Earthquake Diary 12

eaSunday, March 20
We had a pretty big quake about an hour ago - magnitude 5.5, shindo 4. If you are interested in seeing more about the quake go to the Wolfram Alpha site and type in "earthquakes Japan". You can see various charts and lists that make the extend of the aftershocks quite understandable.

While I am thinking about the internet, you might also go to this site:

http://jpquake.wikispaces.com/Journalist+Wall+of+Shame

It has listings of the distortions and sensationalism that is being put out as news. I am getting really sick of it. Things are no where near as bad as the news is saying. It is bad, of course, but mainly along the coast where the tsunami hit. Tokyo and Sendai are fine, contrary to what is being put out.

Along this line I was watching CNN yesterday and they interviewed a specialist on trauma counseling. She was saying that the stress of the earthquake, tsunami, and reactor situation in Japan is comparable to the stress that Americans have been under because of the economy. I could not believe that she was saying that.

Also on CNN, I heard another 'expert' talking about one of the news items they had just shown. It showed a man and some friends shoveling the dirt our of the driveway to his home which was still standing but had been damaged by the tsunami. The expert was going on and on about how this useless work was a symptom of post traumatic stress. I wonder if he thought of the obvious reason - he was getting ready to start fixing up his house but had to clean off the driveway as a starting point.

This morning I slept late and then got up for breakfast: cereal with milk, yogurt, a Bagel Bagel dried fruit bar from the freezer, a donut, and a pot of coffee. The international news says that we Sendai residents are starving (as are Tokyoites).

Eating the donut made me sad. It is probably the last one that I will ever have. It came from the bread shop in the local supermarket, eight for 398 yen, really basic donuts. We buy them and put them in the freezer so I can have one with my morning coffee. The sadness comes from the information that we have about the supermarket. According to our sources, they do not have the funds to repair the damage from the earthquake (structural damage to the building, ceiling dropped down in places, sprinkler system went off and flooded the place, etc). If the supermarket closes, the bread shop will close and the only source of those donuts will be gone. There are other supermarkets in the area, not quite as convenient, but no really inconvenient, either, so food will not be a problem when normal life returns, but no cheap donuts. It makes me really unhappy.

My family has gone out for a walk to see if they can get any information about when stores will be open and what they expect to have for sale.

My family just came back and surprisingly had found Mr Donuts open. We now have a dozen donuts.