The girls and I are now in Perth, Australia, staying with Steve's parents. It's scorching, and though we've made a point of getting to the beach yesterday and today, an hour is about all we can bear. We are like bears just emerging from hibernation and blinking in the bright sun. What a contrast with Tokyo and Japan, it all seems unreal. The images of destruction are still on the TV screens everyday, and I'm finding it no easier to watch them from a distance - almost more upsetting.
Tomorrow we visit friends in the morning, celebrate a family birthday in the afternoon, and Monday fly Melbourne (not Brisbane -amended!) to continue elder daughter's tour of Australian arts and design schools and stay with Jeanie, a dear friend from college days, who married a Kiwi and ended up down under... I wasn't originally going to come with Amira, despite Jeanie's entreaties, so it's a special added bonus.
The aftershocks continue in Tokyo, and I know how nerve-racking they are, especially for people working in high-rises. I do not miss that drunken, sea-sick feeling at all.
The girls' school (St Maur) has wisely decided to cancel or curtail most after school activities in the week following the end of the break, to take some pressure off the kids (like daughter #2, who has basketball, choir, drama, and flute lessons keeping her at school until 5.30 every day of the week). Getting back into a school routine will help, but the constant aftershocks cannot but have a disruptive effect. You can't help stopping whatever you're doing to listen and wonder how long it will last this time...
One of Steve's uncles, now in his 80s, who was a young 18 year old soldier in Tobruk during WWII, has apparently been very upset by the images of destruction in Japan, which bring back some terrible memories of the war, probably in part because Tobruk is also in the news in reports of war in Lybia. The rapprochement in some way makes total sense.
I won't be updating this blog much in the next few days - our schedule will be pretty busy and access to internet episodic.
vendredi 25 mars 2011
mardi 22 mars 2011
Tremblements de terre: la sagesse des anciens
Pour ceux qui trouvent consolation dans la philosophie, voici ce qu’a écrit Sénèque au sujet des tremblements de terre:
“Car où verrons-nous quelque sécurité, quand la terre même s'ébranle et que ses parties les plus solides s'affaissent, quand la seule base inébranlable et fixe qui soutient et affermit tout le reste, s'agite comme une mer; quand le sol perd l'avantage qui lui est propre, l'immobilité? Où nos craintes pourront-elles cesser? Où nos personnes trouveront-elles un refuge? Où fuiront nos pas chancelants, si la peur naît du sol même, si ses entrailles nous l'envoient? ...
J'annonce que rien n'est éternellement calme : tout peut périr et donner la mort. Eh bien! cela même est un motif de nous rassurer, motif le plus puissant de tous ; car enfin, où le mal est sans remède, la crainte est une folie. La raison guérit les sages de la peur ; les autres doivent au désespoir leur profonde insouciance.”
Livre VI des “Questions Naturelles” chapitre I.
A lire en entier!
http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/philosophes/seneque/questionsnaturelles6.htm
“Car où verrons-nous quelque sécurité, quand la terre même s'ébranle et que ses parties les plus solides s'affaissent, quand la seule base inébranlable et fixe qui soutient et affermit tout le reste, s'agite comme une mer; quand le sol perd l'avantage qui lui est propre, l'immobilité? Où nos craintes pourront-elles cesser? Où nos personnes trouveront-elles un refuge? Où fuiront nos pas chancelants, si la peur naît du sol même, si ses entrailles nous l'envoient? ...
J'annonce que rien n'est éternellement calme : tout peut périr et donner la mort. Eh bien! cela même est un motif de nous rassurer, motif le plus puissant de tous ; car enfin, où le mal est sans remède, la crainte est une folie. La raison guérit les sages de la peur ; les autres doivent au désespoir leur profonde insouciance.”
Livre VI des “Questions Naturelles” chapitre I.
A lire en entier!
http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/philosophes/seneque/questionsnaturelles6.htm
Tokyo rated 4/7 on the hanami index
Get ready for an explosion of blooms in gardens and parks all over Tokyo! Camellias are in full swing, magnolias almost fully in bloom and cherries getting ready to burst into flower in a few weeks. Residents of Tokyo have been warned to prepare their picnic baskets...
lundi 21 mars 2011
Crash course in radiation - and other airborne risks
I watched this video of a lecture given by physicist Dr Otsuka at Tsukuba university this weekend, who explains some of the science behind the numbers we are seeing. He's a great lecturer, and funny, too!
I have been thinking also for the last week about how we deal psychologically with the risks that we take in our daily lives - driving, crossing the road, taking the plane (especially if you like to travel to places like Indonesia), talking on our mobiles, taking medicine, breathing the polluted air of our cities: all of these could be terrible sources of anxiety if we always had all the risk probabilities in mind. But if I went to the doctor saying that I no longer dared drive because there is a 0.007% chance I might be killed in an accident, I'd be immediately referred to a psychologist for an anxiety disorder.
Radiation scares us because it is invisible, Dr Otsuka pointed out in his lecture. But so is another serious health hazard: air pollution. (Except if you live in Hong Kong, where some days the "haze" is so thick you can't see Kowloon from Central: pollution is definitely visible there.)
What are the morbidity/mortality rates for air pollution? Why do we accept this risk as a necessary price of development, of living in a bustling, rich, exciting city like Hong Kong, Madrid, Shanghai, New York, or Tokyo?
I will have to quote Wikipedia on this - sorry - specifically a WHO report quoted in the footnotes, which estimates annual worldwide mortality from indoor and outdoor air pollution at 2.4 million. To take Switzerland, for example the estimate is 800 deaths annually, for a population of 7 million. Air pollution aggravates respiratory disease, cardiopulmonary disease, asthma... making some people sick and killing others.
To return to Hong Kong, where we lived for three years, we had many days of "high" pollution according to the totally outdated HK government standards, which would have been considered off the charts in most other countries! The subject is highly controversial in Hong Kong (see summary on Wikipedia), where the attitude seems to be that some increase in mortality is the price of prosperity. Have airlines ever cancelled their flights to Hong Kong for fear of exposing their staff to these extreme levels of particulate air pollution as Swiss, Lufthansa and Alitalia have done this week for Tokyo? Of course not.
Another possible difference between our perception of pollution vs radiation as a health risk, is that no one dies spectacularly of a sudden, high exposure to city air pollution, whereas a sudden high dose of radiation will most definitely kill you. Secondly, that main health risk associated with radiation is cancer, an illness we fear more than others because it is hidden, mysterious, painful and not always treatable.
So while the threat of a radioactive cloud rising from Fukushima and spreading over Japan is scary, it's important to see it in the context of other environmental pollutants as well. Yet another reason to switch to renewable energy sources and work harder to reduce our consumption of energy.
I have been thinking also for the last week about how we deal psychologically with the risks that we take in our daily lives - driving, crossing the road, taking the plane (especially if you like to travel to places like Indonesia), talking on our mobiles, taking medicine, breathing the polluted air of our cities: all of these could be terrible sources of anxiety if we always had all the risk probabilities in mind. But if I went to the doctor saying that I no longer dared drive because there is a 0.007% chance I might be killed in an accident, I'd be immediately referred to a psychologist for an anxiety disorder.
Radiation scares us because it is invisible, Dr Otsuka pointed out in his lecture. But so is another serious health hazard: air pollution. (Except if you live in Hong Kong, where some days the "haze" is so thick you can't see Kowloon from Central: pollution is definitely visible there.)
What are the morbidity/mortality rates for air pollution? Why do we accept this risk as a necessary price of development, of living in a bustling, rich, exciting city like Hong Kong, Madrid, Shanghai, New York, or Tokyo?
I will have to quote Wikipedia on this - sorry - specifically a WHO report quoted in the footnotes, which estimates annual worldwide mortality from indoor and outdoor air pollution at 2.4 million. To take Switzerland, for example the estimate is 800 deaths annually, for a population of 7 million. Air pollution aggravates respiratory disease, cardiopulmonary disease, asthma... making some people sick and killing others.
