Friday March 25, 9:24 p.m.

It was slightly unusual riding in a car on a bright sunny day while the stereo was playing "Tron: Legacy" but that was the case as The Anime King and The Anime Chamberlain drove to this restaurant in Whitby called "Buster Rhino's".

The usual question which would apply to Whitby was "Why?" as in "Why would anyone go to Whitby?" I'm not sure if it would even be classified as a bedroom town for Toronto. And "Buster Rhino's" itself is located in an isolated industrial park...a bizarre location, to say the least, for a southern BBQ restaurant. In fact, the place was set up in a facility which was obviously more

appropriate as a distribution warehouse, and The King told me that Buster's had originally been set up to do just that instead of being an actual restaurant. But as Speedy would readily admit, the best laid plans tend to stray. The place sold hot and cold sandwiches, ribs and other BBQ-friendly goodies. I ordered the Hot Beef Brisket Sandwich with Hush Puppies on the side. The sandwich was fine but the hush puppies are an acquired taste. Or at least, there should've been a few less served.

Afterwards, it was back to Toronto to a Tim Horton's for a couple of hours of coffee and conversation. Talk ranged from anime to the real facts of the radiation seeping out of Reactor 3. It was there that the Chamberlain's very cynical side poked itself out which sparked a small argument between him and The King, a la McCoy and Spock. After 2 hours, it pretty much killed the conversation so the Chamberlain drove us home. However, the Chamberlain suggested getting together next week for dinner and maybe even a trip to Elmira for the annual Sugar Run. Apparently, due to the unusually long winter (even for Toronto), the maple syrup harvest has been late by almost a month. This would literally be a golden opportunity.

After having munched down a huge sandwich and those Hush Puppies, it was just my luck that Mom and Dad brought home a large pizza for dinner. I was able to survive the culinary onslaught.

Things haven't changed much in Fukushima. A couple of reactors are still spewing out steam. However, as expected, Stephen Harper's government has fallen and so begins 5 weeks of campaigning.

Friday March 25, 6:25 a.m.

I've woken up with the knowledge that one of the Fukushima reactors may have been breached, which may explain those irradiated workers. Still early hours, but that's not hopeful news. The past couple of weeks has been literally life-changing. Knowing full well about the time difference, I'll still say that this time two weeks ago, the only thing I had been worried about was paying annual taxes and how my lessons would go. Two minutes on March 11th changed everything. I'd had no idea that I would be spending a Canadian spring in self-imposed exile. Core breach? Up to this morning, those were two words I'd only heard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

Last Thursday, when I pulled the trigger and purchased my overpriced air ticket, I didn't realize that it would be the last time I would see the thorn in Speedy's side, Ms. Efficiency. She and La Fille were right beside me so they knew my plan. Still, as I remember it, the final parting between the oft-prickly Efficiency and me was appropriately light and breezy. There was no heavy outpouring of emotion but the departures of Ray and Miss London were along the same lines. Working as administrative staffers at Speedy's hasn't particularly engendered any sad farewells. I'm just worried that my temporary goodbye to Speedy may gain some more permanence.

It's not just Japanese reactors that are failing. It's expected that the Canadian government of PM Stephen Harper will be going down this morning, much to Opposition glee once the no-confidence motion is passed. And so, I will witness my first Canadian federal election campaign in almost 2 decades if not the actual election...hopefully.

Thursday March 24, 2:48 p.m.

Far better day today. Sunny and clear and not that cold. The TTC was in far better shape than it was yesterday.

I got to Sheppard Station, a good 40 minutes early so I decided to have a Cinnabon and coffee while reading The Sun. I would understand why Cinnabons never took in Tokyo...the incredible sweetness put even Krispy Kreme to shame.

The Wild Guy showed up 10 minutes late but we still had plenty of time to go to The Memphis Smokehouse. the waitress was suitably sassy and friendly. When I asked for a table for two, she just thumbed us over to the back. Being lunch, we went for the specials. We opted for the Pulled Pork Sandwich. Of course, as has been the case with everyone I've spoken to since I got back to T.O., the conversation started with the current situation in Japan. Still, the Wild Guy being The Wild Guy, his irrepressible humour kept things light. He and his family are still aiming to leave Toronto for more fruitful pastures such as Vancouver.

When I got back home, The Entrepreneur called me so we had a nice chat while he was on his way down to see a client. We will be getting together at The Dancer's place in early April for lunch, but perhaps there's a small chance that we may meet beforehand.

