Japanese Lesson of the Week: Week 12

I intended on resuming regular lessons this week but as the day went on and my mind would wander to this post I had to write, I felt increasingly uncomfortable. Who really cares about dining out etiquette in Japan right now?

So until further notice, future JLOTW posts will likely be about the disaster-zone that is mainland Japan right now.

Here is an article by NatGeo featuring twenty unforgettable pictures from the devastation caused by the tsunami.

Amazing rescue stories here and here. The stories of rescues are few and far between with well over 8,500 confirmed dead and more than 13,000 still missing.

A professor at Chiba University believes that from the bodies he have studies, people were trying to evacuate but the sheer speed and force of the tsunami caused them to drown.

A blogger from Wired explains the nuclear situation, complete with an illustration, in Understanding Japan's Nuclear Crisis .

Google has maps available that shown where homeless shelters are, where the country nuclear power plants and located, and more.

CNN compiled a list of charities taking donations but also has an article on how to avoid charity scams. If anyone is looking to do what you can to help out, check out that link or a couple of ideas in last week's JLOTW entry.

Until next week, sayonara.