To return to Hong Kong, where we lived for three years, we had many days of "high" pollution according to the totally outdated HK government standards, which would have been considered off the charts in most other countries! The subject is highly controversial in Hong Kong (see summary on Wikipedia), where the attitude seems to be that some increase in mortality is the price of prosperity. Have airlines ever cancelled their flights to Hong Kong for fear of exposing their staff to these extreme levels of particulate air pollution as Swiss, Lufthansa and Alitalia have done this week for Tokyo? Of course not.
Another possible difference between our perception of pollution vs radiation as a health risk, is that no one dies spectacularly of a sudden, high exposure to city air pollution, whereas a sudden high dose of radiation will most definitely kill you. Secondly, that main health risk associated with radiation is cancer, an illness we fear more than others because it is hidden, mysterious, painful and not always treatable.
So while the threat of a radioactive cloud rising from Fukushima and spreading over Japan is scary, it's important to see it in the context of other environmental pollutants as well. Yet another reason to switch to renewable energy sources and work harder to reduce our consumption of energy.
dimanche 20 mars 2011
A touching article and educational video
Today I need to get back to work editing the soon-past-deadline dictionary of tea ceremony that I have been chipping away at for the last few months. Raining in Tokyo, but wind is from the West, blowing the radioactivity out to sea (we won't be eating local fish for a while...).
I've already share both these links on Facebook, but for those who are not in my friends list, I'm adding them here.
First a very touching opinion piece by Paul Blustein in the Washington Post last Thursday, which echoes my feelings exactly.
Second, a Japanese animation that explains the reactor emergency to children, more clearly and comprehensibly than all the talking heads on CNN, as one friend commented. Note that this could be somewhat disturbing for children in the potty training stage.
It's nice to know someone is thinking of children and their feelings and making an effort to explain the situation to them including the "worst case scenario". It will indeed be terrible for the people of Fukushima...
I've already share both these links on Facebook, but for those who are not in my friends list, I'm adding them here.
First a very touching opinion piece by Paul Blustein in the Washington Post last Thursday, which echoes my feelings exactly.
Second, a Japanese animation that explains the reactor emergency to children, more clearly and comprehensibly than all the talking heads on CNN, as one friend commented. Note that this could be somewhat disturbing for children in the potty training stage.
It's nice to know someone is thinking of children and their feelings and making an effort to explain the situation to them including the "worst case scenario". It will indeed be terrible for the people of Fukushima...
Sunday in Toritsudaigaku - returning to "normal"
Radiation levels in Tokyo over the last 24 hours: normal. The 150+ firemen who've been spraying the reactors appeared on TV this morning exhausted and emotional and justly proud of each other. It looks like they have been successful in turning the tide and keeping us all safe. Crews in Iwate have started work on temporary housing for displaced persons. Local TV stations have reverted to showing the world's weirdest variety shows and reruns of 70s samurai movies, instead of 24 hours news coverage.
Last night we had quite a strong tremor around 19.00 which according the the JMA website was felt here in Tokyo as a 3 (on the Japanese scale of 7) with the epicentre in Ibaraki province to the north of Tokyo. For the first time in a week my heart did not leap into my mouth when the bookcase began rattling alarmingly: I take that as a welcome sign that the trauma is beginning to fade and that I will be able to cope with living in an earthquake zone for the next few years! It feels a little like we are living on top of a great sleeping beast that awoke and turned over last Friday, and is now settling back into a fitful slumber. Apparently these little adjustments in the tectonic plates will continue for a while. It is far more dramatic and unnerving when you are in the upper floors of a high-rise, Steve tells me, and you feel the whole building rolling, swaying and twisting, as it is designed to do.
One effect I have noticed since the earthquake is that I have become a little stupid: I have a hard time counting change and have to make people repeat phone numbers twice, can't remember where I left my purse, wallet, keys (that is, worse than my usual forgetfulness - on par with the first blurry months after the arrival of a baby!). My stomach is unsettled and I wake repeatedly at night, sweating, in the grip of anxiety dreams. All signs that the fear has not yet been eliminated from my system.
However, I feel a change of mood walking around the neighborhood yesterday and today. Whereas early in the week faces were tense and worried, I now see more smiles, and people chatting away with animation. Restaurants are busy. More cars are on the street. If my Japanese neighbours return from Nagoya Monday (a public holiday) it will be a sign that things are returning to normal.
We had chirashi-zushi for lunch at our favorite local sushiya-san - arriving early as they had turned us away yesterday at 12:45 because they were too full (the two chefs can't really handle more than 10 people, even though the restaurant sits about 16). So in compensation we got an extra large portion of fish, "from Western Japan and Kyushu," the taisho was quick to specify. He also asked if we had been told by our government to leave (yes on the Swiss side, no on the Australian side, we replied) and thanked us for staying. "I didn't close the restaurant, I'm still working, it's the best I can do to help the country after the earthquake", he said. This pretty much sums up the attitude of many Japanese.
Because my aunt Nicole requested I say a few words about her, I've included a photo of Gin, my "furry daughter" as the family calls her. I nursed her through several relapses of tick fever (bobesia and erlichia) for an interminable, tearful five months last year, and had resigned myself to her dying when she finally bounced back without the help of medication. We then had to leave her for 6 months at a kennel in Hong Kong in quarantine before she could fly to Tokyo. This little dog has been through a lot in her four years. So it is an understatement to say that I love her very much.
As I was concerned that it was cold in the kitchen at night with the heat switched off, and since she is probably the only little dog in Tokyo (or Hong Kong) who doesn't own a little Burberry-check coat, I wrapped her up for bed in an old sweater. By morning she had managed to wriggle out of the uncomfortable itchy thing!
The only reaction she has had to the earthquakes is to growl and bark more than usual at noises in and outside the house. It's the noises she notices, not the shaking itself. I believe the notion that animals can detect earthquakes seconds before they happen has been disproved.
I conclude with a few more pictures of the neighborhood taken with my iphone, as the camera has gone to Perth with Laure.
Last night we had quite a strong tremor around 19.00 which according the the JMA website was felt here in Tokyo as a 3 (on the Japanese scale of 7) with the epicentre in Ibaraki province to the north of Tokyo. For the first time in a week my heart did not leap into my mouth when the bookcase began rattling alarmingly: I take that as a welcome sign that the trauma is beginning to fade and that I will be able to cope with living in an earthquake zone for the next few years! It feels a little like we are living on top of a great sleeping beast that awoke and turned over last Friday, and is now settling back into a fitful slumber. Apparently these little adjustments in the tectonic plates will continue for a while. It is far more dramatic and unnerving when you are in the upper floors of a high-rise, Steve tells me, and you feel the whole building rolling, swaying and twisting, as it is designed to do.
One effect I have noticed since the earthquake is that I have become a little stupid: I have a hard time counting change and have to make people repeat phone numbers twice, can't remember where I left my purse, wallet, keys (that is, worse than my usual forgetfulness - on par with the first blurry months after the arrival of a baby!). My stomach is unsettled and I wake repeatedly at night, sweating, in the grip of anxiety dreams. All signs that the fear has not yet been eliminated from my system.
However, I feel a change of mood walking around the neighborhood yesterday and today. Whereas early in the week faces were tense and worried, I now see more smiles, and people chatting away with animation. Restaurants are busy. More cars are on the street. If my Japanese neighbours return from Nagoya Monday (a public holiday) it will be a sign that things are returning to normal.
 |
| delicious chirashi with extra seafood |
Because my aunt Nicole requested I say a few words about her, I've included a photo of Gin, my "furry daughter" as the family calls her. I nursed her through several relapses of tick fever (bobesia and erlichia) for an interminable, tearful five months last year, and had resigned myself to her dying when she finally bounced back without the help of medication. We then had to leave her for 6 months at a kennel in Hong Kong in quarantine before she could fly to Tokyo. This little dog has been through a lot in her four years. So it is an understatement to say that I love her very much.
 |
| Gin in a sweater |
The only reaction she has had to the earthquakes is to growl and bark more than usual at noises in and outside the house. It's the noises she notices, not the shaking itself. I believe the notion that animals can detect earthquakes seconds before they happen has been disproved.
