Japan

I was going to write something today about the overall levelling experience in RIFT, but having just seen all the footage of the utter devastation in Japan it feels more than a little lame to start waffling on about having fun playing computer games.
 
Japan is a country that I’ve been fascinated with since I was a nipper, I think due to a combination of the beautiful art, the language, and a cultural history that at times is so familiar and yet so utterly alien to Europe. Japan is a country of extremes, certainly in its history, but also in the landscape itself (the majority of which is utterly uninhabitable) and unfortunately it’s weather. I went through a phase where I read a lot of Japanese history; it’s packed with political intrigue, warfare and drama, but also natural disasters, chief amongst which are earthquakes and tsunami. In fact that should be obvious really, in recent years tsunami has become a word well known across the world and there’s a reason why it’s a Japanese word we’re all using.
 
A friend of mine asked me today why she doesn’t remember hearing about tsunami when she was a kid, is it a new phenomenon? Alas no, it’s just that traditionally most western media has been bloody awful at reporting on tragedies that don’t occur in Europe or English speaking countries. It’s only in recent years that we’re really starting to get a true global news service, though there’s still so much that doesn’t make it to our attention. So it’s not new, unfortunately dealing with earthquakes is something the Japanese have had to persevere with since, well... since the beginning of Japan itself. This latest one mind you is a monster, this isn’t something anyone can really be prepared for, let alone be used to. I’ve been stunned by what I saw today on the news.
 
Through my time on the internet I’ve got to know a good few people with friends and family over there and I can’t imagine what they must be going right now. So I don’t really know what to say, other than my hopes for the best go out to all.