Shiori-Smile

Shiori is borned and bred in Okinawa. When Shiori was in the second year of high school, a class mate came to her. Pouring to Shiori her troubles with family members and friends. Shiori consoled that friend as best as she can. But that incident has inspired Shiori to write this lyric. That was 4 years ago. Now this song brings hopes and comfort to school children everywhere in Japan.




Lyrics: Shiori
Music: Shiori
English Translation: Jahrera Okinawa

sono hoho o namida de nurasanaide kimi no kokoro ni hikari o
(your heart is shining, don't let tears wet that cheeks)

umareta toki kara kimi wa zutto dareka ni sasaerarete ikite kita
furikaette omoidashite goran kimi wa hitori ja nai nda yo
(somebody has always taken care of you since you were borned,
always look back, you are not alone)

ame ga fura nakutatte saiteru hana wa aru kara
dakara makenaide
(there are flowers that bloom even without the rain,
so, don't give up)

chorus: kimi no egao ga ichiban suki nanda kimi no egao ga minna o shiawase ni suru
dakara waratte ite kono aozora no shita de kimi yo tsuyoku nare
(The best is your smile, your smile brings happiness to everyone,
so please smile, you will be strong under this blue sky)

tatoe kono saki kimi ni donna tsurai koto ga atta toshite mo
kimi no hoho ni mata namida ga nagarete mo zutto sobani iru yo
(even right now, if your problems are so bad,
and tears flows on your cheek again, I will be by your side)

taiyou ni mukatte saku ano himawari no you ni
saa mae o muite
(like the sunflower that looks at the sun,
let's move forward)

chorus: kimi no egao ga ichiban suki nanda kimi no egao ga minna o shiawase ni suru
dakara waratte ite kono aozora no shita de kimi yo tsuyoku nare
(see above)

sono hoho o namida de nurasanaide
(don't wet that cheeks with tears)

chorus: kimi no egao ga ichiban suki nanda kimi no egao ga minna o shiawase ni suru
dakara waratte ite kono aozora no shita de kimi yo tsuyoku nare
(see above)

kimi no egao ga ichiban kagayaku toki ushiro o furimukazu aruki daseru darou
dakara waratte ite kono aozora no shita de kimi yo tsuyoku nare
(walk ahead and don't look back, the best is your smile that shines through,
so please smile, you will be strong under this blue sky)

dakara waratte ite kono aozora no shita de kimi yo tsuyoku nare
(so please smile, you will be strong under this blue sky).

Translation by Jahrera-Okinawa
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Tatkala "Mother's Day"...

On this Mother's Day, one lump beating heart with one pack Kappa Ebi.

Sekepal hati/ sebungkus Kappa Ebi/ di Hari Ibu.


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Tatkala haiku diMelayukan...

*******(Klik pada imej untuk dibesarkan)*******

Haiku, karya Sdr Darma Mohammad di atas telah diterbitkan dalam majalah SOLUSI, Edisi ke-7 (Mei 2009).

4 rangkap haiku yang disiarkan itu dengan jelas membawa persoalan agama (berunsur Islam). Ini hendak menunjukkan bahawa haiku (bentuk puisi klasik Jepun yang memenuhi syarat asli teknik penulisannya), mampu ditulis dengan membawa berbagai persoalan yang digemari oleh sdr Darma Mohammad sendiri.

Haiku yang berunsur Islam sebelum ini telah ditulis oleh jahrera
seperti yang terdapat dalam ANTOLOGI HAIKU 2006 (Terbitan 2007) (lihat side bar di kanan halaman ini) yang lalu.

Sdr Darma Mohammad yang selama ini berminat menulis puisi-puisi
berunsur Islam, kini telah memasukkan unsur Islam dalam haiku pula.
Perkembangan haiku melalui kegigihan Sdr Darma Mohammad untuk mempertingkatkan mutu penulisan dan penyebarannya di dalam masyarakat Melayu semakin ketara. Unsur-unsur keIslamanan dalam haiku berkenaan membuktikan bahawa haiku bukan sahaja terhad untuk masyarakat Jepun, malah haiku sekarang sudah tersebar ke serata dunia dalam bahasa ibunda masing-masing (Tamil, Urdu, German, Perancis, Inggeris dll).

Inilah usaha jahrera memberi bimbingan kepada peminat-peminat haiku di Malaysia sudah menampakkan kejayaan.

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Google e-book tyme

80% of writers in Japan oppose Google e-book project.

A recent case involving Google may help provide a blueprint for content creators. In October, Google settled a dispute with authors and publishers over its scanning of 7 million books for digital versions of printed material. The company paid $125 million to publishers and authors and will, from now on, provide a percentage share of the profits from ads and downloading fees. Under the agreement, Google would receive 37 percent of revenue while publishers and authors would get the rest. The settlement could pave the way for similar agreements within other industries.
Source: Intellectual property copyright

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Tatkala Cermai diBelandakan...

Tajuk kali ini sungguh berkobar-kobar dengan semangat keMelayuan. Tatkala cermai itu diBelandakan, namanya bertukar menjadi Cermai Belanda. Sikit pun tak berkait dengan negara Malaysia lagi. Tapi bolehkah jahrera diJepunkan?

Oh NO! Tidak!

Sejak FIL balik dari hospital, setiap pagi Otto masakkan sop tauco atau miso shiru untuk sarapannya. Dalam sop ini ada miso atau tauco. Pes miso ini seakan pes tauco yang orang melayu masukkan ke dalam kuah mi rebus. Dalam sop miso ini dimasukkan juga sayur, tauhu dll. Ia boleh dimakan dengan nasi, menjadi lauk. Sudah mencukupi sebagai satu hidangan.
Otto masak seperiuk kecil tapi FIL makan hanya sebekas sahaja setiap pagi. Yang lebih dalam periuk itu kami bertigalah harus habiskan setiap hari. Kenapa Otto masak sarapan, ada yang ingin tahu bukan?
Otto masak sarapan dan membuang air kencing FIL yang disimpan dalam botol kencing setiap pagi. Jahrera masak untuk tengah hari dan malam. Tengah hari 3 jenis lauk, malam 3 jenis lauk lain. Jadi kasihanlah pada Jahrera ya pembaca yang budiman. Janganlah kata jahrera ini bini buruk pula. Sedih, rasa terharu akibatnya.
Otto paksa jahrera habiskan sop yang berlebihan itu. Nak tahu apa jahrera kata pada dia?
"I'm not a Japanese, don't force me to eat Japanese food everyday!"
Ya betul. Ke mana jahrera pergi pun, di mana jahrera menetap pun, tekak ini masih tekak melayu lagi. Hati ini masih bersemangat melayu lagi. Bahasa ini masih melayu lagi dan lidah noghori masih menjela-jela pekat lagi.
Tak macam buah cermai itu. Dia sudah menjadi Belanda. Merah bukan kuning lagi. Dia sudah lupa asal usulnya. Walaupun dia merah di luar tapi di dalam dia masih masam. Mana boleh hilang naruni seseorang yang ada di dalam? Bukan senang berpura-pura seumur hidup.

