Sharing

They say to share is to care, and according to the answers to the Emperor's three questions, the most important thing to do is to care. So I will probably share, probably.

How are you?

I am fine, as always. I almost can't believe that it has only been ten days after I left Japan; time has been really fast and really slow, really merciful and really cruel, at the same time.

And I have been blessed with a lot of stories and people who shared them to me. They happen fluidly too; I didn't put much effort or resistance in obtaining them. My task is merely of a student's: The black notebook is brimming with scribbles since its inception in Tahara. I guess I'm a study addict, a nerd, or a true scholar, for I'm learning way more, even when school's out. One time I was sipping wine in my cousin's condominium until three in the morning, and he taught me what it meant to conquer a mountain and what it meant to be rich, among other things. Another I was sweetly sitting and smiling at a group of sweet Indonesians who were puffing smokes, and they shared about making life more beautiful. Thank you...

I am a story teller, but my disposition is always such that I prefer to listen first. I can assume a fountain, which fills and overflows, but a good fountain keeps quiet in front of a waterfall. After receiving a lot of water and pumping, I'm starting to overflow too, so let me pour some to you readers!

(This story is a throwback from Japan)

Do travel, because traveling is a prayer to stop thinking about life and to start living it.

After an amazing day exploring Minoh 箕面市and its beautiful waterfalls, Dan and I decided to try our luck in Wakayama 和歌山 the next day. This time, not only Htet-Htet, but Wesley and Montana also decided to tag along. Wakayama is located in the south of Osaka, we took the slowest train to get the cheapest fare. It took us nearly 1800Y (15USD) and 3 hours in total to reach Wakayama.

Let me start by confessing that I am often guilty of being an impromptu sort of person, and I didn't plan the Wakayama trip at all. I just assumed that it would roll along well like the Minoh trip; we'd reach the place and then slowly figure out the ample things to do in Wakayama. Thus, being a democratic citizen, we settled for a chain curry restaurant that can be found in Umeda 梅田 (downtown Osaka) and discussed our plans for the day. (For readers from Jakarta, Singapore and Beijing, the chain restaurant was CoCo Curry..)

We finally settled to go to a famous temple with a forest walk, which was said to calm one's nerves and enhance one's happiness, but none of my friends knew how to get there. Thus I google-mapped the name of the temple, and found the supposed destination around an hour away by train. Thus begins the epic misadventure in Wakayama.

Firstly, I led my friends to a perfume section of a department store "KINTETSU", asking the confused store clerks if they knew where the train platforms were. We left the clerks confused and left to the station to take themed-trains for which our train passes did not work. Our toy-themed train was very adorable, laden with kids and young parents, but it took us straight to very far in the sticks. By the time we reached the recommended stop, we were in the middle of nowhere. There were vast paddy fields and narrow, single lane car roads around us, up north were the mountains, and there were few small residences interspersed.

I led my friends through harrowing roads and very old Japanese houses. We walked through and against the traffic, complete with curious onlookers who probably never saw white people in their lives. (Yes, I'm Asian, but three of my friends weren't). We saw gardens, giant pumpkins and flowers, traditional co-ops, until we finally reached a wall and a step of stairs by its sides.

"Friends, I think this is it. The Maps are telling me that we've arrived to our destination." I told my friends. I was fervently hoping that whatever shrine in the sticks we were visiting would be worth the journey, but..

At the start of the steps there is a traditional gate-like structure that signifies an entrance to a Japanese shrine. That's where I learned that you are not supposed to enter from the center of it unless you are a god (or a God, probably). We meekly climbed the stairs until we saw the temple, and we were appalled at what we saw.

Nope, it wasn't therapeutic. We saw a square-ish ground, with a really small, unkempt shrine full of cobwebs to our left, and a charcoal-burnt, half-standing structure on our right. There was a barricade preventing entry to the blazed grounds. To borrow the words of a friend, the place looked "hobo-ish". That was it. Some of my friends decided to toss some Yen into the donation box and pray, one of them missed the throw. (Dan, I hope you're not cursed.. hahaha) I could sense several murder intents, but boy I'm lucky I am still alive hahaha. My friends probably need my GPS to lead the way back home!

