Wow!
Another surreal experience for me in Korea...
Once more, I was in Danggam dong when I saw the images on television.
On the screen, there was a shot of what appeared to be a small dam.
A slow current of water was pushing cars and debris.
Of course, everything was described in Korean.
"There's a flood somewhere", I thought to myself, assuming it was happening inside Korea.
But I wondered where it could be happening, as I hadn't seen any rain in the forecast this morning.
I turned to the friendly looking Korean man who was sitting at a table near mine and, pointing to the tv, I asked: "어디에요?".
I meant to ask "어디 있어요?", but he understood me.
I, on the other hand, did not understand his response.
I forgot all about it, and walked back up the hill to my home.
A few hours later, as I was casually checking out the news on the web, I learned that Japan has been struck by one of the biggest Earthquakes in its history this very afternoon.
The Guardian, in addition to reporting the event in print, edited together and republished a number of videos of the advancing tsunami, near the city of Sendai, Japan. You can see the footage here, and here. But be warned! It is shocking to watch.
Further tsunami warnings have been issued for a number of other countries, including the US and Canada. Residents of Canada's BC coast are being asked to stay away from beaches this morning, although the tsunami is expected to be much smaller by the time it reaches North America. In Korea, no tsunami is expected, as the epicenter of the earthquake that caused it is to the east of Japan, while Korea is to the west.
This news has shaken me. I have had the pleasure of briefly visiting Japan, and though I was there for only a very short time, I fell in love with it. Tokyo is one of the most amazing cities I have ever seen! And Japan is a beautiful country. I hope it recovers quickly from this tragedy.
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