Events in Japan

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 5:04 pm

At work, we've been watching some of the footage taken in Japan as the tsunami hit and it's totally horrible.

Is Angloconvoy still out there at the moment?

Post by **Sades** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:29 pm

forgot about Anglo.

Paul053 · Post by **Paul053** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:01 pm

I got few friends and couple relatives in Japan as well. Haven't heard from them and I know all of them don't live close to the shore but hope they are all all right.

Post by **Sades** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:12 pm

I've just turned on the news, and(after showing all of the devastation) they showed people just trying to go about their business. Working, etc. That's kind of amazing to me, but then again I've never felt the ground shake and heave beneath me but they must get that sort of thing often. Not on that scale I'm sure, but yeah. I'm sure its not like that everywhere there however. Can't imagine what the coasts are like. Pictures, video, yeah but...

Slayer-Fan123 · Post by **Slayer-Fan123** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 8:20 pm

Yeah, it's terrible stuff.
I live in California in the Bay Area and we have warnings right now. Good thing I don't have class today, watching the news the entire time just in case.

electro girl · Post by **electro girl** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:27 pm

My Japanese friend has been unable to contact his family, my thoughts are with him.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:16 pm

Here's hoping Anglo's OK, assuming he's in a well developed city area away from the coast he stands an excellent chance (considering the scale of the quake Tokyo is remarkably undamaged).

Is anyone here Facebook friends with him? I've no doubt he's got bigger and more important things to deal with right now than keeping us up to date but I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a quick "I'm OK" status update when he can just to reassure his nearest and dearest all in one go at the first opportunity.

The pictures and film are just staggering, it's very hard to come up with a description that feels adequate. Here's hoping that there's not another strong quake in the imediate future (becuase whilst the Earthquake proofing of the buildings has stood up to the toughest test possible as well as could be expected they're likely badly weakened by this and wouldn't stand up to much more) and that the problem at the nuclear powerplant is something that can still be brought under control.

Oddly all the news coverage I've seen thus far (which, due to working nights and being asleep most of the day hasn't be more than an hours worth) has focused on Japan and other Pacific Islands that have and may soon be affected, but China hasn't been mentioned once. I'd be surprised if they haven't been hit considering the proximity, so were they just very lucky or are they not sharing information?

Blaster · Post by **Blaster** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 11:47 pm

As far as earthquake preparedness goes, Japan makes New Zealand look like a third world country.

Amazing how little damage there is for the size of the quake.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:38 am

Well, that was distinctly unpleasant.

Sades, shame on you for forgetting me.

I just got home now. I was stuck in the countryside right next to the coast. The school I'm working at didn't get the tsunami too badly. A little water came over onto the football grounds but that was all. The other side of the peninsula got proper wrecked. All the trains stopped so I ended up staying at a coworker's place.

So far, I haven't uncovered too much damage at home, so all in all I got off lucky. Especially considering there's something like 700 confirmed dead so far nationwide.

All in all, I have to say that's something I really don't want to experience again.

Oh, and speaking of lucky, I very nearly moved to the area that pretty much got wiped off the face of the earth a few weeks back.

Edit: As for Japan making NewZealand look like a Third World country in earthquake preparedness, most Ja[anese buildings are specifically designed to withstand earthquakes, which I'm very grateful for today. They're just not really well designed for people to live in.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 8:14 am

At least there's one bit of good news, glad you're OK.

Rurudyne · Post by **Rurudyne** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 4:40 pm

Anglo, I hope you and yours are far, far away from that damaged nuclear power plant (thank God the Japanese require building on actual bedrock as doing so may at least prevent groundwater seeping in).

Post by **Hound** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 5:16 pm

Good to hear you're ok Anglo.

Post by **Sades** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 7:30 pm

To make up for it, I was worried afterward.

\o/ Yay Anglo. Thanks for stopping by and posting, glad to know you're good and that your place escaped most of the damage. Stay safe!

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 10:21 pm

I'm so very glad to hear from you, angloconvoy, and know that you have come out of this relatively unscathed.

My heart goes out to everyone affected.

Post by **Sades** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:54 am

CTV is reporting there is supposedly a nuclear meltdown underway (they aren't sure. Great Journalism there) and there are supposed to be two people in a "nearby hospital exhibiting signs of radiation poisoning.

Paul053 · Post by **Paul053** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 2:27 am

Good to hear from you anglo. I also got a message back from my friend also. His place isn't too bad but was forced to live with his parents now. Prayer for all people over there.

Blaster · Post by **Blaster** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:46 am

Wonderful to see you here and posting, Anglo.

One of my co-workers is from Japan as well and I am amazed at how nonchalant she is. I'd be freaking the **** out and she's joking around and totally calm, even before she got a hold of her family.

Sades wrote:CTV is reporting there is supposedly a nuclear meltdown underway (they aren't sure. Great Journalism there) and there are supposed to be two people in a "nearby hospital exhibiting signs of radiation poisoning.

Partial meltdown. Radiation levels exceeded legal safety limits for a short time.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:07 am

Blaster wrote:One of my co-workers is from Japan as well and I am amazed at how nonchalant she is. I'd be freaking the **** out and she's joking around and totally calm, even before she got a hold of her family.

Small quakes are pretty commonplace around here, and everyone was always going on about the fabled "big one" that comes about once a century being due, so we were all pretty nonchalant at first, then a bit of "ooh, actually it feels like a big one, then, "time to evacuate", seeing footage of the next town over being submerged, then seeing chunks of Iwate, where I almost was this week, being wiped off the map really turned my stomach. What really got me was how easy it was for the whole area to be wiped out, it wasn't grand like the movies, it just looked like when you rinse dirt off a plate.
The last aftershock I felt was about 4 hours ago now, they seem to be getting further apart thankfully.

Prowl1984 · Post by **Prowl1984** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:46 am

Glad to hear you're ok, there was a horrible bit of footage on the news of a pickup truck trying to outrun the wave, camera cut away just before the water caught up to it.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 12:03 pm

Yeah, there was a lot of that live as it was happening. I hope my last post didn't seem too ranty, it's been a long weekend so I'm a bit all over the place.