I woke up with a start, a bit terrified struggling to hear what is going on but the sound of the siren fade into the distance. I tried to calm myself and force myself back to sleep but not before long another siren can be heard this one with more urgency than the last. I tried to pull the pillow over my ears but I know everything felt too strange and scary to go back to bed. I felt my throat went dry but I couldn't pull myself out of the safety of my bed and make the short trip down the hall to the kitchen.
I went to class the next day feeling terrible and the lack of sleep is finally catching up on me. Its been a week now since I couldn't catch any sleep. Every time I close my eyes I hear that terrifying sound of sirens racing past sometimes the intervals become shorter and shorter. Every night for a month I would stay awake anticipating the next siren, expecting it so not to get too scared.
One night the siren was so close as if it was right outside my window. I lie there waiting for someone to move around but the whole dormitory was silent. The next day a friend told me that it came for someone living in the next building but the easiest way to his doorstep was through our dormitory.
One night the siren was so close as if it was right outside my window. I lie there waiting for someone to move around but the whole dormitory was silent. The next day a friend told me that it came for someone living in the next building but the easiest way to his doorstep was through our dormitory.
That was my first week in Osaka, the midnight sirens kept me awake sometimes soaked in sweat because I was scared beyond anything Ive ever known. During the day when I spot one I would stand rooted and just stare at the Ambulance wondering what is happening. In the Solomon Islands sirens are so rare, if there is an ambulance rushing off somewhere we would expect a dramatic story to follow. People will stop and stare, some would pray that its not a family member or a friend.
In Japan ambulance and fire engine racing off to some unknown destination is common. I use to be so curious about why these ambulance seem to be crawling than hitting the gas pedal. After a while I got use to the sound and can sleep through it. However some days it can still be annoying especially when the ambulance are accompanied by fire engines and someones giving out instructions blaring through the speakers.
One weekend I was summoned by my lecturers to attend a conference in a tiny town right outside of Chiba prefecture. I was thankful for the peace and quiet and out of nowhere an ambulance came rushing out and disappeared down the other street. I was mortified, is there any where in Japan that I can escape from it? maybe not, maybe that's the downside of living in a heavily populated city.
Now the midnight sirens still wake me up some days I appreciate them acting as a substitute for my alarm clock other days I just cant wait til it is 200 meters away. And since I live close to one of the fire stations its a bit hard to go through a week without hearing one.
One weekend I was summoned by my lecturers to attend a conference in a tiny town right outside of Chiba prefecture. I was thankful for the peace and quiet and out of nowhere an ambulance came rushing out and disappeared down the other street. I was mortified, is there any where in Japan that I can escape from it? maybe not, maybe that's the downside of living in a heavily populated city.
Now the midnight sirens still wake me up some days I appreciate them acting as a substitute for my alarm clock other days I just cant wait til it is 200 meters away. And since I live close to one of the fire stations its a bit hard to go through a week without hearing one.
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