Nerves

I realized yesterday that living in Japan I am constantly worried about natural disasters!  Japan is one of the most dangerous places to live when it comes to nature.  Between earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, thunderstorms and incredible rain storms that causes floods or landslides there is always something to worry about and try to prepare for!  But when I was watching the news yesterday about the explosion in New York and the stabbings in Minnesota I felt that if I lived in the UK it would be the next terror attack or somebody going crazy attacking people that would have me on edge!  Whenever I watch the news I feel as if the world has gone crazy. Not just the people but the planet it self.  There just seems to be so much negative energy from earthquakes to killer storms to terror attacks to people going crazy and killing!  Maybe we need more positive energy in this world to heal both the planet and the people!  So even though I am an eternal pessimist I am going to try and send out positive, loving energy.  Every bit helps!
As I'm writing this I am wondering if the typhoon that has been forecast for tomorrow will hit or not.  Yesterday we had thunderstorms all afternoon and the most incredible rain!  Today it is drizzling.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.  If the storm hits it will bring high winds as well as more rain.  Rivers in this area are already a flood level. We really don't need more rain! 

Work Experience

This past week the 2nd grade kids from Hannah's school had work experience.  Hannah and two of her friends got to spend two days at a local old peoples home.  For Hannah it was a real eye opener! The first thing she said after day one was that she never wants to work in that kind of place!  It is hard work, both physically and emotionally.  I think Hannah had a good time, she came back with some funny stories.  The first day one old lady, in her 80's, kept saying that she was only in her 60's and didn't understand why she had to stay at the home!  The staff told Hannah that she is a different age everyday and not to worry about her!  Then Hannah was asked to get a hair dryer from one of the bathrooms.  She opened the door to find a naked old man in there, talk about shock!  The second day they spent time making a poster with the old people.  Hannah felt sad that most of the people there couldn't grip a pencil or use scissors.  It made her think about her own future as well.  What she wants to do and how to get there!   All in all a positive experience!

We are waiting to see if this typhoon is going to hit or not!  According to the forecast it looks like next Tuesday.  The last typhoon that was forecast for this area died out before it got to us, we got a load of rain but no wind!  I am hoping for the same this time.  Most of the kids are hoping for a real typhoon so they can have a day off school!

Confession

My house is a mess!
A disaster!
Every room is over run with things.  The bedrooms are the worst!  Clothes spill out of the closets onto the floor!  Clean laundry is left lying around!
I need to get sorted.  I need to throw out stuff that we no longer use or need!
But I don't and my kids are following my example which is very bad!
Part of my problem is that I worry if I let things go I won't be able to replace them!  So I have clothes that are too small for me.  Drawers that are full of clothes that I haven't worn for about 5 years but I feel bad when I think about throwing them out.  I feel guilty that I have wasted money on things!  Crazy because I almost never buy clothes for myself!
Then there is the problem of the books!  I have hundreds if not thousands of books.  I have book shelves all over the place.  Some I have read and will want to read again.  Some like my cook books I look at time and again,  finding new recipes or making recipes that I know everybody loves.  But then I have books I bought when the kids were little and I wanted them to learn English.  Those take up a lot of space and aren't being used but again it is hard to throw them out.
But I am tired of trying to organize stuff.  This house is very dusty and because stuff is lying around then the dust builds up and drives me crazy!
So  I have to try and sort out.  That is going to be my mission for the rest of this year.  I really want to get things in order. 
Then there is the garden.  But that is another post!!!

3 months

So yet again I've been a bad blogger!
I don't mean to! There are so many things that I have to do everyday. So many things that are still on my list and writing seems to be last on the list!

Hubby asleep on the floor!!

So June.  My least favorite month.Beginning is my husbands birthday!  This year David cooked all his Dads favorite foods!  The end of the month is the anniversary of my Moms death.  And between the rainy season starts,  lots of rain and high humidity!!!