The latest report from Japan hasn't changed much from yesterday: slight water contamination and a stabilizing situation in Fukushima. I'll take that as hopeful news. Meanwhile over here, we're getting close to a successful passage of a non-confidence motion against the Harper government due to the DOA budget. The campaign buses are already gussied up.

The last few days back in Toronto settled me down a lot. I've only just realized the amount of stress I'd been under since the quake happened. My sister-in-law has even offered one of her notebooks as a loaner computer so that I can keep in daily contact with Japan.

10:03 p.m.

A flurry of phone activity over the last several hours. I got in touch with The Egg. His Sendai in-laws and their house are fine although food is slightly difficult to get. Then I had a fairly long chat with The Tea Lady, an old friend of mine from Japan who's emigrated here. Finally, The Anime Chamberlain, The Anime King and I had another conference call to finalize plans for a lunch trip to their vaunted rib place all the way out in Whitby. Basically, tomorrow is the only opportunity for The King since he's back at work next week and the place is inexplicably closed on weekends.

Dinner tonight at home was steak. This would make it the first time in my recorded history that I've had steak 2 nights in a row. Unless one is filthy rich in Japan, this would nearly be financially impossible there.

Friday April 29, 11:10 a.m.

Yep, today is the big day between Will and Kate (I dunno, for some reason, I always envision a sitcom whenever I write their names down). There has been some coverage on the local channels here about the biggest nuptials this year, but understandably, news on the Fukushima disaster and the continuing problems in the Tohoku area have been taking precedence. And yet, amongst all the problems that have been hitting the news wires in the first half of this year, it is nice to see for once, some good news make the rounds in the 24-hour news cycle.

However, I am reminded of 30 years ago when, as a callow and far skinnier youth, I had seen the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. Strangely enough, I seem to see my British Royal Weddings in Japan. Back in 1981, I was in the middle of my graduation trip from Japanese Language School in this country when that royal wedding took place in late July. I was watching it on TV with my Osakan relatives in their tiny apartment above my uncle's stationery shop in the Namba district. Man, that was an epic pageant of color. My main memory of that was just seeing Diana's wedding dress trail; I could imagine the cleaning bill on that alone.

Of course, that Cinderella-like fantasy ceremony crashed and burned like the Hindenburg several years later. Today's wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton will probably not reach the epic heights of that wedding, but I'm pretty confident that Will and Kate will have a better chance of seeing their new relationship through.

I raise my glass of bottled water in their honor....don't quite trust the tap water just yet.

Wednesday April 27, 3:17 p.m.

In a current world of Middle East turmoil, Japanese nuclear crisis and Canadian political inanities, I guess this Friday may turn out to be a bit of a tonic for all concerned. Of course, I'm talking about the Royal Wedding between Will and Kate. Yup, the media is in overdrive about the biggest world nuptials since Charles and Diana, but when I speak on behalf of a lot of Japanese who have been traumatized by the strongest quake in 300 years, seeing this fantasy wedding thousands of kilometres away may not be too bad a thing. And it's occurring on the official first day of the Golden Week holidays here. This Friday just happens to be Green Day (no relation to the 90s band), otherwise known as Emperor Hirohito's birthday. Ironically, I don't think anyone royal from the Imperial Palace will be attending the wedding in London due to recent events. Wouldn't be prudent.

Wednesday April 27, 2:57 p.m.

Just another excerpt of my time in Toronto.

Wednesday March 23, 9:04 a.m.

We're in our 3rd full day of Spring, and yet Southern Ontario is in the midst of a bout of steady snow. I won't be going out today unless The Anime Chamberlain's plan comes through. I've yet to hear anything from either him or The King but I should be giving one of them a call.

Well, it looks like BBC had the upper hand with its report that radiation had indeed seeped into the Tokyo water supply. NHK is finally reporting the sad but unsurprising fact which I'm sure had the masses rushing to the stores to stock up on bottled water. The powers-that-be are stating that using tap water should be OK but just in case limit its use. I'm sure folks like Anderson Cooper would probably shake their heads in indignant disbelief at the seeming mealy-mouthiness of the government announcements. However, in a society which traditionally treasures harmony over stark truth, the statement comes off as perfectly fine. It just means "Try not to use it" But the warning is aimed at young families with babies. There wouldn't be any lingering effects on full-fledged adults.

