Out of Asia

We're on Cathay Pacific #507 out of Osaka traveling (36 hours) via Hong Kong then Paris to Budapest on Air France.  The news looks better today if only because Libya and scandals pushed us off the top story in The Australian and the NY Times.

     Olcika is tired and thinking that when the bad news was coming relentlessly she was really worried for us and our friends, but now there’s a lot of uncertainty and we hear from experts that this purgatory could go on for a long long time.  When will we be able to bring Zsófi and Izzy back into anything but a dicey situation? Maybe not even one or two months from now.  For the moment our return is set for April 9^th.

    We mailed our housekeys home for anyone to come in and use up our food if they need it, we hear there are shortages in Tokyo.  

News from Nara, 500 miles from reactors

My sister Dinky Romilly is worrier in chief and had this conversation with Olcika at 10:40 AM on Tuesday (11:40 pm Tuesday Ides of March Japan time (yesterday), sums up the situation.

Olga:  we bought plane tickets. the earliest we could get them for was friday.  we're leaving for Budapest Friday evening.  it should be okay here until then although just half an hour ago there was an earth quake here too

 me:  oh shit, this is so terrifying and also so horrible for your research

Olga:  yes, i'm going to lose everything. it sounds like all the others keep working, which makes me feel funny, but there's no way I can do it.  all the foreigners have left.  I am so sad for our Japanese friends, I can't even think about them, but I'm still hoping they can contain the situation.  after all, those damn plants have been shut down for a while

 me:  The sadness is total. I cried when I read that you danced Friday morning with good data results and then your experiment was shut down.  of course the deep deep sadness also goes to all the affected Japanese, which at this point is basically everyone and things are only getting worse

Olga:  yes, I am very scared. our friend's husband is Japanese and he stayed behind and he still thinks it will be okay.  this is the hungarian woman we are traveling with but she is so worried about him.  still, she feels that she has to get her kids to safety above all

 me:  I can't even sleep thinking of all the short term and long term implications for you and Benjy - the research, the pianos, your stuff in Saitama. Such a huge problem, also for your friend. I heard a rumor that the French are pulling out all their nationals from Japan

 Olga:  yes, it's ironic that Benjy was working on getting his pianos there for months and they finally just left.  yes, I am very sad about our apartment and things too. I know I shouldn't be, it's just things, but it's our life in a way, my cd collection. whatever.  but at this point, nothing catastrophic has happened and I am still hoping and hoping that the situation won't get too bad before it gets better.  I don't know. I can't believe our life just got turned upside down in so little time.

me:  Yes, stunning. I gather you'll leave your things in Saitama, hoping to return?

 Olga:  yes. Our ticket now is for 3 weeks, and I believe that we will know by the end of this time if it's safe to return or we have to make long-term arrangements.

 me:  that sounds good. what does the lab director say?  I've been listening to various experts on Democracy Now, Arnie Gunderson of Fairewinds Associated, Aileen Mioko Smith of Green Action in Kyoto and some others.  I can't tell if the information we are getting is better than what you get or not

Olga:  we've been listening to Japanese government officials, who seem frank enough, but they certainly don't want to cause panic, so they tone down everything.  but i watch the numbers, and so far it's nothing horrible.  the wind is now blowing out to the ocean i think.  it was blowing towards tokyo for a while.  Dinky, i couldn't find the plug for my computer, and it's running out of juice, so i have to close it, i'm sorry I'll talk to you soon, perhaps tomorrow morning? evening your time?  Izzy is sick with a fever and wheezing by the way. typical.  Lots of love, olga

 me:  double shit. I'll talk to you tomorrow. go to bed