degrees (An Associates and Bachelors). I even landed the job I’ve wanted since I was 14 and now at the ripe age of 26 in the beginning of 2011 I ask frequently, “now what.”

The thought of asking seems somewhat trivial as many would counter me in saying, “ahh fear not it’ll all make sense in time.” Yet, why the heck not ask? Perhaps the sky isn’t falling, but the smiling economic empire that boldly walked into my  high school and career counseling center back in 2003/‘04– promising me and my peers in honors classes “jobs galore” if we followed their little charades– are not only closing the doors, they’re not even there anymore.

Sounds like what Bob Dylan wrote in his song “Just like Tom Thumb’s Blues”,

Everybody said they’d stand behind me
When the game got rough
But the joke was on me
There was nobody even there to call my bluff
I’m going back to New York City
I do believe I’ve had enough.

2011 will, for many, be a year (I expect) of ‘great ponderings‘. Lots of stuff to sort through emotionally, physically, and mentally. Gotta stay tough and focused.

~J out

*I finally have some free-time this winter break so it’s time to publish some old drafts I’ve been meaning to finish!

Quoted in some circles as being the hardest test in Japan to pass by any single foreigner, the “Japanese Driver’s License Exam” is one of those things not to be taken lightly.

but first…

who: Those foreigner’s out there who want to live in Japan past their one year international driver’s license

what: There are three simple parts to it… one easy 10 dumb question written test, one eye exam, and for us lovely Americans: one driving test on a set course using the Driving center’s vehicle.

Where: no where near where you are likely… (for me that’s 2-2.5 hours)

why: Because I have a car, I need this car for work, I need a license to drive the car past my Intl. Driver’s lic. exp. date, and w/o a Japanese license I’d be f’d.

when: Over the course of a month

Price: Including drive school practice, gas to & from home-Aomori city, the tests, and the license… About $200

So why take the test? The simplest answer is… “Because…” but honestly you can’t realistically drive in Japan without taking this test and in some cases (like mine) taking the test is required by your work. For the people where they could “get by” without the license (people in big cities, etc.)– this test isn’t necessary and not worth your time or effort.

So the bigger question is how do you pass it? or what’s the easiest way to pass…? Every test center is different, but in general I believe that License Centers aren’t exactly 100% in tune with the world around them… Thus to pass you have to imagine you live in a world of perfection in which, well, you have to be perfect to pass.

What they’re looking for isn’t your ability to drive– That much should be obvious if you drove yourself to the test center. They’re looking for you to do certain tricks like a seal at a show.. Perfect blinker & lane change maneuvers; stopping on a dime; Inching around corners… it’s all an act and if you think of yourself applying to be an actor to a Broadway play you’ll get the idea of what you’ll have to do.

Here’s a good plan that works…

1. Schedule a test and take the test straight up (if you pass right on!, if not schedule the next test ASAP)
2. [...If you fail] contact a local driving school near you and ask for a 2 hour course on just passing the test using the vehicle they used in your first test.. Practice hard core and listen to the teacher (his job is teach you all the ins & outs)
3. Start practicing if you have a car on local streets– pretend everything is THE TEST
4. Take the test again– if you pass whoop-whoop! If not follow through on the test if you can.. i.e. ask to finish the test. Then reschedule.
5. Do the test again– make sure you’ve nailed the last time, and first time’s errors. If you pass again, Woot! if not– reschedule…
6. Repeat until passage really, slipping testers a 10,000 yen bill doesn’t cut it anymore.

OK My big advice/tips are these…

1. that failure isn’t a bad thing, you can do it many times so don’t let that get you down.
2. Failure is in fact practice in a different form- Take failed opportunities to finish the course to the end and ask the tester for advice for next time. With them not in test mode, they can sometimes offer advice (granted in Japanese).
3. Walk the course, if you’re allowed, and imagine yourself doing it.
4. If you’ve driven a manual car before and are comfortable with a stick, take the manual test over auto. They’re the same tests, but a manual lic. holders can drive any auto or manual car… Very Useful! for driving your friends’ cars or for rentals.
5. (Believe it or not this works) Your chances of passing increase if your testing center is bogged down with other people taking the tractor test.*
6. Say, “Onigaishimasu” and do a small bow to the tester before you depart.
7. Follow your routine to the “T”– details are important and they notice even when their head is down in their test sheet.
8. Try and go at normal speed on the test. Going at 10km/hr in a manual tells them you don’t know how to change gears.– thus Fail
9. Do your research and find out what others say about your local regional test.
10. Be confident! The test is on a closed course so it never changes unlike the US where the tester might take you out on local roads.
11. Intl. Lic. holders: Make sure to start this process 4 months before your international license expires– don’t get stuck with no valid license and having to take the trains down to take the test.

*The tractor test requires the tested to drive the tractor alone, but have 2 testers follow him in a chaser vehicle. Thus leaving the test center with less *real* testers for your drive test which sometimes (rarely) would mean that someone else (i.e. not a regular tester) will test you and be a little more lenient.

Any way you do it, how ever many times you take the test once you pass you pass no retakes in 5 years or anything. It’s over! Cry laugh whatever– just do all that after they stamp or hanko your pass form.

Oh and finally make sure you look good for each test! If you do pass your license photo  will be taken right afterward…

J out