As for the root of the trouble, there was black smoke emanating again from one of the reactors which precipitated another temporary evacuation of personnel. But it looks like things are stabilizing and the fact that even on NHK, this news was relegated as the third story can't be all bad.

I called up Automan. He was in Hillcrest Mall with his wife, so was a little distracted. The missus will still head to Hokkaido this weekend, but Automan has re-scheduled his trip to the Fall.

I've been watching The Food Network to keep my mind at ease.

10:09 a.m.

Just heard that Elizabeth Taylor had died this morning. I've never seen a full movie of her, so I was never a fan but her departure means that our attachment to the Golden Age of Hollywood has pretty much been lopped off.

10:19 a.m.

Just left a message with The Anime Chamberlain. I'm now hearing some embassies in Tokyo are packing up and heading West. Hmmmm.....I wonder what that might signify. I'm sure the Canadian Embassy is not among the fleeing group, otherwise CBC would've said so. And PM Harper has yet to announce any emergency evacuation for Canadian nationals in Japan.

1:57 p.m.

Looks like dinner with The King and The Chamberlain is on. Through the wonders of technology, we had a 3-way confab on the line and figured The Keg would be our venue for tonight. Haven't had real Canadian steak in several years. The Chamberlain said he'd see if Automan were available although I have my doubts.

I just got off the phone with The Dancer. We once again compared notes on the quake. And we've made tentative plans for the 9th.

11:32 p.m.

Learned...or was reminded...how the TTC could be on a regular snow day. I waited 20 minutes in the snow before three buses crawled over like a mechanical centipede. And it was a long 40-minute ride to Eglinton Station. But I was able to meet The King and The Chamberlain at Leslie Station. It was a short hop over to The Keg.

The Keg is kinda like an upscale izakaya in Tokyo. It's a slightly more expensive dinner option that can still bring in the masses, but with one exception. The Keg also comes with gregarious sitcom-friendly waiters looking for a tip. Our trio was joined by a friend whom I hadn't seen in about 25 years. Our respective parents still keep in contact with each other so I'm not sure how Mom will react.

A Keg steak is something I haven't eaten in several years so it was nice to have a steak that was thicker than a centimetre and didn't come with a pat of butter on it. When it comes to fried beef, I know where I stand....and eat. I didn't bring that much money so I had to settle for an 8 oz. sirloin but I found out that even that small but dense piece of meat suited me just fine. Age, jet lag or long years eating buttered microsteak....there must be a reason.

In any case, tomorrow I meet The Wild Guy for brunch. I'm hoping the TTC is in better shape.

Wednesday April 27, 2:37 p.m.

Looks like my holidays will be extended by another week due to Golden Week, although I don't think it'll be much in the way of golden. Travel may go down as much as 30% compared to the rates last year. And as for me, I always appreciate down time but when one hasn't made very much income in over a month, it's always a squeeze on the accounting.

I actually did see The Beehive for the first time in 6 weeks yesterday. It was never my intention but I ended up telling them that I will be pulling up stakes in Japan by the end of the year. Of course, there was sadness. And certainly, I feel bad about it since Mrs. Tulip and Mrs. London were planning to return to the fold early next year, but frankly, the past month's circumstances have changed...or corrected...my thoughts on my future.

As expected, Kirk had cancelled his lesson for tonight at Speedy's, so I probably won't see my school for at least another 10 days. La Fille called me up to say that The Shareholder has reserved a lesson for next Friday.

Newswise, the wide shows have been paying tributes to a former 70s aidoru-turned-actress, Yoshiko Tanaka. She started out as one-third of The Candies, a legendary trio of teen idols pre-dating even Pink Lady by a couple of years which had come up with pop tunes that are even remembered now such as "Haru Ichiban" and "Toshi Shita no Otoko no Ko". At that time, her cute name was "Su" but all that changed in the 80s when she decided to come back to show biz after a few years of retirement to become an actress. And basically, most people under the age of 30 only know her as a veteran thespian. However, that all ended a few days ago when Tanaka passed away at the age of 55 due to breast cancer.

