Japan's Mega Quake Advisory

 How serious is this?  Is Japan going to sink into the sea in the next week or so?  Should I follow what everyone else is doing and buy liters of water and miles of toilet paper and what is it with toilet paper and disasters?

These are the questions that have been plaguing me since the earthquake on Thursday.

There was another earthquake in Kanagawa on Friday.  Is this the forerunner of a mega-quake, an M8 or 9!?

I've been watching a lot of videos, some from mainstream media, some from YouTubers who live in Japan or who (according to their bio) are scientists, I've also read a lot and there seems to be a general consensus that the Nankai Trough is restless, that there is a possibility of a large earthquake and tsunami. 

Scientists are working from historical data, and data from different machines, I read a bit about this but it went over my head. 

Historically, there have been many major earthquakes along the Nankai Trough, which runs along the Pacific Coast from Tokyo to southern Kyushu.

In 1707 all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured at once. A possible M8 earthquake (I don't know how they can state the magnitude from so long ago!), this might have triggered the last eruption of Mt Fuji. In 1854 there were two earthquakes, just a day apart. The last major earthquakes were in 1944 and 1946.

Does this mean we are in for a big one?  I don't think anyone really knows.  One report I watched said that there was a 0.05% chance of a big earthquake, I actually asked the kids if I had understood that right, as that is less than 1%.  It's worrying that the Prime Minister canceled his trip for this weekend, should something be read into that?

The big question for me is what does it mean to my life? Will all this speculation change anything? Of course not, it's still too hot and I still have a lot to do! It's a diversion. Am I worried, yes but I know that sitting worrying about something I can't change isn't going to help. 

So I'll prepare, make sure we have water, non-perishable food on hand, a first aid kit, flashlights, etc. Talk to the kids about where to meet up if we have to evacuate the house.  Figure out what to do with the cats, that is the big problem. We have enough cat carriers but how to get a cat in if they are panicking! Just trying to get them in for a trip to the vet is a struggle.

Where we live now is not near the coast or a river so tsunamis aren't a problem. Also, the ground here seems to be hard and doesn't move so much. Where we are moving to might be a bit scarier because it's at the foot of a mountain range and the possibility of a landslide is big.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to go to the other house. There were a few cracks on the outside walls, I hope they haven't got any bigger and I want to check the tree that is right next to the house. The roots aren't deep and I'm worried it might fall over!

Because I need something cute

Mama in a box she found

By the way, if anybody has any idea about the connection between toilet paper and disasters let me know.

Earthquake

 I set myself a challenge to write a post every day this month.

I wanted to see if it was possible. My life gets to be rather boring but by challenging myself to write I have to do things or find things to write about.

After yesterday's post, I wasn't sure what I could write about today.  Another moan about the weather, which is still too hot, or a detailed account of how I'm avoiding packing, I've made that into an art form.

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in the room that we use for teaching, thinking about the lessons I had to do and chatting with Christopher when the alarm on our phones went off.  This freaked me out. My phone was saying in English "There is an earthquake, please take precautions to protect yourself"  For a couple of seconds I couldn't figure out what was happening.  Christopher's phone was doing the same but in Japanese.  I looked at Christopher, he just said earthquake!

Where we are it wasn't that bad maybe a M2.  The house shook, but nothing fell off the shelves. For me it's the sounds that are scary, there's this rumbling sound that is very deep, then the building grinding, doors and windows rattling.  It was over very quickly and we haven't felt any aftershocks.

I was surprised to find that it measured M7.1 at the epicenter.  

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a megaquake advisory.  This highlights the possibility of a mega-earthquake along the Nankai Trough.  The biggest possibility is within the next week. However, seismology is not an exact science.  The Nankai Trough has been talked about for years, some scientists say it could produce a mega-earthquake in the next couple of years, and others say it could be 30 to 40 years before it becomes unstable. 

This earthquake yesterday was a reminder that I need to check our emergency supplies and update what we would do if we have a very bad one. Where to meet, how to contact each other. The last time we had a big earthquake here was 8 years ago. Hannah was still in school, so we made a plan to meet at Hannah's school, as that is an evacuation place.  We need to sit and talk about this!

I think Hannah had the worst experience yesterday. She is volunteering at an old people's home, it's on the 6th floor! She said that most of the residents are so out of it they didn't notice the quake. Just one lady was panicking.  

I need to go to the other house soon. There are a few cracks on the outside walls that I want to check, I really hope they didn't get bigger or deeper!

This was the cat's reaction to the earthquake.

sleeping as usual

On My Own

 This morning it's just me and the cats here!

Mikey is teaching at some nurseries. David isn't back from work. Christopher has gone to meet his mate and Hannah is at the old people's home for the day!

It is so quiet! Even when everyone is at home they are usually in their own rooms.  We get together for meals and when I'm giving orders for cleaning!  Even so, I know that if I need help there is somebody around.

I'm going to have to used to this. This time next year, if all plans fall into place Mikey and Hannah will have their own places. David and Christopher will be living with me but working, so most days they will be out.  

I don't mind being by myself it just feels strange. I'm so used to having the kids around but it really is time they became independent.  Because of the economy, a lot of adult children stay at home.  David and I figured that with his income he could get a small apartment but after paying rent, utilities, a car loan, and food he would have nothing left to save or for emergencies.  Even paying the biennial vehicle test and car tax would be difficult.  A lot of adult kids get help from their parents if they live by themselves. My neighbor's son moved back home because he planned to get married but couldn't save money while he had his own place.

The cats are quiet! We separate them at night as the three older ones tend to fight!  3 have the corridors to wander around, the others are in the dining/living area. We put a small bookshelf in front of the door as Frodo and Fred can open the doors.  But they have managed to find a way to move the shelf.  Looks like finding something heavier!  Last night they got out and sent up camp outside my room and started a very demonstration. They wanted food, they'd been fed early in the evening but it sounded like we were starving them. Of course, they are all sleeping now.

It's a cat's life

Fluffy totally relaxed!

Missing The Local Supermarket

 A song came up in my YouTube feed, Big Yellow Taxi.

The chorus goes:

"Don't it always seem to go

That you don't what you've got 'til it's gone

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

That's how I feel about the local supermarket closing down.  I never realized just how much I relied on that store.

Most mornings David would stop by, as it was on his way back from work. If I needed anything I would send him a message or if I start cooking and find I'm low on something it was easy to send somebody to get it.

There is a drug store nearby, not a pharmacy, just over-the-counter medicines, supplements, beauty goods, etc. They have a lot of groceries, bread and milk are always cheaper there.  A lot of instant foods, condiments, snacks, drinks, etc but very little in the way of fresh food.  I use that place a lot but it doesn't replace the supermarket.

There are other supermarkets but you need a car to get to them, which is hard because of Mikey's work schedule.  When he is free I try to get to a store.

This morning I went shopping and was shocked at the price of things. Chicken breast used to be a cheap source of protein, the most expensive was usually 60 yen for 100 grams. This morning it was 117 yen for 70 grams.  I really wanted fruit and vegetables, small lettuce, maybe enough for one meal, was almost 300 yen, and grapes were over 1000 yen.  Just 3 small bags of food cost almost 9000 yen.  I know that growing our own vegetables will help.  I need to study what to plant, when, and where!

In the 100 yen shop, I was shocked to see that they are starting to put out Halloween goods.

It's still August!!!

And I think some companies should hire somebody to check their English.

where's the "be"?

 

Hair Adventures!

 I wanted to color my hair! I usually go to my hairdresser but she is semi-retired and only open 4 days a week. So I decided to buy a home coloring kit and do it myself.

I asked Hannah to go with me to find a good color, also to make sure that I get the right kind, one that covers white hair.

Of course, the first question was "Do you want purple hair?" 

There's a story behind that question. Hannah was only a year old but has heard this story many times!

When I went to England in 2003 I didn't have time to go to the hairdresser before we left so I decided to go to the hairdresser in England.  

I was shocked at how expensive it was! I just got a cut, which didn't turn out so well. I don't think the hairdresser listened to what I asked for!

I went to a store to buy a color. I can read English, I can find the perfect color! 