I conclude with a few more pictures of the neighborhood taken with my iphone, as the camera has gone to Perth with Laure.
 |
| One of the Buddhist temples in the neighborhood: it's mid-month (full moon day) so a few people were lighting incense and cleaning graves |
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| The shinto shrine |
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| Meguro-ku scouts collecting donations in front of Toritsudaigaku station |
samedi 19 mars 2011
Saturday in Meguro-ku photo diary
Today we slept in past 5 am for the first time in a week. Our first task was to go shopping for necessities to send to the quake and tsunami-striken areas where the government is distributing food but basic hygiene products, blankets, warm clothes, etc. are urgently needed. Fidelity will be collecting from employees and then Tokyo municipality will organise shipping and distribution.
We continued with a walk to Komazawa park so that Gin could play with some pampered poodles and dachsunds.
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| At first the saleswoman at the drugstore said we were limited to two packs of sanitary napkins, but I explained that it was a donation for Tohoku, so it was ok. |
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| Amateur league baseball |
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| The yaki-imo guy who always hangs around the park (he has only 3 teeth in his bottom jaw, but has visited Switzerland) |
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| The dog run |
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| Children playing |
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| Fewer joggers than usual, but maybe that's because it's the afternoon |
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| Service stations are still closed |
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| Cup noodles are available again. Not that I ever buy this processed junk. |
The schools report
Students at international schools in Tokyo/Yokohama are not complaining about the free extension to spring break since the earthquake - but parents, especially of students in the upper high school years who are due to take exams in the next month or two, are concerned about the effects school closure will have on their education.
In the back of our minds is the question: what will happen if the Fukushima reactors continue to simmer past the "back to school" date and some families decide not to return to Japan and finish the school year in their home country?
What are the various international schools in Tokyo planning for the next weeks? What support are they offering students in the interim?
St Maur International School: scheduled spring break (24/3 to 3/4) has effectively been lengthened by two weeks; back to school on April 4th. Next week International Baccalaureate revision sessions will be organised for Y12s who are still in town, and the library is open to all. Some teachers have sent homework or revision work assignement directly to students, but not all (Sample size limited to my two children)
Yokohama International School: the two-week long Spring break begins this weekend. School should reconvene on April 4th.
British School: School has been closed this week, and will remain closed until March 28 inclusive of scheduled spring break of one week. The school will provide provide a learning programme of activities and tasks that students can access on line as of Monday 21st. The Shibuya campus library is open during the break.
French School: School remains closed until April 4th. The scheduled spring break in late April-May is shortened to one week (30/4-8/5). French Schools in the region (Hong Kong, Kyoto, Hanoi) are making room for displaced students to continue their education in the interim, as are schools in France. But no support is offered directly by the school to children remaining in Tokyo. Parents have the option of home schooling through the distance learning programme of CNED.
German school: The school website is currently down. According the school's blog, however, classes are cancelled until 27/3, woth the possibility of an extension. As in the French case, arrangement have been made with German schools in the Asia region as well as schools in Germany, especially for the year 12-13 students who are preparing the German Abitur to accept students from Tokyo.
ASIJ: Currently classes are scheduled to reconvene on 28/3 after the end of spring break (19-27/3). No other information is available on the public website.
CAJ: Classes reconvene on 4/4 after the scheduled one week spring break (26/3-3/4). Virtual schooling and limited on-campus activities will continue. Students are getting assignments by email.
Nishimachi: Back to school on Monday 28/3 after the scheduled 1-week spring break.
Sacred Heart: Back to school on Monday 28/3 after the scheduled 1-week spring break.
K International School: School remains closed until after scheduled 1-week spring break, April 4th. Students will receive homework assignment from teachers online.
In the back of our minds is the question: what will happen if the Fukushima reactors continue to simmer past the "back to school" date and some families decide not to return to Japan and finish the school year in their home country?
What are the various international schools in Tokyo planning for the next weeks? What support are they offering students in the interim?
St Maur International School: scheduled spring break (24/3 to 3/4) has effectively been lengthened by two weeks; back to school on April 4th. Next week International Baccalaureate revision sessions will be organised for Y12s who are still in town, and the library is open to all. Some teachers have sent homework or revision work assignement directly to students, but not all (Sample size limited to my two children)
Yokohama International School: the two-week long Spring break begins this weekend. School should reconvene on April 4th.
British School: School has been closed this week, and will remain closed until March 28 inclusive of scheduled spring break of one week. The school will provide provide a learning programme of activities and tasks that students can access on line as of Monday 21st. The Shibuya campus library is open during the break.
French School: School remains closed until April 4th. The scheduled spring break in late April-May is shortened to one week (30/4-8/5). French Schools in the region (Hong Kong, Kyoto, Hanoi) are making room for displaced students to continue their education in the interim, as are schools in France. But no support is offered directly by the school to children remaining in Tokyo. Parents have the option of home schooling through the distance learning programme of CNED.
German school: The school website is currently down. According the school's blog, however, classes are cancelled until 27/3, woth the possibility of an extension. As in the French case, arrangement have been made with German schools in the Asia region as well as schools in Germany, especially for the year 12-13 students who are preparing the German Abitur to accept students from Tokyo.
ASIJ: Currently classes are scheduled to reconvene on 28/3 after the end of spring break (19-27/3). No other information is available on the public website.
CAJ: Classes reconvene on 4/4 after the scheduled one week spring break (26/3-3/4). Virtual schooling and limited on-campus activities will continue. Students are getting assignments by email.
Nishimachi: Back to school on Monday 28/3 after the scheduled 1-week spring break.
Sacred Heart: Back to school on Monday 28/3 after the scheduled 1-week spring break.
K International School: School remains closed until after scheduled 1-week spring break, April 4th. Students will receive homework assignment from teachers online.
vendredi 18 mars 2011
Radiation report: some useful websites
Someone passed on to me a short presentation by Tsuneyoshi Kamae, a physicist at SLAC/KIPAC at Stanford University (my alma mater!) with a number of useful links and comments.
It appears from his comments, which I have not reproduced, that even scientists have a hard time understanding some the concepts and units of measure being bandied about, and base their judgments on articles by journalists, which have even less scientific background.
Many of these pages are number-heavy but text-light, so can be read with Google translate.
MIT has set up a good description of the structure of the reactors and expert's analyses on http://mitnse.com/. The eyes do tend to glaze over when reading this, but it is well-written for the average layperson, so worth the effort.
There are many radiation monitoring stations in Japan (on city halls and other institutions), so the reporting is extremely detailed: http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/saigaijohou/syousai/1303723.htm. The radiation levels in the area around the Fukushima plant are at the bottom of this Yahoo.jp page.
Based on another set of data (X-Ray spectrum of dust collected in Tsukuba) which only an engineer could love, Prof Tsuneyoshi concludes that "fresh release of radioactive fallout" has stopped since March 15 and that radiation in the atmosphere is likely due to gases (e.g. Krypton) released from spent fuel rods not covered by water. Hence the ongoing efforts to pump water into the reactors.
It appears from his comments, which I have not reproduced, that even scientists have a hard time understanding some the concepts and units of measure being bandied about, and base their judgments on articles by journalists, which have even less scientific background.
Many of these pages are number-heavy but text-light, so can be read with Google translate.
MIT has set up a good description of the structure of the reactors and expert's analyses on http://mitnse.com/. The eyes do tend to glaze over when reading this, but it is well-written for the average layperson, so worth the effort.