Still on the topic of the late Ms. Tanaka, any preconception of the Japanese as being inscrutable goes out the window when it comes to celebrity funerals. In the West, celeb funerals are often very private affairs in which the paparazzi risk getting their heads and cameras handed back to them by angry mourners. Here, it's almost an obligation for the bereaved of a late celeb to show up in front of the cameras, microphones and breathless geino reporters to talk about their loved one's last few days and weeks on Earth. As with Japanese celeb funerals, the one for Yoshiko Tanaka had the cameras inside the funeral hall taking pictures as family members and fellow celebs tearfully gave eulogies. Another interesting observation of these funerals is that eulogists face a huge smiling picture of the dearly departed and speak to them directly. There is more drama wrenched out of these scenes than in a typical episode of a soap opera. There was even more drama than usual for Ms. Tanaka's service. A 3-minute, 18-second tape of her final words was played for all in the hall as the clearly dying actress rasped out her message of hope for all those affected in the recent earthquake.

Monday April 25, 1:26 p.m.

The flight home from Toronto to Tokyo was the usual arduous affair. And once again, Delta had us watching movies via the old-style single screen on a bulkhead. So it was the latest in the "Narnia" series, the "Harry Potter" series and a romantic flick called "How Do You Know?" with Reese Witherspoon and Paul Rudd. This last movie was singled out as one of last year's biggest duds. Yep, it seemed like two stories with nowhere much to go with the usual romantic-comedic angst about the horror of relationships. Still, I'm not sure if it had been a Stockholm Syndrome of being captive aboard a flying tin can, but the movie wasn't too bad overall with me.

Tuesday March 22, 6:36 p.m.

Had my first official outing since coming back. The Anime King and I had lunch at one of his favorite eateries in Scarberia: China Cottage where I had a Szechuan Chicken lunch for the ridiculously low price (especially for someone who lives in Japan) of $6.25. As a Szechuan dish, it had plenty of heat but seemed a bit off-balance in the seasoning department.

On the drive up to China Cottage, the King and I talked on the current situation plaguing the Kanto and we both agreed that although events are serious, there has been too much doomsday news that hasn't been warranted. Apparently, the people fighting the fires in Fukushima have attached....finally...the power lines to the reactor cooling systems, although I'd heard the seawater had damaged at least a few of them beyond repair.

After lunch, there was a pit stop at his favorite Second Cup for some coffee and biscotti before dropping by his place for a couple of hours of listening to his anime and game soundtracks. It's become an annual tradition.

Tomorrow might be a larger outing with The Anime Court. At least the Anime Chamberlain is supposed to be planning something for dinner. And I've got lunch with The Wild Guy on Thursday. Looks like my comfort level is increasing.

The big news today? PM Harper's new budget was DOA. Therefore, there is the probability that another federal election is in the offing.

Tuesday March 22, 9:26 a.m.

I'm back. And I've been back for a little less than 48 hours now. So far, I've been decompressing in the comfort of my own home. The flight back from Tokyo would've been one of the easiest..getting processed through Narita and Pearson was an absolute breeze but Detroit was a pain. It was a combination of bad luck and incompetence with Delta Airlines (overbooking, preflight stupidity) which reminded me of the good sense not to make connections Stateside if at all possible. However, the 198,000-yen price tag on a direct Air Canada flight rendered the point financially moot. The lone flight attendant on the Detroit-Toronto run barely concealed her discouragement at having to handle a simmering group of passengers who, like the Fukushima reactors, occasionally exploded. And I distinctly saw her mouth "OMG" and turning away from our collectively dour demeanor. Obviously, she wasn't a particularly polished veteran. Still, it says something about getting away from a potential nuclear fallout disaster that I could gripe about something as mundane as the near-inevitability of a bad connection.

In previous years, my returns to Toronto were based on fun and relaxation. This time, the feeling is more of relief, escape and comfort. For me, comfort food, comfort images and comfort sounds have been paramount. I still have access to the sorrowful and frightening scenes of Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures respectively via NHK World, but aside from the one daily report that I watch more for possible strategies rather than enjoyment, I've been trying to shun anything concerning those failing reactors. Again, CNN and BBC have been displaying doomsday scenarios about the Kanto...my home for over 16 years while NHK has been trying to keep a better face on things. All media have reported on the contaminated milk and spinach but only the Western sources have mentioned about radiation seeping into Tokyo tap water. It's hard who to believe. Is CNN or BBC still overblowing the situation or is NHK or TEPCO hiding information to stress comforting harmony over harsh truth? That's part of the reason for my return. The month is long enough for me to come to a conclusion about where Japan is going. Will it be able to contain and stabilize those 6 reactors so that life, if not return to the normalcy before 2:48 p.m. on March 11, will at least be livable for that 10% of the national population? Or will the Kanto end up as Target No. 1 for dangerous nuclear fallout? The juku boss won't like it but I've created a contingency plan if the worst-case scenario does indeed come to pass.

