Saturday, March 12, 2011
Amazingly enough we slept a bit that night after the quake. Not restful, but sleep.
We woke that morning to sunny skies and warm temps. Like nothing had happened the day before. We went downstairs, like any other Saturday morning, to start breakfast...and then the house started moving again.
It became all too real what had happened the day before. Coming down the stairs and into the kitchen there isn't much to see but hallway - - -so when the house started moving again - I immediately went to the living room and was reminded of all the chaos that had happened in our house. There was still stuff strewn all over the floor.
I yelled for my husband, "babe, its starting again..." and started briskly walking to retrieve my son. Luckily, it was just a small aftershock...again.
So as the day progressed (one 30 minute block at a time) things became all to clear...nothing was the same. We started calling family to let everyone know we were ok. Even though we had sent a FB message the night before, we all needed to hear the actual voices.
While my husband and I are taking turns on the phone, time is slowly ticking by.
Every 30 -45 minutes, the house starts swaying again. It felt like all the "little ones" use to. But after being in the big one...there was no way to even think of trying to settle myself to any sort of comfort level to be "okay" with it. Panic hit me every single time the house moved.
We decided to get out of the house and see what the rest of our little area looked like. To try and get our minds off the obvious. To try and not freak my son out any more than necessary. We got everyone dressed and off we went.
The sun was shining, the weather was warm, even though slightly breezy. We walked around and surveyed the damage...a few cracks in the concrete, some of the streets had busted and the sidewalks were broken and twisted. The bridge over the street at one of the local grocerys was blocked off - but it seemed business as usual in the city.
It was all a little "too normal" - it made me uneasy.
We walked through the park to try and give my son a little play time and then decided to drive to higher ground (the place I went after the quake) to see what we could see of the Bay. Once again, all seemed a little too normal.
Many ships were parked, just waiting, off the coast. Many more than normal.
There was one fire burning that we could see near the coast. But all in all...nothing much too see.
We went home and tried to have a normal night...
although we ended up getting a phone call that said the French Embassy was warning everyone to fill their bathtubs, close all windows and do not use heat for fear of the nuclear plant and problems to come. This, once again, set wrong with me.
So we all took showers, we washed a load of clothes and ran the dishwasher...in case they shut off the water in the middle of the night.
Something a little strange settled in me...I chalked it up to the uneasiness still lingering from the quake. So we called it a night, early. My husband ended up sleeping with my son and as I laid down to read (my mind would not calm enough for me to sleep) the house started moving again...
I wondered when it would all stop. When would it all be normal again.
Little did I know what was in store for me the next day...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
We woke again to a sunny, warm day. But the day just started a little "off". Bathtubs full of water, the house continuing to sway with aftershocks, and the phone - ringing. A LOT.
During all this we had CNN Japan on the television watching what news was being given about the tsumani. Only a bit of information about the nuclear problem was being leaked through. We started doing a little research on the internet and then we retrieved messages from our American phone line...everyone was saying GET OUT...NOW!
From that point on...everything was a blur.
We got a call from our neighbors (also a Nissan family) saying they had made plans to leave the country. We looked at each other and decided 'we needed to talk'~
My husband asked me what I thought and if all this was just over-reaction. We re-listened to messages, we sat for a good 15 minutes and watched the news. We then discussed how the Japanese don't like to fail at anything, and how there probably was more going on than being let out to the news stations. He looked at me and said, "What do YOU want to do." Before that moment - I had not really thought about me, about what I wanted to do. Actually stopping to think about it - scared me. My eyes welled up and a few tears rolled down, and I looked up at my husband and said, "If it were just us, no problem. But that little boy in there has no idea and has his entire life in front of him...I WANT TO LEAVE."
We started looking for flights.
He got approval from work to leave the country. The approval which took over an hour!
Then -"Do what you have to do." We started looking for ANYTHING to get us off that island.
We found a flight to Honolulu for the next day at midnight. Then there were calls back and forth to the neighbors about their flight and what flights we could get out. We decided that we all needed to go together because we had a car, it would take less time. Especailly since all the trains were still shut down and it was better for all - to go together.
A flight was found...for 5 pm..THAT DAY.
It's an hour and 30 minute drive to the airport -on a good day! We had just had an earthquake, parts of the interstates were shut down...it was 12 noon. We needed to be there two hours before for an international flight. I had one hour to pack my family.
We put my son in front of the DVD player so as not to alert him to the fast paced packing going on. My husband stayed on the phone with a phone on each ear...one to the neighbor and one to his boss. The neighbor had two phones going too...one to us and one to the travel agent lady.
The things I packed make no sense now that I am here in the States. My brain wouldn't think straight...
'We are leaving. We are REALLY leaving. Grab shoes...wait, what kind? What is the temp where we are going? Wait, where are we going? L.A.? Tennessee? Did I hear them say that we could get to L.A. but couldn't get to Tennessee until Thursday? Wait, what are the temps in both places this time of the year? I HAVE NO IDEA.
