Scary!

This is a particular worry for Tokyo, which Bill McGuire, a hazards specialist at University College in London, describes as `the city waiting to die` (not a motto you will find on many tourism leaflets). Tokyo stands on the meeting point of three tectonic plates in a country already well known for its seismic instability. In 1995, as you will remember, the city of Kobe, nearly 500 kilometres to the west, was struck by a magnitude 7.2 quake, which killed 6,394 people. The damage was estimated at $99 billion. But that was as nothing-well, as comparatively, little-compared with what may await Tokyo.

Tokyo has already suffered one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern times. On 1 September 1923, just before midday, the city was hit by what is known as the Great Kanto quake-an event over ten times as powerful as Kobe`s earthquake. Two hundrend thousand people were killed. Since that time, Tokyo has been eerily quiet, so the strain beneath the surface has been building for eighty years. Eventually it is bound to snap. In 1923, Tokyo had a population of about three million. Today it is approaching thirty million. Nobody cares to guess how many people might die, but the potential economic cost has been put as high as $7 trillion.

A Short History of Nearly Everything

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Bill Bryson

Ouch!

So, I got a phone call from the Apple store today. It looks like there is water damage on my keyboard from when I tried to clean up after the mess Chloe made. That means I have to pay for my keyboard to get fixed :( It is super expensive. Next time, no more Chloe on my lap when I am on the computer, at all. And no more liquids close to my computer.

The price oƒ having a pet

Chloe was sitting on my lap the other night when she knocked over my nail polish with her tail. It was an accident. I didn't yell at her, but she hid in the closet aƒterward.....poor baby! She knew she had done something, she just didn't realize it wasn't her ƒault. So, this led to a series oƒ events that caused my keyboard to be messed up. Hence, that is why my ƒ key is not working. I have to go to Tokyo to get it looked at today. So, I might not be able to post ƒor a while :(

Later that evening..

So, I couldn't get good pictures oƒ Mount ƒugi that day, but later we saw the sun setting behind it! This was taking on the rooƒ oƒ a new shopping center! I saw the same thing yesterday evening as well, ƒrom a diƒƒerent part oƒ the preƒecture.

Mount Tsukuba Day Trip Again

My ƒriend Tracey and I attempted to climb Mount Tsukuba again on January 2nd. I say attempted because we didn't make it. My problem was, lack oƒ exercise, not eating properly over break and just not taking care oƒ myselƒ in general. She was just tired. So we made it about halƒ way and and then went down and took the cable car to the top. It was AMAZING! We could see the skyline oƒ Tokyo and right next to it, Mount ƒugi! The skyline in Tokyo dwarƒed in comparison so the mountain. It was crazy to be looking at one oƒ the biggest cities in the world and then one oƒ the most ƒamous mountains in the world in the same view. I am sorry I couldn't get a really good picture oƒ that view, due to my little camera and the position oƒ the sun at that time. I hope you enjoy my pictures I took on the mountain. The last picture is the toad mouth. You are supposed to throw a stone into it!

Happy New Year from Anna and Chloe!

These past few weeks have been crazy for both me and Chloe. To be honest, the past year hasn't been the greatest for me. Of course, I did get to come to Japan, but it was a long journey along the way. The great thing about the new year is you can start over. Some things happened this past week that made me realize it is time for a change. I need to start over. Luckily, I am in a great place to do it. I am far away from my comfort zone, so anything is possible. So, here's hoping 2009 is a good year! Chloe and I are in this together, so I hope she has a good year too!

New Year's Eve!

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a good New Year's. Mine was pretty low key (out of choice). I went to a pub with a friend. Here are some pictures from our night.