Truth in Media Global Watch Bulletins

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TiM Bulletin 2011-02

Mar 16, 2011

A Letter from Sendai: The worst of times bring out the best in People

Tale of Love and Compassion

From the rubble of destroyed city, humanity rises and soars among survivors in Sendai

HAIKU (MAUI), HAWAII GLOBAL AFFAIRS

 

A Letter from Sendai: The worst of times bring out the best in People

Tale of Love and Compassion

From the rubble of destroyed city, humanity rises and soars among survivors in Sendai

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

Opening paragraph of "Tale of Two Cities," Charles Dickens

HAIKU, Maui, Mar 17 - Charles Dickens wrote the above lines over 150 years ago. In the "Tale of Two Cities," he was writing about Paris, before during and after the French Revolution in 1789.  He could have used the same words to describe Sendai and Tokyo.

Those who saw live pictures on March 11 of the horrific tsunami wave approaching, hitting and mauling this beautiful, picture-postcard city of about a million people in Japan's northeast, will have them etched in their memories for life.  The photo at the top of this story of the approaching wall of water can serve as superfluous reminder for others.

This is what Sendai's coastal community looked like during and after the tsunami strike. Being a city of respectable size, Sendai also had a modern airport.  This is what happened to it...

Tsunami rolls over Sendai airport (video)

Sendai airport - before and after photos

Now, try to imagine yourself being a lucky survivor in the middle of all this devastation.  Where do you being to stitch your life together?  Maybe the lucky ones are the ones who perished.

No. Not if you ask Anne Thomas and her Sendai neighbors.  After you've read two of her blogs filed from Sendai in the last two days, you may conclude that the worst of times bring out the best in people.  I have certainly witnessed that as a war correspondent in the Balkans during the 1990s.  The Japanese tragedy is showing us that the humanity is the same world over...

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful...  [click on link below to continue]

A Letter from Sendai (by Anne Thomas, Mar 14)

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Once again I want to write to you about what is happening here. The TV news is frightening beyond belief. In fact, this entire phenomenon seems totally surreal. Beyond the edges of one’s wildest imagination. But I continue picking through the rubble of this experience to find flickers of hope and powerful experiences of beauty... [click on link below to continue]

Signs of Hope in Sendai (by Anne Thomas, Mar 16)

Also check out...

Yen soars against U.S. dollar in aftermath of worst disaster in country's recent history

Japanese Tsunami to Hit U.S. Treasury (Mar 16)

From altzar.org, our sister-site:

Japan Quake: Lessons in Tough Love (Mar 14)

 

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