Heartful Goodbyes.....

(Forgive any misspellings on this one! I am using a Japanese keyboard and having problems hitting the right keys!) 

This will be my last blog post on my summer volunteer disaster relief work in Ofunato, Japan.   I writing this while I am waiting for my overnight bus to Tokyo. I plan to spend the next few days chilling out and continuing my support of the Japan by spending my mother`s hard earned (borrowed) money as a tourist.

I tried to keep a stoic face when I stood up the other night at the nightly team meeting to say my farewells.   But, I couldn`t help it. I turned into the blubbering sentimental fool that I am.    This journey has been a myriad of emotions: excited to be going to Japan, frustrated, hot, tired, exhausted, moved, inspired and, finally, soulful and a bit sad to be leaving. 　

 *  Favorite job:  using the spray power washer on a hot summer day to clean tires at the warehouse while working with good hearted Lance (aka Thunderclap) and kindly Eric #2

*  Least favorite job:  not the fish factory (even though that was gross). My least favorite job was cleaning out the squat toilets at the volunteer base.

*  Most frustrating moment:  when we had an all company meeting to air some grievances and the person in charge just didn`t get it.  (I wasn`t the only one frustrated)

*  Most inspiration:  came from talking to the locals who have endured such hardship and were willing to share their stories.    Also, from the volunteers who have endured difficult working and living conditions and still continue to do their best and work their hardest to help others. 

*  Things I won`t miss:  sweating so much,  changing my shoes for every room I have to walk into,  arguing with fellow volunteer named Tei,  using squat toilets (then having a hard time standing up!),  slow internet connection, sharing a room with 20 other people,  daily earthquakes that sound and feel like freight trains, one of the volunteer`s crude and rude humour and the bento box lunches.

*   Things that I will miss:   saying "konichi wa" to everyone you meet,  respectful bowing,  CC Lemon drinks, the generosity of all the people of Ofunato, the fabulous local volunteers who joined us to help (including Tei), the wonderful international volunteers who shared so much of themselves, the fun loving humor and good hearts of all the volunteers and the bento box lunches.

Yesterday was our day off and my last full day in Ofunato.    I went to the local bike store to rent a bike so I could take one last look around this town that I have become so fond of.  When I asked the man how much it would cost he said `free`.   Yet again, I was moved by the kindness and generosity to us volunteers. I rode down to the shoreline and to the tsunami impact zone to take one last look.    While traveling to our job sites on the All Hands bus each day, we only really see a small portion of the devastation.   What I saw on my bike ride yesterday was overwhelming. 

I hate to think of myself as vouyuer, but I think there is something that compels us to take pictures. Its as if by photographing something we also hope to capture the feelings and emotions of the moment.     I was shocked to see that after 6 weeks in this town so little has really been done. The piles and piles of debris are everywhere. I couldn`t help but get teary eyed again.     My sadness shifted when I also noticed some hopeful signs of recovery. At the fishing port there was a whole line of new fishing vessels and trucks ready to ship out their daily catch. (The town had lost 90% of the fishing fleet) . I  saw utility workers installing new electrical lines and when I rode back to the canals and ditches that our volunteers have been working on, I saw that the water in them was running fresh and clear.   

I purchased some pastries to give to the bike rental guy as a way to thank him for the free bike rental. At the pastry shop, although the woman didn`t speak English, she took one look at me and said "Hands volunteer?" when I nodded "Hai", she gave a deep bow and said "Arrigato goyzimas." We don`t deserve to be treated like celebrities, when the true celebrities should be the people who are carrying on their lives amidst so much tragedy. At the bike shop, I had to nearly force the man to take my pastries for him. He finally accepted when I indicated that I would not take them back.

My most enlightening moment:  A few weeks ago on a hot night when I was very annoyed that no one had bought bread for the volunteers' breakfast, I had to walk about 20 minutes downhill to the store before they closed. I stomped angrily down the road muttering to myself about the thoughtlessness of the person in charge. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw four teeny-tiny flickering lights all hovering near a tree. I stopped. I looked closer..... wow, those are fireflys! Real fireflys. I've never seen a real firefly! (Only fake ones on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland).    I stopped, took a deep breath and thought, "slow down girl, look around see what you are missing". I looked up at the moon, it was big and bright and full.    A warm, light breeze came up. All of sudden, the anger and frustration disappeared. I relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and was thankful for the opportunity to be here.   

