Sunday, March 27 – Cherry Blossom Dreaming
The frigid weather continues in Sendai but Cherry Blossom season cannot be too far off.
Takkyubin, our local version of FEDEX or UPS, delivered another box from Kel and Akiko again this morning. It was full of food.
I decided to take the bus to visit mom today. It is cold but sunny, so I am not too worried about waiting and walking outside. Because it was Sunday, the bus was crowded and I couldn’t get a seat.
I got off at my usual stop and while walking the 15 minutes to the hospital, I found a store that bakes fresh melon pan pastry. I bought some pastry to take to my mom and the other three patients sharing her room. The pastries were still warm!! I also found natto (fermented soy beans) for mom and her roommates. Lately, it has been difficult to find natto at the grocery stores.
The hospital rooms are warmer and their meals have improved. Also, security is not as tight as it was. But many hospital shops are still closed — their coffee shop, convenience store and book store for example.
My mom told me today that she is sleeping better now. There are fewer aftershocks and the weekend is always quieter at the hospital. She also enjoys her physical therapy during the week and that tires her out.
I left hospital around 3:30 p.m. so that I could catch the bus and get home while it was still day light. It gets dark about 5:30 p.m. here.
The gas station still had a long line of cars waiting and they still limit it to 3000 yen (about $30) per car. People need gas to get to work as many of them don’t have convenient public transportation available yet. Many of the train, subway and bus routes are still shut down.
My Tokyo friends keep calling and asking what I need. I keep telling them I have enough and that some stores are open so I can buy basic items and food. Still, they keep sending things. How nice of them!
The Stars and Stripes team left yesterday afternoon and I already miss them a lot. Elena, their interpreter and my friend, told me that she might come back with another reporter. Yeah for me but poor Elena. It is a lot of travel for her and she works outside in the cold surrounded by the devastation each day.
On the bright side, I just realized I will be here for Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season in mid-April. That is, if it ever warms up! Sakura season seems like a long way away as it will be below freezing again tonight. The last time I saw Sakura in Japan was 1994 so that is something to look forward to.