There are many radiation monitoring stations in Japan (on city halls and other institutions), so the reporting is extremely detailed: http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/saigaijohou/syousai/1303723.htm. The radiation levels in the area around the Fukushima plant are at the bottom of this Yahoo.jp page.
Based on another set of data (X-Ray spectrum of dust collected in Tsukuba) which only an engineer could love, Prof Tsuneyoshi concludes that "fresh release of radioactive fallout" has stopped since March 15 and that radiation in the atmosphere is likely due to gases (e.g. Krypton) released from spent fuel rods not covered by water. Hence the ongoing efforts to pump water into the reactors.
jeudi 17 mars 2011
Pourquoi rester?
Aujourd'hui je vais m'exprimer en français, pour changer !
Mes réservations sont faites, je rejoins les filles à Perth, départ mercredi soir, via HK (mais pas de stopover, désolée les amies).
Je rebondis sur une remarque d'Ines, depuis son hotel d'Osaka, qui fait un travail d'information immense auprès de la communauté française tout en occupant ses enfants, mais qui note que sa décision de ne pas quitter le Japon est condamnée par l'AFJ et l'AFe.
La question que l'on pose nous de façon directe ou indirecte, nous les gaijin qui sommes encore à Tokyo ou au Japon: pourquoi rester si votre présence n'est pas nécessaire? C'est en gros la teneur des messages que nous recevons de nos ambassades depuis le weekend dernier, nous enjoignant à quitter la région de Tokyo/Yokohama et les provinces de Nagano et Niigata, et nous offrant une assistance de départ, que ce soit par des vols de ligne pour les Suisses, ou des charters sur Paris au frais de l'état pour les Français. Ces décisions ont été prises sur la base du "principe de précaution", c'est à dire la nécessité d'éviter tout risque, si minime soit-il. Apparemment les assurances du gouvernment japonais, les données des scientifiques qui depuis le début nous répètent que cet incident gravissime ne ressemble en rien à Chernobyl et que Tokyo n'est pas dans la zone à risques, tout cela ne pèse pas lourd.
Pour Steve, c'est simple: le bureau continue de fonctionner "normalement", il tient péniblement la barre (pas tout seul, heureusement), il dirige des équipes encore fragiles suite au traumatisme qu'elles ont vécu - sa présence est indubitablement nécessaire.
Pour moi, c'est différent: mon travail est portable, et je ne suis nécessaire à personne ici sauf à mon mari et ma chienne, ma famille et mes attaches sont ailleurs. Je consomme inutilement des ressources. Et je pourrais tout a fait continuer d'être solidaire depuis l'étranger!
Sans aucun doute, si j'avais des jeunes enfants, j'aurais fait assez rapidement le choix de quitter Tokyo. Bon nombre de Tokyoites sont également partis chez des parents à Nagoya ou Osaka; mon amie Ana, par exemple, est chez des amis Japonais à Kyushu avec ses deux jeunes enfants. N'ayant pas d'amis ou de connaissances ailleurs au Japon, la solution d'un retour au pays aurait été plus pratique que l'hotel indéfiniment à Osaka.
Ma présence n'est pas nécessaire, soit, mais fort appréciée par mon mari (surtout la nuit pour le réchauffer sous la couette car nous ne chauffons plus, par civisme, et il fait 10 degrés dans la chambre le matin!). La chienne, quant à elle, pourrait très bien etre placée chez une amie en attendant que Tokyo revienne à la normale.
Ma présence n'est pas nécessaire, mais elle est fort appréciée par nos amis Japonais, qui sont déroutés et décus par les départs précipités de leurs "foreign guests". Certaines entreprises ont carrément fermé leur bureaux tokyoites. Des ambassades évacuent leur personnel (et non seulement les familles). A un certain niveau, ces décisions officielles communiquent un manque de confiance et de solidarité envers les autorités et le peuple japonais. Ces derniers sont bien trop polis pour le clamer ouvertement, mais commencent à murmurer leur déception.
Quant à l'argument que je consomme inutilement de précieuses ressources, il faut savoir que la population étrangère de Tokyo de pèse pas très lourd: environ 2.5%, et ce chiffre inclut un grand nombre de Coréens ou Chinois de souche de la 2eme ou 3eme génération.
Le principe de précaution, finalement. J'y adhère en partie, dans la mesure ou j'ai décidé de faire partir les filles. Mais j'ai aussi fait l'effort d'essayer par moi-même d'évaluer les risques que je cours en restant ici, en lisant, en m'informant, en écoutant les infos japonaises, les briefings du premier ministre sur NHK, en consultant mes amies japonaises...
Nous avons une tendance naturelle à surévaluer les risques les plus anxiogènes (le rapt d'enfant, le vol en avion) alors qu'il sont statitisquement moins probables, et de sous-évaluer les risques de tous les jours (traverser la rue, prendre le volant, faire du vélo sans casque). Si c'était le contraire la vie serait impossible.
Donc voici mes raisons pour rester à Tokyo (mais seulement jusqu'à mercredi soir!):
Je suis utile, sinon nécessaire, à mon mari qui m'en est bien reconnaissant.
Je fais un geste de solidarité avec les Japonais, si petit soit-il.
Mon évaluation des risques est qu'ils sont gérables et je les accepte: le risque 0 n'existe pas.
Je suis en mesure d'informer et de rassurer quelques personnes de mon petit cercle d'amis et de connaissances sur la situation dans un petit coin de Tokyo.
En retour, les Japonais me donnent une belle leçon de vie: le sens du devoir et du sacrifice, le refus de baisser les bras, la volonté de continuer à vivre, travailler, aller à l'école meme après un événement traumatisant, le respect de soi et de l'autre y compris dans les circonstances les plus difficiles.
A vous qui en France, à Hong Kong, Singapour, ou autre part, vivez dans le temporaire et l'attente: gambatte!
P.S. ce soir nous nous offrons un bon resto! On n'est pas des saints, quand meme...
Mes réservations sont faites, je rejoins les filles à Perth, départ mercredi soir, via HK (mais pas de stopover, désolée les amies).
Je rebondis sur une remarque d'Ines, depuis son hotel d'Osaka, qui fait un travail d'information immense auprès de la communauté française tout en occupant ses enfants, mais qui note que sa décision de ne pas quitter le Japon est condamnée par l'AFJ et l'AFe.
La question que l'on pose nous de façon directe ou indirecte, nous les gaijin qui sommes encore à Tokyo ou au Japon: pourquoi rester si votre présence n'est pas nécessaire? C'est en gros la teneur des messages que nous recevons de nos ambassades depuis le weekend dernier, nous enjoignant à quitter la région de Tokyo/Yokohama et les provinces de Nagano et Niigata, et nous offrant une assistance de départ, que ce soit par des vols de ligne pour les Suisses, ou des charters sur Paris au frais de l'état pour les Français. Ces décisions ont été prises sur la base du "principe de précaution", c'est à dire la nécessité d'éviter tout risque, si minime soit-il. Apparemment les assurances du gouvernment japonais, les données des scientifiques qui depuis le début nous répètent que cet incident gravissime ne ressemble en rien à Chernobyl et que Tokyo n'est pas dans la zone à risques, tout cela ne pèse pas lourd.
Pour Steve, c'est simple: le bureau continue de fonctionner "normalement", il tient péniblement la barre (pas tout seul, heureusement), il dirige des équipes encore fragiles suite au traumatisme qu'elles ont vécu - sa présence est indubitablement nécessaire.
Pour moi, c'est différent: mon travail est portable, et je ne suis nécessaire à personne ici sauf à mon mari et ma chienne, ma famille et mes attaches sont ailleurs. Je consomme inutilement des ressources. Et je pourrais tout a fait continuer d'être solidaire depuis l'étranger!
