Earthquake Diary 92

 The green fence surrounds a high tension electric power line tower which rests on the concrete platform under the fence. That platform has moved about 10 centimeters way from the drainage ditch, leaving an empty space. The platform itself did not seem damaged in any way, just displaced in space.

 This is another example of soil liquification causing the drainage system to push up through the sidewalk. Also the fence is no longer perfectly vertical.

 I followed the sidewalk around a large apartment building and came to a small playground for the kids who live there. I was very surprised to see how many cracks there were.

 At the edge of the playground, the movement of a utility pole had created a huge, deep hole beside it.

 This is the remains of an entrance to my building, one that I do not normally use. One of the caretakers from the administration building has covered the ends of the steel rods with tape. They are gradually making temporary, or maybe permanent, repairs where they can.

This was taken near my building, which you can see in the upper left. The wall in the middle is about ready to fall over. Someone has placed tires, probably snow tires that are usually stored for the summer, next to the wall to keep people away from it.

Life is about to become busy again. I finished last year's classes at the beginning of February and have been on vacation ever since. Full time teachers receive their salary and use this time for research, also there are always meetings. However, I now work only as a part time instructor, no longer a professor, so it has been unpaid vacation time. Normally the vacation period lasts from the beginning of February to around the 10th of April. This year the earthquake caused classes to be postponed for a month. This means that I will start classes again in two weeks.

However, Friday is the beginning of what is known as Golden Week. Friday is a holiday celebrating the Showa Emperor's birthday. Then Saturday and Sunday are the normal weekend. Monday is a regular day but many places give students and employees the day off. Next, Tuesday is Constitution Day, Wednesday is Green Day and Thursday is Children's Day - all national holidays. Friday is again like Monday was, and then comes another weekend. Many people, especially teachers, get as much as a ten day vacation.

In most years Golden Week is a welcome break after the first couple of weeks of classes. This year it marks then end of the spring break and the beginning of the new school year at most universities. I will have my first classes on the first Tuesday after Golden Week. 

I suspect that psychologically the end of Golden Week will mark the end of the Disaster Period for me. Instead of hanging around wondering when the next aftershock will arrive, I will be busy planning and teaching. It will feel exceptionally good this year.