After 3.11.11

The March 11, 2011, Friday, 2:46pm earthquake was incredibly strong, but fortunately we live about 175 miles from the epicenter, so we did not have much damage. Both hubby and I were in Tokyo, which is closer to Sendai and the Tohoku area, for work that day. Cell phones and even land lines were out, but after about 8 hours we could finally make contact. He walked 1.5 hours my direction and I 30 minutes his direction and we met. Then we walked back to where I had been and spent the night with about 10 others. Of course all train/subway services were suspended until the next day. So probably millions of people could not get home that night.

The aftershocks, many of them 6.0 and above, are unnerving and frequent. For the past 4 to 5 days, they often strike at 9:30 or 10:30 pm, for some reason. We are on the 5th floor and it is strong shake. But it is better than the first 3 or 4 days when we had 20 or more aftershocks that could be felt every day. And it is almost inconceivable, but for the first 2 hours after the main earthquake, we had aftershocks about every 5 minutes, and then for the next two hours about every 10 minutes.

Tokyo Power has scheduled rolling blackouts and 3-hour no-power periods rotate between 5 groups/areas. These are implemented to save energy in the greater Tokyo/Kanto area to make availability for Tohoku. Last week our group had 3 days when we had 2 "terms," so all electricity was off in several area cities from 1pm to 4pm and then again from 7pm to 10pm. It is nothing like what the people in Tohoku are going through, but it is pretty inconvenient. No heat, no lights, of course no cooking...it is an odd thing. We were "off term" for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, a national holiday, but today, the 22nd, we are looking at one definite and one possible blackout. The morning blackout will go ahead, but whether the afternoon blackout goes on as scheduled will be confirmed around noon. Now, 8:00 am, it is 6 degrees C (43 F), pretty cold, which means energy use must be fairly high. I think that the afternoon blackout is likely.

So many family members, relatives, and old friends have expressed concern. It has been very encouraging. So we are doing well under the circumstances. Thank you all so much.