My Mom's friend offered to do the coloring for me. I sat in Mom's dining/kitchen, listening to Mom and her friend chatter.  Suddenly they started laughing, I asked "What, what?" to which they answered "Nothing" but kept laughing. Mom snapped a photo.

Purple hair!

I actually screamed when I saw it!

Very purple

After that experience, I always went to the hairdresser to get my hair colored, until this time.

Before, white hair

Hannah took this with a filter, I don't look that pale. My face is red because I sweat a lot and rub my face!

The product

I got a light brown color. 

The result

Not too bad. Bit more red than I would like but it looks okay. I need to get some cream for my face. I don't bother too much with creams, just a basic moisturizer but I need something for under my eyes.  That area gets sore easily, leaving me with puffy eyes!  I never look good in photos but this is me!!

Panic

 I was looking at Hannah's schedule that she has pinned over her desk.

I tried to get a photo but it's difficult to see. She has the next three months pinned to her wall, with different colors showing what she is doing and when.

 This week she has to volunteer at an old people's home!  I have no idea what taking care of elderly people has to do with being a teacher but it's part of her course!  Then she has to do more to her thesis, which has to be finished by December.  She has two weeks of teacher training for special needs, at the end of October.  She also has a test for graduate school in September, that she needs to study for. 

I was thinking poor Hannah, so busy. Then I looked again. The last page is October. Just two pages away, we are moving in November!  

I caught the end of a news report from America. The presidential election is in the first week of November, 91 days away! 

Seeing the months laid out and hearing how many days until November has really shaken me! I knew the moving day was close but in my mind, it felt far away.

Panic! Really panicked!  I thought we would be further along the cleaning of the other house and the packing and sorting of this house. At the beginning of the year, I imagined having empty shelves, drawers, and closets by now.  

I need to make a new determination, to do something every day, get the kids to pack up their rooms.  We need to have things in place to move quickly, I don't want to be going back and forth between houses once we move. I don't want to pay rent after November.  Even if it takes time to settle and organize the other house I want to finish with here by November.

Of course, the weather isn't helping, it's 38C but feels like 40C. Mikey is doing cotton candy in the next city, there's a big firework festival tonight. They are set up on the parking roof of the mall, they can take turns to go inside to cool down, which helps.

Cat photo for cuteness.

Frodo, if I fit, I sits!!

This And That

I had a plan for today but it didn't work out!

The first part of the day went smoothly enough. I got up at 5:30 and made breakfast for 4 of us (David was at work) and did French Toast because of another miscommunication!  I hadn't checked what David bought and sent Christopher to the local drugstore, which sells basic groceries, so we ended up with 5 packs of milk and 6 packs of bread!  I used some of the bread this morning, wondering what to do with the milk!

After that, Mikey dropped Hannah off for work.  The nursery she is working at held a special event this morning.  The kids learned some songs to do for their parents. Hannah said it was very cute!

After Mikey got back we loaded up the car with boxes that had been hanging around the house for a month or so. We drove to the other house to drop them off. We then went shopping. This is where things went south. It is so hot that just walking from the car to the store was hard.  From 8am it was 31C, by the time we had finished shopping it was about 33C.  I planned to make lunch but came back feeling awful, headache and so tired. I told everybody to find their own lunch, I put my air conditioner on and slept!

I planned to color my hair this afternoon, but that will have to wait.  Also, I wanted to sort out a few more things to take to the other house. We've taken a lot but it doesn't look like it.  Still a lot to do but I'm not sure that I have the energy to keep going!

We will get there, somehow!

This heat is really crazy!  I woke up at 1am and it was still 31C.  It only dropped to 29C, I feel that there is no real break from it!  One of our neighbors is having work done to the outside of the house, I feel so sorry for the workers!  They start early but the days are just too hot! I don't know how people who have to go out in this heat manage. Do you just get used to it?

Fred on Hannah

In this heat, the cats usually don't want to sit on our laps, even with the air conditioning! Last night, however, Fred decided that he wanted some love from Hannah.  He stayed for about half an hour.  

This morning we had a visitor!

Cicada

I don't like insects at all but while this was still and on the outside of the window I could take a photo. But then it started to move, and I took off!