Sebenarnya cermai itu ada di kebun jahrera. Selama ini jahrera namakan aserola tapi rupanya orang melayu menamakannya sebagai cermai belanda.

Pohon Cermai Belanda

Lepas entri bunga kesum di bawah itu, ada kawan nun jauh mengajar jahrera masak nasi kerabu dengan irisan daun kesum. Jahrera cubalah cara yang diajarkan. Sedap sangat. Tiga hari jahrera makan nasi kerabu seorang diri.

Kerabu Kesum/Cermai Belanda

Tentang baja asli untuk daun kesum itu, kalau tak jadi subur macam dalam gambar jahrera itu, jangan salahkan takdir atau jangan salahkan jahrera atau jangan salahkan kesum itu. Sebenarnya blogawan budiman kena tahu terlebih dahulu kandungan kimia dalam tanah sendiri. Kalau tanah itu tanah liat bermakna lebih bahan alkali dan air kencing yang banyak mengandungi bahan asid akan mengimbangkan kandungan kimia dalam tanah tersebut.
Jadi kalau tanah itu sudah mengandungi bahan asid dari asal, janganlah ditambah lagi dengan air kencing. Itu sudah melebihi paras asid dan mungkin kesum mendapat keracunan asid dengan air kencing itu. Berwaspadalah wahai blogawan.

Jangan kencing sebarangan sebelum mengetahui keadaan yang sebenar terlebih dulu.

**********

Tatkala terdengar bisikan "pulang kampung"...

Dear respected readers,

Would someone be so kind enough to tell me what does that voice behind the chorus says...if my hearing is right, it sounds like "pulang kampung".

I like this song so much because that "pulang kampung" keeps on coming in the song.
By the way the song is "As I lay me down to sleep" by Sophie B. Hawkins.


Note for Kimora who left a comment below, if you type "inca(say: inka)" in google search, you will know who they are, what they wear (like the fashion I had in the picture) and the rest of the story.

Tyme of iris tsunami

Iris blooms for one month only. So for those who come to this island expecting to see iris, please make sure the time is right. If you come in December and say to me you want to see iris, I will say to come back again for the tsunami blue in April.
Both of us make our way up north, driving about 100km. The weather was beautiful at 24c and this two days the rain is having time off, letting the sun glows everywhere.
When we reached the hide-out (hide-out because the valley of iris was surrounded by hills), I was totally strucked by the immensely beautiful sea of blue, waving with the gentle motion of the wind.
Like a woman crazy in love for the first time, I fly amongst the blooms. I don't know in which direction to turn to. Everywhere and I mean everywhere, far and near my eyes see, the gentle wave of blue eveloped my being, swallowed my body. I cannot breathe with this beauty. If I could paint, if only I could paint this feeling...

Iris tsunami/ drowning all eyes heartlessly/ blue souls in blue clouds.#######This haiku was inspired immediately.

Tatkala "tanka" diMelayukan...

Klik imej untuk dibesarkan

Tanka PERANTAU DI KAKI LAUT oleh DARMA MOHAMMAD telah disiarkan di dalam majalah bulanan DEWAN BUDAYA, April 2009, terbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Kuala Lumpur.

Puisi Darma Mohammad di atas menggunakan bentuk (teknik) tanka. Ia boleh juga dipanggil tanka berbahasa Melayu. Jika diperhatikan Darma menggunakan 5 baris dengan sukukata 5-7-5-7-7. Ketiga-tiga bait/rangkap puisi itu berbentuk tanka. Dari segi tekniknya, puisi ini adalah tanka (bentuk puisi Jepun).

Sejak setahun yang lalu Sdr Darma Mohammad telah dengan tekunnya belajar menguasai teknik penulisan haiku dan tanka daripada penulis blog ini. Beliau cuba "memelayukan" dari aspek isi puisi jenis ini. Dalam karya beliau yang lain, beliau banyak memasukkan persoalan agama, moral, pemikiran dan kemanusiaan dari kacamata orang Melayu.

Sitting on summer heat tyme

Early summer heat

looking at the whiteness on

the virgins' faces

おとめらの　かんばせ白き　薄暑かな

靜堂　(by Seidou)

Narrative: In the early summer (now, on this date), it is still cool to feel the heat from the sun. No houseflies, lizards, bees or mosquitoes alive so we can open the house and let the breeze dance in. The temperature is also not high enough to create humidity, so we do not perspire at all.

We can feel the whiteness of the world in the cool sun.

White is the colour of blank paper and early summer indicates new beginning.

For people starting on a journey towards a full-time career or starting a new term on the road to learning, everything on the paper is white.

White as in the innocence of the virgins's face, young girls starting new on the road to adulthood.

On this whiteness, the recordings of their lives are written.

Just like the early summer heat...a clean, crisp, new beginning.

ps: image is not my house.

Insane in the membrane

Picture from foilhat.com.

There was a false alarm on the national tv station today. At 12.15 in the afternoon, they falsely announced the missile is launched.

"The missile is launched, the missile is launched."

I was sitting alone on the edge of the sofa. My heart was beating painfully irregular.
Then about a half minute later, they announced it was a false alarm.

Look at him, sitting there filling up on his belly.

Do you know that half of his country's people are starving? They scratched the hills and mountains to find roots and grasses and have grass soup for dinner?

Now, with his intelligent know-how equivalent to 1970's era, he is making nuclear weapons, war heads and missiles.
Then, he tries to convince the world it is just some kind of test.
He shoot across routes of land and oceans that commercial flights use. He says he has the rights to do it.

Anyone flying across the Japan Sea from today till April 8th, will be re-routed or better still cancel your flight.

Tell me what rights does he has to cross foreign neighbours with his malfunction weapons?
Look at his belly, know what I feel?
Like crucifying him to a pole on a tip of an erupting volcano!

INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE

Sakura mochi/Pulut sakura/Sakura rice-cake

Picture courtesy of furusato.sanin.jp

Now is the season of sakura rice-cake. You cannot make sakura rice-cake without the sakura leave. This is a traditional dessert to be eaten during tea time by the Japanese. The method is to add to glutinous rice flour some pick colour of the sakura. Shape the flour into a ball with red bean paste and go into the steaming pot. Just before serving, wrap the steamed cake with boiled new sakura leave (old leaves have bitter after-taste).

