Friday, September 21, 2012

火事だ!

Today's events were interesting enough to make a blog post about. The title reads "kaji da!" which means,"There's a fire!" We went to a disaster training simulation today in order to better prepare us for three common disasters that Japan sees. Earthquakes, typhoons, and fires.

After watching a very dramatic video about a couple of middle school (I think?) friends who just went through their own disaster drill experience the 7 magnitude earthquake that recently hit Tokyo and how their training helped them to survive the experience, we were led to each training area and taught the basics of what to do in the corresponding disaster. The first was an earthquake. I was surprised and impressed with myself that I could clearly understand the trainer's fully Japanese instructions. I am sure she simplified them for her foreign audience, but still. Go me!

Anyway, so it is recommended that you first hide under the table or something similar and cover your head with something to protect it during the worst part of the quake. Second, you wait until it starts to die down and you go shut off the gas from the stove if you had it on before the quake started, and then you open the door and prop something against it to keep it open.

The four of us girls (there are only four in our entire group) went first and the trainer was kind and gave us a low magnitude quake. Then it was the boys' turn. And they got a 7. >_>


Ramsey, LoLo, and Jordan.
I think we need a bigger table.
Gotta make do with what you have.
Phew, that wasn't so bad... (Note, this is the third group with Shaun and Josh and Ramsey just decided to do it again for funsies.)

Here is a link to the video of the simulation. Sorry for the crappy sound, I guess the camera was a bit too sensitive to it. And on a side note, since I hate the quality of the video in blogger and not everyone can see my Facebook, I decided to post my videos on youtube, set as unlisted. I thought about setting them to private, but that means you all have to get youtube accounts, and I don't want to put you through all that trouble to watch my videos. However, unlisted means that anyone with the address can watch it, and while they are not embarrassing or strange videos, I'd rather keep them within family and friends, so please refrain from spreading the link around to other people.

Earthquake!

Next was the fire simulation. They had a screen that showed a room catching on fire that you had to put out like a real fire. And if you shot at it in the wrong spot, it wouldn't go out. I think we all new from countless fire drills in grade school how to use an extinguisher, but this is the first time we actually got to use one.

We had to yell out "火事だ!" once the first started, but our group of shy ladies did not shout as loud as the trainer wanted us to. So, of course, the boys showed us how it is done.

A demonstration
Take that, fake fire!
Next group: Josh, Lindsey, and LoLo.
Third group: Ramsey, Jordan, and Shawn

 Fire!

The next simulation was the typhoon one. We all donned rain suits and rubber boots and tried not to get wet under torrential rainfall and crazy strong winds.


I am the one in the yellow, second row. 
ZOMG WATER!
It is hard to tell because they turned down the lights here, but this was the wind portion of the simulation.
Some kind of machine that shows what happens to a building in...a flood? Tsunami? No idea. We had to go to the next simulation before it finished.

I don't have a video of the typhoon because...well...I was in it. And the profs were nice enough to take the pictures, but I didn't want to bother asking them for a video. Not much to see but a bunch of water anyway.


These signs were everywhere. Of course, you have to call Batman first before anyone else for help.

There was a fourth simulation, where we had to find our way through a simulated burning building. Too dark for pictures. But the computer tracks where you are and puts you on this map for your friends to watch from the outside and shows if someone dies should they stand up and breath the smoke, take the elevator, etc. I think I died. >_>

A model of the building we were inside.
The actual building from the outside.
Fire trucks!
Not that different from their American counterparts.

On the way to class after the disaster drill, I found myself looking out over the city from the train station at Nishi Funabashi and saw a great photo shot, and it is usually too crowded to see through the throngs of people, but we were there during a slow part of the day.


You can see the trains coming and going here and on the left you can see the bike parking lot.

And to end it, I have more random pictures I never got around to posting.


Dessert at the konbini one night after dinner.
The rice is starting to grow back! Again, don't know why this excites me, but it does.
A very pretty dove we encountered cooing at us as we walked by. It took off the moment after I took the picture so I got pretty lucky.
Japan, do you have to make everything cute? Even your garbage bags?

And for those who want to see better versions of all the other videos I have posted from this trip, here are the links:

Sumo wrestling

Drummers in Kamakura

Drummers again

The rest are yabusame.
http://youtu.be/ZJuZ2aPsgT4
http://youtu.be/gqxtQDyviXA
http://youtu.be/Ql2TErchq3c
http://youtu.be/IwlGQwNbt9M
http://youtu.be/nY5AeTH1Taw

Tomorrow, glass cutting!

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