Have had quite a few emails and comments asking how we are.
Compared to a lot of people we are great. Very lucky.
I was home with Shion & Noah when the quake hit- everything started to shake, I was in the bathroom/laundry loading the washing machine when things started to fall. I ran back to the living room- Shion was in his bouncer on the table (He was strapped in but still I am extremely lucky it did not fall off the table before I reached him (He was on the table as Noah likes to try and tip him out of the bouncer)…), Noah was in the middle of the living room looking startled. I grabbed both boys and headed for the front door to see what was happening outside. Couple of people were running around- I asked one man, a neighbour I guess, if I should stay inside but then I heard a big bang and knew I had to leave (turns out the bookshelf collapsed) so we waited outside the apartment in an open space/balcony type area- the man I had spoken with said he would be back to check on us.
I didn`t have shoes on. I was just holding both boys and watching the other half of my building shake and the people in the park below huddled altogether in the middle of it.
After the violent shaking stopped others came out of their apartments- an older lady, who I see often came to help me with Noah. She invited us into her apartment to wait since it was still shaking but in the end she watched Noah outside while I went to inspect the damage in the apartment. We were lucky- just a couple of broken things, other things fell down (in all rooms- toys, drawers opened, glass in the kitchen, the bookshelf, photo frames, things from the duchess in our room and the coatrack and umbrella stand had also fallen) but the majority of our apartment and stuff was okay.
I don`t know how long after but another violent aftershock hit and we ended up going to the old ladies apartment to wait for a bit since things I had started to clean up all fell again and it was unsafe for me and the boys. Tsunami warnings were already on the tv (the old lady had it on, her son was also there- he lives on the 3rd floor of our building). I went back to get my phone. I had missed calls from my husband but tried calling him back with no luck.
The lady watched both boys while I went back to do a quick clean up of the apartment. Everything except the books and bookshelf are back in there right place.
Managed to speak with my husband. He was okay. He was going into another work meeting. Typical Japanese work ethic.
Have had aftershocks continuously since then. My FIL showed up less than 2 hours later to check on us- the phones were down and they had been worried when they couldn`t reach me or Shun. He only stayed a couple of minutes.
My husband left work at 6pm, trains had stopped and were not going to start again so he walked for 4 hours to his parents place and drove from there. I was so relieved when he got home a bit after 11pm. Not much sleep was had last night.
Now the biggest worry is the nuclear plant in Fukushima which is leaking radiation- it is approximately 250km from where we are. At this point we are staying put but I can not seem to tear myself away from facebook/internet news or the Japanese television. My husband however is already asleep beside me.
We lost gas at the time (it went off automatically)- we still have water but it is a funny shade of yellow and have still got electricity. Although we are expecting rolling blackouts any time from now.
Not sure when I will be able to next update but keep Japan in your thoughts and prayers.
I really hope the aftershocks stop soon. I am beginning to wonder if the tremors I am feeling are real or not but then I look up to see things swaying and know I am not imagining it (in the time it took me to write this post I felt 2 small earthquakes).
Take care
Popularity: 8% [?]
I am just a twenty something Aussie girl living in Chiba, Japan with my Japanese husband trying to make sense of the crazy Japanese world we live in! We welcomed our first son in December 2009 (Noah) and a second son in January 2011, 2 months premature (Shion). I am working hard at raising them to be confident, bilingual, happy kids!
Such a relief to know you and your boys plus husband are together and you’re all ok. I don’t know you Lulu but have been following your blog for sometime.
My heart goes out to Japan.
Margaret M
Gladyou are okay. I had been wondering about you all.
Thinking of you and everyone affected by the earthquake and the aftermath.
Glad to hear all of you are safe. I’ve been watching the coverage from here in the states and its so sad. I will keep you and everyone in Japan in my thoughts and prayers.
Good to know you and your family are safe. Must be such a scary experience especially with your children.
I’m glad you’re ok even if a bit freaked out. Hang in there, the worst is most likely over and things will start getting back to being relatively normal soon.
I am sure you’re feeling real aftershocks! I’ve been looking at real time list of seismic activity and it has been showing aftershocks of 5.0 or more pretty much every ten minutes. There was even one of 6.4 a couple of hours ago. That would have me going nuts! Hope you can get some sleep tonight! You guys are in my thoughts.
Lulu
I am so glad to hear that you and your family are ok, my heart and prayers go out to everyone in Japan. I cannot even fathom going thru what you and many others experienced! I live in Hollywood California and several months ago {Oct} Baja Mexico had a 6.9 earthquake and we felt it here {210 kilometers away} That earthquake still has me freaked, I did not grow up in Cali, I grew up in Texas {no earthquake zone} and have only been here since 2002. My coworkers call me their very own Richter scale, when Los Angeles had a 5.2 while we were at work, I felt it before everyone else did and 3 of us raced up the the stairs to get out, I work in the basement of a ginko.
Anyways, again I am very thankful that you and your family as well as my other friends who live in Japan are ok. Please let us know what is they best way people in other countries can help out.
I’ve been thinking about you and glad to hear you and your family are OK.
Be safe lulu. I hope the aftershocks calm down and that news of the radiation doesn’t get worse. 250km doesn’t seem very far
If you need out for a while we have futons and we have toys and we have clean air.
Big hugs.
xxxx
Glad to hear you are okay.. I’d lost track of your blog but haven’t been able to stop thinking about you and your little family since Friday… google found you again.
Glad you’re safe and thinking of you.
Just really felt to send a message of well wishes from one Auzzie girl in the Kanto area with a family to another – the past few days have been intense to say the least!!!!
Well wishes to you and your family and take care!!!
Stay strong!
I’m so glad to hear you and your family are okay. It’s been terrible hearing about the earthquake in Japan – mother nature is really lashing out. Stay safe!
I am so glad to hear that you and your family are ok. I have been following your blog, for about a year and really enjoy reading it. I don’t know you, (but feel as if I do) since reading your blog. I live in the Washington D.C. area and was looking up cherry blossoms in DC last year when I came across your blog. I thought of you guys after hearing about the earth quake and looked at a map of Japan to see where you were located.
I am praying for you and all of Japan.
Stay safe and be well.
Take care,
glad youn are all okay
Just want to send my own prayers to you and yours for your safety as the days unfold. I am horrified to see this happen to a country and its people that I love so much. They are handling it as I would expect, with grace and patience. May you all continue to remain safe.
I just heard about the new quake off the coast near Chiba, and hoping that you and your boys are safe and well.
Can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. Stay safe x