There is a strong unsecured WiFi signal here. The Wireless Network Connection Status shows an 11Mbps connection. Surfing is a breeze. Uploading and downloading is super fast as compared to back home. We will be leaving the Machida Human Network Experience Room at 9.30am (GMT +9) soon. I am going to miss surfing and blogging again. Of the three WiFi signal that can be detected from the CIL Hino Experience Room, two are unsecured. Both are weak signals and difficult to connect to. There is a connection that I can use at Hachioji Human Care Associaion but the schedule there is hectic and I hardly have time to log in. I usually type out the entry and resize the images. Whenever there is time and connection, I quickly log in, paste the typed-out entry into the blog, upload the images and publish. This is a more efficient way at the moment. Therefore, some of the posts are not in sequence.

Blogging from Experience Room, Machida Human Network, Machida, Tokyo

Woke up to the sight of falling snow outside. We are staying on the fourth floor. The roof of the house beside the Machida Human Network Experience Room is covered in snow. The upper side of the bare branches of the trees are coated with snow. It is white everywhere. Snow is still falling. Those landing closer to us melt upon contact to the ground. Those further out accumulate on whatever they landed on. It is powdery. According to Maejima-san, our translator, it seldom snows in Tokyo. We must be very fortunate to come during this time and get to see snow. This is exactly like a scene from the movies. This is so surreal.

Blogging from Experience Room, Machida Human Network, Tokyo.

Nakahara-san haring with us about Peer Counseling.

It was a busy day today. We sat through four sessions of lectures at the Human Care Association at Hachioji. The lectures were What is Peer Counselling by Nakahara-san, Needs of People with Intellectual Disabilities and Support for Them by one of the Human Care Coordinators, Needs of People with Psychiatric Disabilities and Support for Them by Takezawa-san and Support Services of IL Centre by another Human Care Coordinator.

This familiarisation of the various disabilities made us understand those apart from our own. Although the characteristics of our challenges are different, the issues we face are similar. Prejudice, discrimination and lack of support are obstacles that prevent us from being included into mainstream society.

Darkness descended upon the evening fast and early. It was already dark by 5.30pm. When we left Human Care Association, freezing wind chilled us right into the bones. I had to wear gloves to keep my hands from getting numb. It was impossible to hold the camera, let alone press the shutter.

When we reached the apartment, the digital display by the side of the road showed 2°C. The temperature has been creeping down 1°C each evening. It was really cold. I could feel the frostiness bite into my exposed cheeks. As we were relaxing, the power suddenly went off. Calvin tried to reset the circuit breaker but could not. We could feel cold slowly invading the apartment. The phone did not work too. There was no choice but for Calvin to go out and summon for help from the CIL Hino staff. Fortunately, Saito-san, the CIL Hino staff, came quickly and restored the power to the apartment. We wonder what would have happened to us if we have to sleep without the heater.

The dry winter air caused my nose to bleed. Although it is not acute, the discomfort prompted me to start wearing masks. Each time I exhale, the warm breath, escaping from the gap between the nose and the mask, fogged up my glasses. Even so, the mask protected the chilling wind from my face. I may use nose drops if the problem persists.

We went on our first home visit to a person with disabilities practising Independent Living. Ms. Kato has cerebral palsy and communication impairment. She had lived in an institution for twenty years. It was only recently, January 10 to be exact, that she began living independently. Japan has a system of grading the severity of an impairment in order to provide the aid required. Ms. Kato is categorised at 1, the most severe degree of impairment. She has been preparing for independent living for three years and has now succeeded in realising that ambition. Her Personal Assistants (PAs) work on three shifts 24 hours a day assisting her. We left her house, awed by her fortitude in self-determination.

Our next destination was the Centre for Independent Living Hino (CIL Hino). Ms. Hiroko Akiyama was waiting to have lunch with us. We boarded a train at the Keio Seiseki-sakuragaoka Station to Takahatafudo where the CIL Hino is located. I had pasta salad, burdock and pumpkin tempura and fruit juice. It was good to be eating together with the staff of Hino CIL. Although language was a barrier, their friendliness and graciousness more than warmed our hearts on this cold day.

Ms. Kaoru Ito gave us a lecture on Support for the Empowerment of PWD. She is blind. We spent two hours with her, learning about the various tools used to empower people with disabilities. The next session, titled Overview of IL Centre - History of CIL Hino, was presented by Mr. Fuji and Ms. Akiyama. They shared with us how the CIL Hino began and the types of services they provide.

We had a group photo taken after the lecture. When we got out from the Centre, it was already dark although it was only 6.00 pm. It was cold. My hands, as usual, were freezing. It would have been difficult to hold the camera, let alone press the shutter button with gloves on. I went looking for a public phone to call Wuan but none was in sight. Those available at the train stations only accepted phone cards. I will try to look for a phone at Hachioji tomorrow.

Independent Living for People with Disabilties began today at Hachioji Human Care Association. The three of us, Siew Chin, Harry and me have learnt the basics during the Independent Living Workshop in September. Today our knowledge about the origin and philosophy of Independent Living grew deeper with detailed explanation by Ms. Nakahara, Mr. Tsukada and Ms. Akiyama.

Ms. Nakahara introduced us to the History of Welfare for PWD in Japan. Mr. Tsukada shared with us the Concept of Independence, History of Human Care Association. Ms. Akiyama related the History of Independent Living Movement in US and Japan. Those early days of Independent Living movements in USA and Japan will be the model that will be used to build a similar movement in Malaysia.

At the end of the day, we were treated to a welcoming party by the Human Care Association. Among those who attended were Ms. Nakahara, Secretary-General of Human Care Association; Ms. Hiroko Akiyama, Director of Hino Independent Living Centre, Ms. Aiko Tsutsumi, Vice-President of Machida Human Network; Mr. Yoshiaki Tsukada, Peer Counsellor, Ms. Yuki Maejima and Mr. Hiroaki Furihata. We were given a choice of sukiyaki or shabu shabu.

I had wanted to try sukiyaki but the soup base smelt strongly of soy sauce and opted for shabu shabu. The thinly sliced beef fascinated me but red meat is taboo food. Instead, I ate vegetables and more vegetables. That was my first taste of authentic Japanese food other than supermarket sushis. It was a very interesting evening sharing with Mr. Tsukada and Mr. Furihata about Malaysia and the concept of Independent Living that is to be applied in Penang.