Hi guys,

Unfortunately, my studies have really fallen by the wayside as of late, due to more pressing matters.

I'm in the rare position where I can afford to be unemployed for several months, live in Japan and have no visa worries, so I will be volunteering in Touhoku this summer.

I have already been there for a week in late May, and am now just starting my second trip.

I blogged extensively about it, which you may or may not find interesting.

This blog has very little to do with Japanese learning (although I've learnt a lot. If you think living in a city in Japan is immersion, try living in a situation where you talk to people all day about all manner of subjects, but only in Japanese!), but it can certainly offer an insight into the current status of things in Touhoku (or at least, in Miyagi ken), and hopefully kill a few hours for you if you are reading at work.

There are images on there, no NSFW stuff, but some are a bit distressing, due to the nature of the content.

The site is still under construction (I just moved to wordpress), but content is up.

http://itsnotjustmud.com/

Cheers.

This looks really interesting! I subscribed to the blog's RSS feed, and I want to read all of the posts you have already written when I have time.^-^ It's really great that you're helping out over there.

About as wise of a way of immersing oneself in the language as there is!
You will blow pass those who are throwing away time and money enrolled in language school here in Japan.

i read the whole thing!!! & Definately looking forward to reading more, too...

it's really nice to read someone whose out there helping!!!

i really wish i could be too!!!

Glad you guys find it interesting!

It's hard work, but highly satisfying. If anyone else has a chance to come over, I recommend it!

Thanks for the blog! I would like to volunteer in Touhoku. Do you have any link? Which organization are you working with?

People who are interested in this blog might also be interested in this YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/HIROKOCHANNE...7y9In_8noE

I've loved her channel for a long time, and even before the earthquake I've always thought of her as a great person.

Anyway, recently she has decided to talk to people who were in the area of the disaster about what happened to them and how the rebuilding process is going. And she's posting what she hears as Youtube videos.

The link I gave is for her explanation of what she plans to do, which has English subtitles. The rest still don't have subtitles. If anyone could make subtitles for the other videos, she says she'd be grateful.

Anyway, her old videos are also good for people who are looking for interesting things in Japan, and they're usually in a mix of Japanese and English.

Tzadeck Wrote:People who are interested in this blog might also be interested in this YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/HIROKOCHANNE...7y9In_8noE

I've loved her channel for a long time, and even before the earthquake I've always thought of her as a great person.

Her channel says she went to Ouachita Baptist University. I went to the rival university Henderson St. Univ. in Arkansas, USA directly across the highway! It is a tiny little college town in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine anyone not familiar with the area could find it.

bodhisamaya Wrote:Her channel says she went to Ouachita Baptist University. I went to the rival university Henderson St. Univ. in Arkansas, USA directly across the highway! It is a tiny little college town in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine anyone not familiar with the area could find it.

Haha. Yeah, she talks about her college experience in a couple of her videos.

marcmiddag Wrote:Thanks for the blog! I would like to volunteer in Touhoku. Do you have any link? Which organization are you working with?

I'm working with the volunteer centre at Ishinomaki. They will tell you what to do, and provide tools. What you need to do is make your own way here! What's your current situation?

Email me at itsnotjustmud@gmail.com

hey

i just wanted to say thanks again for this blog!!! reading it is so inspiring, and i especially like the detail you put into the descriptions of the things you're doing, and the way you do them. It's really eye opening to see what kind of things you're doing there...

i was wondering what kind of jobs you used to do back in britain...? because you seem to be very good at leading, and figuring out better ways of doing things. There's so many things where i think i would be more passive, or be overwhelmed at the size of the task.

...like the window, for example. I'm pretty sure i would just think "that sucks", rather than actively figure out a way to solve the problem. So i think the proactive way you approach things is really admirable!! Anyway, my opinion about the morality of things is clear cut in this situation, at least. The glass removers wouldn't have had the work if it wasn't for the disaster anyway... so it's fine for volunteers to do, imo, if they can. (i'm not an economist either though)

btw, do you know how insurance companies have responded to the disaster? How much of the clearing and rebuilding are they covering? i guess in situations where they're gonna pay out, i would feel slightly different.

How can one volunteer in Miyagi on the weekends? I'm staying in Sendai this summer with my gf and her family.

IceCream: Thanks again for your continued encouragement. I really appreciate it.

When I was living in the UK I did various jobs, the most relevant to this would probably be Event Management (Corporate events), or maybe PA at a law firm.

Insurance companies.. They will pay, but people will be waiting a while. Some people are waiting for huge insurance pay outs, but until then, can't do a whole lot.

Re. the morality of it, yeah I see your point. It's also a high price, because the demand far outweighs the supply.

vileru: You can EASILY volunteer on weekends! It's a bus ride away. You could even just come for the day, if you wanted.

I'll put bus schedules and stuff up on the website! If that's no good, or you want more detail, please email me (itsnotjustmud[at]gmail[dot]com

@zoletype

Thanks for the reply! Anyhow, is the bus ride costly? I'm here on a shoestring budget, but it's not a problem if the ride is just a few hundred yen.

