MeFi podcast: we'd like to hear from members in Japan

March 27, 2011 11:40 AM

MeFites in Japan, we want to hear from you on the next podcast! After the devastating earthquake just a couple weeks ago, we've all worried about our members in Japan and it was great to see check-ins that things were mostly ok. We'd like to hear from mefites in Japan for the next podcast: call my new Skype Japanese number at [phone] and leave us up to a 90 second message letting everyone know what the quake was like, what the aftermath was like, and how the rebuilding it going. I know 90sec is short, so if you'd like to leave a longer story/message, you can always record a mp3 at home and just send us a link to download it on the contact form. Thanks!

(The skype number in Japan is a new thing that I haven't been able to test, so if anyone gets errors, let me know in the thread and if your call went through also post here so I can make sure I got it by logging in to check)

posted by mathowie (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 11:40 AM (21 comments total)

(also, I know it's barely 4am there, but if any early risers want to give it a go, even a quick test message would be great)
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:58 AM on March 27, 2011

This is a great idea, mathowie - thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 1:58 PM on March 27, 2011

Sorry, I am being new to MetaFilter. What is the "contact form"?
posted by Bugbread at 3:47 PM on March 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

Oh, wait, found it. Huh. Never noticed that before. I just thought everyone had to contact y'all by MeMailing you.
posted by Bugbread at 3:48 PM on March 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

That contact link is pretty small.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:00 PM on March 27, 2011

signal < noise
posted by panaceanot at 4:12 PM on March 27, 2011

Just tested the number and yes, it works fine ... straight to Matt's answering machine.
posted by woodblock100 at 4:14 PM on March 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Aha! Update on the update. I previously phoned with Skype, and it went through no problem. But when calling from a landline, it doesn't work - as printed. You need to include a leading 0: [phone]
posted by woodblock100 at 4:20 PM on March 27, 2011

Yep, worked woodblock100, thanks for the test! I got the voicemail fine and can convert to mp3.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:34 PM on March 27, 2011

Thanks for checking on the number, I added a leading zero to the number in the post.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:35 PM on March 27, 2011

I live in Japan, but for me the whole thing is like being in Pittsburgh during 9/11. I am not affected more than peripherally, I don't really know anyone directly affected, but I still sit and stare at the news and feel super blah. I watched the video of the tsunami posted in whichever of the earthquake threads that is in my recent activity, and felt super pathetic and then more pathetic for feeling pathetic even though nothing happened to me. I wish I could hug all of the sad people I see on the news.
posted by that girl at 6:03 PM on March 27, 2011 [4 favorites]

Great idea! Thanks mathowie.

Like that girl, I'm also in Japan but pretty far from Tohoku. We felt the big quake in Kansai, but never lost power, train service or phone service. So I'll spare you my stories of staring at the news like everyone else.

I'll be interested to hear what the folks from eastern honshu have to share though.
posted by p3t3 at 7:13 PM on March 27, 2011

There was another 6.5 today.
posted by IndigoRain at 7:32 PM on March 27, 2011

Coudn't keep it to 90 seconds but I did record some thoughts and just posted them to the Contact page.
posted by gen at 8:21 PM on March 27, 2011

Cool, I'll try to give this a call when I have time.
posted by armage at 8:37 PM on March 27, 2011

Just got back, will try to call at some point. Can this just be called from a cell phone? Do I need to use skype?

^{The flight was less than half full. I talked to one of the cabin attendants, and she told me that it's been like this since the quake, full flights heading out, nearly empty flights heading back. On the way out, we swung pretty far out over the ocean around Fukushima, then back towards the normal route skirting the coast. Coming in today, we did a jog inland instead, but seemed to be giving the Fukushima coastline a pretty wide berth, which I can't remember ever happening before. Beautiful view of Bandai-san, though.}
posted by Ghidorah at 1:52 AM on March 28, 2011

Do I need to use skype?

No, just call from any normal phone ... (that's what confused me at first; I thought I had to use Skype to access the number).

And welcome back!
posted by woodblock100 at 2:09 AM on March 28, 2011

Thanks, woodblock. A couple hours ago, I'd have said it's good to be back. On the other hand, I think I finally figured out what I might say to Matt's skype number.

Meanwhile, SMAP just told me to believe in Japan. Shingo Katori being earnest and serious is a strange and unsettling thing.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:41 AM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm on a ship offshore and can't Skype. In fact, connectivity is so slow I have to use the mobile style and still wait a minute or so for longer threads.

I'm not on the ground in-country, so I have kind of an arms-length view of what's going on, but I am indulging my MeFi addiction, even out here. It would probably make for a super boring interview (especially read aloud from text), but if anyone has any individual questions for your own curiosity, feel free to memail.
posted by ctmf at 3:44 AM on March 28, 2011

thanks for everything that you've shared so far, cmtf. We in Japan really appreciate both the information and the support you and the rest of the USN and USFJ are providing to the Japanese.
posted by gen at 6:03 PM on March 28, 2011

er sorry, ctmf.
posted by gen at 6:08 PM on March 28, 2011