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.
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