March 12, 2011  (Saturday)

 

The sun shines brightly this morning.  It’s another day… hopefully a good day and things are turning bright.

 

The train service to Tokyo has not yet resumed.  So, I am spending time in my host’s common room clearing emails and doing chats over Skype.

 

The aftershocks are still going on.  Sitting here, there are the occassional long rocks.  The same when I was on my tatami last night.  The sway….the rattle….I am used to them.   At least, a roof, a hot shower, a comfortable and warm bed, a rest (despite the first part was wide-awake last night) a coffee and hot tea now beside me…..I am happy.

 

My host went to the supermarket (a convenience store) and said all food were sold out.  Boy!  I should have grabbed more bento boxes last night. 

 

Here I sit, waiting for train service, but at least I am inside a home and not in the open air (the police had to get all people in the train station out in the open yesterday to play safe).  And, I don’t need to keep going on those “Heritage Tour’ busloops to keep myself warm inside the bus and to kill time.  (Good that I bought a pass with unlimited ride!!!).   Ha, ha, what an Ah Q.

 

According to my host, it’s more safe here in Nikko than in Tokyo.  Nikko is a safe place, otherwise all the important shrines (Toshugo Shrine as an example) wouldn’t be bulit here.

 

Over the TV, statistics on the quake and tsunami impact are showing.  I think I will get to learn Japanese if the TV is kept on.

 

I will have more tea and maybe work on the Sudukos in the International Herald Tribune paper.    

 

Thanks again for all the other emails that flew my way and the information on HKSAR’s Help information.  Yes, I do have my HK ID card with me.  So, either I can be a HK citizen (and get rescued out as one) or I can use my Canadian passport and pay my fees (yes, the Canadian Govt. charges for foreign country evacuation service) to get out as a Canadian.  But either way, I need to find my way to Tokyo first.

 

In fact, on the night of March 9, I felt some ‘movements’ while in the bathroom of my hotel in Tokyo.  I thought it’s just me.  But someone from NYC told me they caught the news of minor shock that day.   So…after all these instances, I have to give myself confidence….and tell myself that whenver such thing happens, it’s the earth that is shaking, not me!

 

I am glad I went up the mountain the first day when I arrived when the weather was sunny.  I also went for my walk of 90+ minutes yesterday morning when the quake hadn’t happened.  The feeling of walking in the dull overcast sky and amongst those dark dreary temples yesterday in the late morning wasn’t a good one.  Now, the sky has brightened up and it does cheer me up.

 

My Skype is on.  Anyone interested to chat, please do call me.  My ID is Skyperoseho.

 

I am glad I set it up the day of March 9 in Tokyo when I tried to reach the booking agency to cancel my stay in the bunk-bed hostel.   Now that I have made quite a number of calls to HK, Canada, US and UK, I have only spent under HK$20!

 

Sorry for the long message….but it’s my killing time here!

 

I am OK.