OK - think. Start packing Landon...he is most important. OK...pants, shoes, socks, shirts. Oh, he needs toys or SOMETHING. What if we are gone for more than a few days. What will he do? What will he NEED? Ok - stop and think. Okay, keep going...only 30 minutes till we have to leave. Ok I have to pack snacks for him for the plane...he won't eat that food. What about all the food we just bought at the store? What happens to all that?"
At this point - MY BRAIN IS HURTING.
Ultimately I got packed (and not well, I might add). We got into the car, got to the neighbors house. There were people out - seemingly checking things out, we spoke to a German guy who saw us packing up the car. His wife was across the street on the phone. He said they were looking at leaving too - but trying to figure out where to go.
We had heard that the day before, no one could get in or out of Narita Airport because of the quake. We left and hoped for the best! Once we got started, the seas seemed to part. We made it to the airport (detours and all) in roughly two hours...just under the two hour mark for international flights!
The airport was crazy...
there were people SLEEPING everywhere. People from the day of the quake, people who had ended up there the day after, people from canceled flights, people trying to get out any way they could. The airline gave us free food tickets because the VIP lounge (or whatever it was) was not operational because of the quake. We got Starbucks & Mickey D's...breakfast of champions! We knew it was getting bad when McDonald's was running out of food, AT AN AIRPORT! But we ended up getting a lot of food...it was free. We ended up not eating much of it and we gave it all away... To a group of girls, a French soccer team that was stranded in the airport and had made a fort with their luggage in the corner of the food court. They clapped and yelled when we brought over the second stash of food. It was sad and happy all at he same time. We were helping them and yet, there they laid in the floor of an airport...the FLOOR of an AIRPORT.
From there, we had a 14 hour flight (my poor little guy is getting so use to the flights - he said yesterday - that when Daddy went back to work...he needed to take two planes to get there!!).
After all the chaos of the previous 2 days...I was still nervous about the flight. If there was even a tremor: the flight would NOT take off. We would be stuck again. Only this time - in an airport. With all the other people who were stuck.
So when the plane finally had its wheels off the ground - my heart eased a little. I looked at my son (who was in the middle seat) then looked at my hubby and mouthed the words "Thank You"...
and he knew ~
we had done the right thing.
Now the day in L.A. was a whole different story!!!
REALLY enjoying being on solid ground,
Deeds
Amazingly enough we slept a bit that night after the quake. Not restful, but sleep.
We woke that morning to sunny skies and warm temps. Like nothing had happened the day before. We went downstairs, like any other Saturday morning, to start breakfast...and then the house started moving again.
It became all too real what had happened the day before. Coming down the stairs and into the kitchen there isn't much to see but hallway - - -so when the house started moving again - I immediately went to the living room and was reminded of all the chaos that had happened in our house. There was still stuff strewn all over the floor.
I yelled for my husband, "babe, its starting again..." and started briskly walking to retrieve my son. Luckily, it was just a small aftershock...again.
So as the day progressed (one 30 minute block at a time) things became all to clear...nothing was the same. We started calling family to let everyone know we were ok. Even though we had sent a FB message the night before, we all needed to hear the actual voices.
While my husband and I are taking turns on the phone, time is slowly ticking by.
Every 30 -45 minutes, the house starts swaying again. It felt like all the "little ones" use to. But after being in the big one...there was no way to even think of trying to settle myself to any sort of comfort level to be "okay" with it. Panic hit me every single time the house moved.
We decided to get out of the house and see what the rest of our little area looked like. To try and get our minds off the obvious. To try and not freak my son out any more than necessary. We got everyone dressed and off we went.
The sun was shining, the weather was warm, even though slightly breezy. We walked around and surveyed the damage...a few cracks in the concrete, some of the streets had busted and the sidewalks were broken and twisted. The bridge over the street at one of the local grocerys was blocked off - but it seemed business as usual in the city.
It was all a little "too normal" - it made me uneasy.
We walked through the park to try and give my son a little play time and then decided to drive to higher ground (the place I went after the quake) to see what we could see of the Bay. Once again, all seemed a little too normal.
Many ships were parked, just waiting, off the coast. Many more than normal.
There was one fire burning that we could see near the coast. But all in all...nothing much too see.
We went home and tried to have a normal night...
although we ended up getting a phone call that said the French Embassy was warning everyone to fill their bathtubs, close all windows and do not use heat for fear of the nuclear plant and problems to come. This, once again, set wrong with me.
So we all took showers, we washed a load of clothes and ran the dishwasher...in case they shut off the water in the middle of the night.
Something a little strange settled in me...I chalked it up to the uneasiness still lingering from the quake. So we called it a night, early. My husband ended up sleeping with my son and as I laid down to read (my mind would not calm enough for me to sleep) the house started moving again...
I wondered when it would all stop. When would it all be normal again.
