matcha with me…

Another Place04.10.11

There’s a place I go once or twice a year that holds a big piece of my heart. It’s a beautiful place, high on a hill near the mountains in Gunma. An almost complete 360 degree panorama of mountains, rivers, …

Place04.01.11

Close your eyes and imagine the place you feel most at home, most at ease, most who you are. At different stages of life different places come to mind, but that might be because you have moved a few times …

3/31 Earthquake Update03.31.11

Nobody told them we were having a nuclear crisis. That was the first thought I had upon seeing these blooms  on a walk recently. Late March and early April is arguably the most beautiful time here in the Tokyo/Kanto area. …

3/30 Earthquake Update03.30.11

Images from the television and newspaper today:

A mother/son hairstylist team cutting hair under a blue tarp in a temporary shelter. Since fleeing to the shelter, they borrowed scissors and decided to continue doing what they knew how to …

3/28 Earthquake Update03.28.11

The last few months I’ve started a new hobby. It’s making washi (Japanese paper) eggs, thanks to a very kind and patient friend. First you blow the insides out of  the egg through small holes, rinse it, and let it …

3/27 Earthquake Update03.27.11

Today did not turn out as expected. Yesterday Tim asked me to go with him to Costco to finish up details on the large order of goods to be trucked up to Fukushima (the area near the reactors). These goods …

3/24 Earthquake Update03.24.11

This whole crisis in Japan and the way people view it reminds me of an empty toilet paper roll. By that, I mean that each person’s view of the crisis is limited by one’s location, perspective, and what part of …

3/23 Earthquake Update03.23.11

Today the kids and I spent the morning cleaning the apartment where we had been staying, packing, and returning borrowed items. In between I kept checking the news since the first news this morning was that of two strong earthquakes …

3/22 Earthquake Update03.22.11

Tonight’s news featured ordinary people doing mundane jobs heroically, and ordinary people doing heroic jobs with extraordinary selflessness. Barring extreme events, the kids and I will head back to Tokyo tomorrow at least temporarily. I had the luxury of a …

3/21 Earthquake Update03.21.11

My sister put it well in an email- she said she had a bit of Japanese news fatigue. I do too, but still find myself searching for more. Watching the faces of people recount their stories draws me in to …

3/20 Earthquake Update03.20.11

Today I went to Kobe Union Church on Rokko Mountain. Kobe is gorgeous- wish I were here on a vacation, in a vacation mood. It reminds me of Seattle in so many ways including the hills and harbors, attitude and …

3/19 Earthquake Update03.19.11

People are trying really hard to return to life as normal. News on the reactors was very limited today, which strikes me as odd since the situation is not much different than yesterday. If you haven’t already found it, IAEC…

3/18 Earthquake Update03.18.11

It was a beautiful day here in Kobe, a world away from Tokyo. A trip to the supermarket felt like we had turned the clock back to pre 3/11. Rows of amply stocked shelves were a surprising contrast to my …

3/17 Earthquake Update03.17.11

Tonight I’m writing from Kobe. The kids and I together with another missionary mom and her kids decided that this was the best decision for now. Our guys have stayed in Tokyo and are praying and waiting to see what …

3/16 Earthquake Update03.17.11

It’s graduation time for Japanese schools. Some schools cancelled graduation. One principal announced his intention to hand deliver the graduation certificate to each student wherever they were. Others held it; I can almost imagine the feelings of the parents of …