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36|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESMIYAGISIXMONTHSAGO,MYFRIEND,MENTORANDSOMETIMEDRINKINGPARTNERSTEPHENPHELANSTOODWHEREIAMSTANDINGNOW.THATDAYINONAGAWATHEVIEWWASNOTPRETTY:“INTHEMIDDLEOFTOWN,NEARTHESEAFRONT,AFEWBUILDINGSREMAINEDUPRIGHT,THOUGHSTRIPPEDDOWNTOREDMETALFRAMESANDLOOSEHANGINGWIRES,”HEWROTEINAPIECEFORTHESCOTTISHREVIEWOFBOOKS.“ONEWASLYINGONITSSIDE,THEEXTERIORFIREESCAPEPARALLELTOTHEGROUND.ANOTHERHADASILVERCARTEETERINGUPSIDE-DOWNATTHEEDGEOFITSROOF.”ASISUSUALLYTHECASEWITHSTEPHEN,THESTORYISBEAUTIFULLYWRITTEN,AWONDERFULPORTRAITOFLOSSANDLIFEINEXTREMIS.PERHAPS,THOUGH,ITISASTORYTHATLACKSINHOPE.THAT’SNOTMYFRIEND’SFAULT–ATTHATTIMEITWASANEXTREMELYRARECOMMODITYINTHISAREA.HALFAYEARHASPASSED,ANDTODAYTHEBLOCKYBUILDINGISSTILLLYINGONITSSIDE,WHOLEANDSEEMINGLYUNDAMAGEDLIKEACASUALLYTOPPLEDKINGONACHESSBOARD. BUTITLOOKSOUTOFPLACENOWBECAUSESOMUCHOFTHESURROUNDINGAREAHASBEENCLEAREDOFDEBRIS.IT’SACANVASTHAT’SALMOSTBLANK,READYTOSTARTTHEREBUILDINGPROCESS,ANDTHESADBUILDINGLOOKSMOREUNNATURALTHANEVER.CONSIDERINGWHATHAPPENEDHERE,IT’SAREMARKABLERECOVERY.WEARESTANDINGONAPENINSULA,JUSTOUTSIDETHEONAGAWAPUBLICHOSPITAL.HERE,ASTHETSUNAMIWAVES(THEREWEREMANY)ROLLEDIN,THEWATERWASFORCEDINTOANDUPTHEVALLEYBELOW.WITHNOWHEREELSETOGO,THETIDEROSEEXPONENTIALLY,SWAMPINGEVERYTHING,REACHINGOVERANDABOVETHISPENINSULA,ANDTHROUGHTHEFIRSTFLOOROFTHEHOSPITAL.HIGHSCHOOLSTUDENTS,WHOHADEVACUATEDTOTHISHIGHERGROUND,CARRIEDELDERLYPATIENTSTOTHEUPPERFLOORS.SIXMONTHSLATER–PARTONE
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