Little did I know what was in store for me the next day...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
We woke again to a sunny, warm day. But the day just started a little "off". Bathtubs full of water, the house continuing to sway with aftershocks, and the phone - ringing. A LOT.
During all this we had CNN Japan on the television watching what news was being given about the tsumani. Only a bit of information about the nuclear problem was being leaked through. We started doing a little research on the internet and then we retrieved messages from our American phone line...everyone was saying GET OUT...NOW!
From that point on...everything was a blur.
We got a call from our neighbors (also a Nissan family) saying they had made plans to leave the country. We looked at each other and decided 'we needed to talk'~
My husband asked me what I thought and if all this was just over-reaction. We re-listened to messages, we sat for a good 15 minutes and watched the news. We then discussed how the Japanese don't like to fail at anything, and how there probably was more going on than being let out to the news stations. He looked at me and said, "What do YOU want to do." Before that moment - I had not really thought about me, about what I wanted to do. Actually stopping to think about it - scared me. My eyes welled up and a few tears rolled down, and I looked up at my husband and said, "If it were just us, no problem. But that little boy in there has no idea and has his entire life in front of him...I WANT TO LEAVE."
We started looking for flights.
He got approval from work to leave the country. The approval which took over an hour!
Then -"Do what you have to do." We started looking for ANYTHING to get us off that island.
We found a flight to Honolulu for the next day at midnight. Then there were calls back and forth to the neighbors about their flight and what flights we could get out. We decided that we all needed to go together because we had a car, it would take less time. Especailly since all the trains were still shut down and it was better for all - to go together.
A flight was found...for 5 pm..THAT DAY.
It's an hour and 30 minute drive to the airport -on a good day! We had just had an earthquake, parts of the interstates were shut down...it was 12 noon. We needed to be there two hours before for an international flight. I had one hour to pack my family.
We put my son in front of the DVD player so as not to alert him to the fast paced packing going on. My husband stayed on the phone with a phone on each ear...one to the neighbor and one to his boss. The neighbor had two phones going too...one to us and one to the travel agent lady.
The things I packed make no sense now that I am here in the States. My brain wouldn't think straight...
'We are leaving. We are REALLY leaving. Grab shoes...wait, what kind? What is the temp where we are going? Wait, where are we going? L.A.? Tennessee? Did I hear them say that we could get to L.A. but couldn't get to Tennessee until Thursday? Wait, what are the temps in both places this time of the year? I HAVE NO IDEA.
OK - think. Start packing Landon...he is most important. OK...pants, shoes, socks, shirts. Oh, he needs toys or SOMETHING. What if we are gone for more than a few days. What will he do? What will he NEED? Ok - stop and think. Okay, keep going...only 30 minutes till we have to leave. Ok I have to pack snacks for him for the plane...he won't eat that food. What about all the food we just bought at the store? What happens to all that?"
At this point - MY BRAIN IS HURTING.
Ultimately I got packed (and not well, I might add). We got into the car, got to the neighbors house. There were people out - seemingly checking things out, we spoke to a German guy who saw us packing up the car. His wife was across the street on the phone. He said they were looking at leaving too - but trying to figure out where to go.
We had heard that the day before, no one could get in or out of Narita Airport because of the quake. We left and hoped for the best! Once we got started, the seas seemed to part. We made it to the airport (detours and all) in roughly two hours...just under the two hour mark for international flights!
The airport was crazy...
there were people SLEEPING everywhere. People from the day of the quake, people who had ended up there the day after, people from canceled flights, people trying to get out any way they could. The airline gave us free food tickets because the VIP lounge (or whatever it was) was not operational because of the quake. We got Starbucks & Mickey D's...breakfast of champions! We knew it was getting bad when McDonald's was running out of food, AT AN AIRPORT! But we ended up getting a lot of food...it was free. We ended up not eating much of it and we gave it all away... To a group of girls, a French soccer team that was stranded in the airport and had made a fort with their luggage in the corner of the food court. They clapped and yelled when we brought over the second stash of food. It was sad and happy all at he same time. We were helping them and yet, there they laid in the floor of an airport...the FLOOR of an AIRPORT.
From there, we had a 14 hour flight (my poor little guy is getting so use to the flights - he said yesterday - that when Daddy went back to work...he needed to take two planes to get there!!).
After all the chaos of the previous 2 days...I was still nervous about the flight. If there was even a tremor: the flight would NOT take off. We would be stuck again. Only this time - in an airport. With all the other people who were stuck.
So when the plane finally had its wheels off the ground - my heart eased a little. I looked at my son (who was in the middle seat) then looked at my hubby and mouthed the words "Thank You"...
and he knew ~
we had done the right thing.
Now the day in L.A. was a whole different story!!!
REALLY enjoying being on solid ground,
Deeds
A friend took this at the grocery store...this is where the bread is supposed to be. Na-da.
Sooo glad we left.
2 comments:
Smart family, leaving when you did. Glad you're safe!
Dee Dee I'm so glad you made it home. Your blog is wonderful
Carol Ann
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