Konnichiwa?

I was going to write about something entirely different this morning but instead I would ask you to try and imagine your house being violently shaken so that it rocks like a jelly and then a wall of muck and debris higher than that same house hitting it with the force of a violent alcoholic fist into the chest of a fragile new born infant child.
That was Japan yesterday and, as I write this, the resultant tsunamis are starting to cause further damage in places as far away as the United States. It is my job to know about these things.
Yes, I do sleep at night - but not particularly well and sometimes not for terribly long. Occasionally I have been up all night but there are plenty of others who will be up for nights on end and they will not be working from the comfort of their own homes.
Japan has one of the highest states of disaster preparedness in the world. Earthquakes happen almost everyday. They often go unnoticed or barely remarked.
I have taught many Japanese students. They tend to be reserved and independent, giving away little of their own feelings. This time however the Japanese are going to need some help and there may be many other places that will need help as well.
There are going to be wider appeals for assistance again too. If you know someone who is involved in helping, even on the periphery, please help them too. Let them talk - or be silent. Let them get on with the job they have to do. It will not cost you anything but a little time and perhaps a cup of tea.