In Rikusentakata, a port city of over 20,000 virtually wiped out by the tsunami, Etsuko Koyama escaped the water rushing through the third flood of her home but lost her grip on her daughter's hand and has not found her.
"I haven't given up hope yet," Koyama told public broadcaster NHK, wiping tears from her eyes. "I saved myself, but I couldn't save my daughter."
This is the first thing I've truly felt emotional about since the Tsunami. I can't imagine the broken hearts in Japan - it must feel like their lives are over. They've lose their houses, jobs, family members...
A big part of me wishes I could drop everything here and go there to help. I wish I could do more than just send money, and I'll be doing some research today to find out if I can!
My heart goes out to all of them and those involved.
Yesterday I was supposed to shadow for my possible new job again, but Sam was sick. This meant going in early and working the job I had only shadowed for once! It was tiring, but I had fun, and afterwards went to work at the comic shop.
When I got home, sleepy and exhausted, I opened up some mail from the Maine College of Art to find out I was accepted into their New Media program! The real shocker was reading the second letter...
Congratulations! It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected to receive a Maine College of Art Merit Scholarship in the amount of $8,000.
You were slected for this award based on your current accomplishments and the high level of promise and potential you have demonstrated throughout your academic career. We believe Maine College of Art is a place where you will thrive as a student and artist, and we are excited to imagine the impact you will have on the MECA community.
Your annual Merit Scholarship begins with your enrollment in the fall 2010 semester and is renewable each of the following three years, contingent upon you maintaining satisfactory academic progress and full-time enrollment.
You had me at Scholarship, MECA.
As sleepy as I was when I got home, I couldn't sleep until 2am.