a resilient nation
over the past few days, i have been following news of the disaster closely, not just from the international news sites (i refused to log on to cna after the brainless act they committed) but also keeping track of updates from friends or strangers who are in japan now.
i have not met anyone who has visited japan and not be overwhelmed by the country and its people. the japanese have always been known as a resilient lot and this really became even more prominent in such tough times. they do not expect any aid from others and are grateful for any little help that has arrived, silently rebuilding their lives and their country.
just some anecdotes that i have seen/heard around that speaks so much of them:
1. a colleague's friend was awakened not by the aftershocks on saturday morning, but by the postman! no one would have even thought the postal service would still be in operation.
2. a singaporean friend's (based in japan) facebook status read: "my JTE photocopied a part of the japanese newspaper which showed that the singapore rescue team had arrived in japan. he gave me the photocopy and said 'thank you very much'."
3. one of my favourite fashion bloggers rumi was in tokyo for a photo shoot when the quake happened. the next day, she was to return to US, and her japanese manager escorted her all the way to the airport, and only left the airport after the flight was in the air. read her encounter here.
seriously, this is not just professionalism we are speaking of.
i think we can all learn something from them - be a little less self-centred, more gracious,less expecting and more thankful.
if any country can come out of such devastation stronger, it would be them.
i have not met anyone who has visited japan and not be overwhelmed by the country and its people. the japanese have always been known as a resilient lot and this really became even more prominent in such tough times. they do not expect any aid from others and are grateful for any little help that has arrived, silently rebuilding their lives and their country.
just some anecdotes that i have seen/heard around that speaks so much of them:
1. a colleague's friend was awakened not by the aftershocks on saturday morning, but by the postman! no one would have even thought the postal service would still be in operation.
2. a singaporean friend's (based in japan) facebook status read: "my JTE photocopied a part of the japanese newspaper which showed that the singapore rescue team had arrived in japan. he gave me the photocopy and said 'thank you very much'."
3. one of my favourite fashion bloggers rumi was in tokyo for a photo shoot when the quake happened. the next day, she was to return to US, and her japanese manager escorted her all the way to the airport, and only left the airport after the flight was in the air. read her encounter here.
seriously, this is not just professionalism we are speaking of.
i think we can all learn something from them - be a little less self-centred, more gracious,less expecting and more thankful.
if any country can come out of such devastation stronger, it would be them.