The school that my children attend was to host 11 students from Ōkuma this week (arriving 20th March). Of the 11 students, 7 have fathers who work at the Fukushima Daiichi (No.1) nuclear power plant. This news story from the Sydney Morning Herald is likely to be about some of these children.
My son has previously visited Ōkuma as part of learning Japanese at his local high school. Here is a photo of him near the Fukushima Daiichi (No.1) nuclear power plant in 2009 (source: Facebook).
In April this year I was to visit Ōkuma with my husband, children, and 41 others from their high school. I had taken leave to do this, but knew that it would assist me with my Future Fellowship, to give me great insights into: the lives of Japanese children, how Australian and Japanese children learn languages, and the Japanese language. The trip has been cancelled and our thoughts are with our sister city in Japan. This is a news story from our local paper, the Western Advocate and another story.
In response to the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis I have been on the team to organise a memorial service to be held at Bathurst City Uniting Church on 23rd March, 2011. This service will be attended by the Mayor and Bathurst City councillors, students and teachers from local high schools, university staff and students, and people from across Bathurst who have visited Japan, hosted visitors from Japan, and who are thinking of the people of Japan at this sad time.
The service will also remember the people of Christchurch, in New Zealand, where 182 people died as a result of the earthquake in February. I was in Christchurch only a few weeks before the devastating earthquake. My colleagues and friends are all safe, but all have been affected by these events.
