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March 21, 2010

hiding from a magical flying carpet of desert

I have just returned from 3 days in Tokyo. I visited clients with a senior colleague to learn more of "the ropes". Then we had some meetings... Then I stayed an extra night so that I could see a friend who lives in Tokyo. I had lots of fun and did a whole lot of learning but it does feel good to be home!

However, terribly strong winds kept me from having a deep sleep last night.

Those howling winds did not come empty handed. They brought along the Gobi Desert.
o_0
What I thought was fog and clouds turned out to be a trillion specks of sand.

I didn't take pictures but you can see a news clip about the yellow sand we had today( click HERE).
The sand has made cars and windows dirty and it has given me a sore throat too!

The dust that covers Japan and Korea (and of course the sandstorms in Mongolia and China) have been growing in proportion these past few years.

Today's blanket carpet of yellow sand was extra harsh....

If you are thinking "well it's just sand!" then please know that it is not only messy but it is also unhealthy.

If you have hay fever, then a spell of a runny nose and watery eyes is "normal". The real danger is in the toxins that attach themselves to the sand as they "fly" over China's industrial zones... of course Japan has industrial zones too, but the chemicals found in the sand are said to be quite toxic and have matched with the chemicals China has been founds to use.... thus the sore throat?
this is a picture I took in Kitakyushu, Japan (2010 March)

So...I have had to hang my wash "out to dry" in the house instead of outside as it is usually done.
socks and shawls
Since I did not want to go outside and get wrapped up in a veil of sand, I decide to clean my room...which ended up being a mini treasure hunt instead.

I found out that I must be liking the colors blue and green since that seems to be my latest buying trend:
blue wrapping paper, green envelopes, blue and green tape, blue bird clothes pin, a blue silver button and
in the very back...a four-leaf-clover tin box

Even a book that I have been meaning to read has a beautiful blue on the cover...
I have not been deliberately looking for authors with an "Asian background"... but one book has led to another...
bought this one by Jamie Ford last week
which led to this one
The Asian American Superhero Anthology "Secret Identities"
which led to this one...
a graphic biography of the mathematician/philosopher Bertrand Russell

Oh dear...the top layer of things on my desk are what I bought last week....what will I find if I dig any deeper?




11 comments:

Frances said...

Hello Tulsa!

What an interesting post. I had seen nothing in the news over here about that dust storm. Of course it's dangerous. Do folks ever resort to wearing any sorts of masks to keep from breathing in all the toxins?

Switching topics quickly...I am another fan of blue and green and think your recently purchased selections are in great harmonious colors.

Thank you also for the book recommendations. I never have the time to read all the books that tempt me. Right now, I am reading Wm Boyd's Ordinary Thunderstorms. (See how I drifted this comment back to weather?) xo

Aleks said...

What a wonderful new look of your blog,wow,it feels like spring.I hope you can soon get out of your house,walk without dust in your everything and I love your treasure hunt too! :O) Hugs from Holland!

I_am_Tulsa said...

Frances, thank you! Yes, there are masks that are sold that is supposed to help...on the global news networks, most of the highlights were on the sand storms in China and not the neighboring countries but I did hear that some of the sands might be blown over to the west coast of the US as well!

And I DID notice that segue! What an coincidence that you are reading a book titled Ordinary Thunderstorms! ;-)

Aleks, thank you! I wanted to change the blog layout but couldn't decided and finally settled on this one, so thank you! Hugs back from Japan!

Unknown said...

Isn't it funny how we don't realize we're liking something or buying into a trend until we stop and look? I'm loving the covers of those books, I need to find out more about them!

I_am_Tulsa said...

B! It is very strange isn't it! I like how you have a bunch of nice yellow things!

I'll let you know more about the books once I finish reading them but the above two authors have really nice blogs that you can check out!

Lori ann said...

Oh wow! I like the new look to your blog very much, it seems that spring cleaning is going around around the world.
I am so sorry to hear about the sand. I am sure it can be very destructive, and i am hoping it will settle soon. And then a rain comes to wash everything clean!

I LOVE the bluebird clothespin. It's SO cute.
♥ lori

I_am_Tulsa said...

Lori, thank you! I think it is going to rain tomorrow! It's funny about the sand though, I got an irritated throat but a friend of mine didn't even notice the sand until she heard about it in the evening news!

I_am_Tulsa said...

Thank you Glam Girl!

Carol Murdock said...

Hey Tulsa! Love the new look! I need to change mine too! Sounds like you need a Neti Pot to keep your sinus free of that sand! It is saving my life!! XOXO

I_am_Tulsa said...

Ooooh, a neti pot! I haven't used one of those in a loooong time! I don't recall seeing one for sale in Japan! Thank you for the advice, I must ggogle that now!

Merisi said...

I was aware of sandstorms making life difficult for people in China, but did not hear that even Japan has been hit by these sandstorms! How horrible, a real nightmare.

Back in Rome, we used to get sandstorms once or twice a year, Sahara desert sand covering everything like a sticky film, especially when the storms followed some light rain.

I hope your skies are clear again,
hugs,
merisi