Came out of a really fun film festival screening and party late last night to discover Twitter blowing up with sobering news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan. Reading up on the news and watching footage of the aftermath, I don't really know what to say, except that my heart is heavy, and my thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan. Here's a link to donate, if you can, to Red Cross for disaster relief.
UPDATE: Huffington Post has an extensive list of ways you can help: How To Help Japan: Earthquake Relief Options.
Google has set up a Missing Persons Finder app (both in Japanese and English).
An External Affairs hotline has been setup for people with families in Japan. Call 1-613-943-1055 or 1-800-387-3124.
UPDATE: The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California has established the Northern Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. 100% of the donations will go directly towards citizen relief efforts in the most affected areas.
UPDATE: Google has put together a fairly comprehensive and helpful response site dedicated to the disaster, outlining donations, resources, maps, news and more: 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami.
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