A few days later, I was talking to a Japanese woman who told me that fireflys are actually quite symbolic in Japan.   The belief is that they embody the souls of those who have died. If so, then perhaps the world of North Japan will soon be a little brighter and all of us will remember to be kind and generous to each other.

Newsworthy

I haven't actually SEEN this video clip of the 4th of July MSNBC coverage yet - because our internet connection is so darned slow here - but I think I might be in it briefly.   I'm the one pulling insulation out of a wall wearing a baseball cap and face mask.    NBC Corrrespondent, Ian Williams was a really nice guy.

Here's the link:|

http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/u-s-volunteers-bring-relief-to-japan/17yufktdc

Comings and Goings

My apologies to anyone who tried to read this blog over the past few days.   I am still new to this Google blogger program and must have done something to screw up the settings!  Very annoying because I spent a good hour or two writing my last entry and managed to lose it all!  So, we try again....

Monday marked my fourth week here in Japan as a volunteer.   Every few days new volunteers come in bringing a fresh energy of enthusiasm, and every few days a new batch of old volunteers say their good-byes.   Many will be leaving this week since the original All Hands Tohoku project commitment was until July 11th.   It has now been extended until September 30th, but that doesn't help those with non-changeable airline tickets.   All Hands originally had over 1,400 people apply to come volunteer.    About 350 international volunteers have been able to participate, so now more new ones will be able to join in.  At the nightly company meeting, people who are leaving stand to say farewell and there is a loud sigh of  "ohhhh noooo'.  There is a mild melancholy as those we have come to really love and be inspired by head home to their jobs, families, future travels and uncertain futures.

Our 4th of July party was a wonderful way to kick back and relax and enjoy each other's company.  About 70 volunteers along with about 70 locals and residents of the community center that we stay at enjoyed burgers and hot dogs.  One clever volunteer, Patrick, created  makeshift grills from metal cans and wheel barrows.   Locals brought us beer, sake, fresh fruit, cookies and lots of other yummy treats.   Frisbee,  croquet and soccer matches kept everyone active until an early evening rain came to scare us all back inside. 

This week, we had an influx of about 30 Japanese volunteers from 3M corporation.  There company has been very generous in donating much of the safety clothing that we've been wearing.  Their CEO has also come to join in.   They all arrived all fresh faced, eager and energetic.   As the new volunteer arrivals come in, I wonder if they realized how hot, dirty and tired they will be when the day is over.  I expect in couple of days they will be dragging themselves back onto their bus to Tokyo, all exhausted, smelly and spent.   But, there's no doubt in my mind that they will all feel it was worth every second.   This weekend another 20 volunteers will arrive from Habitat for Humanity Japan.

I've had some good jobs the past week.  I continued to work on Toure's warehouse.  I mentioned him in an earlier blog post - he bought two warehouses and a ramen restaurant two days before the tsunami and watched his life savings get washed away in three giant waves.    The first day I met him his eyes were glazed over and he was clearly spent.   It's been rewarding over the 10 days of the  clean up work at his business to see him become more whole again.   We spent several days cleaning 750 tires of mud and debris.   Hard work, but it was one of my favorite jobs to get to use a power washer hose in the hot sun!  On Saturday, the project team leader decided we should celebrate the completion of the job by taking Toure out to the one an only Ofunato hotspot - the Karoke Bar.     In Japan, karoke is done in private rooms.   There were about 12 of us and we all had a riotous time as we sang everything from Eminem, Manga and Anime theme songs, Japanese ballads, John Denver, Led Zepplin to Frank Sinatra.   It was so great to see Toure smiling, drinking and laughing with all   of us.  After many months of sadness, how great it was for him to let loose.   They say the Japanese do not typically show public displays of affection, so it was especially moving when he gestured to his heart in thanks and gave us each a big old bear hug.   Oh, I guess I should mention the hit song of the night that had all of us up and singing and dancing was YMCA  ("Young man theres no need to feel down....).  Ah, sigh......had me missing San Francisco.....

