Rockabilly

On my second day in Osaka, i went to the Castle, to meet up with one of my new friends I met the day before.  she is doing some research on the Rockabilly, greaser scene in Japan, which is apparently more prevalent than I would have ever guessed.  Some of her friends were meeting there for a birthday, and to blast some music and dance. We watched, and Carl Perkins blasted from the speakers, and they danced so hard they wore the soles off of their shoes, and little girls rode by on 6 foot unicycles. It was truly a Japanese experience.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the outside of the park.  we saw plum blossoms.  It was still a bit early for the Sakura's, which should be popping up around the beginning of April. But it was nice to be able to see such an interesting side of Osaka on my second day, and to realize just how much there is in this city. There is truly a niche for every person here.  This is the joy of living in such a big city, there is never room for getting bored.

Japanese Greasers

...in kid form too

The quake

   So as you know, Japan's earthquake was one of the worst in history, the biggest here in almost a hundred years. and not only that, a tsunami, and then to top it off nuclear fallout from a plant damaged by the waves.  It is truly incredible that such a catastrophe could happen all at once, but since the media is taking the stance of the DOOM-AND-GLOOM, I will not.  Being in Osaka, and about 700 km from the quake, it had little effect on our life here.  While there was a solemn mood in the atmosphere, and Osaka saw an influx of people avoiding the power cuts in Tokyo, it remained calm for such a massive natural disaster in the country.   It really shows me something amazing about the Japanese people.  They are truly inspirational by their handling of the events.   People waiting in orderly lines for water and food, and the media not presenting an exxagerated account of the events, it was a true testament to the Japanese people's honorable character.

When the earthquake happened I was sitting on the third floor of a cafe. I was writing in my journal, when I suddenly felt really dizzy.  I sat back in my chair, thinking I was close to fainting.  The spinning didn't stop once i tried to get my bearings, but I just thought I needed to eat.  The people in the cafe were looking at me, or so I thought, and it didn't occur to me that the blinds shaking behind my head were their real point of interest.  Eventually the room stopped spinning, but I left in search of some food to raise my blood sugar anyways.  I had no idea it was such a big earthquake till I got home that night, and saw the news.  

So I send my prayers out to all that have been so gravely affected by the quake, and to send reassurances to my family and friends back home that all is okay here in Osaka.