2011-09-13 - Day 1

0:30
Most people around me are already sleeping. My battery is low and I should use the time in the bus to do the same but I'm so excited to go back to Rikuzen Takata that I'm not sleepy at all. I so hope they made a lot of progress with cleaning up but it is difficult to imagine... There was so much to do but so little help.
I'm not sure what I should expect. I hope the situation in the camp has got a little bit better. Dishes in the kitchen etc. It wasn't bad before, just that they could make it easier for people who come the first time. I hope the climate isn't as hot as in Tokyo. Moderate 25* would be nice... Colder would be even better... And!!! I hope the mosquito season is over. But I'm well prepared if not ;)
Besides this... I'm 100% motivated to work and get things done. Rikuzen Takata needs to get back to a normal situation where children can go to school without passing tsunami waste and people can buy food at the local super market without traveling for hours. They need new houses, water and electricity and the winter is coming soon... There is no time to waste!


7:15
Our group is the only one in the camp. The group before left in the night. The camp looks a little bit different. They took away the blue plastic sheets which surrounded the kitchen before. Now the wind can easily go through it which must be good in summer. They have a few more benches but the rest looks quite the same...
I charged my battery for a few minutes but I don't think it will last until we arrive in the volunteer center... I really can't wait to see the progress... More than three months has passed since we were here last time... It doesn't feel that long...

19:30
We just came back from the onsen. My body is nicely relaxed and if I wouldn't be so hungry, I am sure I would be very sleepy. Cecilia found some cheap and fresh vegetables at the 2nd station of the volunteer center and got inspired to cook for us. A lovely idea and I can't wait...

My first impression when we entered the destroyed area was surprise. There is one valley we always have to pass through, it doesn't matter to which site we go - it's one of those areas where everything was destroyed and just debris left for kilometers.  Besides a few broken cars and some concrete buildings which stick out like bones the whole area is cleared. Grass and small plants are growing everywhere. I wouldn't be able to guess what had happened here. It looks nearly beautiful and peaceful... I never thought about plants... Of course they grow everywhere they can but still... It was really strange to see how easily nature gets back to normal.
What else changed? There are some shops at the beginning of the valley. Cell phone companies and car sellers, some possibilities to buy easy food and even a Lawson convenience store. All looks quite improvised, container style but at least they are there. The start has been made :)
The military camp has gone and a lot of areas are completely cleared. No comparison to May. I'm happy that they have made that much progress... Water drops can also fill a glass!!! Isn't that the best gift you can get as a volunteer... Seeing that it MAKES a difference even if it takes time...

The work was quite hard for a starter. We were assigned to help a company which went bankrupt or is facing it? I'm not sure because of the tsunami or even before. We had to work on a hill which was used as kind of storage. I was surprised that we got assigned to an area which wasn't affected by the tsunami though the goods were in pretty bad shape. Most of the time we filled bags with stones. First I thought that they were for sandbags which can be used as barrier but I think we packed them for selling. Unfortunately we didn't know that so we put all kind of stones together. But they could have been a little more clear in their job description. It felt a little bit wrong to work so hard for something which nobody explained to us... So it was more like being cheap labor than volunteers but on the other hand I'm sure the volunteer center wouldn't assign us for something which wouldn't help the area... And if the company needs to sell some things to be able to pay the last month’s salary to their former employees then it is still a help!

I hope tomorrow is a little less hot... It wasn't a good feeling to sweat even before starting to work. And the Mosquitos!!!! I have so many bites already... I deeply dislike those creatures :(


22:30
Most of the people have already gone to bed. I have to send some emails and wait patiently for my Internet service to return to me.
Cecilia's food was great. And she even made some extra for me because I don't like ginger...
Maybe I will give up for today and go to bed. I'm sure I would regret not sleeping enough.

These fields were full of things the tsunami left-over... for kilometers... now it's grass and small plants... for kilometers