Sans aucun doute, si j'avais des jeunes enfants, j'aurais fait assez rapidement le choix de quitter Tokyo. Bon nombre de Tokyoites sont également partis chez des parents à Nagoya ou Osaka; mon amie Ana, par exemple, est chez des amis Japonais à Kyushu avec ses deux jeunes enfants. N'ayant pas d'amis ou de connaissances ailleurs au Japon, la solution d'un retour au pays aurait été plus pratique que l'hotel indéfiniment à Osaka.
Ma présence n'est pas nécessaire, soit, mais fort appréciée par mon mari (surtout la nuit pour le réchauffer sous la couette car nous ne chauffons plus, par civisme, et il fait 10 degrés dans la chambre le matin!). La chienne, quant à elle, pourrait très bien etre placée chez une amie en attendant que Tokyo revienne à la normale.
Ma présence n'est pas nécessaire, mais elle est fort appréciée par nos amis Japonais, qui sont déroutés et décus par les départs précipités de leurs "foreign guests". Certaines entreprises ont carrément fermé leur bureaux tokyoites. Des ambassades évacuent leur personnel (et non seulement les familles). A un certain niveau, ces décisions officielles communiquent un manque de confiance et de solidarité envers les autorités et le peuple japonais. Ces derniers sont bien trop polis pour le clamer ouvertement, mais commencent à murmurer leur déception.
Quant à l'argument que je consomme inutilement de précieuses ressources, il faut savoir que la population étrangère de Tokyo de pèse pas très lourd: environ 2.5%, et ce chiffre inclut un grand nombre de Coréens ou Chinois de souche de la 2eme ou 3eme génération.
Le principe de précaution, finalement. J'y adhère en partie, dans la mesure ou j'ai décidé de faire partir les filles. Mais j'ai aussi fait l'effort d'essayer par moi-même d'évaluer les risques que je cours en restant ici, en lisant, en m'informant, en écoutant les infos japonaises, les briefings du premier ministre sur NHK, en consultant mes amies japonaises...
Nous avons une tendance naturelle à surévaluer les risques les plus anxiogènes (le rapt d'enfant, le vol en avion) alors qu'il sont statitisquement moins probables, et de sous-évaluer les risques de tous les jours (traverser la rue, prendre le volant, faire du vélo sans casque). Si c'était le contraire la vie serait impossible.
Donc voici mes raisons pour rester à Tokyo (mais seulement jusqu'à mercredi soir!):
Je suis utile, sinon nécessaire, à mon mari qui m'en est bien reconnaissant.
Je fais un geste de solidarité avec les Japonais, si petit soit-il.
Mon évaluation des risques est qu'ils sont gérables et je les accepte: le risque 0 n'existe pas.
Je suis en mesure d'informer et de rassurer quelques personnes de mon petit cercle d'amis et de connaissances sur la situation dans un petit coin de Tokyo.
En retour, les Japonais me donnent une belle leçon de vie: le sens du devoir et du sacrifice, le refus de baisser les bras, la volonté de continuer à vivre, travailler, aller à l'école meme après un événement traumatisant, le respect de soi et de l'autre y compris dans les circonstances les plus difficiles.
A vous qui en France, à Hong Kong, Singapour, ou autre part, vivez dans le temporaire et l'attente: gambatte!
P.S. ce soir nous nous offrons un bon resto! On n'est pas des saints, quand meme...
Radiation A Concern For Plant Workers, Not Others (NPR)
I heard this reassuring report last night on NPR (via ABC news Australia).
The workers battling the reactors at Fukushima are making a huge sacrifice in order to keep us safe, and we are infinitely grateful for their sense of duty and their selflessness. The samourai spirit lives on !
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/17/134608139/radiation-a-concern-for-plant-workers-no\ t-others?sc=tw
The workers battling the reactors at Fukushima are making a huge sacrifice in order to keep us safe, and we are infinitely grateful for their sense of duty and their selflessness. The samourai spirit lives on !
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/17/134608139/radiation-a-concern-for-plant-workers-no\ t-others?sc=tw
Radiation levels in Tokyo on March 16th (yesterday)
A French graduate student at University of Tokyo is keepng the French community updated with the radioactivity readings carried out by the university, independently of figures reported by the government. Here they are:
As part of university-wide measures against radiation, the University has established
the Environmental Radiological Countermeasures Project Team, as a unified University
entity, in order to tackle the current radioactive-related issue facing Japan.
The Project team will be led by Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, Executive Vice
President.
Latest Radiation Readings(Provisional values)
Date: 3/16Time Dose-Rate (micro Sv/h)
0:00 0.09 - -
1:00 0.08 - -
2:00 0.1 - -
3:00 0.14 - -
4:00 0.17 - -
5:00 0.17 - -
6:00 0.18 - -
7:00 0.13 - -
8:00 0.16 - -
9:00 0.13 0.07 -
10:00 0.09 0.08 -
11:00 0.1 0.07 -
12:00 0.09 - -
13:00 0.10 - -
13:30 0.06 -
14:00 0.09 - -
15:00 0.10 0.06 -
16:00 0.09 - -
[Reference]
Radiation dose rate in natural environments; 0.1 – 0.3micro Sv/h
The value in natural environments varies depending on areas or weather conditions.
Areas around some natural spas or granites rocks could show readings of relatively
higher dose rates even though such areas are a natural environment.
There is no need to take any emergency measures at the moment.
As part of university-wide measures against radiation, the University has established
the Environmental Radiological Countermeasures Project Team, as a unified University
entity, in order to tackle the current radioactive-related issue facing Japan.
The Project team will be led by Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, Executive Vice
President.
Latest Radiation Readings(Provisional values)
Date: 3/16
0:00 0.09 - -
1:00 0.08 - -
2:00 0.1 - -
3:00 0.14 - -
4:00 0.17 - -
5:00 0.17 - -
6:00 0.18 - -
7:00 0.13 - -
8:00 0.16 - -
9:00 0.13 0.07 -
10:00 0.09 0.08 -
11:00 0.1 0.07 -
12:00 0.09 - -
13:00 0.10 - -
13:30 0.06 -
14:00 0.09 - -
15:00 0.10 0.06 -
16:00 0.09 - -
[Reference]
Radiation dose rate in natural environments; 0.1 – 0.3micro Sv/h
The value in natural environments varies depending on areas or weather conditions.
Areas around some natural spas or granites rocks could show readings of relatively
higher dose rates even though such areas are a natural environment.
There is no need to take any emergency measures at the moment.
mercredi 16 mars 2011
Thursday afternoon: cold, clear, quiet
My mood is much more serene now, so sorry for being snappish about emails in my last post. Conversations with friends today have given me a lot of relief.
It's windy and cold, the sky is clear, and there are flowers blooming in all the gardens: plum, peach, magnolias.
I went out to walk the dog this morning, stopped by the Seijo Ishi supermarket for my favorite coffee and took some pictures of the well stocked shelves: bento, milk, meat, delicacies from all over (below). I treated us to some smoked salmon in addition to the Italian roast. The fridge is full and I really need nothing more.
I then dropped in on Mitsuko for a tea and we talked dogs, families, and the difference in mood and attitude between the different communities. We are both members of the same women's group, which has been a wonderful source of support, sending around news articles, communiqués from various embassies, suggestions for ways we can help the families up north who are barely surviving. I then met Keiko for lunch (our comfort food: pad thai!) and more talk about the Japanese /western ways of dealing with a crisis such as this. I'll try to gather my thought on this later.
Jiyugaoka was as you would expect on a thursday noon: the restaurant was full, shops were open, and there were no queues. Perhaps yesterday was particularly perturbed because we had two announcements of power cuts that did not eventuate.
Trains were running on the Toyoko line, including express trains. Some workers appeared to be inspecting the tracks, but to far away to see what exactly they were doing.
On the way back I took pictures of the two shops I photographed yesterday: sans queues. Toilet paper was still a popular item, but no one was waiting for it today. Apparently hoarding of toilet paper occurred also during the oil shock. Our Toto toilets are so high-tech, however, that they wash and dry our bums with any need for paper, so we are fine even without the soft fluffy stuff, as long as the power stays on.
