Category Archives: Earthquake

Real estate meeting in Tokyo

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Muravej

In the evening, I went to Tokyo for an annual meeting of the Hongo apartment. Before the meeting, I went to the apartment in Shibakoen to check the bicycles.    They were not yet arranged in a proper way.  Moreover, more bicycles than registered.  I sent an e-mail to the real-estate managing company about the situation. Then I went to Shinjuku, and had a pork cutlet for dinner at Wako. . In the meeting for the Hongo apartment, there were four people. We talked about the schedules for the year. After the meeting, I went out of the building to find that Tokyo became much brighter than that after the … Continue reading →

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Budgets and Schedules

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Muravej

The distribution of budgets among the organizations have been decided. I asked them to make their research plans from October this year to March next year. The budget of the fiscal year 2011 was reduced because of the earthquake. We did get a big fund. We need to use it wisely and properly. It rained in the evening. Katya and Maya-san came to the office to pick me up. I brought  egg plants an office manager gave me as he did last year. I watched “Into the storm“, a story about Winston Churchill. Katya and I hardly understand what is spoken, but fortunately, I read subtitles in Japanese. It is … Continue reading →

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Driving back to Kofu

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Muravej

The government asked me to prepare budget plan for the new project.  The deadline was set September 26.  We have very limited time. The reason we have only two weeks is because of the earthquake; the submission of the proposal was extended for one month, but the projects start on October 1 as usual. The sub leader of the project, a researcher working for a company, suggested me to meet at 2 PM in Kofu, which I agreed. I woke up at 6 AM this morning, but it was too early. I slept again and woke up at 8:30 AM! Too late for the departure. I took a shower, had … Continue reading →

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Millionaire in France

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Muravej

The plane left Narita at 10 PM just for Paris. In the plane, I was practicing French grammar using a small textbook I used during my university days. We arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport at 4 AM.  The temperature became lowered to 16 degree C; I had to change my shorts to jeans.    No shops were open then.  The students were tired and hungry. At 6 AM, shops started to open, and I bought quiches for them, the first quiches in their lives. The TGV left the airport at 7:40 AM for Bordeaux. Students fell asleep. On the way to Poitiers, I received a call from Japan from a … Continue reading →

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Quick blackout by a thunder

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Muravej

I gave Maya-san dinner at 5:30 PM, took her out for a walk, and I came back to my office to work. In front of my computer, I noticed a flash outside and a short blackout; it was a thunder. And the computer became unable to be connected to the internet. So I got out of the office at 7 PM, a bit earlier than usual. I decided to go to Ogino, a supermarket, to get some salad.  It has been four months since I went there last time after the quake. It was not lit outside. The inside was naturally darker to save the energy, but bright enough. It … Continue reading →

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Apartment meeting, First visit to Thai restaurant

Posted on July 9, 2011 by Muravej

I woke up at 4:30 AM; there was a meeting in the morning in Tokyo  for the owners of the apartments in Nakaochiai. I left home at 5 AM to Kofu station by bike. I had a beef bowl at Yoshinoya in front of Kofu station for breakfast. Then I took a bus to Shinjuku at 5:30 AM from Kofu station. I studied/slept in the bus. The bus arrived in Shinjuku at 7:30 AM. I had taken trains to Nakaochiai to check the apartment building before the meeting started. The building was built nearly 10 years ago. There were places to be  renewed and cleaned.  I took pictures to show … Continue reading →

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Practice for Quake – Farewell party – Welcome party

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Muravej

There was an imitation practice for the earthquake at the institute.  Meaning, that we pretended as if we had had an earthquake and behaved as we should do on that occasion.  The concept: practice makes perfect. From 6:30 PM, there was a farewell party for an office worker, who has been working for three years with us since the institute was established. Instead of his leave, two office workers joined to the institute.  So it was also a welcome party. It was a hot day, too, so we drank a lot.

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Participants increasing

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Muravej

From the end of August to the early September, I will chair a scientific seminar in Nagano. Many Asian researchers decided to come, fewer Americans and Europeans.  Japanese researchers and students are much fewer than last year, partly because of the earthquake. My colleagues and I called and sent e-mails, and today the number of the participant from the outside of our university raised up to 43. I hope there will be more than 50 people. It was less hot today.  I have been doing without an air conditioner in my office this summer.  I think I am getting used to it.

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It will get cooler

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Muravej

In the morning, I took Maya-san out before it got hot. It was a bit cooler today with clouds.  The highest temperature was 33 C. I cut grass outside in the garden of my office building. I payed to the landlord my parking-place fee.  She was wearing a cooling belt around her neck.  I thought it was a good idea. Tonight, we are expecting rain.  The rain may continue for a couple of days according to the weather forecast. I ordered TEXAS SELECT. There is a shortage of electric fans in the northeastern part of Japan.  I hope the summer is not too severe this year.

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37 degree C is high enough for June

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Muravej

It is June 24 today, and the highest temperature in Kofu was 37 C. The highest temperature in Japan was 38 C in Kumagaya, so Kofu is a good competitor. I　did not use the air conditioner in the office. I do not know how Katya survived. On the internet, TEPCO, or Tokyo Electric Power Company, is showing how the electricity is being used.  The bar on the screen shows that 90% of the current limit toward the blackout was used in the afternoon today; we were close to the blackout. The summer has just started.  It should be a challenging task to peacefully  live without a blackout. In the evening, … Continue reading →

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