Haven't updated this blog for quite a long while:( Seems like it's already been forever since I have last heartily sat down, spirit-inspired, with all these thoughts on my head, ready to be launch into words and shared here as a blog entry. Truth is, I really am missing it, I miss my old blog:( And miss this new one as well. I know I should be writing more as the past months have endowed way too many wonderful (and not-so wonderful) events and memories to me and likewise my family.
Why I haven't been blogging??? Nope, I didn't break down and fall from another depression. Nor something unexpected happened at home. Neither was I sick (again), preferred to be quiet, and secluded myself away from cyberspace..... Na~ah, nothing of the above (thankfully!). With all that has happened for the past 7 months, the unfortunate tragedy that struck our country's north-eastern part earlier this year (March 11). The tensions and fear from all the numerous and constant aftershocks. Power shortage; nuclear crisis; panic-buying; higher rate of the yen, and multiple life-threatening emergencies you would have thought this country has been already forsaken:( And that is why charity and voluntarily work in our community occupied most of my April and May months. Helping out in collecting donations around our community and providing free immediate translations for foreign victims of the quake and tsunami. The other 5 months were spent recovering, getting up from the multiple tragedies that had hit us, and the whole of Japan for that matter.
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| Eiji Kanno (L) and his wife Matsuko (white coat) are grief-stricken as it is officially confirmed that their 18-year-old daughter Mizuki is dead inside the tsunami-destroyed car in Yamamoto, south of Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. March 11, 2011 Devastating Earthquake and Tsunami in JAPAN (photo credited to: Kimimasan Mayama / EPA) |
While the country and all it's bereaved citizens are starting out anew with good hopes, and bright, positive outlook after all the chaos. My June and July months were spent routinely on our usual everyday life - my son's schooling; chores; errands; and part-time translation jobs. Those months also were spent wonderfully on mostly trips and meeting friends I have made here online over the years.:) Yes, to sum it up shortly, I have been terribly busy. Busy as a bee, hopping prefectures-to-prefectures.
Road trips with the family April 2011.
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| Our Family's EASTER 2011 Trip in Kujukuri, Boso Beach, Souths of Chiba.... Enjoying very, fresh SEA FOODS in a very nice Seafood Restaurant overlooking the seas and long-beaches of Kujukuri, Onjuku, and Shirako - BOSO, CHIBA... |
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| Who would have thought there's been a huge, devastating Tsunami here only 4 weeks prior to the date when this pic. was taken? :(( The sea was so beautiful on this Easter Sunday noon, and the waves were powerful yet very calm and subtle at the same time, that hubby, the kids and I enjoyed strolling along the beaches of Shirako; Kujukuri; and Boso .... |
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| Father and Son...enjoying the spectacular, warm sun at the beach. April, Easter Sunday 2011. |
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| Mama and Yuuki's afternoon stroll along the beaches of the beautiful Shirako BOSO HANTO, Chiba Easter Sunday April, 2011 Family Trip. |
my husband 'Hiroki' and only son's "identical-birthdays" , May 2011.
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| My BOYs blowing together their birthday cake.. Our youngest daughter joined them here.. and was a bit scared of the fire from the birthday candles... At HOME, 3rd of May, 2011. Yuuki's 5th birthday and Hiroki's 42nd Birthday!!! :) |
Family Road Trips again and meeting for the very first time, 2 of the loveliest and nicest friends i have ever met here online ~ Lhiz in Osaka May 15 - 17, 2011. And Ate Mahlan in Yamanashi-prefecture June 17, 2011....