Now I'm going to do something I've been procrastinating for several months: get my hair cut.
I went out to walk the dog this morning, stopped by the Seijo Ishi supermarket for my favorite coffee and took some pictures of the well stocked shelves: bento, milk, meat, delicacies from all over (below). I treated us to some smoked salmon in addition to the Italian roast. The fridge is full and I really need nothing more.
I then dropped in on Mitsuko for a tea and we talked dogs, families, and the difference in mood and attitude between the different communities. We are both members of the same women's group, which has been a wonderful source of support, sending around news articles, communiqués from various embassies, suggestions for ways we can help the families up north who are barely surviving. I then met Keiko for lunch (our comfort food: pad thai!) and more talk about the Japanese /western ways of dealing with a crisis such as this. I'll try to gather my thought on this later.
Jiyugaoka was as you would expect on a thursday noon: the restaurant was full, shops were open, and there were no queues. Perhaps yesterday was particularly perturbed because we had two announcements of power cuts that did not eventuate.
Trains were running on the Toyoko line, including express trains. Some workers appeared to be inspecting the tracks, but to far away to see what exactly they were doing.
Now I'm going to do something I've been procrastinating for several months: get my hair cut.
Thursday morning
D'abord mes excuses aux francophones - je continuerai à m'exprimer en anglais, que vous lisez tous étant des personnes cultivées...
The children are in Sydney, much to my relief. The airport was very busy, with queue forming at least an hour before check-in, but orderly, and flights were leaving on schedule. Many people looked like they had been sleeping in the airport waiting for their flight. They have now arrived in Sydney. I hope to join them in Perth next week.
The Filipinos as usual were returning home with all their worldly possessions in blue and white striped "chinese samsonite" bags (see photo).
Radiation levels in Tokyo are still normal. These readings are being closely monitored by IAEA so they are trustworthy.
I finally got a chance to have a frank conversation with Steve last night. He is under huge pressure at work: markets are melting, people are melting, the building is shaking at least once an hour. The Japanese staff are like us trying to resist the terrible panic that has spread through the foreign staff, but being irresistibly infected. He spends his time listening to people's worries, trying to support them, but also has to make very tough business decisions. He is coping, and has some strong people working with him, but he cannot cope with the barrage of non-work related emails. So please refrain from emailing him or others in the same situation with your concerns or "get out of there" messages.
Similarly, I am finding it difficult to respond to "how are you coping?" "what are you planning to do?" emails. I know you mean well, but if you really want to help you will not communicate your worry for us, but only your love, trust and support. If you pray, then do so, we are grateful.
There is a huge and inexplicable divide between the messages we are getting from the Anglo-Saxon embassies and the message we are getting from the European embassies. The former are basically repeating that the situation is serious but this is not Chernobyl, the radiation levels in Tokyo are normal, and at worse we will be told to stay home for a few days. People who lived in Berlin during the Chernobyl crisis remember this is what they were asked to do.
The European embassies (the French and Germans foremost, but now Swiss as well) are organising repatriation flights and basically telling their nationals not only to leave Tokyo but to leave Japan, which is ludicrous.
A reminder: the bombs that fell on Hiroshima did not affect people in Osaka (same distance as we are from Fukushima). Even in the worst case scenario, it is impossible for deadly levels of radiation to be experienced in Tokyo. Longer term effects in terms of contamination are a far greater worry and not solved by leaving for a few weeks.
There is a negative feedback loop at the moment with shortages in Tokyo (fuel, food) making it increasingly difficult to send supplies to the areas affected by the tsunami. We are asked to reduce our consumption. Certain shelves in shops are bare, but there is still plenty of fresh food, meat, vegetables. We are not going to starve. Long queues in front of the corner drugstore: people are hoarding toilet paper and tissues. Queues form also outside Tokyu supermarket, which has limited trading hours because of announced power shortages, which in fact have not occurred in our neighborhood.
Going to walk the dog, admire the plum blossoms blooming everywhere under a blue Tokyo spring sky.
The children are in Sydney, much to my relief. The airport was very busy, with queue forming at least an hour before check-in, but orderly, and flights were leaving on schedule. Many people looked like they had been sleeping in the airport waiting for their flight. They have now arrived in Sydney. I hope to join them in Perth next week.
The Filipinos as usual were returning home with all their worldly possessions in blue and white striped "chinese samsonite" bags (see photo).
Radiation levels in Tokyo are still normal. These readings are being closely monitored by IAEA so they are trustworthy.
I finally got a chance to have a frank conversation with Steve last night. He is under huge pressure at work: markets are melting, people are melting, the building is shaking at least once an hour. The Japanese staff are like us trying to resist the terrible panic that has spread through the foreign staff, but being irresistibly infected. He spends his time listening to people's worries, trying to support them, but also has to make very tough business decisions. He is coping, and has some strong people working with him, but he cannot cope with the barrage of non-work related emails. So please refrain from emailing him or others in the same situation with your concerns or "get out of there" messages.
Similarly, I am finding it difficult to respond to "how are you coping?" "what are you planning to do?" emails. I know you mean well, but if you really want to help you will not communicate your worry for us, but only your love, trust and support. If you pray, then do so, we are grateful.
There is a huge and inexplicable divide between the messages we are getting from the Anglo-Saxon embassies and the message we are getting from the European embassies. The former are basically repeating that the situation is serious but this is not Chernobyl, the radiation levels in Tokyo are normal, and at worse we will be told to stay home for a few days. People who lived in Berlin during the Chernobyl crisis remember this is what they were asked to do.
The European embassies (the French and Germans foremost, but now Swiss as well) are organising repatriation flights and basically telling their nationals not only to leave Tokyo but to leave Japan, which is ludicrous.
A reminder: the bombs that fell on Hiroshima did not affect people in Osaka (same distance as we are from Fukushima). Even in the worst case scenario, it is impossible for deadly levels of radiation to be experienced in Tokyo. Longer term effects in terms of contamination are a far greater worry and not solved by leaving for a few weeks.
There is a negative feedback loop at the moment with shortages in Tokyo (fuel, food) making it increasingly difficult to send supplies to the areas affected by the tsunami. We are asked to reduce our consumption. Certain shelves in shops are bare, but there is still plenty of fresh food, meat, vegetables. We are not going to starve. Long queues in front of the corner drugstore: people are hoarding toilet paper and tissues. Queues form also outside Tokyu supermarket, which has limited trading hours because of announced power shortages, which in fact have not occurred in our neighborhood.
Going to walk the dog, admire the plum blossoms blooming everywhere under a blue Tokyo spring sky.
queuing for toilet paper
queuing in front of the supermarket, waiting for it to open at 12.
mardi 15 mars 2011
Children leaving this evening
I forgot to mention it in my last post, Amira and Laure are leaving at 20.00 this evening (Wednesday) to Sydney, where they will be staying with the Willems (Amira and Alice are over the moon to see each other again). Laure will fly Perth on Saturday and stay with Grandma and Grandpa and the gang of cousins. Amira will stay in Sydney and visit art schools (which was the plan anyway for Spring break, week after next) then join her sister in Perth midweek. I hope I can come and join them around the 25th for a much-needed holiday.
Steve has gone to battle again this morning on the financial markets. The big worry apart from the crash of the Japanese market is the strengthening of the Yen - completely counter-intuitive. He has explained to me why, but it's a little like nuclear science, in one ear, rattled around a bit in the brain setting off a few dim sparks of comprehension, and out the other ear, leaving total darkness behind.
This afternoon we will be either travelling to or waiting at the airport. My Baba (grandfather) used to insist on getting to the airport at least 3 hours before the flight; after laughing about this quirky habit for decades, I think today I will follow his sage advice.
Steve has gone to battle again this morning on the financial markets. The big worry apart from the crash of the Japanese market is the strengthening of the Yen - completely counter-intuitive. He has explained to me why, but it's a little like nuclear science, in one ear, rattled around a bit in the brain setting off a few dim sparks of comprehension, and out the other ear, leaving total darkness behind.