As I said, it's all been about comfort. I've had a greater appreciation for food, friends, music and TV since I got back on Sunday night. Mom made hamburgers and miso soup for all of us, and it was mizutaki last night. I've been watching "Family Guy" and the various shows on The Food Network. I've been listening to some of my favorite CDs that I'd brought back. It's been my existential morphine.

I've started calling folks since I got back. I called up Shard, The Wild Guy and The Anime King yesterday. I'm actually meeting The King in an hour for lunch. He was actually supposed to be in Tokyo but with the new reality, he's had to cancel and so now has a week of nothing to do. However, unlike the Holidays, I've been reminded indirectly by Shard and The Wild Guy that these are un-Holiday times and that these are regular work days which mean that they couldn't offer up immediately days and times to meet. That's OK...I'm not in a joyous mood.

It says something about the comfort of Canada when the biggest news is whether the Harper government will actually survive this week.

Monday April 25, 12:01 p.m.

Well, definitely a long time since my last entry. Yup, back in Japan again...much to my parents' slight nervousness. I got back last Thursday. So far, so good, I guess. Although the situation in Fukushima is far from settled, it seems like things have gained a lot of normalcy here in Ichikawa and in Tokyo. However, power conservation has rendered things like lights and escalators in subway stations mostly dark, and the ATMs are now operational for just 11 hours a day. Also, although it looks like radiation levels in the water have apparently gone back to the negligible zone, I'm still buying bottled water for drinking, cooking and teeth-brushing purposes just to be safe.

I've had my first three students since my return from Canada. I had Yajima, The Jyuppies and Cozy, and my month-long break has helped me to get my lessons from getting lazy. It will be a slow couple of weeks, though, since we're entering Golden Week, although I can't see a lot of people in the traveling mood. Cozy informed me that this year's ohanami proceedings have been mostly a bust due to the subdued mood. Major tragedies such as earthquakes and deaths of emperors have a way of cancelling happy events such as weddings and travel plans.

I did a lot of jotting down of my time in Toronto for the past month so I'll be providing excerpts of those in blue, intermixed with the current stuff.

Sunday March 20, 12:20 p.m.

Well, here I am at Narita Airport, already just some metres away from my boarding gate, some 10 minutes before I was supposed to be showing up at the counter to check-in. There's something to be said about getting there early. Got up at the eye-blearingly time of 5 a.m. and out the door by 6:30 to get to the airport as soon as possible to avoid the much-dreaded chaos that The Dancer's family had apparently experienced when they left Japan on Friday afternoon.

However, what transpired was that I was able to get my travel insurance, my Canadian bucks and get checked-in a few hours before that 12:30 time. Not only that but I got through Immigration pretty quick as well, so I've ended up cooling my heels while I waited for the big board to finally give the gate number. Also had a McBreakfast as well. I can't complain about that situation and can only hope that the transit through Detroit will be as easy. Methinks it won't be as simple. Mom warned me that all of the kids on Spring Break are coming back home. Still, first hurdle overcome.

I've still been volleying messages with various folks such as the bossman, my brother and the like. The strange thing, though, is that I haven't heard from students such as Cozy or The Sisters of State in terms of my sudden departure for the next month. I don't think they're ticked off at me for supposedly abandoning them.

It looks like the Fukushima Incident may be starting to calm down, thankfully. If it is indeed doing so, then it would be the happiest example of bad timing to ever happen to me as I take off on my month-long exodus in Canada. Apparently, the pools of cooling water surrounding the rods have gone down in temperatures to those ranging from from a pleasant hot bath to less than body temperature. Good for all of us in Japan. And it would signal a much-hoped-for end to the worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl.

In a way, going back home can make me think for a while about my future. As once again, my bank account has been emaciated by the unfortunate culmination of tax season, self-imposed exile and a gouging price for a plane ticket, I'm coming to the conclusion that after teaching English for close to a quarter-century, I'm nowhere making any money that would even get me into the middle class. I'm gonna have to think hard about where and how I want to go. Still, it'll be nice to see the gang again back in Toronto. And I get to see the first day of Spring.

Saturday March 19, 11:09 a.m.

