Jeff Shaw's blog

Exit, stage west

In the ideal world, I wouldn't have left Okinawa with my last post being effectively "Hey, this typhoon crushed all this material in my neighborhood, leaving disaster and detritus in its wake," but given the absence of ready-made electricity and the stress of an international move, that's the way things shook down.

As you might imagine, I'm home now, and safe, and taking stock of matters while I plot my next move. Until I figure out precisely what that is, this blog is going to remain dormant. When I settle down, I'll start a new one and post the address -- there is much still to tell about Okinawa, but it will all be in the book.

Thank you all for reading.

Note to self

If a typhoon is coming, do not park your car by a golf ball driving range. Those girders holding the nets in place come down mighty easy, and the result is something that might fit in the Transformers movie:

This is about a kilometer from my house.

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I Can See Clearly Now

The rain is gone. The trees and shrubs around my place look like they've been attacked by the world's largest weed whacker, but other than that, evidence of the typhoon is limited to soaked earth and the occasional collapsed structure. But I'm safe, the island's in one piece, and I even have some food left over.

More typhoon consequences

My neighbor's carport collapsed. Set out on a 100-yard walk to the road to investigate, and this was among my first discoveries.

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We're still in the middle of it, though I suspect the worst is over. Sadly, my predictions for the hibiscus et. al. were borne out.

There are more people on the road than you would think given the strength of the wind. The rain hasn't been too torrential, though, so perhaps that explains it.

People better prepared than I do this to their gardens:

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There are barriers all over, trying to prevent wind and water damage.

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Here's a funny note: that first power outage probably saved me $1000 or so. I was using every outlet in the house to charge my various batteries -- cell phone, camera, laptop -- and luxuriating in the dry safety of indoors. Then, the power went off. Hey, I thought, maybe I can get some writing done on the laptop, which has a full battery.

I walked over to grab it, and noticed that the corner of my house had sprung a leak. My trust ThinkPad had a small puddle forming around it.

Frantic, I fired it up ... and now I'm posting on it. Whew.

Typhoon in pictures (and moving pictures)

UPDATE, 12:30 p.m.: Power just went out for about five minutes, then came back on. Apparently about 60,000 people in the Ryukyus are without power, so I don't know how long it's going to last. Don't worry, though, it's going to take me at least 5 hours without Internet before I start to go all Lord of the Flies. i guess I'm saying if there are no posts, there's likely no power.

Since the power has been flickering but not going out, some photos and video from the typhoon ...

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Here's another video from an hour or so later. The wind begins gusting so hard, you can't hear me talk in places (likely for the best):

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Just because I feel like it, here are some "before" pictures of my beloved tropical garden. I doubt the double hibiscus flowers are going to survive, and lantana will take a beating too. It's fitting that this happens just before I leave, I guess -- I get on a plane in a little over two weeks.

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Finally, the view of the wind and rain from outside and from inside my window (barred to prevent foliage intrusion as well as human):

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Surf's up in Ryukyu

We're expecting landfall in just a few hours. Apparently the winds are expected to reach 150 (!) mph, and the conditions are expected to create 35 foot waves. I think it's pretty awesome that there's a website devoted to tracking extreme weather events' impact on surf conditions.

I went outside earlier to take some video. I'll post some of the highlights when the storm, which could reach Category 4 levels, hits in earnest. Well, assuming power holds out, I will.

Update: here's a sweet satellite photo.

Going Out With a Bang

I haven't been the world's best blogger lately. As you might imagine, I've been saying goodbyes, packing, selling various sundries and even finding time to write a word or two. That's why you haven't heard from me lately.

If you don't hear from me until next week, though, that's not the reason: Typhoon Man-Yi is the reason. It comes bearing 105 mph winds, torrential rains, and a new experience for me. You can track the progress here.

This sounds like hollow reassurance, but let me tell you seriously not to worry. Everything's made out of concrete here, and Okinawa is built to withstand these weather patterns. People just hunker down, having hopefully stocked up on water, food, flashlight batteries and beer. Not necessarily in that order.

I'm going to spend tomorrow picking out books and checking my supply stores. If you can't get ahold of me, that's why.

Coral Reefs: Not Just For Fish Any More

Divers love coral reefs. Why wouldn't we? They're the lungs of the ocean, and provide ample living space for the lovely creatures we enjoy staring at under the sea.

Turns out the economic value these cavalcades of beauty manifest is even more dramatic than previously thought. A new NYT article discusses tourism, why people flock to coral seas, and how much money that brings in around the world.

Of course, it leaves aside questions of how these hordes affect the reefs themselves, and who profits most from all the money that's being made -- but answering those questions is what my book's for, I guess.

First Manta Ray Born in Captivity

Posts have been slow around here lately as my time in Okinawa draws to a close. I'm just trying to get the last of my research done before I return home -- and to sell my next book after this one. Hence, I'm pretty swamped.

Two bits of cool environmental news, though. Non-Okinawa division: a whale-dolphin hybrid just reproduced. Yay fertility!

Okinawa division: Churaumi Aquarium just saw the world's first giant manta ray born in captivity. Huzzah!

Henoko surveys harm environment

And mainland public works projects are just hastening the extinction train's journey down the tracks. So says Kunitoshi Sakurai, president of Okinawa University, in today's Asahi Shimbun.

Hint: he's right.