Flower Arrangement

I witnessed a very captivating flower presentation by a Japanese lady this afternoon. I was totally impressed.

School Tour at Okinawa

Thank you JICA and MTEC for these wonderful opportunities to share our time with these groups.

Kagamigaoka Grade School

Kagamigaoka Junior High School

Nishihara Senior High School in Okinawa, Japan
My group includes the following: Mami, Izumi, Rika, Jenny, Tomorin, Misaki, Karin and Reika.

Creeping Sadness

I've forgotten how long it has been since

I've never again...

listened to you telling your beloved fairytale

I've thought for a long time

I start to panic

Have I done something wrong?

You said to me with full of tears

Inside the fairytale are all lies

I can't possibly be your prince

Maybe you can ever understand

You said I love you ever after

The stars in my sky has lightened up

I'm willing to be that angel

you love inside the fairytale

Spread up my hands

become the wings to protect you

You must believe...

believe that we can be

like that in the fairytale

prosperity and happiness is the ending

- GUANG LIANG - Tong Hua (English Translation)

A Shower of Tears

Turning over the pages of the old album, I muttered,
"Thank you." You are always in my heart,
and you are always encouraging me.
I remember your smile on a bright day and on a rainy day.
Our memories faded away, but I am still looking for your image.
When you come back to my memory, a shower of tears comes over me.

I pray to the first star of evening. Praying has become my habit.
Looking up to the evening sky,
I am looking for you with all my heart.
I remember your smile when I feel sad and when I feel happy.
If you see me from your place,
I am sure I can see you someday
Believing that, I live my life.

I remember your smile on a bright day and on a rainy day.
Our memories faded away, but I am lonely,
I miss you so much.

As I think of you, a shower of tears comes over me
I want to see you, I want to see you so much.
As I think of you, a shower of tears comes over me

- nada so so

Melancholy

I've never seen a night so long

When time goes crawling by

The moon just went behind a cloud

To hide its face and cry

---

The silence of a falling star

Lights up a purple sky

And as I wonder where you are

I'm so lonesome I could cry

- from the song of Hank Williams

Okinawa Museum and Okinawa Cave

Okinawa Cave 01/19/08

Waiting

Wanting,
lusting,
to be held,
to be loved,
to feel warmth,
to feel your beating heart.
Wanting to be sheltered from the cold,
heartless winds.
Falling into invisible arms;
into an abyss of love.
Wishing,
hoping,
that my desires will be filled;
my desires of loving warmth.
Wanting to be held,
comforted,
loved.
Dreaming of passionate embraces,
of tender kisses,
loving words,
romantic nights.
Waiting for undying love.




- Dawn D.

Tokashiki Island

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you like to win but think you can't

It's almost certain you won't.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man

But sooner or later, the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

-adapted

Mochitsuki: A New Year's Tradition

In many Japanese American households and communities, an annual custom is mochitsuki -- the pounding of mochi or rice cakes, which is essential to the "Oshogatsu" or New Year's celebration. Mochitsuki is an all-day event which requires many hands, long hours, and physical labor, but is also a time of fellowship and socializing with friends and family.Mochitsuki begins the day before, with the washing of the mochigome (sweet glutinous rice) and leaving it to soak overnight in large kettles or tubs. Early the next morning the mochigome is ready to be steamed in the seiro -- wooden steaming frames. Three or four seiro are stacked one on top of the other and placed over a kettle of boiling water.

I am lucky to be here at Okinawa International Center to witness the 2008 Mochitsuki Celebration. I was told that participants who took part on this activity will be lucky (I wish).

Late in the afternoon, I was interviewed by a Japanese television staff regarding Mochitsuki experience and the output will be shown late in the evening today. I hope that my part will not be deleted...ha.ha.ha.

I carry your heart with me

I carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear;
and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you


Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)



- poem by e.e. cummings

I'm all alone...

Several nights I felt so low

As I counted the hours they go so slow

I looked outside my window to the world below

All that I could see were memories of you.