California Wildfires

I’m sure you’ve all heard of the devastating wildfires that scorched much of Southern California. News reports said that nearly 1,200 houses and other structures were burned to the ground, forcing nearly a million people in San Diego County alone to evacuate.

Southern California is one of the most densely populated areas of the United States, so the fires wreaked havoc among the population and caused many businesses to temporarily close as their employees were forced to quite literally run for their lives as the flames came closer and closer.

Shockingly, fire investigation officials stated that at least one of the fires was an act of arson. In another case, the fire was caused by a little boy who was playing with matches. In that case, over three hundred houses were burned to the ground! All because of a little boy playing with matches—can you believe it?

What about in Japan? Has this country ever seen such devastation due to wildfires like the ones in Southern California? I have read that much of Tokyo was destroyed by the huge earthquake that rocked this city way back in 1923. Japanese call it 関東大震災。 In the United States, two cities, namely Chicago and San Francisco, have been partly destroyed by huge fires. But these latest wildfires were thankfully far from the city. However, that made them all the more difficult to fight.

Hopefully, Californians will see more rain this winter season. The area suffers from constant drought, so they could really use it! It will come as no surprise to anyone if next summer sees even more devastation. Even so, millions of people still prefer to live and work there, making California their home sweet home. Strange, isn’t it?

Aurelio (^_^)
Global Communications

Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden race is truly a contest of sheer physical endurance! How any of those people can keep up the pace over so many kilometers is, well, just amazing!

I have heard of similar endurance races in some parts of the States. In some races, they run across a searing desert for many kilometers! Some runners collapse from exhaustion and must be hospitalized. I can understand running and jogging for physical exercise, but why would anyone want to put themselves through something like that? It's beyond me!

I guess some people find pleasure and reward in being able to do something that most other people cannot. It sort of sets them apart, one could say. Hmm, some people are funny that way!

Aurelio (^_^)

Little snow in Shirakawa Village, but...

Hi, Takuma. It seems that this season, we've had quite a mild winter here in Japan. I heard that even at Sapporo's world-famous Snow Festival, the ice sculptures partially melted, in some cases! I'm sure festivalgoers must have been quite disappointed--not to mention the shopkeepers who depend on tourist's patronage!

By way of contrast, parts of the northern and northeastern U.S. have really gotten pounded recently--with as much as three meters of snow, believe it or not! Cities and towns on the shore of Lake Ontario have been especially hard-hit. The snow and ice have been responsible for a number of deaths across the region due to traffic accidents, and of course, homeless people have been especially affected.

I do not know which is worse, the unseasonally warm weather here, or the bitterly cold weather there! This all brings up scary images of so-called global warming. Are the Earth's weather patterns going crazy, or is it just me? (>_<)

Aurelio