Japanese Study

 I decided to start studying Japanese again.

There's a popular test for Japanese proficiency. The easiest is N5, basic greetings, words, and some kanji. The hardest level is N1, which is the level needed to enter university here.

My level is about N4.  Bad!! I know, I just don't take the time to study.

I have plenty of materials.  I have bookmarked a number of sites that have readings at different levels. I have apps for reading as well.

I watch a couple of Japanese ladies who are about my age who are living slow lives in the countryside. Each lady has very different situations, one has 9 cats!! The other moved to her parent's empty house with her family. The videos have English subtitles but I can listen to them as well!  It's good listening practice!

Speaking I don't really try. I'll sometimes speak to the parents of my students, but just basic greeting.

Writing is something else I don't try very much!

The other day I got out one of my books to learn kanji.

One of my many books for learning Japanese

  Hannah saw me and suggested that I learn how to write my name and address instead of just random kanji. She sat and taught me for about an hour. A lot of that was laughing at my attempt at writing. She showed me the book she has for teaching Japanese at elementary school. So many kanji, first grade is 80 different ones!  I'm not sure but I think 4th grade is about 200.  Hannah said it's more because they have to learn the different prefectures that have kanji that aren't included. 

I remember when my kids were in elementary school they had to write out kanji every day! I think that's the only way!

My Japanese lesson

I need to do this every day!

Maybe I should do it at night when I can't sleep! Might be a cure for my insomnia!!

Insomnia And Stress Eating

 Mt insomnia is back with a vengeance.  I fall asleep alright most nights but wake up a couple of hours later and can't drop off again.  I'm awake from 1am to about 4am but have to get up at 5am to get Hannah's breakfast. I know she can do it herself but these are the last few months she will be living here so I want to do things for her. 

Between lack of sleep and the heat, I'm becoming very irritable.  I find myself snapping at the smallest thing, I shouted at the broom the other day! It had fallen at an angle against a chair and I tripped over it. Poor thing got cursed out!!

Then my eating is starting to get out of control. I don't diet but I am very mindful of what I eat. I try to avoid sugar and carbs but not doing keto.  For most of my meals, I have a lot of vegetables and salad. My snacks are fruit or nuts. 

I haven't put weight on but I haven't lost any. The couple of kilos I lost when I was sick with Covid have come back. I seem to go up and down the same two kilos.

I'm stressed. Just the physical aspect of the move is daunting. David and Christopher went to the other house today, I've given up for now. They managed to clear out two rooms, which is good. But there is so much to do and so little time. I've managed to box up more books, I think I need to be more ruthless with these books and throw or give away more! I've emptied out two big drawers in the kitchen, basically baking stuff. Again a lot more to do.

Another thing that is stressing me is what to do about our English school. I thought about opening near where we are going to live. For a few months that will be alright but Mikey is planning to move out next summer. Will he want to commute to pick me up and take me to the next town to teach? Will we get students?  I want to come back here to teach the students we have, but I want to put them together on just a few days.  How many will quit?

Then, of course, we had an earthquake, and the news and social media are on about the possibility of a mega earthquake. I know the possibility is small but is still a worry.

I've tried everything to deal with my insomnia, except sleeping pills, which I don't want. I keep busy during the day in the hope of falling and staying asleep.  I write a diary, to get the worries out of my head. I do deep breathing and little stretches but nothing is working. I might buy some allergy tablets as they make me sleepy.  

As for the eating I need to learn to say no. Yesterday I had an ice cream in the evening. I felt sick after, I realized that my body isn't used to such a large amount of sugar being dumped in at once!!! 

I want to be healthy, and I want to have the energy to face what is coming but sometimes I feel defeated!  I'm hoping that part of this is the heat. That as it cools down I'll feel a bit better. This morning it was under 25C for the first time in weeks. I did feel a bit better and managed to do some housework without the sweat dripping off me!

Last night Hannah was going through her photos and found this one from last year, August 11Th.

August 11th, 2023

We were wearing the same clothes yesterday, August 11th, 2024, so she took more photos with the filter app she has.

August 11th, 2024

The Other House

 This morning Mikey, David and I went to the other house.

Before the earthquake on Thursday, I had noticed cracks on the outside wall.  Two on the front, but they look like they are more cosmetic than structural. The ones that worried me were on the foundation near the bathroom and one bedroom.  Those seemed deeper, one going round a corner.

The earthquake here wasn't that strong, maybe a M3 but the house and the one we are in were built before 1995. That year there was a massive earthquake in the Kobe area of Japan. Many lessons on building design and how to make buildings safer were learned.  One small example is the lever-style taps. Before 1995 the taps were pushed down to make the water flow, after the design was changed so that you have to pull the taps up. With the pushdown ones, it would be easy to flood the area if something fell on them.

Most newer buildings are built with some type of dampening system in place to help dissipate the seismic activity.  I'm thinking of having the house fitted with that kind of system.  Something else I need to check.

The house was fine. The cracks hadn't changed. That was a relief.

The other thing I was worried about is a massive tree that is too close to the house and storage area.

The tree

It's not as thick as I thought it was as it branches off at the top. It shouldn't have gotten that tall. I remember my mother-in-law used to trim it a lot!  I'm worried about it. An earthquake could loosen the roots more and a typhoon could take it down all together.  

side of the house

This is the passageway between the storage building and the house. It always looks bad, overgrown, and smells damp. There's little sun on the area, and weeds take over the walkway easily.  I've been focusing on the inside of the house that I haven't noticed all the work that needs to be done outside. Not just getting it to look better but keeping it up after!

We managed to take over a few more things. That helps me feel better. Even if I can't work at the house I can get sorted here.

On the way back we stopped at a few shops.  And, of course, I got sick. I wasn't outside long, just from the car to the shop and back again but even that was too much for me! The heat is extreme still. Up to 37C today but felt like 40C.  All of next week is going to be over 35C.

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"?