Really Awesome Quakestory

I read a quake- story at http://quakestories.wikispaces.com/American+School+in+Japan. The stories on that website are personal accounts of the earthquake written by students from Japanese schools.  They are about the feeling during the earthquake, the aftershock, and after the earthquake.  The story that I read was written by Marianne Riley who attends the American School in Japan.  I am not sure how old she is, but this story made me emotional.  Marianne talks mainly about the way Japan was after the earthquake has already occurred.  She mentions that she believes that, “Japan will never be the same again.”  I agree with her opinion.  I think that when something so big and tragic like the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant that all occurred in Japan, it will be hard for any country to recuperate back to the way it was before disaster struck.  She also retells the story of her trip to the grocery store with her mom after the earthquake.  She recalls that some shelves in the grocery were already wiped clean, and many people were inside the store.  Water was one of the many sources of food or drink that was very valuable.  She also states that, “Now with the nuclear reactors down, the nation is low on power and we are told to conserve energy as much as possible. It amazes me to go down into Shibuya at night and see it dark. The flamboyant lights at the famous Shibuya crossing are shut off and many shops are closed by 7pm. And during the day, a number of stores only turn on essential lights throughout the building. For now, their greatest concern is not business but rather the well-being of Japan. At the time of crisis, the country acts as a whole and works for the greater good.”  I think that Marianne makes a really good point.  Nothing, right now, is as important to the citizens of Japan then to be able to survive this disaster and try their best to make everything back to normal.  It will take a long time for Japan to heal, and be alright again.  I can’t image what the people in Japan are going through right now.  All I know is that I don’t think I would have even been able to put out a brave front in this kind of crisis.  This is similar to what Marianne wrote, “What we see though, is how the Japanese wear masks of composure and patience although they are terrified in reality.”  Marianne’s writing is one of the pieces that really had an effect on me.