Patient, punctual, but panicky

Now it's 6:00pm, March 16. I’m writing this article, having only computer’s light and some candle lights. Currently, my living area has been under blackout. I know the blackout thing was planned beforehand because of our shortage of electric resources since we had the terrible earthquake, and sequential awful nuclear power plants' accidents. It’s weird, because I can see lots of lights outside.
Our lifeline has kind of been divided. Even though in the same city, there are “blackout areas” and “not-blackout areas,” depends on the balance of electric supply and demand. Anyway, one hour later, I’m supposed to get “the cultural life” back.

Since the unbelievable disaster happened last Friday, everything around my life has been changing. The English school I work for will have been closed until 21th. All of my wedding receptions for emceeing this weekend have been canceled. That’s awful to hear newlyweds have to postpone their wedding receptions!!
I talked with one of the brides on the phone. She couldn’t stop crying.
“I’m very very sad right now, but if we’re in our guests’ shoes…we can’t say, “please come to our wedding!” among the aftershock, confusion of blackout, and the danger of nuclear plants’ troubles.”
I truly hope the terrible situations in Japan will solve as soon as possible, and my client newlyweds can hold their weddings soon. I don’t care even if I become very busy when I get back to my businesses. When can I get back to my businesses!?? I was supposed to be very busy right now, but now, what I can do is just staying home.

I feel disappointed when I heard my school will cancel all of classes for awhile… If I work for a food company or toiletry business and so on, I would become much more busy. However, English classes are “extracurricular activity,” so under this emergency situation, I don’t have a place to work!
However, when I talked with our manager of the school, she shared heartwarming stories. “Your students are very loyal to you. Toshio came to the school just to give you White Day’s gift! Akira also stopped by the school, to pay for the next term’s tuition. Their loyal behaviors just refreshed me!”
Yes, nice people care the people who even involved with “extracurricular" business! Their stories lighten me up…and I just wondered, “they might be nice because I gave them Valentine Day’s chocolate??” I don’t know…

On Monday, when I was on the way to the school, the manager called me my classes were canceled. So, I went back to my home...when I got out of the station, I noticed so many people were making a line in front of a supermarket. What are they buying!?? Is there anything I should buy under this emergency?? I thought I had enough food, but I was just drawn by the crowd. But inside the store, there were much more people getting in lines to pay for food. I gave up to get food stocks, and left the supermarket.
But next to the supermarket, there also were lots of people, queuing to buy toilet papers. I knew I had enough toilet papers at home, but “just in case” feeling made me one of them. However, the line was much more longer than I thought, so again, I gave up to get reserves.

As international press has reported, Japanese people have been very patient & punctual even though just under this devastated situation.
However, even we’re punctual, maybe we’ve been somewhat panicky!!
We know, we shouldn’t have tried to get stocks for our own because victims in Tohoku area need them desperately.
But, under these unexpected blackouts and threat of nuclear plant’s accidents, people just run into stores, then…now, tissue papers, toilet papers, sanitary napkins, batteries, flash lights, rice, water, preserved food, are gone.
I don’t want to be panicky, but I want to be prepared for “just in case.”
Of course I would like to help people in Tohoku, but so far, to protect myself & my hubby…

When will we be go back to our real lives, like the life we can enjoy extracurricular activities and extradaily parties, like wedding receptions???