No news is not always good news

There is a storm coming – Typhoon Nangka.  I could tell when I walked outside this morning.  The cicadas, who have been cranking up the volume to eleven every morning this week, were only at a one or two today.  A whisper of fear.  The sky was streaked with low, thin clouds moving in an unusual direction.  There was wind; strong gusts that pushed and tugged in turns.  But in between there was the stillness.  As the day moves on, the wind had died and the clouds have taken over the sky – a pale, bluish grey dome that amplifies the stillness of everything.  Nothing is moving.  Nothing is singing out.  Aside from the perpetual noises of humans, the only creatures ignoring the eerie atmosphere, the world has gone quiet.  Waiting for the storm.

Apparently this is a pretty dangerous storm.  It is supposed to take an unusual track, hitting Japan at an angle that will directly impact Osaka, Kyoto, and of course Wakayama.  It is predicted to hit Shikoku, the smallish island just to the west of Wakayama, with the same power as a category one or two hurricane.  It will rage through Thursday night and into Friday, moving slowly, hurling waves, wind, and rain at some of the most populated areas in Japan.  And I knew nothing about it until the day before it is about to hit.

In today’s day in age – with our constant connection to media, entertainment, and news – this seems impossible.  But living in a foreign country has disconnected me from many of the information sources I was addicted to in America.  I no longer watch the news – language barrier aside, Japanese news programs are just a little too off the wall for me to really follow.  There are English newspapers, but most of their coverage deals with politics, opinions, and Tokyo (the only Japanese city most of the world is concerned with).  For local weather and issues, there isn’t really an outlet I can turn to.  Meteorological jargon isn’t really top priority for my Japanese speaking friends and colleagues, either, so what is actually a major storm ended up sounding negligible when they tell me it will rain a lot.  This isn’t to say the information isn’t there.  Obviously I did find out about Nagnya before it arrived, if only by a day.  I saw something on Facebook, a recommended post.  From there I did my own digging.  There was very little information in English (at least not the kind that is continually updated with warnings and advisories), but it was there.  And if I hadn’t disconnected, I probably would be more prepared.

And here is the catch twenty two of living in a foreign country.  I have almost completely removed myself from the world outside my tiny bubble here in Wakayama.  I glance at MSN when I go to check my mail in the morning.  Sometimes I will click on a news story that shows up on my Facebook feed.  If I have a computer at work, maybe I will check out the headlines at The Japan Times.  But these things are not a daily occurrence.  I have no idea what is going on in the Diet.  Nor do I care.  This is not my country.  I have no vested interest in its future – aside from a love of the people here and a hope for their continued prosperity.  But I am just as clueless about the news from America.  Donald Trump is running for President?  The Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality (yeah!)?  There are wildfires in Canada?  Sometimes my family, especially Anata, will try and discuss things going on in America with me, but usually they give up after a few minutes when I admit I have no idea what is going on.  I have no facts or opinions at this point.  The politics, environmental issues, and everything else going on in America, is far away and part of another world.  One I am unconcerned with at this particular moment (for the most part).  Instead I am more interested in what there is to do in Tokyo when I go for summer vacation.

In a way, this detachment is amazing.  I feel liberated from worry and concern.  I am no longer bombarded with dire predictions and unimaginable tragedies unfolding on 24 hour loop in front of a voyeuristic public.  Life is simpler and so much happier.  In the states I was tied to several news outlets.  I would check stories against left and right, trying to figure out the truth in a politically biased arena.  I was constantly reading and digesting the news – forming opinions in some cases or just becoming informed in others.  At some level, this was beneficial.  It made me an individual, with thoughts and opinions.  It gave me something to discuss (and sometimes argue) with friends and family.  But it was also soul sucking.  With every broadcast, the world seemed like a darker and scarier place.  For an eternal optimist, the incessant waves of negativity were slowly leeching away my happiness.

Now, I am much happier just not knowing.  For the most part.  Until there is a storm bearing down on me and I feel wholly unprepared.

*Update; The storm passed with no problems.  There was a lot of wind and A LOT of rain, but no real damage in my area.  I got wet walking to work.  That was about it.