Anyway this is not a receipe entry, though it might be a little useful to know the culture.

Since it is sakura-viewing time now, the season word related to sakura is the in-thing for haiku enthusiast. Sakura mochi is a season word or kigo for haiku.

Let's see some haiku I took from NHK.

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1] 雨の日の　午後しずかなる　桜餅

Read: Ame hi no/ gogo shizuka naru/ sakura mochi

Translation: During rainy day/ in the quiet afternoon/ sakura rice-cake

Narrative: In the quiet afternoon, after the rain, the writer has tea with sakura rice-cake.

Note: the writer's emotion is for reader to guess.

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2] 一茶の句　三つ覚えて　桜餅

Read: Issa no ku/ mittsu oboete/ sakura mochi

Translation: Haiku by Issa/ managed to memorize three/ sakura rice-cake

Narrative: Issa is a famous haiku writer after Bashou.

While eating sakura rice-cake, the writer managed to memorise 3 of Issa's haiku.

Note: readers is to feel the writer's feeling on the impact of eating sakura rice-cake.

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3] 桜餅　正座に強く　育てられ

Read: Sakura mochi seiza ni tsuyoku sodaterare

Translation: Sakura rice-cake/ taught strongly to sit on heels/ growing up that way.

Narrative: Here sakura rice-cake is taken to be a girl, a metaphor.

Growing up in the traditional way, she is trained strictly to sit properly on her heels.

Note: In this haiku, the writer use the image of pretty sakura-cake pink in colour as a girl.

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4] もの言はぬ　男のつまむ　桜餅

Read: Mono iwanu/ otoko no tsumamu/ sakura mochi

Translation: Without any words/ secret bites and snacks for men/ sakura rice-cake.

Narrative: There is some element of eroticm in this haiku. Here the sakura rice-cake is given the image of lady "entertainer". Go figure out.

Note: Once reader catch the image of the "entertainer", this haiku goes deeper that just having snacks for teatime!

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Translation and narrative are my work.

Hopefully this entry would give more lights on how beautiful haiku peoms can be when you read behind the lines.

Tatkala "missile" melintasi...

Apa agaknya rasa kita apabila bersantai-santai bersama-sama keluarga pada hujung minggu dengan pengetahuan yang negara jiran bercadang memanah sebatang peluru nuke ke arah kita.
Jika peluru itu ditembak dari utara ke selatan menyeberangi seluruh tanah melayu yang disanjung setiap para anak bumi, mungkinkah...

a] mereka datang beramai-ramai, menarik anak masing-masing, membentang tikar di padang Putrajaya, bertepuk sorak kegembiraan melihat peluru itu sedang melintas?

b] mereka diminta pergi ke masjid bersolat hajat beramai-ramai dan membuat doa selamat bersama.

c] mereka disuruh beli barang dapur dan menyimpan stok makanan dengan anggapan bom itu akan melenyapkan tanah anak bumi.

d] mereka memakai baju berwarna putih dan berarak membawa kad yang menulis "Jangan bom kami" dan "Kasihanilah kami".

e] ketua pemikir tanah air akan mengeluarkan undang-undang yang menulis jika negara jiran memanah sebarang peralatan bahaya mereka berhak untuk mengeluarkan denda yang berjuta-juta.

f] setiap anggota keselamatan berdiri berbaris di sempadan negara untuk menentang peluru nuke itu.

Tindakan apa agaknya?

Nota kaki: Untuk blogawan sdr Unsunghero, maaf ingin saya sampaikan kerana komen yang diterima itu sudah terhilang apabila saya menukar tajuk entri ini dari [Tatkala peluru berpandu menyeberang...] ke [Tatkala "missile" melintasi...]. Harap maklum dengan kesilapan teknikal ini.

Tegami-Angela Aki (Letter)

Romaji Tegami ~Haikei Juugo No Kimi E~ (Minna No Uta Ver.)
Haikei kono tegami yondeiru anata wa
Doko de nani wo shiteiru no darou

Juugo no boku ni wa dare ni mo hanasenai
Nayami no kanae ga aru no desu

Mirai no jibun ni atete kaku tegami nara
Kitto sunao ni uchiake rareru darou

Ima makesou de nakisou de
Kieteshimaisou na boku wa
Dare no kotoba wo
Shinji arukeba ii no?
Hitotsu shika nai kono mune ga nando mo barabara ni warete
Kurushii naka de ima wo ikiteiru
Ima wo ikiteiru

Haikei arigatou juugo no anata ni
Tsutaetai koto ga aru no desu
Jibun to wa nani de doko e mukau beki ka
Toitsu dzukereeba mietekuru

Areta seishun no umi wa kibishii keredo
Asu no kishibe e to yume no fune yo susume

Ima makenai de nakanai de
Kieteshimaisou na toki wa
Jibun no koe wo shinjiaru keba ii no?
Otona no boku mo kizutsuite
Nemurenai yoru wa aru kedo
Nigakute amai ima ikiteiru

Jinsei no subete ni imi ga aru kara
Osorezu ni anata no yume wo sodatete
La la la, la la la, la la la
Keep on believing
La la la, la la la, la la la
Keep on believing, keep on believing, keep on believing

Makesou de nakisou de
Kieteshimaisou boku wa
Dare no kotoba wo shinji arukeba ii no?
Aa Makenaii de nakanai de
Kieteshimaisou na toki wa
Jibun no koe wo shinjiarukeba ii no
Itsu no jidai mo kanashimi mo
Sakete wa torenai keredo
Egao wo misete ima wo ikite yukou
Ima wo ikite yukou

Haikei kono tegami yondeiru anata ga
Shiawase na koto wo negaimasu...

This lyric was added by: kawaii0neko0nya

Translation Tegami ~Haikei Juugo No Kimi E~ (Minna No Uta Ver.)

Dear you,
Who's reading this letter
Where are you and what are you doing now?

For me who's 15 years old
There are seeds of worries I can't tell anyone

If it's a letter addressed to my future self,
Surely I can confide truly to myself

Now, it seems that I'm about to be defeated and cry
For someone who's seemingly about to disappear
Whose words should I believe in?
This one-and-only heart has been broken so many times
In the midst of this pain, I live the present

Dear you,
Thank you
I have something to tell the 15-year-old you

If you continue asking what and where you should be going
You'll be able to see the answer

The rough seas of youth may be tough
But row your boat of dreams on
Towards the shores of tomorrow

Now, please don't be defeated and please don't shed a tear
During these times when you're seemingly about to disappear
Just believe in your own voice
For me as an adult, there are sleepless nights when I'm hurt
But I'm living the bittersweet present

There's meaning to everything in life
So build your dreams without fear
Keep on believing

Seems like I'm about to be defeated and cry
For someone who's seemingly about to disappear
Whose words should I believe in?