If this were a normal time, I would be taking The Dancer and her family to the Ramen Museum in Yokohama. However, this is obviously not a normal time and I assume that my friends have returned to Toronto safely. Things are still stable in this neck of the woods; though there is a small amount of tension, people in my neighbourhood are taking things in stride. And Chiba has only recorded a mere fraction of a microsievert...probably as much as or even less than someone gets from a long call on a cellphone.

I've done my checking about on the Net in preparation for the trip home. For example, seeing if my bank's Shibuya branch has its money exchange counter open. I didn't see any indication of it so I'll keep myself at home and take my chances at Narita. If worse comes to worse, I can always convert my yen back in Toronto.

I finally experienced my first rolling blackout since the regimen was first started at the beginning of the week. I was just watching TV when suddenly the dark just plummeted in. Even my LED indicator lights on my appliances were gone. It wasn't exactly pitch black but it was about as dark as I'd ever seen my living room. So, I ended up just listening to a couple of CDs on my Discman...it was actually quite a relaxing experience listening to The Manhattan Transfer and Misia. And strangely enough, the lights came back on after only an hour and 45 minutes of darkness (supposedly we were off for 3 hours each time). But I just turned everything off again and enjoyed the rest of one of Japan's finest songstresses. Light can indeed be forged from the dark.

Friday March 18, 12:31 p.m.

With the plane ticket purchase, the preparations for the exodus home have begun in earnest. I had my mail stopped for 30 days and have informed everybody (students, family, friends) about my plans. My mother was quite surprised at how quickly I was able to procure my ticket but my sister-in-law asked me whether there was any way I could get home earlier since she had some things in the news....and that's when I stopped her right there and told her that the US media has been going a little over the top with Fukushima. At this point, things seem to be stable...a situation that I hope will continue for at least another couple of days.

I also received a phone from The Dancer. It's ironic that this lone call would be our only contact between us this trip. But we were both remarking about the fact that folks back on the other side of the Pacific have been going into panic mode due to the somewhat overzealous media coverage. Over here, we've been keeping our eyes and ears on the screens but noone has made a run for the border although students like Mr. Swank and Mr. Jyuppie have sent their families into the Kansai region for safety.

Which is why I found my phone call with the juku boss a bit sad although not all that surprising. She asked me in her plaintive voice to not even consider but to just call up my real estate agency to cancel her guarantorship of my apartment. Of course, I can see from her point of view that if I could not return to my apartment after a month due to a massive nuclear disaster in the Kanto, then she would have to pick up the tab for my supposed desertion. But I don't think things have become nowhere near that bad. Basically, my response to her was that I heard what she said but I have no intention of canceling my guarantorship since frankly that would void my lease. I'll see how things look from Toronto before I make any moves. And if things really get that bad, I figure that the agency personnel will not be worrying about the guarantor and resident of one dilapidated apartment in Ichikawa at that stage....they will be fleeing to Osaka by that point.

For a little bit, though, I was also slightly spooked when I heard the news of transit visas through the States. To have paid so much money only to be turned back. But although my travel agent asked me about my re-entry permit (no problems there), she didn't ask me about transit visas. I asked both Speedy and The Dancer about them, but they told me that most Canadians fall under the special waiver programme between Canada and the US. And then I finally checked the official US governement site. Yep, unless I'm a Canadian going on a government assignment Stateside I don't have to worry about it. But of course the States aren't taking any chances...they're not only fingerprinting and eyeprinting now (no problems with me since we get that at Narita) but they're now pulling out the Geiger counters. Still, it's understandable.

I'm keeping my two fingers crossed for the next couple of days. I plan to head on down to Shibuya tomorrow to get my money converted into Canadian since I figure that it'll be totally nuts at Narita....or perhaps everyone will have left the country by that time.

Thursday March 17, 6:02 p.m.

Well, I pulled the trigger. I shucked out the yen and I will be going home via Delta Airlines on Sunday for the Great White North and T.O. The staff here at Speedy's could overhear me talking with the travel agent, but they took the news very calmly. I will be getting the bossman up to speed on the students within the school, and I've informed my private students about my decision. I tried to call up the juku boss but couldn't get through so I sent some e-mail to her. I am considering dropping in on her tomorrow after I finish my lone class at Speedy's and perhaps even having one last dinner at The Restauranteur's but I'll see once I've gouged out my bank account. In any case, I'm not going home too happily. I kinda feel like Captain Sisko abandoning Deep Space Nine in one of the later episodes. But I guess I can also quote General Douglas MacArthur and say "I will return".

