One year after 311 Earthquake in East Japan

Today is the first anniversary of 311 Earthquake of magnitude 9.0, followed by deadly tsunami. Over 21.000 people lost their lives, killed by tsunami or from the injuries caused by quakes.
I wasn't here in Japan, when it ocurred. I was in Poland that time. We were woke up around 8 am by a phone call from my father-in-law and he asked us if we're aware what is hapening now in Japan. We were surprised, because we were sleeping, exhausted after quite a busy night our 9 month old son gave us. We quickly turn on TV and... I sat in shock on our sofa. A huge wave was tearing apart houses, washing away cars and taking along big ships further into the mainland. I remember crying a lot that day, and next days too. Japan is like my second home, I lived there almost 4 years, gave birth to my son in Sapporo, I have a lot's of friends around the country. To think that anything bad would happen to them is just too much for me. Luckily, none of my friends were injured or killed by tsunami. We were worried about my husband's friends who live in Sendai, because there was no contact with them, but finally they callled (or wrote an e-mail, don't remember now) saying they're all right. For the next few days I watched NHK World - one and only japanese channel we were able to find in our cable tv programme list, and was so depressed seeing all those images of wave washing away averything, people suffering and ruined cities. And of course problems with Fukushima nuclear plant. I just couldn't stop watching TV... Everyday new number of people killed, problems with food in damaged villages and cities. That was so sad, I couldn't get over it. I wanted to do something, I even thought I could go to Japan and help somehow, but as I had a small baby at home, it was impossible. We eventually gave some money to help rebuild an elementary school ruined by tsunami. That was all we could do that time.
Today we we're watching in TV the ceremony held in memory of all the people who lost their lives in tsunami. There was a minute of silence at 14:46 - the time when the earth shook on 11th March 201. All day all the channels were showing programms about tsunami and people who survived the wave. Again, its was so depressing and sad.
Sorry for such a personal post here, but it was very emotional experience for me, and as I live now in Japan, I wanted to show my respect for the people here and for the place I really love.

And at the end, please look HERE - these are some pic taken after tsunami striked and one year after. Scroll pics from side to side to see places then and now. I was shocked how fast they cleaned almost all of the debris and things brought along by the wave. But well, that's Japan :)

がんばれ、日本！

Pic from the top of the post is taken from here