Please don't be defeated and please don't shed a tear
During these times when you're seemingly about to disappear
Just believe in your own voice

No matter era we're in
There's no running away from sorrow
So show your smile, and go on living the present
Go on living the present

Dear you,
Who's reading this letter
I wish you happiness...

This lyric was added by: Gys

Tatkala berulam pucuk...

Inilah pucuk-pucuk yang digunakan dalam ulam dan salad untuk hidangan kami berdua.
Berbagai daun letus dan daun salad kami tanam di belakang rumah. Kalau perhatikan pohon di tengah itu ialah anak durian belanda.

Ini pucuk shungiku (corn marigold) atau sejenis bunga kek wa.

Ini pula daun mitsuba atau saya gelarkan sebagai daun pegaga Jepun.


Mitsuba atau pegaga Jepun setelah digoreng bersama daging kambing untuk menghilangkan bau. Kicap manis daging kambing bersama mitsuba dan kentang.
Yang di sebelah itu sop ubi keledek bersama sohoon dan kobis panjang.

Selepas 3 hari, 3 malam bermakan-makan petai sebanyak 5 papan, saya menerima satu bencana. Saya salahkan diri ini. Bukan petai yang tidak bersalah itu.

Bencana itu melanda dan menumbangkan diri ini selama 6 hari. Dalam keadaan melepek dan berpucat muka, saya membawa jasad yang longlai ini berjumpa seorang pakar kesihatan.

Alhamdulillah, saya tidak melepek lagi dan wajah ini kembali berwarna semula tapi seumur hidup yang berbaki ini, saya akan menikmati petai hanya dari jauh sahaja.

A Taste of Cherry tyme

Adakah penulis puisi ini tahu daripada pohon apakah datangnya buah ceri itu? Adakah penulis ini tahu daripada bunga apakah memutiknya buah ceri itu?

Panggilan orang Jepun pada buah ceri ialah sakuranbo. Sebenarnya buah ceri berasal dari bunga ini.

Since I'm on the topic of cherry, this is a movie about cherry.

A Taste of Cherry.

This movie by Abbas Kiarostami, 1997. It's the winner of the Golden Palm at the 1997 Cannes film festival.

The hero in the movie contemplate suicide 3 times. He tried without success 2 times. Then he met a university professor who is willing to help the hero to kill himself but while driving, the prof. tells a story about a cherry tree that help him years ago from killing himself.
After hearing story about the cherry tree, do you think the hero still want to kill himself?

Find out yourself.

My Burning heart/Bittersweet

Jalaludin Rumi


My Burning Heart

My heart is burning with love
All can see this flame
My heart is pulsing with passion
like waves on an ocean.

My friends have become strangers
and I’m surrounded by enemies.
But I’m free as the wind
no longer hurt by those who reproach me.

I’m at home wherever I am
And in the room of lovers
I can see with closed eyes
the beauty that dances.

Behind the veils
intoxicated with love
I too dance the rhythm
of this moving world.
I have lost my senses
in my world of lovers...

Bittersweet-Rumi
(edited by Deepak Chopra, reading by Madonna)

In my hallucination
I saw my beloved's flower garden
In my vertigo, in my dizziness
In my drunken haze
Whirling and dancing like a spinning wheel
I saw myself as the source of existence

I was there in the beginning
And I was the spirit of love
Now I am sober
There is only the hangover
And the memory of love
And only the sorrow

I yearn for happiness
I ask for help
I want mercy
And my love says:

Look at me and hear me
Because I am here
Just for that

I am your moon and your moonlight too
I am your flower garden and your water too
I have come all this way, eager for you
Without shoes or shawl

I want you to laugh
To kill all your worries
To love you
To nourish you

Oh sweet bitterness
I will soothe you and heal you
I will bring you roses
I, too, have been covered with thorns

Back mirror tyme

image courtesy of nifty2
Yesterday we had a brain-storming haiku session. The leader of the session, due to unavoidable circumstances could not make it for the session. So we conduct the whole procedure ourselves.
There is one particular haiku that I was attracted and I vote my point to it.
Since I voted for this haiku, I have to make my reason for the vote.

This is the haiku by Mr. Oyadomari, who is a building architect full-time but choose painting and haiku writing as his hobby.

This is the original haiku.

バックミラーに　君の顔やら　桜やら

Or Cermin belakang/ wajahmu di antara/ bunga sakura (in Bahasa Malaysia)

or From the back mirror/ I can see you among the/ blooms of sakura

The season word or kigo for this haiku is sakura.

This is what I translate from this haiku to the session yesterday.

Eventhough the writer see her (the word "kimi" is normally addressed for a younger lady) in the back mirror amongst the sakura blooms, he feels a certain loneliness, a certain sadness.

Why do I say this?
The word "back mirror" points to the fact that she is not sitting next to him. She is sitting at the back, behind him. He is alone sitting in front, by himself. He is driving her through the sakura blooms and watching her face blooms while watching the sakura along the roads. He feels happy to see the face blooms into happiness but yet inside him, he is alone, lonely and sad.

Another member opposed my narration by adding that the fact that he is seeing her among the sakura blooms is enough to make him happy. Watching the blooms of her face among the blooms of the sakura from the back mirror. By this, he is not a lonely person, sad and alone.

But the fact is he is still seeing her from the back mirror. He sees her face blooms into beauty from the back mirror and not next to him. He still feels the loneliness and singleness in the front seat.

Some members in the session make a conclusion that I am in the state of loneliness and singleness with my narration.

I say..."get a life!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(We asked the writer himself about the haiku. He said he was driving his aged mother who has sitting problem in the front seat of the car. The writer was driving her to see the sakura blooms while she was seated behind. See how right I am.

I can feel the writer's emotion. I was in that situation for all the years when my own mother was slowly dying.)

Oppai ga ippai

When my children were small, we watched this song being played on the children's programme every morning on television. This is a children's song. There is no bad image attached to it in Japan. This song is a song of respect for a woman's body.

I don't want any man, muslim or otherwise to say that I've gone overboard with this video. If you think so, don't come to my page anymore. (I will not publish such comments)
Think of our mother when we see this song. There is nothing abusive in this video.
In Japan, all children grow up singing this song. Just think of the different culture in Japan, when you see this video.
The translation is my work.

