Walking routine

After I came back from the Hokkaido trip, I started to do morning walk for 30 mins. everyday.
Every morning I see this man sweeping the sidewalk. I think he owns a shop-house. He washes the parking lot in front of his shop, then he cleans the whole length of the road.
I was thinking this man get up early and cleaned the whole length of the road without pay every day, I wonder what makes him so dedicated. Doesn't he have other work to do? Does he live only to sweep the side walk?

There's another man I see during my morning walk. This man is not homeless. But I think he has some mental problem. He's dirty and wears torn outfit. Sometimes, I see him eating thrown food from the trash.
One time, I gave him a bun. Then came home and told my hubby about it. Well, I shouldn't be doing it as it encouraged him to beg for food. So, we are not supposed to give him any food.
But, this man has pride. There was another occasion when I gave him a can of drink. He refused my offer. Again, I was told not to give anything to him.

The meaning of hospitality in the dictionary is not the same hospitality as the Japanese read. Empathy is not for homeless or dirty people on the street in Japan.
It reminds me of the deer on Ikutsujima. Visitors to the island are discouraged from feeding them. They don't want the deer to be fed as the leftover food might dirty the park.
May be hungry and dirty people are like deer. Leave them alone and the place will be spiky clean.

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Birthday Video letter

When you're far from children and grand kids, video letter or WiFi call are the best way to communicate.

Yesterday, my grand kids sent me their birthday greetings. 
This is from Mi chan.

Then this is from Ken, Yuri and Ryo chan.

Actually, I opt for video letters anytime rather than for them to send birthday presents by slow mails.

Thank you to all my beautiful grand kids.

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六十一

I woke up this morning at 3.30 am to take my Ramadan breakfast. Then opening my homepage, I saw this moving lighted candles. Lately, I did notice Google putting up various themes of the day like Valentine Day, Halloween and stuff like that.

I kept wondering the implication of the image, then it hit me.

It's my birthday today!

How wonderful to have Google giving me a personal wish that only come once in a year, just for me. Only for me.

Anyway, I skipped writing the birthday date on my Facebook. This means I don't expect any birthday greetings. But having said that, this early morning, I saw some private birthday wishes in my Facebook inbox. 

To celebrate my birthday, I'll have a camembert cheese bun to break the Ramadan fasting which falls on its 19th day today.

Happy Birthday to me. 14 June 2017.

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Slowly but surely

I have to apologize to anyone to come by. It has been quite a while since the last update.
There are so much to write. At the moment, I can only afford to write a couple of lines on Facebook. If anyone wants to be included in my friend's list on Facebook, please make a request for Leyla Shuri.

The proverb writing project that started five years ago, is still coming. This is a heavy project that seriously takes lots of dedication and allegiance.

November 2016, last year, I've started a novel. This time I'm venturing the novel in English. I've had some confidence in writing an English novel after a long bout with translating my second novel #pagisemerahdaunmomiji or @Pagi Semerah Daun Momiji which was in original Malay into English.
I've shown my faithfulness in the language of my mother tongue, so now it's time to step out of my comfort zone and venture a little further in my writing enterprise.
I've until July 2017 to finish up the present novel-writing. That would leave me another three months to go.

Right now, writing is a struggle for me due to an unfortunate incident that happened to me in February 2017.

Anyway, slowly but surely, that's the way to go.

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六十歳になりました

Hari ini Ramadan 9, 1437
atau June 14, 2016 (masehi)
atau June 14, Showa 28 (ini kalendar Jepun, lain dari masehi).

昭和31六月14：六十歳になりました
まだまだわかい。健康をだいじにします.

Pertama pasang komputer hari ini google keluarkan ini. Saya tak perasan, lepas itu ada seorang kata dia dapat tahu daripada Google tentang tarikh ini.

Thank you Google for being very personal.

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Misteri Sakura Higan

Sakura mula mekar di depan rumah saya. Saya pelik dengan sakura ini. Buah ceri yang saya makan itu, benihnya saya campak sambil lewa sahaja. Saya rasa buah ceri itu diimpot dari Amerika Syarikat. Tak mungkin jenis ceri itu berbunga di Okinawa, fikir saya.
Dari sebatang dahan yang kurus, pohonnya terus membesar dan setelah lebih 15 tahun ia berbunga, malah sungguh lebat. Cuma yang peliknya, ceri itu mengikut jenis ceri higan, jenis yang hanya terdapat di Okinawa. Bukan seperti sakura jenis lain yang gugur sehelai-sehelai kelopaknya, higan sakura gugur berkuntuman.
Bukankah benih yang saya tabur 15 tahun lalu diimpot dari luar negara?
Mengapa menjadi ceri higan?
Atau pun semua jenis benih ceri bertukar menjadi ceri higan apabila disemai di bumi Okinawa?

Misteri jadinya...

Projek tulisan yang saya hadap setiap hari sekarang telah berlangsung semenjak 2 tahun. Ini buku-buku rujukan projek itu. Selain dari buku-buku ini, saya guna kamus kulit tebal, kamus digital, kamus online (lain dari digital).

Apabila mata saya pedih, sesekali saya jenguk pohon sakura yang lebat itu dan terfikir lagi misterinya.

Kuntuman bunga sakura hanya bertahan 10 hari sahaja. Apabila kuntuman ini gugur, ajaibnya misteri ini juga hilang dari fikiran saya sehinggalah musim sakura mekar lagi dan misteri ini akan muncul semula.

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14.6.14

[kek macya (serbuk teh hijau) untuk hari ini]

Cantik tarikh hari ini. Yang lebih cantik lagi ialah nombor tarikh yang cantik ini menjadi hari ulang tahun kelahiran saya. Saya dilahirkan pada tahun yang sama Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka ditubuhkan.
Ketika itu Malaysia dan Singapura masih satu negara. Ketika itu laluan ke kedua-dua negara tidak perlukan paspot. Ketika itu saya tinggal di Melaka. Ketika itu saya terpisah dari ibu dan bapa yang bertugas di Singapura. Ketika itu arwah nenek yang menjaga kami, seorang janda yang miskin, memberi kami makan nasi dengan jeruk binjai sahaja. Ah, jauh betul perjalanan hidup saya.

Sekarang saya sudah menjadi nenek pula. Tahun ini saya dianugerahkan Ilahi (alhamdulillah) dengan cucu ke-empat.

Tiba-tiba tahun ini baru saya perasan saya digelar penulis. Ah, jauh betul perjalan hidup saya.

Selamat untuk semua, semoga bahagia dan sihat seterusnya.

*****