I came back last night from a volunteer trip I took with office colleagues to the tsunami-stricken area of Rikuzentakata.
This was the 2nd time I'd participated in such a tour (the first trip was in July) and it was astonishing to see how much things have improved between then and now (in terms of cleanup). There is still much that needs to be cleared/demolished before the actual rebuilding process can start, but it is heartening to see how the determined efforts of many can make a difference.
The work we did this weekend was more grueling than last time. The first time I went we focused on clearing rubble (glass, wood, plastics, stone, and other miscellany) from an area half the size of a football field – this time, not only did we do the same (clearing rubble), but we dug/re-opened a ditch.
Let me tell you, I have new-found respect for those who do manual labor. I'm not in horrible shape, but my back, legs, and arms are pretty sore right now. By the end of the day, we were splattered with foul-smelling mud and utterly exhausted.
Despite everything, and even though our efforts were just a tiny tiny part of the overall restoration process, it was personally very satisfying. It's just a different feeling, being able to contribute personally.
I came back last night, did a quick edit of a couple of pictures (one for the office, one to upload to G+), and passed out.
I'm now on holiday, planning to drive to a couple places in Japan, starting with the Fuji lakes area. Even though I have wifi, the laptop I have is somewhat underpowered and I won't be able to share any photos till the end of the month. Till then, this is the rough picture/panorama I took on the 2nd day of work – it shows a section of the land that was washed away in the tsunami.
Got to get up around 4AM to take a bus, so crashing early tonight. G'night all! 🙂
In album Tohoku Volunteer Photos – November 12-13 (1 photo)
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