As promised, here's a recap of my time in Tohoku. This entry is mainly just photos of the area and some stories - I will do another one about my actual volunteering in a couple of days
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Yes, they get very busy during holidays. I'm waiting to get my new school year schedule through so I can see when I can go again... I'd like to go again during the summer but hopefully before that too.
Summer would be my next best bet too. Unfortunately, it's also the busiest time of year in my office with camps and seminars. I may not get to go until late September.
Most people only went for two or three days. Other than the more permanent volunteers, there were only two people there longer than me. I might just do a weekend at some point - head there on Friday and come back Sunday night. I doubt I can manage longer than that before late July.
I wanted to go in early February (not for volunteering, just to have a look around), but lacked the money for far traveling and a concrete plan of WHERE to go, so sadly it didn't work out in the end.
thank you for sharing. What an amazing thing you have done. Being the other side of the world you do feel useless. The photos took my breath away, how brave the people are who have been through this most awful experience. Take care :)
Gah, this was.......so hard to read and look... I just can't, or don't even want to really, imagine all the kids dying in the tsunami, or their parents' grief if they are alive.
Thank you, Kellie, so much.
One question is, are the houses structurally sound to live in if the first floor's been so damaged? I guess they wouldn't be if they weren't, but it still makes me wonder. >_
I guess the houses have been assessed, or at the very least been reinforced. We cleaned up a house that was in the same condition and that was structurally fine (now, at least).
I was surprised that the area was still so wrecked... I thought that the clean up would have largely been done by now but it really hasn't.
I'm not saying that there is no government help any more, but I saw none and heard no mention of it. All of the work I saw being done was volunteer work or paid construction. Everyone was just so happy to see volunteers there - the combini staff were nearly falling over they were bowing that low and enthusiastically.
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I wanted to go in early February (not for volunteering, just to have a look around), but lacked the money for far traveling and a concrete plan of WHERE to go, so sadly it didn't work out in the end.
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I just can't, or don't even want to really, imagine all the kids dying in the tsunami, or their parents' grief if they are alive.
Thank you, Kellie, so much.
One question is, are the houses structurally sound to live in if the first floor's been so damaged? I guess they wouldn't be if they weren't, but it still makes me wonder. >_
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I was surprised that the area was still so wrecked... I thought that the clean up would have largely been done by now but it really hasn't.
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It's really great that volunteers keep coming to help, though.
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