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.