Entry 8 : Ending of 2021

 Chrismas 2021 came and went peacefully. Some local islanders who are Christians, have small family celebrations with KFC and strawberry cream cake. The unmarried couples opted for night dates and continue the night into whatever they liked to do. For the rest of us, everything is just routine as the nation does not have a public holiday for this occasion.
I just stayed warmed with leg warmers, trying to stay warm without the room heater on so far this winter. I was testing myself to see how long I can cope but I failed yesterday. It was gusty and chilly yesterday at 10c and I told myself, "that's it, today the room heater shall start." No more grinding my teeth to keep warm.

Our petit banan plant drooped with a bunch of baby banana. The summer this year was cool, not much humid days. When the weather started to become humid, all too sudden, autumn set in. The banana plant was happily flowering and for a short while budding with fruits. It couldn't last long. It seems like the whole branch is breaking off.

It is an entirely a different story for our papaya trees. This summer and into the autumn, it sprout abundantly with flowers and serving us with loads of sweet, juicy fruit papaya. 

I went to the local market yesterday and found out that a ripen papaya is more costly that the green, unripe fruits. The local islanders use the green papaya as side dish with rice by slicing and stir-frying with pork and other meats. In Singapore and Malaysia, only the ripen fruits is eaten. I was surprised to see cooked papaya when I landed on this island 25 years ago.
As the year is ending and with the coming new year, whenever I happened to meet friends while shopping or on the road, we say "Yoi Otoshi yo or the long version Yoi Otoshi yo mukae kudasai" which means May you see a good year.

良いお年お迎えください everyone.

Haiku
Year-end papaya
humble and unglorified
my healthy breakfast.

Entry 7 : Winter Cap

 

I stayed with my grandma in Melacca for about 2 years when I was between 5 to 6 yrs old. Memories of that couple of years with her are still fresh in my mind now, even after 6 decades have passed. My grandma never laid a finger at me. I remember her cooking and feeding all her grandkids (3 of us) while taking care of us. She was healthy, busy trying to survive herself as her husband left her, and grumpy. 
I know now, as I'm a grandma to 5 grandkids, to post a picture of memories into grandkids' minds is to be with them at every chance, to enjoy them, and to show love to them. These memories go a long way, just as I've experienced, decades later.

At the time when these photos were taken, there are 4 grandkids. They all don't stay with me or near me. We need to book flights to see each other. The last time, before the corona pandemic changed our living, was 2 years ago, in 2018. It has been two years and my patience is running out.

In the summer of 2018, I took up knitting again. I knitted a couple of cardigans and a vest before moving to Wales in 1993. That was it. I didn't bother to knit anymore after that. So two years ago, I give myself the challenge of taking it up again. The result as shown in all the photos above are knitted caps for my 2nd daughter and all my grandkids.

Kumiko was born on 7 Jan 2020. I was in the delivery room and holding her the minute she was wrapped up. I managed to be with her for a month and then the corona hit. It has been 2 years since I hold her. I need to knit for her a cap this winter. I don't want her to be left out. I will have to start soon on this.

Eventually, they will outgrow the cap but my hope is they won't outgrow the memories of me.

Haiku
Grandma's winter cap
all your childhood memories
hang in the dresser.

Entry 6 : Houjicha

I was trying a cup of bubble tea while resting our legs after a tiring shopping day in Haebaru Aeon, Jusco some years back. I remember my second daughter keeps jugs of houjicha in the fridge. She told me houjicha has almost no caffeine and is safe for kids when told my doubt about giving it to small children.

Studying the many websites on houjicha, I link this page I found that explains the topic simply.

https://hojicha.co/

Unlike traditional green teas, hojicha is roasted after the leaves are steamed. Along with removing all bitterness, the roasting process gives hojicha its signature earthy aroma, its reddish-brown color and a unique smoky taste.

Since it is low in caffeine, hojicha is the perfect alternative to coffee for those seeking a warm and toasty drink n the afternoon or evening.