I just looked at the TV coverage after my lesson with The Shareholder and didn't see anything that encouraged me. It didn't look like things were deteriorating but neither were they improving. And I'm not about to take any risks and find out which way the wind will blow, figuratively or literally. I'm not alone either. A lot of the foreign nationals have decided to skip town, especially the French. France even sent an entire fleet of Air France planes to pick everyone up. Locally, La Fille is even considering going back to Kagoshima to wait out the crisis.

In a way, when I return it'll feel like I'm starting things over. Small bank account, different country and maybe different students. I just hope that my 1-month moratorium will be enough to see some good come back to my adopted land.

Thursday March 17, 1:02 p.m.

Well, so far I've been hearing that there may have been some progress with the water-bearing choppers. But Canada has apparently urged for an 80-km exclusion zone around the reactors, instead of the 20-km zone currently in force by the Japanese government. To give you a point of reference, Tokyo is 270 km away from Fukushima. And there is still a chance of meltdown. So my decision has still not been made.

I had contacted Yajima about the situation and he has responded and given me his good wishes. It'll be another couple of hours but I will come to sort of decision shortly after I see some TV.

The worldwide media has been glorifying the Japanese on the stoicism and grace with which they have handled the triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. No riots, no looting. The Americans have been known as the can-do society but the Japanese can be called the make-do society. I've known about this facility of the Japanese to adapt to trying conditions but I have to admit that I'm even amazed at how well everyone in the country has been adapting to the new reality. Still, I think there are going to be several thousand people in the north who will need some counselling over the months and years.

Thursday March 17, 10:23 a.m.

One can be forgiven in this country for the fact that today is St. Patrick's Day, even though the holiday has become a favorite amongst the foreign population and even some of the Japanese here. A week ago, a lot of folks would have wondering which pub to hit in Tokyo, Dubliners or Paddy Foley's. Well, now, a lot of people are just hoping that St. Patrick and a whole lot of other saints (George, James, etc.) will smile on all of us in this country considering the current circumstances.

After the record-setting M9.0 earthquake and a massive tsunami, now we're all facing a possible nuclear disaster. Some of the reactors at Fukushima Dai-Ichi are still literally too hot to handle, although I have seen, with some relief, that the choppers have resumed water bombing.

The next few hours will be critical ones for me since not only is it St. Patrick's Day for a lot of those who are into the Green, but it is D-Day for me personally. D as in Decision...do I stay put or do I pack up and go (temporarily) back to the Great White North? The past 24 hours have seen me furiously typing away on Facebook and e-mail to friends and family, talking with Mom and my sister-in-law on the phone, keeping a cold rational eye on the proceedings in Fukushima and Nagatacho, and preparing myself for flight. I'm basically looking at 2:30 today as the time of decision. The Dancer's husband has made his decision...he and the family will be staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel tonight and then head on off for home tomorrow. The Anime Court will most likely either be staying put in Toronto or fleeing to places other than Japan. The Dancer told me that the next available Air Canada flight back to the ol' hometown is Sunday the 20th apparently. Not gonna panic since, at this point, we're still far from any major dramatic movements.

Basically, I have three options about my immediate future....one is the most ideal and one is the likeliest path. The most ideal is that the chopper water bombing actually bears fruit and that I can stay home but the most likeliest is that I will have to somehow scrounge up a ticket (probably at inflated prices...capitalism is far from dead in the airline industry) and head on out within the next few days. Option 3 is the worst-case scenario...I grab the nearest Bullet Train and flee to Osaka.

So far, the Canadian Embassy hasn't called the Red Alert...which is actually good news for me, since if Harper's Bazaar actually calls for a Canuck evac, I can guarantee there will be mayhem, even more so than now. I hear Narita has become an Ellis Island of sorts at this time.

Via Facebook, I have had my heart warmed by the fact that some of my old friends from Toronto who now live in various parts of Asia have offered me some hospitality via Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. I'm keeping all of my options open, although Mom really wants me back home...as most Moms would.

As for Speedy, he took my news pretty well. Basically, he has a mix of the "Aw, shucks" and sho ga nai (can't be helped) attitude. It's actually the juku boss I'm a bit worried about at the moment. She sent a terse reply to my mass e-mail of yesterday stating that she would prefer me to be here and that I should call her. Well, I will...when I've made my decision.

