Japanese boy teaches lesson in sacrifice

Published on ShanghaiDaily.com (http://www.shanghaidaily.com/)



http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=467066&type=Opinion

Japanese boy teaches lesson in sacrifice

EDITOR'S note:

THIS letter, written by Vietnamese immigrant Ha Minh Thanh working in Fukushima as a policeman to a friend in Vietnam, was posted on New America Media on March 19. It is a testimonial to the strength of the Japanese spirit, and an interesting slice of life near the epicenter of Japan 's crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was translated by NAM editor Andrew Lam, author of "East Eats West: Writing in Two Hemispheres." Shanghai Daily condensed it.

Brother,

How are you and your family? These last few days, everything was in chaos. When I close my eyes, I see dead bodies. When I open my eyes, I also see dead bodies.

Each one of us must work 20 hours a day, yet I wish there were 48 hours in the day, so that we could continue helping and rescuing folks.

We are without water and electricity, and food rations are near zero. We barely manage to move refugees before there are new orders to move them elsewhere.

I am currently in Fukushima , about 25 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. I have so much to tell you that if I could write it all down, it would surely turn into a novel about human relationships and behaviors during times of crisis.

People here remain calm - their sense of dignity and proper behavior are very good - so things aren't as bad as they could be. But given another week, I can't guarantee that things won't get to a point where we can no longer provide proper protection and order.

They are humans after all, and when hunger and thirst override dignity, well, they will do whatever they have to do. The government is trying to provide supplies by air, bringing in food and medicine, but it's like dropping a little salt into the ocean.

Brother, there was a really moving incident. It involves a little Japanese boy who taught an adult like me a lesson on how to behave like a human being.

Last night, I was sent to a little grammar school to help a charity organization distribute food to the refugees. It was a long line that snaked this way and that and I saw a little boy around 9 years old. He was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

It was getting very cold and the boy was at the very end of the line. I was worried that by the time his turn came there wouldn't be any food left. So I spoke to him. He said he was at school when the earthquake happened. His father worked nearby and was driving to the school. The boy was on the third floor balcony when he saw the tsunami sweep his father's car away.

I asked him about his mother. He said his house is right by the beach and that his mother and little sister probably didn't make it. He turned his head and wiped his tears when I asked about his relatives.

The boy was shivering so I took off my police jacket and put it on him. That's when my bag of food ration fell out. I picked it up and gave it to him. "When it comes to your turn, they might run out of food. So here's my portion. I already ate. Why don't you eat it?"

The boy took my food and bowed. I thought he would eat it right away, but he didn't. He took the bag of food, went up to where the line ended and put it where all the food was waiting to be distributed.

I was shocked. I asked him why he didn't eat it and instead added it to the food pile. He answered: "Because I see a lot more people hungrier than I am. If I put it there, then they will distribute the food equally."

When I heard that I turned away so that people wouldn't see me cry.

A society that can produce a 9-year-old who understands the concept of sacrifice for the greater good must be a great society, a great people.

Well, a few lines to send you and your family my warm wishes. The hours of my shift have begun again.

Ha Minh Thanh

I am frustrated

Have u ever feel frustrated?
How do u deal with your own feeling?
How did u blame urself when u frustrated with ur self?

Dah seminggu x update blog.

Kepada peng'komen' entry sangat marah

Saya cuma nak balas komen Annonymous
http://nana-sweetangel.blogspot.com/2010/09/sangat-marah.html?showComment=1299656244463#c3895120864878405390

Bos takkan marah kalau stafnya rajin dan berdedikasi.
Kalau dah kena marah tu, paham2 sendirila, takkan nak bos pasang video kat meja pekerja tu kot
Dah tengok perangai sendiri baru nak malu???
Tunggu ajerla kat akhirat untuk ulang tayang semula

Anonymous said...


Kita berhibur jap dengan pantun kelakar di bawah, yang dipetik dari buku ‘Alamak, Bosku Seperti Hitler!’ hahaha:



Pagi-pagi, sudah mencemuh,

Si pemandu terus terdiam mengeluh,

Bos ini jenis yang kecoh,

Dapat “Tan Sri”, satu dunia dia heboh.



