Reading r_pendragon's journal

Just when I thought I had things all figured out, life's gone into a tailspin again.

I don't want to be one of those people who spends a lot of time writing superfluous, whining rants on the internet about "oh poor me, my life sucks." If anyone here on NAO was interested in that, you'd be over perusing LiveJournal, right? Besides, I know better. I have a great life. But lately it's seemed that whenever I get things at least partially on track, they derail again.

For example, I'd decided that I was going to leave Japan in May 2005. And it felt really excellent to have come to a conclusion, to have been decisive, to have examined my options and made a choice. But due to a new situation involving work and my new visa ambiguity (I won't go into it but suffice it to say that I'm irritable), my possible departure dates include May 2005, December 2004, and three weeks from today.

Part of me, much as I love Japan, is rooting for the three weeks from today option.

This realization came today when, at about 7:30 p.m., we had a terrific bruiser of an earthquake. Normally, earthquakes don't affect me much; I glance over at The Roommate™, we shrug and say "Jishin deshyo?" and go back to whatever we're doing. But this one was strong enough, long enough, and erratic enough that we both got up and stood in the middle of the apartment with freaked out expressions on our faces.

We probably needn't worry. We live in Shinjuku, which is Tokyo's skyscraper district for a reason– it's some of the most stable land in the Kanto region, and no one wants those big towers tipping over like dominoes.

But I think the occurrence of such a strong quake tipped me over the edge a bit; it was like it forced me to realize how tired I am of being here. Typhoons and earthquakes are scary; I want a familiar natural disaster, something I can deal with, like a blizzard.

In all seriousness, what this means is that I'm in limboland again- when do I leave? What do I do back home?– and it's frustrating. Because just when I thought all my affairs were neatly in a row, an earthquake had to go and shake things up.

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy

I too live in a high-rise, but smack in the center of the United States with nothing but tornadoes that never come through downtown. I could understand why you wouldn't want to stay in the line of fire, although Japan is a wonderful place with beautiful people and customs. Hope you get to come back when you'd like to...

If mountain goats like living at high elevations, why do none live in high rise apartment buildings?

could understand why you wouldn't want to stay in the line of fire

Line of fire indeed-- after the 7:00 quake, we got hit with an even stronger one around midnight. Both of them topped out on the 6-7 Richter scale range. Which brought up the coastal tsunami warnings; apparently the waves reached 20 inches.

Scary...

although Japan is a wonderful place with beautiful people and customs.

Absolutely true. But I've spent 1.5 out of the last three years here (suppose that's been one good way to avoid the Bush presidency, hmm?), so the wonderfulness and beauty are wearing a little thin in light of memories of the cozy and familiar of home.

My stepdad isn't mean, he's just adjusting. -Death to Smoochy