![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrRVI3fsWZ8GqtQZ0cxkKOBk8Q1dzKWu5Toqxotb4KixkjnOZ1jlBnHZsLiJWwqNTZHadVSpNa-H-ub1hyphenhyphen-QpsaMEnoFziywmsIbe-dosZPdVSugVcM7NngoLRAek1Aww6b0FOy5I20Tm/s400/Hijagawa_Okinawa_Japan.jpg)
Just over a decade ago, I spent four years on a tiny island in southern Japan. A wonderful place full of great food, music and nice people. I do not look at my time there through rose-colored glasses, too much happened for that to be true, but I did love living there and my daughter was born there, and in a few years we are going back for a vacation, so she can see where she was born and maybe learn why she loves Teiko drum music.
The top photo is of Okinawa. Very beautiful countryside.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKRr1TaAcKzYuQSixbwgpcQEXlSAAwIt4J2Psz9Wa4_9nfKjBr1R0LGSdjmk5mTngh7x9MBEqTJq_yrXWpdFImJAS5Z4QalVIXAue4S6g6iIMfxJ2pkVBHOFEMXOsD0lwSWhyHz7gZtL8/s400/japan+tsunami+footage-789306.jpg)
When we flew over Tokyo I was amazed at how big of a city it was. It seemed to go from one ocean to the other. What I couldn't have imagined and still have a hard time wrapping my head around is that this photo is not something that my nephews did by taking all of their toys and dumping them in the bathtub, but are real and while thousands lost their lives, tens of thousands lost their homes and businesses, millions of lives are forever changed.
My island home would have most likely swallowed by the sea entirely. As in most disasters many people want to help. Prayers and thoughts are good. But if you choose to donate money or items, please be sure the person or organization you are dealing with are reputable and really will be helping. Reports suggest that more earthquakes and tsunami's could hit the main island of Japan. It is, unfortunately, not over for them yet.
Simone.