“Ada pelanggan hendak jumpa”,

Itulah kata si setiausaha,

Bos enggan, mengantuk katanya,

Biarkan pelanggan berjumpa air liur basinya.



Bos memanggil mesyuarat mengejut,

Ada pekerja berjalan bak siput,

Bos pun menengking sampailah semput,

Para pekerja terkentut-kentut.



March 8, 2011 11:20 PM

ARNA said...

Kepada Anoyingmous:

Kita berhibur dengan pantun saya yang xde ritma ini. Dari buku "Alamak Pekerjaku Pemalas"



Pagi-pagi punch kad awal,

Tengok meja xde orang,

Bos ingat pergi Outstation Rupanya berniaga kuih dan mekap.



Ada dokumen perlu diuruskan,

Bos telefon, pekerja x jawab,

Bos letak atas meja pekerja,

Rupanya pekerja dah balik rumah.



Kerja harus dijalankan,

Bos ada kerja juga,

Tapi pekerja buat pekasam kumpul atas meja,

Bos tolong buat kerja si pekerja itu,

Hitlerkah bos itu?????



Selama setahun bos bersabar dengan perangai pekerja,

Si pekerja baru kene tegur sekali,

Pergi mengadu pada ayah,

Bos nak mengadu dekat atuk nya ke????

Kalau sudi anoyingmous balas la pantun saya ni ek :)

Nak bli HP baru

Sejak akhir2 ini hp sy selalu tertera "INSERT SIM"  takpun tetiba jer off sendiri. Itu adalah petanda kene beli hp baru. hehehe...

sekarang antara 2, nk bli hp biasa ke yg ada keypad keyboard tu.

yg ni kelebihanya kamera 8mp

tapi xde keypad

AP: rm799

Ori : rm899

yg ni kamera 5mp tp ada keyboard leh la sy update blog guna hp jer hehehe

AP: rm899

Ori :rm1099

kamera 5mp pun dah okey kalu cuci kan?

Tukar... Tukar

Setelah 2 minggu mendiamkan diri, tetiba tukar nama blog hehehe
Rasa macam bosan plak tgk blog nih. Nanti ada masa nak make over blog. nak tempek banyak2 gambar muka yang cun dan Baby Yusuf yg comel.

Aku bahagia!!! tapi dalam hati tuhan jer yg tahu kan huhu
Nantila, kalu ada nama yg lg best saya akan tukar.

Handbeg baru

Bila dah ada anak. Gaya hidup sudah berubah. Kalau waktu U dulu cari hanbeg yang paling kecik. Sekadar boleh letak handphone, wallet dan tisu. Bila dah kerja cari handbeg yang sederhana besar sebab nak isi hp, wallet, tisu, kunci keta, kunci umah, tag nama office dan mekap.

Kini bila dah ada anak, kena cari handbeg yg besar sebabnya.....

Tadaaaaa......

Kena simpan pampers, wipes and botol susu kat dlm hanbeg hahahahahaha

Cari handbeg yg ada 2 partition. 1 utk ibu n 1 utk anak

Kalau kuar shopping pun tangan sampai x ckup...

Nak bershoping kene merancang. Cari supermarket yg ada pampers murah.. pastu beli 4 bungkus. Dah penuh tangan. Barang2 lain pun kene beli juga. Memang penuh kete

syukur ada bantuan Breastfeed

Alhamdulilah, Syukur tidak terhingga. Selama 2 bulan saya mengidam nak direct Breastfeed Yusuf, akhirnya kini ada sinar harapan untuk mencapai impian saya yang sejak mula mengandung telah saya berazam untuk menyusukan anak. Breastfeeding adalah cabaran terhebat mengganggu emosi dan ketahanan zahir dan batin. Kalau difikirkan sepatutnya BF itu nampak senang, orang dulu2 semua susukan anak mereka, mana ada kelas, mana ada org ajar cara2 menyusukan anak. Cuba tgk binatang yg x pernah g skolah pun susukan anaknya. Kenapa kita manusia nak bg susu lembu pada baby yang juga manusia????