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First Meet-up with a very good online friend, LHIZ GONORA who is base in the western part of Japan, in Osaka city. This time we posed with hubby Hiroki who just woke up from a nap... Hotel Ichie; Osaka Trip , May 16, 2011.  Family Trip in Osaka May 16 - 17, 2011 |
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| "You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to Them." __Desmond Tutu Our Family with the Popular Kuidaure Doll, Doutonbori, Osaka May , 2011 |
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| Getting familiar with the city's most-lively district- DOUTONBORI 'by the river' Osaka. May 16, 2011, OSAKA Trip. |
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| The renowned Crab Restaurant "KANI DOURAKU" in Doutonbori, OSAKA. May 16, 2011, Osaka Trip. Meeting a very good online friend in person for the 1st time, on my birthday (one of the best BIRTHDAYs i've had!) - Ate Mahlan (MARYLEN YAMASHITA), the pic. was taken at the beautiful herbkan garden of Kawaguchiko; Yamanashi-prefecture. With us is my beloved, only son "Yuuki". June 17, 2011 Yamanashi Trip with the Yamashitas. :)  A pic. taken from my cellphone cam., almost at the top of the Great Mount FUJI. 2020 meters high, atop the clouds.  FUJI Subaru Line, Mount FUJI, Yamanashi-prefecture. Best perk of my birthday celebration this year was being able to climb this magnificent,beautiful mountain with my dearest family.... My Birthday, June 17, 2011. While enjoying and being serenade by the beautiful, foggy mountains that stand tall south of this glorious LAKE of KAWAGUCHIKO, Yamanashi, prefecture. Pic. taken by my dear husband, Hiroki.  |
And finally last July 2011, seeing them again, met up with my other 2 long-lost friends whom i hadn't seen in such a very long time, and what i meant by Long~time is----as in "ages" (20 long-years) since we've last seen each other and since we've been with, all three of us together....
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| Long-time friend--> Sarah Hiraka, posing for souvenirs after 20 long-years of not seeing each other... Muji Cafe/ Kisaten, 2nd of July, Shinjuku, TOKYO |
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"KAMPAI" - Cheers with our mugs of Sapporo Beers. :) Lunch at Luuk Chang Thai Restaurant, 14th floor of Lumine Mall, Shinjuku, TOKYO - 2nd of July, 2011 ; yours truly with very good long-lost friends ANGIE CHUA-KAKEHI and SARAH DAWAL-HIRAKA .  after our spicy Thai lunch, us having our yummy desserts and cuppas of coffee & tea at MUJI Cafe, West side of Shinjuku, TOKYO ; July 2, 2011 Though amidst all this and that, I cannot deny the fact that I have absolutely missed writing. In all those seven months without scribbling any of my thoughts and all that has happened. Of not being able to write even just a single post. It doesn't matter even if I guess, nobody cares to read my thoughts here (anyway), it didn't matter to me. All I know is that I have to go back and logged in here....... I am not so sure why, but perhaps to be able to go back to all those wonderful, lesson-filled, and worth-living events that have occurred. So that I could go and relive everything, whenever or anytime I feel like I needed to.:) If you are someone whom I haven't met yet or if you are reading this blog for the first time, and just happen to stumble upon my page here, you would probably think and wonder "Why WRITING means so much to her?" . It's a very long story, and probably would take another post or two to explain and answer the word why.;) To say it simply, it is my means of comfort, writing to me is my source of self-acknowledgement, one of my crux/means of strength, a therapy in itself!!!! Bursting my emotions out in writing, and when I see and read what I wrote.... I begin to know what I'm feeling and begin to acknowledge it. Putting those positive and negative feelings into words somehow allows me to gain some or even a little control over them.:) So I am here again and hoping to constantly come, be present and blog every now and then from here-on. With hopes and intentions of recalling the past meaningful months. Reflecting on the many consequential and important years of my borrowed life and time here on Earth through this medium called blog. I will end this post with a very fitting quote from an excerpt from my favorite piece by Max Erhmann's DESIDERATA ~ "With all it's sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." |
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| The devastating Tsunami wiped the town of Sendai in result of the 9.1 magnitude earthquake that had hit Northern Japan on the 11th of March, year of our Lord 2011. |
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| Members of BJP yuvamorcha light Diya’s and hold candles in Bangalore on March 12, to pay homage to victims of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan. (by: Jagadeesh Nv / EPA) |
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| Our Family atop Mount Tulec, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi-prefecture visit; June 17, 2011 |
