So Lost...

I understand your fears and I have been thinking a lot about my situation here. I really appreciate your input and care for me, but I have decided to stay for now. I will keep a close eye on what's happening here and I have no fears that the US government won't be able to get me out of here in case of a real crisis. The radiation levels are extremely low right now and they have a long way to travel to Nagoya. Some minor amounts have gotten to Tokyo but we are still far away from there. I don't want you to be afraid, but I want you to keep Japan in your hearts. I'm sorry if my decision upsets you, but I will keep you informed of my plans.

Below is a letter my sister received from here former employer, a professor and specialist on chemical weapons and toxins

Hi Corina:

Nagoya is pretty far from Fukushima so I would not worry too much. The First Fukushima Atomic Power Station is right on the beach so any radioactive heavy metals floating in the air tend to blown to the Pacific. The most of wind is from the west to the east. Of course due to local geography some wind blow from the east to the west or to the west or to the south west. Kaz's relative in Kochi asked me today what they should do. Well there is not much can do for the radioactive materials as they flow in the air and keep emitting alpha and gamma rays. I think beta ray is weak so will not worry too much. One should not inhale the radioactive contaminated air because these heavy metals tend to stay in the lung when you inhale. The radioactive iodine is dangerous because will bind to thyroid gland. You can prevent that by taking nonradioactive potassium iodide.When the nonradioactive iodine occupies the thyroid gland then the radioactive iodine is hard to go to the thyroid gland.Another dangerous radioactive floating in the air is strontium that is similar to calcium so it will go to your bones and teeth.

You brother should monitor the radioactivity of the in Nagoya often.If it becomes high then he should leave.I don't think it is to the stage yet.

It is obvious uranium 235 rod is melt already because of lack of cooling water. But the reaction vessel is made very strong and walled by stainless steel. If the reaction chamber's wall does not melt then it is slightly better. Of course the failed atomic chamber are spewing radioactive metals. But if the chamber's steel wall is melt then it will become like Chernobyl that is total disaster. At the moment the Fukushima's reaction chamber is melt within the chamber's wall so it is partial melt and not a total melting yet. It is somewhat similar to Three mile US atomic disaster. In this case the chamber's wall did not melt so the radioactive spill out was not too disastrous.

Tokyo Kagakudoji asked me to write the article about the atomic power station and the danger of radioactivity so I sent it today. It will appear in the May issue of Chemistry Today. The May issue will come out on April 15.I am interested in almost anything about poison and toxic substances. Tokyo Kgakudopujin's editor said there are only 2 persons in Japan who can answer anything about poisons immediately. He said one is me. So they always asked me at the last moment when some poison case happened.

I really hate blog, but I really like adding my pictures to the interweb. Alas, there is no middle ground, so I will blog only in picture comment form.

This is Sho. He decided to take Melissa and I on on an adventure. We called it "The Search For Chun Li".

It started here, in the heart of Nagoya, called Sakai. A huge anime convention was taking place. It was free and there were bound to be loads of Japanese girls dressed in next to nothing. We all took wagers on how many Chun Li's there would be. I said 5, Melissa said 3 and Sho said not nearly enough. He was going to find himself a Chun Li girlfriend.

We started off a bit shy but quickly realized that these peoplewanted their pictures taken with us as much as we did with them. I started safe and posed with a female Japanese Kaiser Willhelm and some other nice looking ladies of the Reich.

Melissa went hardcore and posed with some evil looking ninjas.

Not too sure about this sone. That girl was actualy using that pole o keep herself from snapping in half.

I was Gohan.

Mmmm fruit!

No Cun Li's yet. Sho did fall in love with this girl though. He was about to ask her out until he realized that he was at an anime convention.

Then there was a show. It was neat. I guess.

I got less interested and started looking at all the people. There must have been at least 1,000. Then I saw her! Chun Li!

It all worked out and Sho and I both took her out for ramen. I tried to cop a feel but she resisted and did that kick that she can do if you press low punch and low kick at the same time in the air. It hurt a bit.

This girl was the best part. Not pecause of her near nakedness but...

Because of the HUGE line of perverts waiting to get their picture taken with her.

