I have had a close relationship with Japan as fate had me study and research for many years with many people from Japan. And I much prefer Japanese manners, cuisine or art to the mainland offerings, acknowledging my great admiration for a culture that produced people like Kurozawa or the fabulous displays at the Boston museum. So, in respect to the friends and acquaintances that I used to have many, many years ago, I will dedicate this post as my mark of sympathy as I watch in horror the coverage which will make it the most extensively reported Tsunami ever. After all, it happened during working hours and after the quake they had they knew they had to rush to airports and to their cameras as they all knew the Tsunami had to be coming.
From what I have seen, it is amazing to see so much devastation in a country that is so ready for such catastrophes. I cannot imagine what would happen in Venezuela after such an earthquake and a Tsunami half as big......
Friday, March 11, 2011
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Daniel- you had a tsunami half as big in Venezuela but it came from the sky on Vargas and you certainly know what happened with that. As a survivor of the tsunami in 2004 Thailand, I know first hand the horror but I also know we will see professional Japan go to action and we will see the same international outpouring as the last tsunami. What you will not see is the Chavez type rejection of offers to help.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Daniel. The Bolivarian revolution 21st Centery Socialism will take care of it.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pity and what a tragedy.
ReplyDeleteI also feel a certain connection to Japan...their sense of aesthetics,and their manners are to my liking-not to mention that one of my closest friends is from Japan.
I keep watching the news and feel such a sadness.I post this old Japanese song, that is now a part of my soul....it was popular back in the 50's.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/RtXQ31F1A-k
"I cannot imagine what would happen in Venezuela after such an earthquake and a Tsunami half as big....."
ReplyDeleteI heard that same or similar comment repeated in casual conversation by various Venezuelans no less than half a dozen times today. It was usually accompanied by a snort of derision, as we all know the victims of such a disaster would be SOL.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI hope you will let me post some of the works that we have done in Japan here.
This one we turned Japanese famous Tsunami static painting into motion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYy8_tH29C0
Famous Western paintings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94f3l44V4-I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apy1DDI3e34
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVbG6gbGR48
Thanks Daniel.
This is better youtube video about Japanese famous Tsunami painting in motion that we did in 2010.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYy8_tH29C0&feature=fvsr
Thanks Daniel.
I heard the same conversation at the office yesterday...in Calgary, from my own canadian coworkers.
ReplyDelete"Japan is the most prepared country in the world for natural disasters" they said, so they couldn't imagine what would happen anywhere else.
Of course, knowing my own country and how almost EVERYTHING is improvised, remembering Vargas, the recent floods, I just smiled and walked away from the conversation. I just didn't want to keep putting things into perspective for them, it's too sad.
Remember that Chavez's Enabling Act was passed to allow him to deal with lluvias; so terremoto and tsunami would be a piece of cake.
ReplyDeleteMy brother and nephew were in Tokio at the time, amazing quake.. Fortunately Tokio is well prepared for such events, many buildings are "on wheels", they swerve but don't fall, etc. Now they are expecting a big storm on Wednesday..
ReplyDeleteYou are right, had this happened in Venezuela or elsewhere, it would have been 100 times worse. Coincidentally, I had just facebooked this to my nephew right before reading your post:
"When it rains it pours, huh? Gotta feel bad for the poor Japanese, but on the bright side, imagine if the epicenter of the quake and the tsunami had been right in the middle of Tokio, or even worse, in Bangladesh or any poor, populated city without the great infrastructure, preparedness and economic means the have in Japan! A magnitude 8.9 would have killed HUNDREDS of Thousands elsewhere.. Stay far away from those nuclear reactors!"
Carlos Iglesia
1979BP, 21st century soc will not be able to handle it, of course. But the devastation will "prove" that 21st CS is the necessary way forward. Such would be the spin, anyways.
ReplyDelete