The letter (via email)
that follows, written by Vietnamese immigrant,
Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in
Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a
testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an
interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan's crisis
at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM
editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two
Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.
Brother,
How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was
in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open
my eyes, I also see dead bodies.
Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were
48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and
rescuing folks.
We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near
zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new
orders to move them elsewhere.
I am currently in Fukushima, about 25 kilometers away from the
nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could
write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human
relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.
People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper
behavior are very good - so things aren't as bad as they could
be. But given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't
get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection
and order.
They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override
dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The
government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in
food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the
ocean.
Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a
little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how
to behave like a human being.
Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a
charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a
long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy
around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of
shorts.
It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the
line. I was worried that by the time his turn came, there
wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at
school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby
and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor
balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.
I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the
beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make
it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about
his relatives.
The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it
on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it
up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might
run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't
you eat it?"
The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right
away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where
the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be
distributed.
I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead
added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot
more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will
distribute the food equally."
When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me
cry.
A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the
concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great
society, a great people.
Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes.
The hours of my shift have begun again.
Ha Minh Thanh
What
can we and the world learn from the Japanese who are patiently
bearing the impact of nature's fury due to their precarious
location in the ring of fire (volcano, fault lines, tectonic
plate edge)?
1. THE CALM - Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild
grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated
2.THE DIGNITY - Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not
a rough word or a crude gesture.
3.
THE ABILITY - The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings
swayed but didn't fall.
4.
THE GRACE - People bought only what they needed for the present,
so everybody could get something.
5.
THE ORDER - No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on
the roads. Just understanding.
6.
THE SACRIFICE -Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in
the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7.
THE TENDERNESS - Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is
left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
8.
THE TRAINING - The old and the children, everyone knew exactly
what to do. And they did just that.
9.
THE MEDIA - They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins.
No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10.THE CONSCIENCE - When the power went off in a store, people
put things back on the shelves and left quietly.