The last time I updated was nearly half a year ago?
Many people have been dropping me messages, emails and desperately trying to call me since the disaster striked.
I am really thankful beyond words... really... I got so many encouragement notes even from people who barely knew me...
The power of technology to reach people just blows my mind.... I am going to recycle part of the email I sent to my family ( plus cousins)below...
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Live report from Tokyo.
I guess you all must have been really worried about me because of the distressing news that is over the TV everyday.
Well for one thing… TV normally only show the bad news so please believe say only 80% of what is going on.
Today I am at home writing this now because in order to supply electricity to the affected areas, all the trains at my place has been ordered to stop running today.
Which is a good news to me because I was watching some drama till 12md last night… :p
Ok jokes aside, maybe you all would like to know what actually happened from eye-witness Karen’s point of view.
It started around 2 plus in the afternoon on Friday. It begin with a few slight tremors which is not common but nothing to be surprised about too. So, most of us didn’t even utter a single word and continued with our work.
But within a few minutes, the tremors escalated and our tables begin rocking and things hanging on the wall began to drop. Even so ( probably in shock) people were still sitting on their chairs and looking around until the cabinets were also threatening to collapse with things already falling off the shelves.
My colleagues begin to panic with action and some went under the table, some grabbed their coat ready to run while the GA pple were running around asking us to calm down.
I was still sitting on my chair mainly because I was having motion sickness from all the rocking and finding it too troublesome to hide under the small table.
This is probably the closest I have came to death… I mean roller-coasters and cockroaches are scary to me too. But I have never felt once in my life that maybe I will be dead next.. But strangely, I didn’t feel that much fear. Maybe it is because I do not know the full extent of how devastating earthquakes can be. In fact, the first thing that came to my mind was, “Thank God none of my family members are here”.
I looked around and saw how nervous my colleagues were, in fact on the brink of tears when they couldn’t contact their family members. It then occurred to me, most people here are really not that concerned about their own safety but their loved ones. You should have seen how relieved they were ( still in the middle of the crisis) when they received news that their family was safe.
One of my colleagues’ family stay right in the area which was the worst affected. In the 4 years we worked together, I have never ever saw this side of her… She is probably one of the most positive and funniest person around. But her face was white and she couldn’t even say a word when the earthquake hit.
The few hours after that was a blur as most of the people were hurrying around trying to get the latest news or to still try to contact their familes. None of the gadgets worked except Iphone’s whatsapp. Yes.. let’s all get iphone and have a cool thunderous network. I was whatsapping non-stop thru the crisis to people in and outside japan. A few wrong words spelled because of the shaking..
Trains stopped moving completely and so it was up to us how we want to get home. I decided to walk home. Before this, I used to walk half the way then take a train home or take a train halfway then walked home in my feeble attempts to try to excercise. I never knew this knowledge will actually come into use at this point of time. God prepares us even in times when we do not realized. But most of my colleagues lived really far away so they had to stay overnight in the office.
So… I worked till the last minute, helping my colleague finished up a document and embark on my journey home.
Having said that, I walked a total of 2.5 hours… I walked pass bicycle shops and saw long queues… who will ever expect bicycle shops to be earning big bucks at this hour of the day?
I think I nearly cried when I saw the final overhead bridge I had to cross in the last stretch. My legs were really going to give way anytime.. But my friend was rooting for me all the way…. She stays near me and was home early that day. She kept telling me I had done a good and is going to be home soon.
It could also be the day my hair is the messiest from all the cold wind blowed into my face. But, despite being cold and tired, I felt a sense of peace… I plugged my ipod into my ears and was listening to worship songs all the way home. Every step I took, I know I was a step closer to home.
I really never know I could have that much strength even being physically ( not mentally alone). Or actually, I testify that I know God was holding my hand throughout. I felt that for once I had a glimpse of how supernatural courage from God overcomes all physical weakness.
The very night tremors didn’t stopped. But I guess I was already too tired to think further so I “rocked” myself to bed. Very good sleep till 5am in the morning for toilet break and though I better post something on FB..
The rest of sat and sun were very much the same.. tremors going on… food from super-market almost gone. ( check FB for photos again) But thank God I can ( and love to) survive on ice-cream and potato chips. Nah… no worries, I have food stocked up at home and I don’t expect myself to starve to death anytime soon. In fact I just had a good BF at mos burger this morning after discovering the train station was shut. ( first time I ever saw the shutters closed!)
So… right now.. I am living my life by the minute. When it is time to eat, I will. When it is time to bathe I will. As long as I am breathing this minute, I will do the things I can and not wait till the next to regret.
( I say this because we never know when gas and electricity will be cut). Many people say come back to Singapore quick!! But is Singapore really free from all dangers?? No I guess… the point is not to focus on avoiding deaths but to really cherish every min till the moment comes. Our life and death is already written by God even before we are borned. So if the time is already fixed, God help me to make full use of it.
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Today.. at 3/15 we are just simply waiting for the instructions for tomorrow. Can we go to the office? Can we go outdoors? Is the train moving.... Many questions fills my otherwise empty mind in the morning now...
Welll, still, tomorrow comes! and Happy Birthday to my dearest Brother!