This afternoon we will be either travelling to or waiting at the airport. My Baba (grandfather) used to insist on getting to the airport at least 3 hours before the flight; after laughing about this quirky habit for decades, I think today I will follow his sage advice.
Wednesday: all quiet but still shaking
We had a rather strong shaking last night 22.32. If you want to know exactly when and where we are being rumbled by mother earth, check the website of the Japan Meteorological Agency,
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singen_index.html
As you can see it doesn't ever really stop. We don't feel them all. But once in a while the floor sways and you stop to listen for the telltale creaks in the walls.
None of us still sleeping in Tokyo are getting more than about 6 hours (I can tell from the time-stamp of the emails!). But we have shelter, electricity, hot showers, pantries full of food, electricity all day long (no cuts in my neighborhood so far), plenty of toilet paper (don't laugh, this is what everyone seems to be buying in truckloads - nothing worse for human dignity than having to wipe your backside with old newspapers).
Hundreds of thousands around Sendai do not enjoy these comforts, and are grieving for their dead, their lost homes, and all the memories they contained.
The climate I feel is shifting from shock to fear to sadness. We have been so preoccupied with particles of radioactive dust that might fall on us (and by the way, that can be dealt with by showering) that we have lost perspective on the real human tragedy. If I am just trembling each time a tremor shakes our solid, earthquake-proof house, then I am one of the lucky ones.
I watched a Japanese new program last night, which attempted to explain the issues at the Fukushima plant and the information about radiation measurements in Sieverts (Sv). As always, once we venture into numbers with a lot of zeros it becomes a challenge to anyone but an engineer who has this hardwired in her brain. The confusion is compounded by the fact that the radiation recorded over Tokyo was in microsieverts, whereas near the plant it recorded in millisieverts, simply because numbers like 0.0004 are unwieldy:
1 Sv = 1000 mSv (millisieverts) = 1,000,000 μSv (microsieverts)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sievert
It helps to draw up a simple table, like the one you would use to convert cubic meters to cubic cm or cubic mm. If this is wrong, engineer friends, then please correct me!
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singen_index.html
As you can see it doesn't ever really stop. We don't feel them all. But once in a while the floor sways and you stop to listen for the telltale creaks in the walls.
None of us still sleeping in Tokyo are getting more than about 6 hours (I can tell from the time-stamp of the emails!). But we have shelter, electricity, hot showers, pantries full of food, electricity all day long (no cuts in my neighborhood so far), plenty of toilet paper (don't laugh, this is what everyone seems to be buying in truckloads - nothing worse for human dignity than having to wipe your backside with old newspapers).
Hundreds of thousands around Sendai do not enjoy these comforts, and are grieving for their dead, their lost homes, and all the memories they contained.
The climate I feel is shifting from shock to fear to sadness. We have been so preoccupied with particles of radioactive dust that might fall on us (and by the way, that can be dealt with by showering) that we have lost perspective on the real human tragedy. If I am just trembling each time a tremor shakes our solid, earthquake-proof house, then I am one of the lucky ones.
I watched a Japanese new program last night, which attempted to explain the issues at the Fukushima plant and the information about radiation measurements in Sieverts (Sv). As always, once we venture into numbers with a lot of zeros it becomes a challenge to anyone but an engineer who has this hardwired in her brain. The confusion is compounded by the fact that the radiation recorded over Tokyo was in microsieverts, whereas near the plant it recorded in millisieverts, simply because numbers like 0.0004 are unwieldy:
1 Sv = 1000 mSv (millisieverts) = 1,000,000 μSv (microsieverts)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sievert
It helps to draw up a simple table, like the one you would use to convert cubic meters to cubic cm or cubic mm. If this is wrong, engineer friends, then please correct me!
SV | mSv | μSv | ||||||
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
lundi 14 mars 2011
Je ne cède pas à la panique, mais...
My mood is now far less confident than this morning: fear is creeping in. Who was it said "all we have to fear is fear?"Winston Churchill? Well he was right. Fear makes us fearful.
Also the washing machine flooded. Just what I needed: a load of soapy wet clothes.
The girls have no school so they will leave tomorrow for early spring break in Sydney then Perth. I will stay to be with Steve and the dog (which I can't take anywhere because the Japanese then wouldn't let her back in, and no one here really wants the responsibility). Together we'll face whatever risks there are in the next few days (and most signs point to them being basically staying at home for a few days to avoid any contact with possible radioactive fallout). I will probably join them next week, once the situation in Tokyo is stable.
But it doesn't seem fair to subject the children to this terrible climate of anxiety, so they are flying out tomorrow. We will probably head to the airport well ahead of time, since trains are apparently not running to Narita.
Also the washing machine flooded. Just what I needed: a load of soapy wet clothes.
The girls have no school so they will leave tomorrow for early spring break in Sydney then Perth. I will stay to be with Steve and the dog (which I can't take anywhere because the Japanese then wouldn't let her back in, and no one here really wants the responsibility). Together we'll face whatever risks there are in the next few days (and most signs point to them being basically staying at home for a few days to avoid any contact with possible radioactive fallout). I will probably join them next week, once the situation in Tokyo is stable.
But it doesn't seem fair to subject the children to this terrible climate of anxiety, so they are flying out tomorrow. We will probably head to the airport well ahead of time, since trains are apparently not running to Narita.
tuesday morning: quake wakeup
Everyone has been asking me to update them about our situation, and as not everyone is on facebook, I'm now using the blog (finally found a use for it!)
Monday: the power cut that was announced for the afternoon and that spurred me and many people in the neighborhood to head to the supermarket before the cash registers switched off (long, long, queues!) never happened. Nor was it switched off later as people get home. We're all being good citizens about conserving energy.
There were long queues also for the drugstore, which was doing a roaring business in face masks, toilet paper and tissues.
We watched "Julie/Julia" in the afternoon for some distraction.
I spent a lot of time emailing other parents from school, answering concerned emails from friends, reading opinions of the various experts and trying to control keep myself from melting down (with the help of some "cooling" French wine). See, I can't help trying to crack jokes.
On Tuesday:
Woken at 5 am by the bed shaking, an immediate shot of adrenaline. Three seconds are a long time when you are lying there thinking "should I go get the kids?". Then it stopped.
The risk of a big aftershock has been downgraded to 40% today.
We are still in Tokyo, though the peer pressure is mounting as we hear of more and more gaijin families heading out. I just heard from a friend now in Singapore that Areva (a company that builds and operates nuclear power plants) has repatriated all the families. Principe de précaution. Not a vote of confidence from the engineers. But then on the other hand the French companies have all started moving their staff families out.
Service stations were shut this morning when Steve drove to work. Apparently there are problems getting supplies because of disruptions to traffic. I haven't checked the shops yet but will do this soon.
I find it difficult to write in these circumstances with a high level of anxiety, the various opinions pinging around about the risks of a meltdown, and my own indecision.
There is a huge difference of attitude between the Japanese and gaijin regarding risk of radioactive contamination. One the one hand, this is "home", and it's an island, so there is no question of "repatriating". On the other hand, they lived through the two nuclear bombs being dropped on them, and by and large survived (we hear of many people who were exposed to high levels of radiation and are still alive, in their 90s).
Monday: the power cut that was announced for the afternoon and that spurred me and many people in the neighborhood to head to the supermarket before the cash registers switched off (long, long, queues!) never happened. Nor was it switched off later as people get home. We're all being good citizens about conserving energy.
There were long queues also for the drugstore, which was doing a roaring business in face masks, toilet paper and tissues.
We watched "Julie/Julia" in the afternoon for some distraction.
I spent a lot of time emailing other parents from school, answering concerned emails from friends, reading opinions of the various experts and trying to control keep myself from melting down (with the help of some "cooling" French wine). See, I can't help trying to crack jokes.