I drink it, my sister drink it too.
My mama's boob will not become small.
When taking bath, she let me touch it.
Looks like round rubber without enough air.

I drink it, my sister drink it too.
Nothing comes out of my mama's boob.
Is it sweet? I can't remember.
It is weird when I want to drink more of it.
So many boobs, so many boobs, so many boobs.
So happy, feels like touching it.

I drink it, my sister drink it too.
My mama's boob is always big.
If I press lightly, pointing with one finger.
The softness surprise me.

I drink it, my sister drinks it too.
Nothing flows out from my mama's boob.
Strangely, when another baby is born,
it will flow again.
So many boobs, so many boobs, so many boobs.
So beautiful, I like it so much.
So many boobs, so many boobs, so many boobs.
So beautiful, I like it so much.

Pride (Imai Miki)

Watashi wa ima minami no hitotsu boshi wo miagete shigatta
Donna toki mo hohoemi wo tayasazu ni aruite yukou to

Anata wo omou to tada setsu nakute namida wo nagashite wa
Hoshi ni negai wo tsuki ni inori wo sasageru tame dakeni ikite kita

Dakedo ima wa anata e no ai koso ga watashi no puraido

Yasashisa to wa yurushi au koto wo shiru saigo no shinjitsu
Wakamama sae aishiku omoeta nara honto ni shiawase

Anata wa watashi ni jiyuu to todoku wo oshiete kureta hito
Yoru ga kuru tabi ni muguchi ni natte furueru kata wo dakishimete kita

Dakedo ima wa anata aikoso ga watashi no puraido

Itsu ka watashi wo sora wo toberu hazu zutto shinjite ita
Subasa ga attara tonde yuku no ni anata no mune ni ima sugu ni demo

Miagete mite minami no hitotsu boshi wo suteki na sora deshou
Watashi wa ima anata e no ai dake ni waratte naiteru

Lyrics: Hotei Tomoyasu
Music: Hotei Tomoyasu

Translation: Jahrera (That's me, translation copyrights)

I'm now looking up at one star in the south, wishing.
Walking always with a smile that never fades.
If I think of you, my tears will flow.
I live on offering my wish to the stars, praying to the moon.

But now, I'm giving my love to you, that's my Pride.
When you can forgive, I see your kindness.
Even when I'm selfish, you still love me, that's true happiness.

You taught me how to find freedom.
When the night comes, I quietly hug my trembling self.
But now, I'm giving my love to you, that's my Pride.
I believe the time will come when I can fly.
If I have wings, I will fly to you immediately.
Such a beautiful sky as I look at one star in the south.
The love from you makes me laugh and cry.

Original Japanese

今井美樹 - PRIDE

作詩：布袋寅泰 作曲：布袋寅泰

私は今　南の一つ星を　見上げて誓った
どんな時も　微笑みを絶やさずに　歩いて行こうと

貴方を想うと　ただせつなくて　涙を流しては
星に願いを　月に祈りを　捧げるためだけに生きてきた

だけど今は　貴方への愛こそが　私のプライド

やさしさとは　許し合うことを知る　最後の真実
わがままさえ　愛しく思えたなら　本当に幸せ

貴方は私に　自由と孤独を　教えてくれた人
夜が来るたびに無口になって　震える肩を抱きしめていた

だけど今は　貴方への愛こそが　私のプライド

いつか私も　空を飛べるはず　ずっと信じていた
翼があったら飛んでゆくのに　貴方の胸に今すぐにでも

見上げてみて　南の一つの星を　素敵な空でしょう
私は今　貴方への愛だけに　笑って　泣いてる

Tatkala Jentayu mencari kasih

Ini kisah benar antara saya dengan seekor burung jentayu.

Pertama kali saya dikenalkan dengan burung ini 10 tahun lalu. Di tanah bunga sakura ini. Jentayu berada di antara orang-orang yang saya kenal dan sayang. Burung ini sungguh ayu, wajahnya berseri dan bersih. Burung ini ingin balik kepada fitrah Allah. Dia mencari semangat untuk kembali ke asali fitrah ini.

Dia baru lepas berputus kasih. Kasih pertama ini melalaikan cintanya. Kasih ini hilang dan pergi entah ke mana. Dalam keseorangan itu, jentayu mencari makna kehidupan, ingin mengecapi kemanisan untuk terus bahagia.

Fitrah Allah sejati telah dijumpai. Dia bertukar menjadi burung soleh mengikut jalan Islam. Dia dikenalkan dengan kasih kedua. Tampan, soleh tapi tidak pandai menerima kasih jentayu, tidak dapat memberi kasih yang sempurna pada jentayu. Agak beberapa bulan, jentayu terlepas sekali lagi dari sarang kasih kedua ini. Dia terbang keseorangan ke tanah besar. Dia mencari sarang lain untuk melepaskan lelahnya. Sarang untuk dia berteduh dan berkasih.

Pernikahannya pada kasih ketiga selanjutnya, membawa dia ke tanah suci. Berdua mereka mengerjakan ibadah fardhu ini. Berdua mereka membina mahligai yang jentayu impikan. Tapi jentayu tidak boleh menebarkan sayapnya bersama kasih ini. Sayapnya terkudung lagi. Dia jatuh ke tanah sendiri lagi.

Dengan sayap yang masih kuat sebelah lagi, jentayu mengembara ke langit jauh mengikut kasih ke-empat. Kasih ini dari negara ayam turki. Ayam yang kuat makan tanpa usaha sendiri. Ayam turki ini kerap meminta-minta dari jentayu. Jentayu tidak dapat melepaskan dirinya dari ayam turki sebab zuriat dilahirkan dari perhubungan mereka.

Selepas beberapa rembulan berganti, jentayu melarikan diri balik ke rumah asalnya, rumah di mana dia dilahirkan untuk mendapat bantuan. Ayam turki masih meminta-minta dari jentayu yang tidak mengeluarkan hasil pendapatan.

Jentayu melepaskan ayam turki dan menebarkan sayapnya, sambil mengendung zuriat itu merantau ke negara lain. Mencari rezeki dan mengharapkan dapat ditemui dengan kasih sejati.

Doa dan harapan jentayu diketemukan juga.

Dia dijodohkan dengan kekasih ke-lima. Kebahagiaannya dibisikkan melalui angin lalu dari barat ke timur.

Penulis mengharapkan jentayu aneh ini tidaklah lagi mencari-cari kasih murni lagi selepas ini. Biarlah jodohnya kukuh dan kekal bersama kasih ke lima ini.

Jentayu, kamu adalah sesuatu yang magis, ayu dan manis. Kuatkanlah iman di dadamu, bahagialah kamu seterusnya.

Jentayu ini cerita benar. Jentayu ini ialah burung yang masih terbang bersama penulis.

Tatkala ber"Nafas dari Lembah Atar"

Saya menerima buku ini beberapa hari sahaja selepas ianya di pasaran.
Buku ini bertajuk "Nafas dari Lembah Atar - Pertemuan dengan 30 tokoh-tokoh sejarah" karya penulis/penyusun Darma Mohammad.

Pernah tak apabila membaca sesuatu hadis atau cerita-cerita berunsur agama, kita dipaparkan dengan nama-nama sahabat Rasulullah SAW dan tatkala membaca itu, kita ingin tahu latar-belakang atau peribadi serta puncak-puncak penting kehidupan sahabat-sahabat itu?
Siapakah Salman Al-Farisi r.a, Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqasy r.a, Miqdad bin 'Amr r.a. dan banyak lagi tokoh-tokoh lain yang sering menjelma dalam riwayat Rasulullah SAW.
Buku ini menemukan kita dengan 30 orang tokoh-tokoh sejarah dalam era perkembangan awal Islam.
Setiap pertemuan [setiap Bab] dicatatkan bersama dua rangkai mafhum dari ayat-ayat suci Al-Quran dengan mengimbas kembali sejarah mereka.
Kita juga dihidangkan dengan pemikiran mereka bersama catatan refleksi daripada pengarang dan tafsiran kehidupan mereka.

Salah satu petikan (dari buku ini) mafhum fikiran dari Abu Darda' r.a yang berkata,
" 1) Orang tidak mungkin mencapai tingkat muttaqin, apa bila tidak berilmu. Apa guna ilmu, apabila tidak dibuktikan dalam perbuatan.

2) Kebaikan bukanlah kerana banyak harta dan anak-pinakmu tetapi kebaikan yang sesungguhnya ialah bila semakin besar rasa santunmu, semakin bertambah banyak ilmu, dan kamu berpacu menandingi manusia dalam mengabdi kepada Allah Ta'ala. "

Setiap seorang tokoh-tokoh sejarah ini diiringi dengan secebis Sentuhan Jiwa dari penulisnya, berupa puisi bernafaskan Islam.
Salah satu Sentuhan Jiwa yang amat berkesan pada saya tertulis di halaman 95 bertajuk Menusuk Kalbu.

"Suara itu seakan datang menyelinap ke ruang kamar
membawa sejumlah ayat-ayat Suci/ayat-ayat kebenaran. Ayat-ayat Tauhid.
Ayat-ayat tentang kehidupan, tentang kematian."

Siapa yang tak tertegun mendengar alunan kebenaran
di tengah hening, di tengah sunyi. Menusuk lunak ke benak kalbu menebarkan khabar gembira kepada orang yang beriman dan menitipkan peringatan kepada orang yang lupa tentang kebesaran Tuhan Maha Pencipta.

Alangkah merdunya suara itu
bermain-main di kamar
menabur butir-butir narwastu
di taman sanubari.

Pintu kalbu terbuka untuk mendengar bisikan terunggul dari segala bisikan yang pernah berbisik dari segala pelusuk pulau dari segala lereng gunung, dari segala ufuk laut, dari segala benak belantara, dari segala rambut kabut,
Kerana bisikan terunggul itu tidak lain daripada bisikan... "

Kalau nak tahu bisikan itu, buku ini sudah ada di pasaran.

Pembaca yang berminat kepada puisi bernafas Islam dan mafhum ayat-ayat suci akan mendapat hidangan yang lazat dari kreativiti penulis ini pada setiap catatan Sentuhan Jiwa [30 puisi semuanya].

Di kulit belakang buku ini tertulis "buku ini dipersembahkan kepada pembaca sejarah yang ingin berkelana di dunia perjuangan para sahabat Rasulullah SAW dengan segala keunggulan peribadi dan nilai-nilai batin yang sukar dicabar. Para sahabat itu hidup dalam dunia indah yang dirumus oleh Islam, sekaligus getir bergulat dengan ancaman musuh-mush Islam. Pembaca juga dipelawa menghirup pemikiran dalam bentuk yang lebih berseni, dengan hidangan puisi-puisi yang bernafaskan keislaman mengiringi setiap tokoh sahabat yang dibicarakan. Inilah bentuk dan ciri khusus yang sengaja ditampilkan oleh penulis di dalam pengkisahan sejarah para sahabat tersebut. "

Lapping-top tyme

This is my new girl. Just got it 2 days ago. My old playpal just dropped dead on my face. She couldn't take all the bashing on her day and night. I worked her till she collapsed on my feet. Poor girl.

Anyway, I was with the old girl for 6 faithful years. Day and night, we were together. Sometimes, my tears dropped on her face while I expressed my heart out, sometimes she see me smiled when people dropped by to make funny comments, she was with me all those wonderful times when my children were growing up. She stood by me but she died last week, while I was sleeping.
Thank you Sony, old girl, I will miss you. At celeron 1.8GHz with only 60GB, you were the top in the market when I got you. I took you in at US1,700. But now, you cannot take it anymore. I demand so much from you. I overload you with so much data and sometimes makes you breathless, I am so sorry, old girl.

Sony, old girl, I have to get a new friend since you left me. I cannot be by myself too long. I will be mentally-slanted. I admit I am the unfaithful type. You know I will not bury you, you will be on my table until the time I feel fit to keep you tidily away. I am watching you as I am writing this farewell piece, Sony Old girl.
Here is the new friend.
She is small and cute, pretty smile and beautiful teeth.
She is the size of half A4 paper and I can carry her around. Not that I love her more than you, no.
The reason why I got a small, pretty, cute girl is so I can take her to Spore and Msia. So she can be my travel companion. Let me introduce you to her.
I give her a sweet name Lavie girl. Nice name right? Sony, old girl, I know you'll like her as well.

Her size is only at 8.9-inch 1024 x 600CD with 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi, SD slot, 1.3 megapixel webcam, XP Home.

She is so small but I can load her full at 160GB. This time I know she can take all the data I throw in her brains. She even have this small eye in her head at 1.3 megapixel, which is clear and sharp. All my friends and children over the world can see me talking. But, the best part is she has a small slot for SD card. You know right, when I go travelling I take lots of photos, so this time I can just slot in the SD card and ta da, I can load in the photos right there.

I bought a small carry-case for Lavie. She is so light at 1.17kg, I don't think I have trouble now while waiting in the transit lounge at Khai Tak Airport in between transit time.

