Two Months Later
Almost two months have passed after the earthquake disaster. That was an awful, shattering event, but it is now steadily receding into the past. The time just flies by. Actually I feel like I skipped the rest of March and entire April - as if they never happened. After the transport networks went down, we were afraid about the food and water supply each day, and we were uncertain how long it would last. It was totally terrifying. We were desperate to restore the food supply at any cost.
However, life is back to normal in the city centre and suburbs. The bullet train and subway have restored full service. Sendai Station and some buildings are covered with sheets, but most of the repair work hasn't started yet; carpenters are making all-out effort to build temporary housing for those who lost their homes, following the arrangements by local government.
Some of the evacuees are still in shelters but some have started to move in the new structures a bit by bit. People who live areas which unaffected by the tsunami have also taken the initiative towards recovery. They are also struggling against uncertainty. They have homes, but some of them are cracked and damaged, or appliances such as the TV or fridge were broken by the earthquake and strong aftershocks. They need to repair their homes - not an easy task for everyone.
Our house is not exceptional in this respect. The foundation of our house was cracked and it’s leaning a little bit. My father wore a shocked face. He had invested in the house for a long time since he was in his 30's. With the money he earned, he purchased a piece of land, and built a house long ago - but the house was damaged by the 1978 earthquake. He paid for repairs out of his pocket, but some years later, the posts suffered termite damage. He paid for repairs again and built extra rooms, but the house was damaged again by this earthquake and its aftershocks. It's almost the same as the original damage in 1978. He was supposed to spend the rest of his life with my mother peacefully and pleasantly, in this house. We always tell ourselves that we are lucky the house wasn’t swept away by the tsunami; and all things aside, we are alive! Fortunately we've bought earthquake insurance, so it could cover the cost of repair.
I'm happy now. Not 100% but I'm glad to have a normal life. The event changed my way of thinking and made me appreciate the mundane things in my life. I don't need to have lots of luxury items anymore (although there are many appealing items in shops… :) ).
However, life is back to normal in the city centre and suburbs. The bullet train and subway have restored full service. Sendai Station and some buildings are covered with sheets, but most of the repair work hasn't started yet; carpenters are making all-out effort to build temporary housing for those who lost their homes, following the arrangements by local government.
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| Sendai Station (9 May) @i-ADENS |
Our house is not exceptional in this respect. The foundation of our house was cracked and it’s leaning a little bit. My father wore a shocked face. He had invested in the house for a long time since he was in his 30's. With the money he earned, he purchased a piece of land, and built a house long ago - but the house was damaged by the 1978 earthquake. He paid for repairs out of his pocket, but some years later, the posts suffered termite damage. He paid for repairs again and built extra rooms, but the house was damaged again by this earthquake and its aftershocks. It's almost the same as the original damage in 1978. He was supposed to spend the rest of his life with my mother peacefully and pleasantly, in this house. We always tell ourselves that we are lucky the house wasn’t swept away by the tsunami; and all things aside, we are alive! Fortunately we've bought earthquake insurance, so it could cover the cost of repair.
I'm happy now. Not 100% but I'm glad to have a normal life. The event changed my way of thinking and made me appreciate the mundane things in my life. I don't need to have lots of luxury items anymore (although there are many appealing items in shops… :) ).