We traveled back to Wakayama station through the tedious roads, and Htet-Htet and Montana decided to catch the train back to Osaka. It was probably a wise choice, because I decided to catch a bus to Marina City with Dan and Wes, and it was a "marine" themed park with an odd mix of Mediterranean. Yes, we got a beautiful view of the ocean, but we were watching it in a midst of drizzle and we didn't last long. I also bought and lost an omiyage (I think it was a yuzu mochi) but thankfully someone stopped me before I left the bus without my phone. To top off the perfect adventure, the boys decided to get some horse sashimi in Aikawa 相川. We walked late at night after reaching Suita吹田for a good 15 minutes in the middle of the rain without an umbrella, and only when we sat down in the izakaya and ordered we realize that they were out of horse that night.

What is the moral of the story? Enjoy and bless every moment.. Hehe. I am really glad that the trip happened. We bonded together as friends and shared this unforgettable memory of the misadventure, and I fully agree with Wes who told me that he much preferred improvised trips like this, exploring the middle of nowhere without any plans, because they are much more remarkable and fun. Ten years down the road, when we meet again, we'll probably remember the cursed shrine in Wakayama.. So glad to live the 危ない生活。Hahaha. (or blessed?)

Thus, please feel free to travel, roam, and explore. Even feel freer to plan less. If you are even luckier you will be blessed with amazing and understanding travel buddies. It is the characteristic of your spirit to roam about freely, and to enjoy life. Cheers!

中国の姫様

僕は、日本で勉強していた時、色々な女性に会った。彼女たちの中で、めっちゃ親切で、完熟な中国から女の人にいた。僕と彼女はあまりしゃべらなかったとしても、僕は彼女と一緒に話す時がめっちゃ大好きだった。

ある日、僕と彼女一緒に相川の寿司やで晩御飯を食べていた。僕は彼女に聞いた：どうして全部女の人のわかることが難しいと思う？

返事は：
“其实，虽然我是个女性，我并不敢说我了解自己。对我来说，了解自己还不如控制自己好。我觉得一个女性不必了解自己，但她先要学好怎么控制自己。”と言っていた。

実はその言葉聞いた時、僕はちょっとびっくりした。だから、僕はその彼女に聞いた：“那么你觉得为什们需要控制自己呢？ 而且， 你觉得你能够这样做吗？”

もう少し返事：
“其实，每个女性的情绪蛮多。你要看这个女孩是这么控制她的情绪。以前我也不这么会控制我的情绪，所以我就常常去闹别人。现在呢，我更能够控制自己。”

その言葉はたぶん正しいと思う。僕は他の女性がもうちょっとわかりたいのです。る様、どうもありがとうございます！君と一緒にたくさん遊んで、話して、食べた、めっちゃめっちゃ楽しかったよ！またね。。

the Sage of Tahara

Once upon a time,

He woke up and decided to travel somewhere far away, somewhere beyond the grasps and clutches of the daily hustle bustles of life.

Thus he packed his bag, and set to travel by himself. He went down southern to Tsuruhashi. In the midst of the bustling train station, he took another few hours of train ride to the west, until he ended up in Toba, where the train could no longer take him no more. He has reached the seaside, the terminus, the part of Mie Prefecture that embraces the great Pacific Ocean. It was a misty, foggy day, but he ran, and ran. He kept on by himself, with some loneliness, sadness in him. He saw families laughing, birds crowing. The sea breeze was blowing against his chest, as if teasing him.

Unsatisfied with the vastly different scenery, he insisted on fleeing further from Toba. He scurried past whatever the port town had to offer him, and reached the terminal just in time: His ferry was about to depart.

He didn't care, because he knew that there was somewhere he needed to go. However, what he was looking for he himself was not sure of. But to go, he must, thus he bought his tickets and quietly boarded the vessel. He chose to sit on the exposed part of the deck, and in the midst of the mist, shivers, and the howling wind, his eyes flashed with joy whilst seeing the mesmerizing islands and oceans coming to life. "Even for just a little, let me forget everything, break free from everything. For the scariest dragons to flee from are inside our minds rather than the ones you see in the mountains.."

