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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

ECA (英語基礎表現) II (Super A): Impressions of 3/11 (Part 2)

Hello!



How are you? This is Part 2 of your great collection of writing on the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.

Here's the first one: 

March 11, 2011 was great earthquake in Japan. Really it was very terrible and strange. It was focused in Sendai but in many other places was influenced. Tokyo and near Sendai there was only earthquake but in Sendai there was tsunami and earthquake. More than ten thousand people died and more people were missing. People in Tokyo and other places had not died because there was no tsunami. Tsunami is more dangerous than earthquake. After that earthquake more people become homeless and lost their work and property therefore their condition became very miserable. 

At that time I was not in Japan. I was in my country and I heard the news and read the newspaper, then I was very surprised and became sick. I had been processing my study documents abroad for Japan and I had just gotten the result that it was success. At the same time the great earthquake happened. What to do? Go or not go? I was very confused. All my friends and parents, they suggested me not to go to Japan, there is very dangerous, next time there will have more earthquake there, so please do not go. I was worried and confused, but finally I decided to go to study abroad in Japan, and came here as a foreign student. 

When that great earthquake of March 11 happened, if I had been here or in the area of the earthquake and if I had been saved and in good condition, I first would have informed the police in the police station and phoned the ambulance, then I would have helped the people who had injured and buried inside the houses. More houses had been collapsing and more people had been buried. At this situation, I would have taken them to a safe area and as soon as possible and as soon as fast taken them to the nearest hospital. I would have contributed to the situation of people who were miserable. 

Incredible! Here's another one: 

First, let me introduce myself. I am an 18-year-old girl living in Tohoku. I experienced an earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, 2011. It was a terrible day. I had to make a difficult decision whether to stay in Tohoku, or to leave Tohoku and go somewhere else to start a new life. I think I will want to stay, but at the same time I want to leave. 

There are some reasons I would choose to stay in Tohoku. First, I want to help people who need help with whatever the problem is. For example, serve food to those who do not have enough food, and care about the wounded people. Second, I was born, and grew up in Tohoku, therefore Tohoku is a place where I can be myself and relax. I really like everything of Tohoku. At last, I want to stay with my family members even though some had been victims of the disaster. I was living with my grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, brother, sister, and our dog. Actually, my grandmother and grandfather had been victims. Their bodies are buried near where they used to live. I want to be close to them. I want to be able to see them whenever I feel like it. Therefore, I would want to stay in Tohoku. 

There are some reasons why I want to leave Tohoku and live somewhere else. First, I want to forget about this. Whenever I think of the disaster, I feel very depressed. Even though I still think that I have to remember this and tell stories to those who have not experienced a huge earthquake and a tsunami. If they know what to do, they have a better chance of surviving from the disaster. Second, I want to find a job, make money, then come back. I know that money is not everything, but it is still an important thing. Sometimes, having money can help people. At last, I want to start a new life by taking chance leaving Tohoku. I have been living there for 18 years of my life, and I want to experience some new culture. Therefore, I want to make some new friends and get a job I have never done before. Therefore, I want to leave Tohoku. 

A powerful account. Now here's a very moving one: 

That was like a bad dream. I might show the nightmare. I couldn't think that many of my familiar objects and people disappeared in a few hours. I was not wrong. If I wake up at once, I can see the shop that selling vegetables and fruit, and I can go to the school where many friends are there. Consequently, I couldn't wake up the nightmare, because it is real that there is a tsunami and terrible earthquake.

That came suddenly. It didn't exist anymore. I heard very noisy warning and I was very surprised to it, that it came suddenly. I felt a little shaking. It was the worst and fortunate sign. I realized it was an earthquake at once, because we experienced it many times over. So, we couldn't leave quickly by the way we used to. But, it was long. Normally, it finished a few moments, but it continued a few minutes. The time of something little terrible becoming big that, the biggest earth shaking that I never experienced before came. I couldn't run. My legs didn't stand up strongly, if I ran by force I might fall to the ground. My desk shook, chair moved itself, almost al my books fell down, the sound of dishes were broken came up. I was frightened so much, I escaped to the high place using all my power. After that, I survived, and I lost many things while the moment happened. I want to see the sea for the time being. I remembered the destroyed wave. I can't stand to see that at least now.

I am thinking that until now, that is choosing of my place. I can move far away to not be frightened of the memory of the quake. If I move, I can spend my life easily without my mind's fear. I can get new friends and neighbors, if I can change my mind perfectly so not to have fear and sad. But I also think it is unable to do so. When I close my eyes, the scene of the tsunami appeared in my sight, hear the sound of noisy waves and crying of survived people. I couldn't remove these from my brain, and couldn't do these ever. Finally, I want to forget the memory of the earthquake.

I think another choice. It is I remain here. I couldn't sleep well, because my body scared of the shaking. After a big earthquake, the area often caused small quake. It is in every day and every time. Each time the small one comes, we wake up quickly and escape fast. it is not the problem of the quake big or small. We can't tolerate any shaking whatever the size. Especially, children and elder people can't sleep well. We feel the shaking continues always, although the machines don't find any shaking. It is very stressful to spend life in there. I must be afraid of the disaster coming again. But at first, we didn't think the big disaster came on the place of our living. So can't trust safety of where we live, so I often prepare to escape. I lost a lot of important people and things, but remaining those certainly exist. Of course, it is hard to find jobs in here, and to begin with I have to find my new house. I know it is not easy way to live in here, but I want to live in here. The terror of earthquake is not disappeared for long time, so I must stand it in my life.

An incredible piece of writing, and once again, very moving. 


It's been a pleasure to have all of you as students. I will miss you as I will move on to new jobs from April. So good luck, and don't stop writing!

Thank you!


Image - by Cp9asngf - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33491717. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

2 comments:

  1. It must have been a difficult decision for you to make.You must be a kindhearted and brave person.

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  2. I read these. They are good! Of course they have some sad points, but I was given more cheer! Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete