I remember exactly where I was on September 11th, 2001 when the planes hit the twin towers in New York. I was in our apartment in Tsunashima (we lived in Yokohama then) watching TV in bed (the 9 o'clock evening news was almost finished). We saw the second plane hit on live TV, and we guessed that this was no accident while the reporters were still scrambling, before they even figured out what was going on. We were glued to the TV, and were horrified as we watched the towers collapse. The world changed on that day, and it has never completely recovered. Understandably, today, many people in the US and elsewhere are remembering that day ten years ago, and remembering the 3000 people whose lives were taken so cruelly.
Today also marks exactly six months since the huge earthquake and tsunami devastated large parts of northern Japan. I will always remember where I was at 2:46 PM on March 11th, 2011 as well. I was here in our apartment, this time in the eastern suburbs of Tokyo. I will remember how when the earthquake started at first I kept sitting at my desk thinking it would be over soon. You get used to having little earthquakes happen on a fairly regular basis when you live in Japan. But I will remember how it didn't stop. How it kept getting stronger. How the whole apartment was swaying dramatically from side to side. I will remember how I wondered if this might be it. The Big One. And whether the building might collapse around me. (It was a big one, but not The Big One, as far as Tokyo was concerned, as we soon found out). And then when the earthquake did finally subside, I will remember how I, a little bit shakily, went back to my desk and was glued to Twitter for news and updates. I will remember watching on TV the utter horror of incredible waves of water inundating entire towns along the northern coast.