No, you will always be in my mind Sony, Old girl. Thank you for being with me all the 6 years. Luv you and you are in my memory always.

Landing flat tyme

This afternoon, I was trying on a new pair of room slippers, those that comes with soft hairy fur. As I climbed the stairs to go up, one foot stepped on another slippers and I came crashing on the landing. I could not get up and I stayed flat on my face for a little while to wait for the blood to dripple from my nose. No, my nose is not bleeding but the impact of the fall give me a much flatter nose than before, similar to purple Indian onions.
The lips is a blossom of burgundy rose, getting dark purple after the blood settled inside. Seems to be bigger than that of Angelina's but not any inch as sexy.
HUHUHU.

Maneki neko tyme

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.commons.org

I am sure many Aliens who have stepped themselves in Japan would have seen this cat everywhere. Mostly, shop owners put those cats on their front doors or as part of their window display.
This is the Beckoning Cat or The cat that welcome you. The cat that says "you are always welcome, please step in".

Now that the explaination part is over, let me start on the topic of my heart passion.

Topik yang sangat menghairahkan emosi dan perasaanku. Tak lain dan tak bukan Haiku.

My passion is no other than haiku.

Last Sunday we started our first Haiku Meet of this year. By the way, First Haiku Meet of the year or HatsuKu Kai in Japanese is a season word or Kigo that is so relevant in making a good haiku.

It has been about 6 months that I have not attended any Meets as I went visiting my hometown and coming back from home, my mother passed away. Then the year-end festivities caught up and I counted 6 months of missing session.

I was very attracted to this haiku. It is so simple when you read it once but after further studying, it transforms into something so spiritually magical.

Its is written by Mr. Oyadomari, he sat besides me at this session. He is an artist, he paints mostly Okinawa scenery. The cover for the WA Anthology work (by the side bar) is designed by him and his haiku collection is also selected in the WA Anthology.

He wrote: Hatsuharu ni/maneki neko itte/furu honya.

Let me translate that:

The first day of spring there is a welcoming cat (see above) at the old bookshop.

See how simple this haiku is. The image is easy to see. Once reading through, you will understand very vividly, a welcoming cat at the front of the old bookshop in early spring.

Look again...let's see how deeply it impact my feelings.

The play of words that expresses time is moving by comparing the first day of spring which signify a new beginning, a new start and a new life with the old bookshop.
The old bookshop is displaying the welcoming cat, welcoming people to come in. But taking it metaphorally, the writer is feeling the new spring, the air of change transforming his life. Winter has been short days and long, dark nights. The feeling of inactivity, the state of hibernation is monotoneous and spiritually empty.
When he feels the first sigh of spring, the needle burst the hibernating hollow thus allowing him to peek out and create activity that show sigh of life and living.
That is great happiness and when he sees the welcoming sigh of the cat, it enjoins his joyous emotion even more.

The pull of pleasant and joyful feelings with the coming of spring creates a need in the writer's emotion to do something and make a good change with his life. As an impromptu movement, his feet put him in an old bookshop. Coming to the bookshop, makes him feel he needs to replace the knowledge that has flowed away from his body during the long, tiring winter days. Now, its spring and he must replace the knowledge of the world back into his heart like an old tired car that need to have an overhaul to face the new challedge of the season.

If you try to study this haiku, you too can feel its spirit of life renewing and a new birth, a new beginning.

PS: The haiku homepage, Taman Lilly, is only for haiku written in Bahasa Malaysia. Only people who can read and write Bahasa Malaysia is accepted as member on certain conditions.

Dip in Beauty tyme

Foreign people or as the law in Japan called them The Aliens, should never missed the chance to have a bath in the BathHouse or the Communal Bath. I am not afraid to swear that communal bathing is a very unique experience.
Of course, there are rules to follow before dipping your bare body in the bubbly, hot water and if you ignore those rules, for sure another fellow bather would tell you off or let you know the rules with exact precision.
You'll see from the picture, all the gadgets I use in the grooming process.

You will have to leave your shoes before entering the changing room. Once inside the changing room, you will be allocated a locker. Everything goes in. Normally, I wrapped myself with the brown, soft material. I would carry my gadget in a small container into the communal bath area.

Usually, shampoo and body soap is provided at every shower point. You used your own thing from home if you fancy those they provided is not to your liking.

Wet your hair and shampoo, use the hair srubber if you don't have long nails to scratch your head. Shower off and apply hair conditioner.

Here is what I normally do, while the conditioner do the work, I would sit in the sauna, letting the heat seep in the hair, 10 minutes is more than I can bear in there.

From the sauna, I would sit under the shoulder-beater. Shoulder-beater is water that falls off from the top in heavy beating movement on both the shoulder. I would repeat the trip from sauna to the shoulder-beater about 4 rounds. I really need the shoulder-beater, all these writings on the keyboard makes my shoulder cry.

Wash off the conditioner and I am on the body grooming stage now.

First of, brush my teeth. Then, with a stone-scrub, both feet goes under the gruelling srubbing.

Finish that, goes the elbow and knee scrub. You know sometimes those areas are rough, so a little scrub will make them smile. I have the razor ready but I don't need to disclose how I use it. Some things need to be kept private.

Out ooze the body soap from BodyShop. Long, brush goes behind my back. Pulling on the string on each side, up and down the whole trunk. But for the front, I used softer materials that need softer rubbing, here I used body wash-clothe.

You noticed all this time, I have not soak in any hot tub yet. Yes, that is the BIG rule.

YOU HAVE TO WASH HEAD TO TOE BEFORE THE DIP!

After all these rubbing and scrubbing, only now I can soak in any of the hot water pools. Of course, there are various functions the water can do for you. There is the jacuzzi that beat your painful backs, there is the message attack that do your shoulder, there is the bubble trip that bring you all the way to the clouds and of course there is the perfume bath that fills with lavender scent or cherry-blossom. Scents of flowers that are in the season.

I would finish my rounds with a dip in the scented pool and come out feeling really flowery and blossomy.

With a clean and dry towel, I go for the second, grooming round in the changing room. I called this the after-bath groom and this will take another 45 minutes.

Shortest time I take from the start point till I walk away from there would be like 4 hours.

Hey, that is the shortest time. When my mood run away, I would be there like 5 hours and my skin would beg for mercy.

Girlfriends and female-bloggers closed to me, come have a dip with me.