 

Mom yelling at somebody

July and August were really bad for me!  It was just so hot!  Almost everyday was at least 35C.   I went with David and Hannah to the city one time.  According to google map the store Hannah wanted to go to was 5 minutes walk from the station.  I don't know who checked that but it took us almost 20 minutes!
We also went bowling and all you can eat restaurant. Not such a great summer holiday but the heat was exhausting for me!  I'm so glad that David can cook! The couple of times I tried I got so sick from the heat!
So again I will try to write more!!! 

Hannah's Birthday

The beginning of the month was Hannah's birthday!  She is now 14 years old!  I am really having a hard time wrapping my head around that!  I always think of Hannah as a little 1st grader, but she is now in junior high school!
She had a great birthday.  We had a little party and watched a DVD.  Nice family time!

Party food

Hannah and her cake

trifle and a strawberry flan made by David

The next day Hannah and I went to see 'Beauty and the Beast' musical.  I was not expecting it to be so good but I was amazed.  The dancing and singing were very good!

We were early so we had Mos Burger and waited for a while

Watched part of the festival

got to watch Japanese Drummers for free!

Outside the theater doors

Next year is 'Little Mermaid'

Great day but rather exhausting!

We are still having a few earthquakes.  Where we are they are not so strong but the people living near the epicenter are getting jolted a lot, up to ten quakes a day.  Today is one month since the start of these quakes and over 1400 have been recorded.  That is a lot of shaking!!

AGAIN!

Yes, another large quake!
This time the epicenter was in Oita Prefecture.  We are in Saga.  Bit closer than the last big one.  Really not nice!



All I want is a good nights sleep.  But because the biggest quake happened at 1:30am I can't sleep until after that time.  I know that quakes can happen at any time but my mind has got 1:30am equals quake time!  Crazy.
This morning news said that quakes over 1plus are now over 500!  Intensity of 3 to 7 is 80 something times, that is a lot of shaking!
We are lucky here.  The only damage is to nerves!  But people in Kumamoto are really suffering!  Supplies are getting in slowly, this morning the main airport could open but a lot of roads are still too damaged.  The news was showing  one road that had split, there was a meter difference between  the two parts of the road!

I am trying to think of different things.  Making plans to go back to UK for a visit.  We finally have a credit card so I can apply for a passport!  Today I went to the UK government site to check what I need to apply!  According to the site Mastercard, Visa and a few other cards aren't accepted.  I checked the leaflet on how to apply and it says they are accepted.  Somebody has messed up the site!  Typical!  Anyway I sent them an email and hope to get that sorted soon.

David is getting be a really good cook.  He made a wonderful yoghurt cake yesterday (photo next time).  Very nice!  I was telling a couple of my students about Davids cooking abilities.  The one young guy said to David "You are wonderful COCK"  I almost died!  I left David to explain why I thought that was funny!!!

I've had enough

I am so finished with these earthquakes!
Since the first event on Thursday there have been over 400 earthquakes!  Most are focused on the epicenter at Kumamoto and along the fault line.  But we are still feeling a few here!  They are lighter and shorter, but I still stop, hold my breath and hope that it is over quickly!  How people in Kumamoto are surviving is a miracle to me.  Thousands are homeless, no power, no clean water, no toilets.  This mornings news showed people lining up to get food.  Most were quiet, just waiting, but some were chatting and laughing, as if this was the most normal thing to do!

Saturday evening I had to take my mind off things.  So Hannah and I watched 'Gone with the Wind'.  Four hours escape from earthquakes!  That night the boys dragged my mattress downstairs so I could sleep.  But I didn't fall asleep until after 1:30am.  That was the time of the biggest quake and somehow that time now equals earthquake! I know that earthquakes can happen at any time but my emotions are stuck with that time!  Does that make any sense?

The experts predict that these quakes will go on until this weekend.  I really hope that they are right and I can stop being so scared all the time.  Christopher has just left for college and I know that I am going to be worrying about him all day!  Hannah isn't sleeping at night, she went to bed last night but came down later saying that she felt an earthquake but I think it was the wind.  She is really nervous at the moment.  School was hard for her before now seems impossible for her to go.  I can understand her problem.  She lost one parent already and the thought of being away from me at a time when things are not stable is more than she can deal with!  I just hope I can make the teacher understand!  Today Hannah is going to read 'Gone with theWind', she got the books from the library yesterday!