What's going on in Japan? And in the world?

It's been nearly a month since that terrible earthquake+tsunami+atomic issue shook Japan and waked up a worldwide consciousness about our planet. What's going on now in Japan for people who are living there, for the economy, what's going on with charity funds?

One month later, and as any other times, people promissed monney to help Japan standing up. The newspaper slowly stop speaking about the earthquake. And people start forgetting. But stupid reactions can be still seen everywhere: here are some extracts of what can be found on the internet. 

• "Anyway, Japan's too rich to get humanitarian help..." WTF? What about the US when Katrina struck?
• "What happens in Japan is their punishment for Pearl Harbour"... Well, as a friend of mine said, I don't want to know the punisment for Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Enola Gay.

Well, as my father told me when I was an indignant kid at injustice in the world: "y'a des connards partout", "there are assholes where ever you go"... Betty Ming Liu made a good article on it some weeks ago.

One month later, the earth is still shaking. None of my friends over there have been hurt, but I guess we were just lucky. Thousands of people are still homeless, there's food shortage, no tap water, no electricity, lots of people lost everything they had and everyone they loved. Even if the newspaper don't talk about it, Japan still needs help. Badly. North East Japan is one of the most cold part of the country. A friend of mine lives there, on March, there were still lots of snow. And no heating.

How are the other Japanese dealing with that? 180 km away from Fukushima lives a friend of mine. We were really worried about her the days after the quake, because we had no news, but finally, she was fine. Line cut, no water for a few days... and life went on. She has now to carry a big umbrella and maybe drink iode pills to avoid being contaminate by Fukushima's emanations. But she, and the many other japanese are thriving to let life go on, she found a student's job, her friend's just graduated from university... life's going on, whatever happens. In Hiroshima, if you don't watch the news and don't pay attention to people around you, you won't even guess there's been an earthquake.

Last week was Hanami . When all the Japanese go out and look up too the dazzling cherry blossom. Some weeks ago, people were talking about deleting it. A friend of mine on DeviantArt, famous photographer wrote:

"they were talking about this year not lighting up 

/or even have a hanami fest since the disaster but ,

they knew that would just be wrong .

we all need some light .

no matter in what situation ."Yoshi (check his DA, it's absolutely magnificent )

I think this summarise the situation quite well. Wow.

I don't want to make the stupid manga-groupie scream. I silently admire their dignity in view of this situation. My mom, watching the news told me "see, what would happen if something like that happens at home (we're South-East Asians), there will be fights and lootings. People won't even think about queuing up, they'd be able to kill each other without any kind of solidarity". Yeah, it would be like that. Anywhere else than Japan. This must be in the Japanese way of living.

I'm not saying it's perfect. A friend of mine told me they were actually quite slow to distribute the international help because "they don't want to feel like international begging". Well, I'm not in Japan, I can't tell. But I think if Japanese really did not want any help, there would not be 2 accounts from The Japanese Red Cross, and expat Japanese would not be running here and there to raise funds!

Now there are other unpleasant questions that are asked to Japan and to the whole Planet:

• When are we getting rid of nuclear power? From bomb to plants, it's been such a messy world for more than half a century. Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Tchernobyl and now Fukushima, perhaps another one. Radioactive uranium is now leaking from Fukushima to the sea. How many centuries will it take until the radio-isotope become harmless? How much time will it take to our political leaders to understand we should stop immediately with a power which is slowly killing Mommy Earth? I'm currently living in Switzerland, and one of the rulling parties expressed their condolences to Japan, but still show their support to nuclear plants. There are earthquakes in Switzerland. The strongest one, in 19th century, was considered as a 9.00 magnitude.  see... Depressing isn't it? 
• They are talking about burrying Fukushima under concrete or mud. What about the sea? US recommended a 80 km no mans' land around the plants. How's it possible in one of the most densely populated place on earth? What's going to happen with the workers who are working in Fukushima now?

• How much will it cost to repair Japan? $20-30 billion... depressing, knowing that Japan was already on economic issues before that day of March 2011... See, help's needed. Not a lot. 20$ will feed at least 4 people. See? There's no useless donation. If everyone is pushing a bit, then the mountain can be slowly moved. 
• Minamisanriku, Sendai, the martyr, are only two of the many destroyed city. They need help! How can one think "they're filthy rich, they don't need help?"

Japan asked such a big question to the world: "How would we react if something like that happens to us"

Cruel to say, but nations, even if they help, are quite self-centered. I would not say they are "happy" such a thing did not happy to them, not yet, but nearly. Well the "something like that" could be anything, anywhere... Maybe we human beings made Mommy Nature so much upset she's getting insane... Phuket, Haiti, Louisianne, Sichuan, now Japan... Mom's definitely furious... Time to behave, hoomin!

Don't forget California is still waiting for "the big One". 

What can we do?

Now? Pray, donate, be informed and like helping any other friend: cry with them when they feel like crying, and laugh out loud with them when they want to stand up and walk away from the drama.

and after that, I forgot our little planet was not fine at all. Lybia, Barhein, Yemen, Myanmar (there's been an earthquake, no one is talking about it!), Ivory Coast... Le monde a mal. 

My dad always told me I should stop wanting to save the world. OK, maybe, but I'm moving my lazy butt the more the better to save the biggest amount. Be an idealist. We need idealists.

I feel like wanting to hug our dear Earth... It's hard not forgetting people, but "if you save one person, you're saving the whole humanity". Don't feel pity. Be useful. 

FOR DONATIONS:

THE JAPANESE RED CROSS

GOOGLE CRISIS RESPONSE