@vileru:

Bus ride is 800yen one way, or I think it's 1500yen if you buy your return ticket at the same time. I believe the bus stop you need is number 33, and its on Aoba dori.

Here is the bus schedule :

http://www.isenshu-u.ac.jp/general/bus/pdf/2011exp.pdf

You want to take a bus which drops you directly at the uni, else you need to take another bus from the station to the uni.

If you're coming I'd gladly meet you on the day so you would have some idea of what to do, although if you speak Japanese then no worries! And if you come, please try and drag a few other people along too! The more the merrier!

@zoletype:

Thanks for the info. While I'd love to help in Ishinomaki, especially since it is so badly damaged, it's a bit too far and costly for me. Moreover, I fear my gf and her family would be concerned about how safe it is there. Their concerns are even more pronounced because my mom was very reserved about me staying here in the first place. However, I'd still like to help if possible. I'll look online, but if you know of anywhere closer to Sendai in need of help, please don't hesitate to tell me.

vileru Wrote:How can one volunteer in Miyagi on the weekends? I'm staying in Sendai this summer with my gf and her family.

So jealous, I <3 Sendai :|

There may be some other VC's closer to Sendai, I'm not sure. I know higashi matsushima is a bit closer.

I understand the worry some people have, but in actual fact, these areas are not that bad. If you were to go north, to Iwate, then they would have some genuine concerns, as it is a very different story.

@SendaiDan:

I think your username signals your approval of Sendai. Anyway, I strongly agree that it's a great place. I could write nonstop about the convenience, abundant nature, and warm yet calm people here (they're warm like people from Osaka, except not hyperactive!), but no one would probably read it. Not to mention, once you eat gyuutan in Sendai (Rikyuu +1), everywhere else just seems substandard.

@zoletype:

Matsushima is still over an hour away from Sendai, but I'd love to help out there. I spent a weekend at an onsen in Matsushima before the earthquake, and I treasure my memories from my stay there. It'd be wonderful to return, even if I were to return to help repair the town. Fortunately, I heard the damage to Matsushima wasn't so bad since it was protected from the tsunami by its many pine-tree-covered islands. At any rate, I'll search for volunteer opportunities online.

As for other people's worries, I share your sentiments. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a say regarding such matters. My mom initially thought I'd contract cancer if I came to Japan. Needless to say, it took a while to sort things out. My gf and her parents promised to ensure my safety while I'm here. Given my mom's concerns, it's understandable that they are being careful.

It's really hit and miss. Some areas were really badly hit, but turn a corner and it looks absoloutely normal.

One thing which hasn't changed is the natural beauty. There's a lot to be had in this area.

Good luck with your volunteering, or just trip in general!

I have no idea about what is fun to do in Sendai, so any advice would be welcome on that front. I went once to run some errands, but not knowing anyone or anywhere to go, I just killed time in a cafe

I came back yesterday from 5 days in Ishinomaki, after reading this post and contacting Jamie (zoletype) so thought I'd give it a bump.

As he says in Want to Volunteer? Just do it he can sort you out with a tent and help you find a group to join.

I'm hoping to get myself to a situation where I can go for longer in the future, there's so much work to do there and even more in other places from what people told me.

caivano Wrote:I came back yesterday from 5 days in Ishinomaki, after reading this post and contacting Jamie (zoletype) so thought I'd give it a bump.

As he says in Want to Volunteer? Just do it he can sort you out with a tent and help you find a group to join.

I'm hoping to get myself to a situation where I can go for longer in the future, there's so much work to do there and even more in other places from what people told me.

cool!!!!! what did you do while you were there?

I did 4 days work, days 1 and 2 I was cleaning up the grounds of a temple with some other independent volunteers. With Obon coming up they wanted to get it in a better state. That was mostly shoveling mud (泥だし) and getting rid of garbage (broken glass, wood, random stuff all mixed in with the mud).

Day 3 and 4 I went with a Japanese group that cleans houses that have had the entire downstairs ruined but they can still live upstairs. In the downstairs the group removes the plaster walls, insulation, flooring and mud.

This is the lady who (if I remember rightly) helps put on a great lunch for the volunteers explaining about it:

Day 3 we were shoveling mud out from the bottom of a house. Day 4 we cleaned out some of the plaster from the walls and the insulation and helped pull up some of floorboards, that was really tough work. Day 3 was tough too actually..!

Day 3 I also helped do a BBQ in the temple for people in that area (炊き出し).

I camped at the university camp area which has a nice atmosphere. Everyone was super kind, friendly and interesting. All of the people living in the Ishinomaki area were so nice too and really appreciate volunteers helping out.

Anyone volunteering in this heat deserves real respect. I was sweating while taking a shower a few minutes ago.

it sounds kinda fun

well, if there's still tons to do, hopefully i can get out to Japan & help too at some point. Do you think stuff'll still need doing next year?

btw... hahah is it you who had a caterpillar?!?