All the sudden, an announcement from the speakers woke him up from his daydream: "伊良湖にようこそ！"

He glanced at his watch; an hour has passed by. The ship has turned into a standstill, and crowds of people began streaming out of the vessel. It was probably around four in the afternoon, and he had just arrived in Irago peninsula, the easternmost tip of Aichi Prefecture. It was still raining softly then, but he stepped out and walked toward the road that led to the inland. He looked left and right, and he saw a painting. He was facing the vast Pacific Ocean, while behind him are trees, hills, and forests stacked one after another. Yellow magnolia flowers were shyly blossoming, seagulls were chirping and diving after one another. The quietness of the seaside village and its salty fragrance softly embraced him. He silently wondered, if, it could get any closer to paradise..?

He threaded through the meandering, hazy road. One or two cars occasionally passed by, but it was quiet otherwise. Finally, he found the pre-arranged lodging he had in mind. The BnB was not large, neither did it stand out from the rest, but it had a speck of immaculate quality that made it feel special. It didn't take him long to settle into this Japanese-style accommodation, and he savored the hot bath with grace.

The streets of Irago were unlit, so when night fell he went out and looked above. The sky was rugged with stars. Guess what was the brightest star among them all?

He expected his journey to be a quiet one; he denied himself of any outside contact, and he wished solitude. Alas, some paths are not meant to be walked solo. He became friends with three other adventurers, each hailing from different countries and holding different purposes in mind. With these three new friends he spoke with zeal, shared his bread, sang at the sundown, and raced towards sunrise. He envied the freedom these lone wolves possess, for his three friends have forsaken everything in order to see the world. They may have little money or stability, but they have the biggest wings and the smallest worries.

There exists a bigger municipality which is connected by land to Irago, named Tahara. He thus decided to venture around it. Oddly enough, it was not Tahara that he sought, it was the Sage of Tahara. "The Goddess of Irago would probably suit her better", he thought, after witnessing her enchanting smile.

It is amusing and yet very spectacular how life always brings you what you need when you really need it the most, even when sometimes you are not quite sure what you are seeking for. As long as you are willing to make that leap of faith, you shall be led to the light.

Ah yes, that smile. Only once, or twice, in his lifetime has he seen such a saintly smile. When she talked, it felt as if she was blessing him. Through her sweet melodies and voice, wisdom came down pouring on him. He felt swept away by a current, trying his best to capture the jewels that came raining on him. Although it was almost exhausting, after each encounter he felt healed and stronger; he felt that his life was rejuvenated. And, the Sage of Tahara was still very young too.. He could not help but marvel at her wisdom, obtained and refined at such an early age.

The sage told him that she graduated a few years ago, and in the end preferred Japan over America or Britain. She spoke a wonderful English, caramelized with a sweet Japanese accent. She was also fascinated by his command of Chinese, and asked him to correct her pronunciation of "空". As it turns out, "空" was her favorite word.

"If you dislike something in somebody, you are essentially disliking yourself. What you saw was the projection of yourself into the person, だよ。If you think about it, there are some people who still like the person no matter how bad he or she is. Thus, you must learn to forgive yourself through forgiving other people too, ねえ", said the sage to him.

"Why are you stressed? You must be attached to the results, ねえ。Live in the now. Worrying about the future is pointless because your future is determined exactly right now, by the bits of seconds that add up right now. How can you dream of a happy future if you can't be happy right now?" The sage further elaborated.

He felt that he found what he was looking for. It was... love. No, not romantic love, but a real lesson on love. After understanding that, he no longer felt lonely, he no longer felt weak. He then knew how to love himself better. He had rested his fatigued spirit, had satisfied his sense of adventure, and finally regained the courage to continue. He was ready to move on.

At the time of parting, the sage said to him: "Remember not my face, remember not this place, remember not my words, but remember the truth that lies within them. Remember who we really are," she smiled sweetly and added: "But you are always welcome to come back. You know where to find me."

He bowed deeply to her, expressed his utmost gratitude, and left.

And there were none.

---

Tahara (田原) in Japanese means the origin, or the source, of rice fields. May we always remember to stay connected with our (re)source, remember our origin, of who we actually really are.

あやちゃん、とてもとてもありがとうございました。迷惑をかけて、本当にすみませんでした。お疲れさまでした！また後でお会いましょう、ねえ。。多分、ある日。。かも知らない。。