Another job this week was working on a  beautiful home in a small fishing village north, San Riku.    Even with all the debris and destruction of the 20 homes that were lost in this valley by the sea, the beauty of the natural surrounding shown through.   Murakami san and his wife own a 150 year old home on a small slope of a hill that overlooks the sea.  He is about 60 and has some physical ailments (a stroke perhaps?) that makes it hard for him do a lot of physical work.   My job was to sift through the gravel outside his home to pick out shards of glass from the many windows of his house that broke.   Sounds like an easy job, but it was really hard to get all of the glass -- gravel and glass are a royal pain to sift through!    The drive back to Ofunato was sobering as we saw mile after mile of debris yet to be cleared and it made you realize how much more needs to be done.

My time here will  be ending soon and I am starting to thing about what parts of Japan I will tour and relax in before I head home.

Gifts, Guests and Gambatte

June 29, 2011

Well, today marks my third week here in Ofunato. This week was filled with delights and surprises.  My sister, Nancy, sent the best care package all the way from California. Salami, beef jerky, California cheese (a hot item here among the volunteers),  candies and chocolates (that went very fast),  poker chips for the nightly volunteer’s poker game and tabloid magazines.   Great fun!  (Thanks Lil’ Nud!).  On Monday, Embassy Ann sent up a huge box of freshly baked chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin cookies for the community center and the All Hands volunteers.  These were gobbled up quickly with great joy!  One of the local resident’s often comes by to give thank you gifts of food and other goodies to the volunteers – the other day he dropped by with 6 large bottles of Diet Pepsi  (those who know me well  can only guess what heaven I was in over that gift!). On the job sites, the people we work for often give us gifts such as cold drinks or homemade baked goods. 

Tough Days as a Volunteer

June 24, 2011

Not a great day yesterday.   We were all shaken awake by a pretty big rattling 6.7 earth quake.   The fact that nothing fell down and none of the walls even creaked is a testament to the wonderful Japanese engineering.    Anywhere else, there would have been damage.    About four minutes after the quake, the city-wide tsunami alarm went off to warn everyone at sea level to get to higher ground.  Luckily, our accommodations are up a hill and away from the sea -- but those of the volunteers who are staying in the headquarters had to hightail it two blocks and up the steps of a shrine on a hill.     All had to sit tight for a couple of hours until they were given the all clear.   

The evacuees who share the building that we are in were clearly rattled by the tsunami alarm.  One young girl started to cry.   We can only imagine what kind of flashbacks they might have from the “big one.”

It was kind of a bummer, because I had chosen to take a “sick day” yesterday and was really, really looking forward to having a day without 40 other “room-mates”.   Communal living can get a bit wearing.  The hot, humid rains of the typhoon season have started so we are all sticky, hot and tired.   On top of that, I have some kind of ear infection that is causing my head to throb and has plugged up my inner ear.  (Hopefully, antibiotics from a friend will help clear it up – I feel better today already).    Then, to compound my day of woe, my computer didn’t like the dishwashing liquid that spilled in my bag.  It has now revolted and now I will have to borrow a computer if I want to go online.

Everyone is a bit stressed and grumpy.    The All Hands organization has to move out of their main base location by Monday, and the new base location is no where near ready.   The overall volunteer operation in Japan is being run by two very young women (on stipends) who have little or no people and project management skills.    Last week a new upper level assistant executive director came on site and has tried to get a handle on all the “moving parts” - but she is a bit removed from the day to day logistical challenges that the volunteers face.  As sweet and as nice as they all are, this lack of experience frustrates many of the   volunteers who have spent years in business, construction and organizational management.    The two locations for the volunteer housing also create a division between “the management” and the volunteers.   This is my third All Hands project and first time that there has been this sort of administration and morale problem.

