Liresius' Fandom Journal

Explosion at Fukushima vid We are not sure if it is the reactor or another building but 1015 micro sieverts per hour recorded at time of explosion - about the same amount as the human limit for one year (NHK).

Just popping into Lj to say I am fine. The earthquake was a long way up north, although it is the longest earthquake I have ever experienced - it went for 3-4 long minutes (or so) and I was kind of stunned and scared about that. I checked the Jpn meteorological site for the details and then went to the loo and it was STILL going! I kept anticipating it stopping - but No! It didn't! ... for what seemed like an incredibly long time I kept looking outside and watching the lamp post sway madly and my building was doing the same, which is a good sign.

Swaying means rubber in the foundations or some such high-tech building thingy. Japan has excellent earthquake- resistant tech, building codes and much better responses since the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) quake. It wasn't hugely strong where I am (just looong) and nothing shook loose. Nagoya is also protected by peninsulas, so we didn't get tsunami either.

Hope everyone is well!

There's been an annoyingly loud megaphone blaring outside for about an hour. I finally went to check it out from verandah, thinking it was those pesky pollies driving around (I think there's an election happening - the one where the pundits say the LDP might fall?) and annoying the hell out of everyone, but no ... it's actually some community tug-o-war event. The seriously thick rope is about 25 metres long and there are lots of tiny tots and adults involved. The third heat of the ones I watched had about 15 tiny tots ranged against 7 teenagers/adults and the tiny tots won! LOL! Made me smile ... :-)

After work I went to the dentist, who was aghast at my story of fighting fever for two days without painkillers or antibiotics for the infection left after my tooth was pulled and my wild gesticulations demonstrating degrees of pain experienced and my utter bravery in the face of it. When I realised, Doh! I SHOULD have been given a script for some ABs, (I was too much in shock after the extraction to even think about it) I felt like either laughing or crying, so opted for laughing and hamming it up with the dentist and his nurse, whom I managed to get to laugh out loud at the image of hardy old me fighting infection and to a triumphant end with my salty water rinse magic cure! He had no idea about our western home remedy and thought it must have hurt a lot, but I disabused him of that notion! All this humour was helped of course by me further indicating by judicious pointing that I'd picked up the wrong planner (2008) this morning to stick in my bag and so hadn't even brought the communiques for him from the oral surgeon. The nurse was much quicker on the uptake on what I was trying to say there, by the way. Good for her, clever girl!

Still do feel a bit crappy though - I'm pretty sure the infection has not completely gone and when he had a look inside, he was even less pleased. He cleaned it with what looked like betadine and then gave me the ABs himself and insisted I take them. I didn't manage to convince him I'd won the war with the infection - only the first charge, I guess! LOL! Got home, checked all the papers and opened the doctor's mail (nosey me - well it's ABOUT me! and I can't even read it, so I hope he doesn't mind) to see if anything had prescription-y looking papers ... Nope! At least nothing I recognise, so not sure why the hospital sent me off without any.

Got home to an invitation and code from Dreamwidth. Set up the account proper, very quickly, then went out for dinner (Nachos) and met three lovely Americans and we had a roaringly good conversation. I do love meeting nice people like that when it happens. It's so nice sharing with people who have similar background knowledge and you don't have to explain things about Japan (even though I do enjoy that too, when anyone is interested). I just got home and darling bluespirit_star has also got DW to send me an invite code, so sweetie if you read this ... thank you so much, *HUMUNGOUS HUGS* but I don't need it now, I think. Not sure if you can re-use it for anyone else. If you can please do go ahead.

I'm beat! The whole dentist debacle has knocked me a bit, even though I kept it light at the time. I'm still not through the infection either, so I'm hitting the hay my dears! Have a lovely day where you are! Golden Week has started here. Yay for a whole week off. I'll be working from home though - so much to do for the job! Yikes! I am going to spend tomorrow being completely lazy though, except maybe for cleaning the apaato and going to the gym. I haven't wanted to exercise all week with the tooth, so it's been long enough without a good swim!

HUGS to the flist!

I just heard the kerosene (parrafin oil) truck song - it drives around the street delivering oil - and I went down to get my 18L drum topped up.

About 10 days ago, I had put my drum down on the 1st floor (inside the foyer, which isn't locked) with a little envelope with the money in it, to get it filled, and the next morning when I went down to get it the drum and money had been stolen. That never happened in all the 15 years I spent in Gifu. Inner city living I guess. Live and learn. Anyway, I had to go and buy another one. (786 yen)

Tonight I asked the guy if he'd come last week and he said, "No, it was New Year holiday." I answered, "Yeah, I thought so." and I told him my drum and money had been stolen. Next thing I know, he runs around the front of the truck and comes back with a brand new drum to give me.

I refused it of course, telling him I didn't need it and that "You didn't do it!" (the theft)

It constantly amazes me when businesses take those things so seriously, and that every individual responds like they ARE the company, especially when I don't consider them at all to blame. I mean the cultural thing is I can't tell these people, without them feeling personally responsible. All I wanted to do was just share a happening with a person who it was slightly connected with, but that was taken as maybe a complaint (?), but the whole customer-business relationship thing here still catches me out, when I just want to chat with the guy in a friendly manner. *sigh* He was a sweet boy though, and I'm glad I made sure he knew I didn't blame him!

In other news, I finally joined the gym here in Nagoya after a 7 month furlow! It's about damn time I got my act together! I got a good New Year sale/promotion deal, so it was quite a bit cheaper with the joining fees waived. I must go tomorrow.

Pair of Japanese mangoes fetches $2,000

A pair of Japanese mangoes known as "Eggs of the Sun" for their fiery colour and juicy flesh have hatched a sweet deal for their owner, fetching a record $2,150 dollars at auction.

The mangoes, produced in southern Miyazaki Prefecture, were sold for 200,000 yen in the season's first auction, an official at fruit wholesaler Tokyo Seika said. The buyer's identity was not disclosed.

The price far surpassed the previous Japanese record of 38,000 yen ($406) bid last year for a similar pair.

Products from the Miyazaki region have become popular following frequent appearances on television by comedian turned local governor Hideo Higashikokubaru, who has actively promoted local specialities.

Visitors to Japan are frequently surprised by the high price of fruit, which is often given as a seasonal gift. Last year, a pair of melons fetched a record two million yen ($20,000 dollars) at auction.

Yeah I think I pay $2 max for a mango here, but they're usually pale substitutes from the Philipines. I MISS Australian Bowens and Ox heart mangoes from the far North :(

Went to the second of my new university jobs today - not classes, but a briefing for new part-timers. It all seemed to go well and C, my friend who I've known for 17 years here (we homeschooled our kids together), and got me the university job was there. It was great to see him. He was just back from his son's wedding in South Australia.

( How I was dumb today )

I'm off tomorrow - for one day skiing on Saturday. I'll be home Sunday.

Photo meme gakked from berlinghoff79 , but I've altered the terms ...

Comment with ideas for three things you want me to photograph. It can be anything from the contents of my fridge (eek!) to the view from my window (but ho ho no, not me! *g*).
I will take the photos, and then upload them for you to look at. One day. In the near future. I think. Remember, I'm in Japan ...