On Tuesday:
Woken at 5 am by the bed shaking, an immediate shot of adrenaline. Three seconds are a long time when you are lying there thinking "should I go get the kids?". Then it stopped.
The risk of a big aftershock has been downgraded to 40% today.
We are still in Tokyo, though the peer pressure is mounting as we hear of more and more gaijin families heading out. I just heard from a friend now in Singapore that Areva (a company that builds and operates nuclear power plants) has repatriated all the families. Principe de précaution. Not a vote of confidence from the engineers. But then on the other hand the French companies have all started moving their staff families out.
Service stations were shut this morning when Steve drove to work. Apparently there are problems getting supplies because of disruptions to traffic. I haven't checked the shops yet but will do this soon.
I find it difficult to write in these circumstances with a high level of anxiety, the various opinions pinging around about the risks of a meltdown, and my own indecision.
There is a huge difference of attitude between the Japanese and gaijin regarding risk of radioactive contamination. One the one hand, this is "home", and it's an island, so there is no question of "repatriating". On the other hand, they lived through the two nuclear bombs being dropped on them, and by and large survived (we hear of many people who were exposed to high levels of radiation and are still alive, in their 90s).
Wakame/Kombu for prevention of radiation poisoning + the explanations of a nutritionist
This was provided by Masako's husband, who's a graduate from Tokyo University and majored in Nuclear engineering. He also studied further at MIT in USA. (He also has a PHD.)
He's been having business with Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant for about one year. (The one that's been on the news recently.) He sometimes had visited this Plant to support them.
Here's what masako wrote:
Firstly, "eating seagrass" is effective as you've mentioned in your mail.
"Nori"(black seaweed paper) is ok, but "Wakame" is much better.
Why?
A.1) "Wakame" helps to stick radiation material that was taken inside one's body and to send it out from one's body. For non-Japanese who are not used to eat "Wakame", eating as "salad" may be recommended.
A.2) "Wakame" helps thyroid gland to prevent from having any damage from radiation absorbed.
Let me explain you about "radiation" step by step:
*We daily are exposed to "radiation" from the sun. We also get "radiation" via X-Rays.
*When you travel by airplane to overseas, you will also be exposed to stronger "radiation" compared to when you are on the ground. (About 10-100 times stronger radiation compared to that you'll have on the ground.)
Suppose you are standing at the main gate of current Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.(The plant after the earthquake and the explosion.) Below will be the percentage of how many "radiation" you'll be exposed compared with the place you are standing as mentioned above.
(Main gate & Nuclear Reactor is about 1km apart as f.y.i.)
* If you stay 20km apart from the main gate: "Radiation" level (Bq / Quantity of radiation) will go lower to 1/400 to 1/4000. (It changes upon the "wind".)
* If one stay in Yokohama where is about 300km apart from the main gate of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (before/after explosion), radiation amount will go down to 1/100000 to 1/20000000 compared to the point mentioned above (main gate of Fukushima Nuclear power plant).
My husband gave me these numbers regarding radiation amount as f.y.i.:
*When one stand on the ground as usual: 2.4mSv / hour
*When one have X-Rays at the doctor's office: 6.9mSv / one X-Ray
*Nuclear power plant sets the rule for those who work inside the plant as follows:
- There'll be no problem in health for the workers in the plant if the plant control the
radiation amount (inside the plant) to 50mSv / year.
- However, usually the plant control the radiation amount to 20mSv / year. (As f.y.i., one will experience sudden damage in health if one will be exposed to radiation amount of 200mSv / year.)
Now let's talk about the radiation amount after earthquake explosion:
*Right before/after (that moment of explosion) explosion:
1.5mSv / hour (the amount in front of the main gate of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant)
*After the explosion, average number of radiation amount (in front of the main gate of Fukushima Nuclear Power Point): 0.2mSv - 0.4mSv
*If you stay in front of the main gate of F.N.P.P. for 10 hours now, the radiaton amount will be the same as the amount of you'll be getting for 1 year living as normal on the ground.
*If you stay 20km apart from the main gate of FNPP for 6 months, the radiation amount will be the same as when you'll usually have (by living on the ground) for 1 year.
If you stay for 1 year there (20km apart from he main gate), the radiation amount will be the same as what you'll get via one X-Ray.
As conclusion, there is no need to worry (for one's health) if you are staying in Tokyo / Yokohama. Although "melt down" happens, he wouldn't worry. What he worries (if melt down occurs) will be that the land around that area (FNPP) will not be able to use anymore. Any food produced around that area cannot be consumed.
One tip: One could prevent from getting radiation by wearing one piece of clothes.
From Shirley Tamura.
I am a nutrition-epidemiologist, so I can add a few more mechanistic details to the diet part if anyone is interested.
To prevent radiation poisoning, first-response teams often distribute postassium iodine (KI) pills in 130 or 80 mg per doses. There is non-radioactive iodine and radioactive iodine. The body cannot tell the difference. The thyroid gland is one place where dietary iodine is concentrated. To prevent radiation poisoning, the mechanism is simple, a matter of simple displacement. If you eat a lot of foods that contain iodine, it prevents the body from absorbing radioactive iodine, because it is already "full" so to speak. When I saw that the KI pills are only 130 milligrams a dose, I realized that seaweeds contain much higher concentrations of iodine, konbu (the most), wakame, hijiki in particular. The dried nori "laver" does not have a lot of iodine, unfortunately, not in a few pieces. Konbu has 8 times more iodine than the KI pills in 100 grams. It also contains a lot of calcium, a fact that is useful for Asians who are frequently lactose intolerant and need rich food sources of dietary calcium.
Also, there have been many epidemiologic studies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors after WWII. There was evidence that those who had miso soup every day seemed to have less radiation poisoning symptoms. The mechanism here is not as clear, but the inference from these studies is that miso is protective.
This addresses only radioactive iodine, of course. There are other dangerous sources of radiation in these reactors and the gas plume if it every makes it to Tokyo (winds were blowing north this morning), but how this one, radioactive iodine, can incorporate itself into the body and do damage is pretty clear and prevention is also pretty simple. Nothing works 100%, but every little bit helps, I think.
So I have been making dark (personal preference) miso soup with konbu and wakame these past few days. My kids seem to like it, so we will keep it up for a while just in case.
-Shirley
To prevent radiation poisoning, first-response teams often distribute postassium iodine (KI) pills in 130 or 80 mg per doses. There is non-radioactive iodine and radioactive iodine. The body cannot tell the difference. The thyroid gland is one place where dietary iodine is concentrated. To prevent radiation poisoning, the mechanism is simple, a matter of simple displacement. If you eat a lot of foods that contain iodine, it prevents the body from absorbing radioactive iodine, because it is already "full" so to speak. When I saw that the KI pills are only 130 milligrams a dose, I realized that seaweeds contain much higher concentrations of iodine, konbu (the most), wakame, hijiki in particular. The dried nori "laver" does not have a lot of iodine, unfortunately, not in a few pieces. Konbu has 8 times more iodine than the KI pills in 100 grams. It also contains a lot of calcium, a fact that is useful for Asians who are frequently lactose intolerant and need rich food sources of dietary calcium.
Also, there have been many epidemiologic studies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors after WWII. There was evidence that those who had miso soup every day seemed to have less radiation poisoning symptoms. The mechanism here is not as clear, but the inference from these studies is that miso is protective.
This addresses only radioactive iodine, of course. There are other dangerous sources of radiation in these reactors and the gas plume if it every makes it to Tokyo (winds were blowing north this morning), but how this one, radioactive iodine, can incorporate itself into the body and do damage is pretty clear and prevention is also pretty simple. Nothing works 100%, but every little bit helps, I think.
So I have been making dark (personal preference) miso soup with konbu and wakame these past few days. My kids seem to like it, so we will keep it up for a while just in case.
-Shirley
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