Okey, saya sudah membebel. Bila dah masuk ofis, ada member saya yg tinggal dekat ngan umah saya nak ajar sy direct BF. Saya harap saya berjaya bg direct feed pada anak saya.

"Ya Allah permudahkanlah penyusuan Mohamad Hakim Yusuf Bin Mohd Azwanfadzli sepanjang 2 tahun ini. Aku Mohon kekuatan fizikal dan pengurusan emosi supaya  rezeki baby Yusuf akan dinikmatinya melalui tubuhku. Ya Allah aku bersyukur pada-Mu kerana menganugerahkan banyak bantuan sepanjang aku mengandungkan dan melahirkan anakku. Cinta dan sayangku hanya pada-Mu".

I'm Back

Hari ni baru start kerja setelah 2 bulan menjadi suri rumah berpantang. Yeah... nak upload gambo bebanyak. Nak balas dendam. Tapi nak kena menyesuaikan diri dengan kerja dulu. Kalu sempat baru update huhu... Nantikan post2 terkini saya hahaa.... banyak giler nak berceriter

Imam Muda

Rumah saya dah ada Imam Muda

Berserban sudah Suamiku

Menyepi selama 4 hari

Saya tidak update blog selama 4 hari sebab saya kena babysit anak buah 2 orang itew huhu Hari ni excited nk update blog, tp dok berblogwalking, sampai dah abis office hour plak. Plus bila cuti 2 hari adala kerja2 yg perlu dibuatkan. So hari ni simple post ajer. Nak balik masak mi goreng hehehe. bye!

Ramadhan menguji kesabaran

Hari yang sangat x best adalah hari ini. Pagi2 dah gado ngan husband. Pastu datang opis buat keje asyik salah. Ntah brapa banyak print and fotostat membazir ketas ajer huhu. Pastu tempat letak keyboard yang boleh disorong ni tercabut skru, dah senget nak kene cabut skru lg sbelah....

Arrrrggggghhhhh...... Bila nak Raya ni!!!!!

Memang bulan Ramadhan adalah bulan yang sangat menguji kesabaran. Bukan hanya sabar menahan nafsu makan, tetapi juga sabar dalam menguruskan rumahtangga dan hormon ibu mengandung yang tidak stabil.
Ya Allah, bantulah aku menghabiskan lagi 7 hari berpuasa ini. Sesungguhnya memang dah x sabar nak menyambut hari raya huhu......

Dulu memang x kisah bulan puasa sebabnya sibuk nak kuruskan badan. jadinya dah biasa berdiet x heran pun x bangun sahur dan berlapar. Lepas tu time bendera merah bolehla berehat puasa kejap. Maknanya ada break lebih kurang 7 hari. Sekarang ni, dah lain huhuhuhu............

Sekarang setiap pagi dah kene bangun sahur. kalau x, terketar2 badan dan angin naik kepala. Bangun pagi dah kene sediakan sahur. Malam dah penat x larat nak g terawih. Puasa kene full 30hari dah xde rehat2. hmmmmm..........

Memang kene bersabar. Sesungguhnya sabar itu SEPARUH dari iman.

Tak dapat terima kenyataan

Topik Hot FM pagi ini adalah perkara yang anda tidak dapat terima kenyataan.
Hmmmm... Bila saya fikir, perkara yang saya macam x dapat terima kenyataan adalah saya sudah berumur 25 TAHUN!!!!

Ohhh....Man.... Tua sudah aku (+_+)

Nape saya tak dapat terima kenyataan, sebab saya rasa macam baru umur 20 tahun. Hahahahaha
Memang x sedar diri. Patutla laki aku asyik bising... "Ayang x leh la buat prangai macam ni. Ayang dah nak jadi mak orang. Tengok Perut tu ha"..... Huhuhu Saya memang tidak dapat terima kenyataan ini

Jawapan saya " Umur tu angka sahaja. Kita tak perlu terikut dengan angka yg besar. Yang penting kita bahagia hahahahah"

Boleh ke macam tu???