       

The other element that makes this project a bit different is the politics of getting things done.  Most of us are pretty much used to going from A to B to get a job done.   However, in Japan, it’s often about permissions and protocols.    You have to start with A - then wait to get approval to move to the next step.  (One of the volunteers with significant construction experience had to get a “lesson” from a homeowner about how he wanted the nails to be hammered into the wall.  Even though the volunteer had a better, more efficient way to do the job – it had to be done the way the homeowner wanted it).   We joke about the “Zen” brushes and mops that we have to use to clean up with.  They are the only ones we can find here in Ofunato -- and they are small and inefficient.   We decided that the Japanese must use these tiny ineffective brushes to learn patience and calm (because it will drive you crazy you otherwise!)   The build at the new base is at a sluggish pace because of this start, stop, ask permission, start and stop again, progression.

   

Cultural Exchange

June 19, 2011

Coming up to the end of my second week here and I have become accustomed to the daily routine:  

• Wake up about 6:45 am with about 40 other groggy volunteers (there are 40 at “FSC” base house and about 20 at the main house), have a breakfast of tea and toast with peanut butter and jelly, get on the bus to the main base at 7:45 am, 
• Find the team leader for my daily work project and help gather the necessary materials, get on the bus to the work site and start working about 8:30 am. 
• A yummy bento box lunch is delivered to us at the work site which we all voraciously gobble down and then try to rest until our 1 pm.   I’m not quite sure what some of the food is, but it is all very good! 
• Continue working until about 4:00pm when it is time to clean tools and pack up for the bus to pick us up to return to the main base.
• About 5:30pm, we sit down for dinner in the communal room.   Dinner is followed by a team meeting at about 6:15pm.   New volunteer arrivals are introduced, work teams report on their progress, the next day sign up options for jobs are announced and farewells are said to those who are departing.
• After the meeting, our bus brings us back to the “FSC” house where we read, hang-out, check emails, take showers, play cards and try to relax.
• At 10:00 pm, lights are out, we tuck into our sleeping bags on the floor and try to sleep and rest for the next day of work.  

Whenever I am working on these jobs, I make a point of trying to talk to the locals.  Not all of the non-Japanese speaking volunteers do this, and that’s a shame.   I think connecting with those who have witnessed and lived through the disaster is an important part of our task here.    Each work team has a Japanese speaker who can help be a translator.  As you talk to people, you learn about their stories.   Psychologists say after a traumatic incident, it is very helpful for people to talk to others about their experience.        

Not for Wimps

June 16^th

I have been here one week now and am finally starting to feel like I belong.  The first week of working alongside the younger, stronger, more agile volunteers was a bit rough for me.  I’m out of shape and, well, just a shade of former athletic self and no one seems to cut you any slack.   I’ve been achy and sluggish as I have tried to keep up.   Thank god for fellow volunteers, Embassy Ana, Superwoman Sally and Japanese American Reiko.   They all kept re-assuring me that it is okay to work at my own pace and allowed me a chance to “kvetch”.    (I didn’t learn until her last night here, Reiko is 72!).  Now that they have left, I am currently the oldest woman among the group.   At least there are still a few older men.     

 I really earned my stripes on Monday when I volunteered for one of the worst ever jobs --- helping to clean up the fish factory.    Imagine five football fields filled up to four feet high with rotting, stinking fish that has been sitting in the sun and sludge for three months.  I’m not sure of the politics involved and why the factory didn’t clean this up sooner.  It may have had something to do with the factory management expecting the Japanese government to bring in their FEMA equivalent to deal with it; or, perhaps the factory staff and workers were in too much post traumatic stress over the Tsunami; or maybe they just couldn’t find anyone to pay to deal with it.  All I know is that All Hands Volunteers were asked by the Mayor of the city to please step in and help because the fish has been stinking up the entire town.  (One volunteer went as far as to suggest that perhaps having us foreigners willing to come in as volunteers has shamed the factory management into finally dealing with the problem.    

Shaken and Stirred

June 11^th

We have had small earthquakes every day.   With my California know-how, I’d guess that the first couple were 2.0’s.  This morning we had a good rattler -- more like a 3.5.    One of our Japanese volunteers was here during the big one.   She said that the quake that caused the Tsunami had a low, loud rumble to it.   Our daily aftershocks are quiet, but un-nerving.  The volunteer house goes silent and we all just wait for it to pass.   The good thing is that we are staying in a nice solid building and we are up on high ground.