Dancing the word tyme

I am writing in three languages. Sometimes, I feel my head is so bogged with words and terminalogy of all the three languages that I can't feel the head exist anymore.
Sometimes, I touched my head just to make sure it is still there.
All the mixture of word floats in my head, searching for an opening, wanting to be free but the thing is, there is NO EXIT POINT!
I am so frustrated when those words refused to come out of its comfortable and warm zone. Hard as I tried to force it out.
Otto suggested I danced, so the words would slowly seep out of this body.
No, that is out. Way out.
Otto reminded me to bring back all those dancing steps and movements that I learnt every week when I was 37 and 38 years young.
That time, after learning every new dance routine, I would do the whole performance for Otto. He'd loved to see me dancing. Though he never comment anything. He would just sit and looked at me dancing away and stay quiet that way.

The video below is one of the dance routine I did minus the IPOD, of course. Where in the world would one have an IPOD at that time? Those time, the latest in-thing is the WalkMan with the big CD player hanging on the belt.
Now, instead of dancing, I'm very contend to just listen to the fast beat. I do shake from the belt up but that is so minimal.

Talking about languages, tell me the name of a vegetable that sound almost alike in all these three languages (Bahasa Malaysia, English and Japanese).

Romancing the fish tyme

Nowadays, when I'm feeling down, I talk to the fish and this morning, this is the conversation.

Every morning, facing the news add more worries on my face. The decreasing grey cells in this brain cannot comprehend such unreasonable killings, such lay off that forced previously reputated family man to eat and sleep on road walks. I know all these are works of Illah SWT. I don't question His Plan. He has a Plan for the World. He lets those killings be done, He Plans those places to be destroyed, so who I am to question His Doings?
Only He knows when to stop, only He knows how long it will go on, only He knows...

On other parts of Japan, fathers are left without work, man are left homeless, breadwinners found themselves eating hand-out food and sleeping in the parks.
I give a little smile to those powerful people who try to control this miserable economic conditions. Work unions and employers are combining heads to bring the situation back to normal.

When those factories cut ribbon and celebrate opening branches there, the people on Okinawa island smiled and join the joyous occasion. But the same factories never open on this island. What has been and always will be on this island is the GI base, the humble islanders and the sugar cane field.

Now, in this economic chaos, what still remain on this island is still the GI base, the humble islanders and the sugar cane field.

Isn't it ironic?

We are not affected by the economic tumble. There is no work layoffs, no shutdowns, no homeless in the park.

This, I would say, is another one of His Plans. Thank you, thank you.

Aku membaca hujan

Analisa "Aku membaca hujan" dari Dr. Lim Swee Tin (Univ. Putra Msia-sastera) yang disiarkan di majalah Dewan Sastera keluaran Dis. 20, 2008.
(Klik pada imeg untuk dibesarkan)

Pos Nota: Penulis puisi berkenaan boleh dihubungi melalui ufukfikir@gmail.com

Morning that sips time

I've been eating clear soup with spinach, shiitake mushrooms and carrots adding 2 pieces of mochi rice-cake for the past 3 days.
On top of that I haven't been cooking for several days as we are eating sashimi (raw fish) all the time. Those are gifts from people around us. It's not like we are in with the festive occasion, it's just that the current of flow pulls us in the wave of celebrations.
The cold, biting winter wind that is blowing from the north as a way of nature welcoming the changing year, is stopping me from stepping out in the world.
Sipping on a cup of hot, milk coffee, I looked at the sparrows in my front yard feeding on the bird feeds that Otto throws.

Yes, life is easy,
Life is moving,
and I'm moving easily with life.

The last singer of the Kouhaku Utagassen 2008 (The Red & White Singing Contest)-Hikawa Kiyoshi with Zun-doko Bushi.
The song is about how he missed his mother while staying apart, starting a new life of his own.

In between times

I'm stepping between two marks of time. One has gone yesterday and the other marking will come in another 48 hours.
One claims to be religious, denoting some events that happened 2009 years ago. Another one, also a holy mark of time that tells story of movement to betterment of humanity 1430 years.
Yet another one marking a man's glory to throne calling it The Year of Heisei, 21 years ago.



So what are all these time marks to me? Nothing much actually, I consider it just to make the record of events.
I don't need to start life afresh at the beginning of these time line. I start life everyday. Everyday is a new beginning.

Everyday, I tell myself to take care of what I eat. Everyday, I challege my limits and everyday I try to climb the tip of the rainbow to see the other side.
I don't say at the beginning of each time-mark that I am going to be better at this or do good at that.
I do it now and everyday. I don't plan the future. Each day comes and I take each day as it comes.



I don't need to wait for these artificial time-mark to wish friends and people good health and happy living, I do it everyday.
I don't need to wait after passing the time-hurdle to say I will improve the quality of life or I will challenge my capabilities or I will climb the rainbow, I do it everyday.

Why do I wait?
EVERYDAY is the time.

ps: Photos are decorated to intentionally melt the waters in your mouth, that is just the mean side of me.

Pearls in the ball

Ai Miyazato (Okinawa girl) at 19, she earned US10 million.

Ishikawa Ryo at 17 this year, he earned US10 million.

What do you do when your child earned US$10 million at 17 years old?

Dont't ask me, frankly I don't know what I will do.

Most probably I am still myself and that child will still be himself.

What can he do with all that money?

He still has to finish his schooling, that I insist.

Then, every morning I will still prepare his lunch box to school.

He eats from his lunch box (bentou) everyday that I prepare.

So, what is there with all that money?

Yes, Ishikawa Ryo is still that same boy. He earned US$10 million this year, goes to school every morning on his bike and eat lunch from the box his mother prepared.

Let me tell you, 70% of that winnings goes to the tax ticket, so the balance 30% or what remains at US$3 million is his for the taking.

You may screamed "What? How come the government take 70%? That is so unfair!"

That is how Japan build their system, nobody run away and build big bungalow houses in Australia or keep a secret box in the Swiss bank hide-out.

That 70% of Ryo's winning goes to support the society of Japan. When my Ojii (FIL) lies in the hospital with 24 hours round-the-clock care, he pays only about US250 per month, when actually it might costs about US$3000 a month.

Lets take 1million old people like my Ojii, so is that humongous or what!

Now you know why it is important for the government of Japan to take those money from the rich and serve those poor old people every where in Japan.

Ryo and Ai, keep those yen rolling, you are the best!

Anthology of Contemporary Haiku "WA" (Japanese)

Selection of the best haiku from 230 haiku writers all over Japan.
Hardcover at JY2500 per copy. But the book is sold out.
I have an extra copy. I can give away this extra copy but with one condition, please email if interested.

Twenty of my best haiku selected for printing below.

Anthology of Contemporary Haiku (Japanese)