Race Unity Day a happy diversion

Shunya Yago has been somewhat distracted of late. Since the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11, his thoughts have been on the plight of his family, particularly his grandparents, who live in Miyagi prefecture near the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.

But yesterday, the Logan Park High School pupil set his worries aside to participate in the school's Race Unity Day.

"Today brought a bit of joy. It took my mind off what's going on," he said.

Shunya was one of about 60 pupils from more than 25 countries studying at the school who dressed up for a special assembly in which they paraded their country's flags across the stage and greeted the audience in their native tongue.

While the event was a welcome relief for him, it was fleeting and he was still coming to terms with what had happened in Japan.

"Seeing the pictures in the media of places I've been - they don't resemble anything like what it used to look like. It's like a movie.

"I never thought the landscape could be transformed like that. It sends a shiver down my spine looking at the pictures.

"The places I used to go with my grandparents, it's all ... gone, just flattened."

Despite the devastation, Shunya said he felt fortunate not to have lost any family members in the disaster.

He had been in regular contact with his grandparents since the tsunami struck, and they had encouraged him not to worry about them.

"They've just got water and electricity back on and they've decided to stay.

"I'm worried about what might happen to them given the state of the reactors there.

"But they [my grandparents] say the Government has told them they will be fine.

"They have great trust in the Government," he said.

john.lewis@odt.co.nz