And...

Her sad, not as hot friend in the fore ground.

The next week, Corina came to Japan so we decided to do some traveln'. First stop was Himeji castle. Amazing and such.

Artsy

Nice

Pretty

It also had a nice pond with a garden and stuff.

And some mushrooms

And some fish. I don't know why my text is now underlined in blue. Blogging is stupid.
The best part of the castle was this young couple Corina and I followed around. The guy kept telling his girlfriend what the names of things were in English. They also sad that it was hot out about 1,000 times. Atsui=hot in Japanese. I think the most common word in their language.

Yep, nice castle.

We got to stay with some of the coolest people ever in Osaka. Ren and Will are Australian English teachers at local schools in Osaka. They have a band that makes noise music and find most of the stuff they own in the alley. I like them.

They took me to a bar that could only hold 5 people. The owner plays in a band that is similar to Ren and Will's. It's called oooozzoozozooozozoz or something. It's gothic style noise ambient electro and some other music adjectives. He was rad. We drank strange things I have never heard of. I will be back.

This is Ren exiting dream land. It is 2 levels of used videogames from the NES, Genesis, and Atari. They had game music playing from the speakers and loads of TVs with game previews on them. All pre 1995.

Games

I almost bought this car. It must have taken ages with a Bedazzler.

ok...

Huge classic toy store. They even had a Wokie head. The top floor was all anime porn. Will and I found ourselves in the gay boy section some how. I didn't buy anything...

Someone gave this boy a cig.

She already had one.

I would live in Osaka for sure.

Later that night, Will tried to show me how to play the jaw harp

I think I got it!

Then we played with toys, ate sushi and watched a monster movie. I felt like I was 7.

The next day we left Osaka and went to Kyoto to visit a Japanese teacher that we housed 7 years ago. It was rough finding her in the station because my Japanese is non-existant and her English didn't include directions. After 2 hours of calling and looking for her we found her. It also didn't help that she was short and Japanese. Her and another teacher that came to Colorado 7 years ago took us around Kyoto where we saw the real shit. Japan is amazing.

Japan

Fountain of youth, knowledge and health. You were supposed to chose one. We did all of them.

Japan

China...

Japan

Hi. The next day more teachers that had visited colorado showed up and we all went for a boat ride. It was in a boat that they have used for like 800 years. Japan is crazy.

That was our tour guide. He was funny I guess. I didn't understand any of his jokes though. They were in Japanese. I still laughted, just to blend in.

At the end of the boat trip another boat came along and tried to sell us stuff. I was too smart for that though.

Although...it did look very squidy.

There goes our boat.

Following the boat ride was more of Japan.

Two of the Japanese teachers were really interested in the only historical thing i know about Japan. He took us on this sweet tour that you would only know about if you were Japanese. It was about these Samurai called the Shinsengumi. They were a group of people who fought against the use of guns in the Meji era. They all died real quick, but they were badass. This is one of their main posts in Osaka.

Just had to.

After we toured this old house where the Shinsengumi held their meetings we drank green tea out of bowls. As you do. We weren't allowed to take pictures in the house, but there was a spot on the celing that had been cut out because one of the guy's swords was too long. He had it raised to kill their evil leader while he wasn't looking. They had to replace the floors and part of the celing because the blood wouldnt come out. Word.

This is the grave site of one of the Shinsengumi. It was a cool grave. When you put a 100 yen coin in it would play some old recording of a guy sighing.

On our way to another Shinsengumi shrine.

This is where they had one of their largest battles. But it was only this rock on the side of the road.

Because it was there...

We then drank and ate so much. Japanese people can put it away. This woman and I had about 25 beers between the two of us. We also each had 7 plates of food. All you can drink places are common here. I love Japan.

Again...it had to be done.

Nice.

This place looks soso, but I really think it is the best place I have been in Japan. I could not believe how peaceful it was even with a million tourists. I'll be back there too.

Some odd trees.

Japanese green tea is the best drink in the world. If only it didn't cost $7 a glass. You need 4 glasses to prepair one cup sometimes too. It is strange but I'd do it anay time for some macha.