I also got word from fellow Canadian, The Satyr. He's been lucky in that his parents have arranged flights for him for either home or England. I'm not sure what my parents can do for me, not that I'm ungrateful, but they're not exactly the most connected of people, if you know what I mean. The Dancer's father is a very go-go type and I'm sure The Satyr's parents will get on the blower to do everything they can. My parentals are very middle-class Japanese in that they will exhort their son to get back home but beyond that there's very little they can do. It's really up to me.

Wednesday March 16, 2:24 p.m.

I've managed to calm down to a certain extent after that flurry of e-mails back home about my possible departure. I'll have to keep my eye on the TV, though. I have yet to receive any response from my private students, though. I did get a response from the Dancer's husband and they are also weighing options.

As for my day today, I wasted a trip down to Tameike-Sanno early this morning for that student whom I'd thought wouldn't be interested in my lessons. He'd decided to try me out and had scheduled a lesson for this morning at 11. I then found out after waiting a few hours at Starbucks by the Akasaka Twin Towers that he had left a message on my machine after leaving an e-mail message yesterday that he couldn't get into town today. I had told him that I couldn't access my e-mail yesterday...sigh.

So for the first time in my time here, I had 4 entire lessons wiped out in one day.

In what has become the sign of the times, I actually bought a bento at the local Lawsons inside Tameike-Sanno Station before getting on the train back home. I have never brought home an instant lunch from a conbini for more than 5 minutes, but I got this sucker home in about 40. I knew that getting a bento in my neck of the woods would be close to impossible these days; but I may be lucky in getting a salad and some milk today.

Wednesday March 16, 1:12 p.m.

Well, just had another rather large aftershock roll through Chiba via the I-Cafe. But the big Red Alert strobing in my head is the Fukushima Nuclear Plant situation. Actually, it's starting to look more and more like the re-enactment of "The China Syndrome" with Jack Lemmon and Jane Fonda. Possible meltdowns from at least 2 of the 6 reactors and one from a CNN commentator are not impressing me. And believe me, I've been less than impressed with the government or TEPCO in their somewhat mealy-mouthed press conferences.

Then when I checked the e-mail, I got a small flood of messages from my brother all the way to The Anime Chamberlain openly wondering whether I should come home to Toronto. I'm now considering my options seriously; so much so that I have even sent my private students, Speedy and the juku boss a mass mailing about possibly running for the border. I can imagine the response I will get from Speedy about this.

Of course, leaving the city I've called home for over 16 years...even under these trying times...isn't easy for me. But I'm a pragmatist and I really don't want to be dosed with the equivalent of 100 X-ray treatments. At this time, the Canadian government hasn't sent the word for we Canucks to get out of Dodge...yet, so perhaps getting that Air Canada ticket won't be too much of a problem. But I've got my passport on me as well as a change of clothes in the bag that I usually reserve for textbooks. And I'm just about ready to withdraw a good chunk of my dwindling bank account just in case things go pear-shaped. As an alternative, I may bite the bullet and grab a Bullet to Osaka and get the plane from there.

Strangely enough, I've got friends who are visiting Japan: The Dancer and her family are in Okinawa, scheduled to return to Tokyo on Friday. The Anime Chamberlain and The Anime King are somewhere in Asia, and The Iconoclast and Automan are planning to come over in April. All these people are now weighing their options deeply.

In any case, this may go down as one of the biggest moments in my life.

Strangely enough, this is the 3rd day in a row that my neighbourhood has managed to escape a rolling blackout.

Monday March 14, 1:25 p.m.

I guess there's another "reassuring" thing that denotes some form of normality in the first post-quake weekday: Speedy and Ms. Efficiency bickering about some sort of formality. I almost regret that she'll be leaving in a couple of weeks.

Today is White Day, although I can't see how I would feel like sending chocolates right now. I'm not planning to leave my home tomorrow. The juku boss actually cancelled all classes probably for all this week. She called me up last night to say that she's got family coming in since apparently their facilities are all shut down.

Various folks back home including my sister-in-law have been keeping up a dialogue over the Net thankfully. Automan has said that he and his wife are planning to come over next month, although for obvious reasons, things may change...like a glowing fireball from Fukushima. The Anime Chamberlain and Anime King are still coming this way along with their old compatriot, The Iconoclast. And The Dancer and her family are apparently doing OK despite having felt their very first real tremor.

The Artist should be arriving in another half hour. At this point, it seems like things on the outskirts in terms of commuting are fairly orderly if crowded.