Yesterday, I joined a volunteer team that went out a rocky inlet near the harbor to help start the clean up on an oil spill.   The oil is from one of the ocean tankers that got pretty beat up.   Our group of 7 joined about 30 other local volunteers at the job site.   The man leading the project gave us an orientation (in his limited English) and we headed down to the shore to shovel and pick up globs of oil and oil soaked mud into bags.    It didn’t feel like we were making much progress and it will likely take months to clean up that shoreline.   It was a hot, tiring and frustrating day.   We came back to base stinking of oil, very exhausted and disenchanted.   We soon found out that we weren’t the worse odorous offenders in the group.   One of the teams went to a seaweed factory to clear out boxes of rotted seaweed.  Peeeyeeew!  Each of the other work teams staggered back to the volunteer base muddy, dusty, dirty and tired.    The looks in their eyes expressed utter exhaustion.

Getting Settled In

The long transport to the volunteer base camp wasn’t bad at all.    By big gaijin (non Japanese) body was a bit large for the seat on the overnight bus.  Thankfully, no one was seated next to me.    I was glad for the three hour connection in Morioka because it took me awhile to figure out where to catch my next bus.   In Tokyo, everything was in both English and Japanese – but here in the North there isn’t much English.  ( I went to the store yesterday to try to by some cleaning supplies.  You should have seen me trying to figure out what was what.  Hm, that spray bottle has a picture of a crib and a bed?   Febreeze perhaps?)

I continue to be impressed by the Japanese.   It’s no myth – everyone really is as nice as they say and there are continual little “touches” that surprise you.   I might sound like I’m obsessing about toilets, but I thought it was a hoot when I sat down on the Western style toilet at the train station and a tape came on that said something like “thank you for using our toilet.  Welcome to Morioka” and then there was the sound of rushing water like a waterfall (I guess to help you with you “flow”).    It made me smile as I was going.

There are currently about 60 volunteers here, about 15 of them are Japanse and the others are from all over the world.  There is Michael from England, entertaining Thomaso from Italy, Maria from Sweden, Ana who is about  my age and is a Japanese American working for the US Embassy in Japan,  Dominic from Milwaukee, and Tyree from Kentucky who keeps getting a lot of stare and smiles from the locals because he has a big ol' 70 style afro.    Just to name a few.   We are nicely crowded onto the floors of three communal living spaces.  A cacophony of snoring at night.    

Arrival in Japan

Just arrived at Narita, Tokyo airport after an uneventful 11 hours flight.    First class, baby!  (I thank my departed stepdad, Fred every time I get to use the Delta standby pass)

On the plane, I chatted with the Delta translator about doing relief work in Japan.   Her husband is a hair dresser and every couple of weeks he takes an hour bus ride to one of the shelters in the impacted zone to give complimentary haircuts to the evacuees.    She had some astonishing photos on her iphone of the damage there.     

The IT professional in the seat next to me was a wealth of knowledge about Tokyo and the train/ metro system.   Just as we were landing, he pointed out a house in the middle of the intersection of runways.  Apparently the owners of the house were protesting the building of Narita Airport and have refused to move for over twenty-something years.   (The things you learn when talking to a local!).  

I noticed how green the land is around the Narita Airport (about 60 miles from Tokyo proper).   Rice paddies and golf courses.     The weather is humid and muggy as Typhon season is beginning.

Getting Ready to Go!

I fly out on Sunday -- about a 14 hour flight, arriving an entire day later because we cross the International Date Line!    Aaaaargh, that craziness before leaving on a long trip:  getting bills paid, making sure you have everything you need,  trying to get last minute tasks done, writing overdue thank you notes, shopping for goodies and gifts to bring,  judiciously trying to decide which clothes to bring.  What have I forgotten?  I'm sure I've forgotten something.     I meant to study more Japanese.  I only got through chapters 1 & 2 of my "Learn Japanese" audio tapes.  I can count to ten; say "hello" and "I'm sorry".  That's about it.

I wonder why I got this crazy idea to go to Japan.  I should be drumming up new clients... or revising my course materials for SFSU classes ...perhaps I should be relaxing and hanging out with friends this summer.   I can't afford this ... I'll be broke when I return.  What IS this insanity?    Okay, deep breath.   It's just nerves, that's all.