Matcha and green tea has higher caffeine level and I always avoid anything with more than 10% caffeine. I need my 7-hour non-disturb sleep and feel the need to maintain it. 

What I do is buy a packet of houjicha and pack them into small tea bags. It really makes mornings easier. After letting the tea leaves sip in boiling water, I add some milk, cocoa powder, and some kinako (soya bean powder). 

I find the flavor in houjicha much stronger than the brown English tea. As the tea plants are grown on the hill slope of Kyoto mostly, I feel some comfort to know that it is delivered fresh and safe.

The best of all comfort is to know that from houjicha, I'm having green tea at the same time. 

Haiku

Sipping houjicha

watching BBC World News

winter days feel brown.

Entry 5 : Haiku Bou-nen-kai

Living on this island (Okinawa), for as long as you are not aged 65 yet, you are still considered by the locals as young. The Japanese people received a monthly pension reaching age 65. Once they start receiving the pension, everybody gives greetings, "Omedetou, Omedetou" (congratulations). This greeting tells you that you are certified to join the siniya (senior) people. 

I'm the red cap in the photo above. Even as I've reached my siniya level, I'm still the youngest member of this group. I've come to realize that majority of the activity groups that I've joined have members over and above my age group. I don't know how and why I end up in this situation. Just to think that the rest of the friends in the photo do not own a smartphone or know how to operate a PC, let alone understand the word WIFI makes me shiver with inadequacy. As 2022 is approaching, I made up my mind to shift the paradigm. So, I started sending words immediately to friends around that I want to join a yoga class, jazz dance, or aerobic workout group that only involved way below senior level.

Yes, changes have to come from me. A bottle of mineral water comes to my mind. The story goes that a bottle of mineral water costs a dollar in the neighborhood mall but the same mineral water costs $5 at airports cafe. This means changing our position or raising our level of paradigm to upgrade our lives. Never remain in the same place when you need to upgrade.

Well, I made up my mind not to rot with garaki phone carriers for 2022. The Japanese called the flip-flap phone garaki which is taken from Garapalagos Island. To them, Garapalagos Island is where some dinosaurs still remain walking. Garaki phone is ancient for ancient people, this is what they mean.

The photo is at the Pacific Hotel, Okinawa on the occasion of our Haiku Year-End Party (4 Dec. 2021).
By the way, Year-End Party is Bou-nen-kai, literally, it means forget-the-year.

Haiku

Bou-nen-kai line up

nothing left to remember

except this photo.

Entry 4 : Piano

 I taught myself to play the piano. I took it up about 4 years ago (2017). I took it up to challenge my brains. I read some articles about mental lockdown as a person ages and the best for the brain is to use all the body's natural senses to invigorate the cells in the brain to tick. I heard piano playing is most challenging compared to all the musical items. Piano playing uses all fingers on both hands, it has seven sets of keys end-to-end of the keyboard, sometimes the leg needs to kick for more bombastic note. The sense of sight signals the sense of touch and the sense of hearing confirms the tune. The major senses in the body are actively involved in just one activity and that should be a sufficient challenge for me, I thought.

The weak part is my left hand is not obeying my brain. I am slowly but surely getting the scale-up with my right hand though. I cannot remember which finger goes with the keys and it is even double bad with the left hand. I do feel discouraged and this prevents me from attempting to make my practices more regular. 

Maybe I should stop this self-taught practice and get myself a teacher. But I am thinking even with a teacher, I still need to remember the keys and figuring. It is not like the teacher can do the memorizing and fingers for me. 

Anyway, do you see that beautiful green tree by the window? That tree is comfortable for my tired eyes after spending time concentrating on the black and white keys. It is a distraction but a welcoming one. Every time I ended playing one piece, I rest my sight and stare at the green leaves longer than I play the piece itself. 

A challenge is a challenge. Maybe I should get music pieces with songs that I am familiar. At least I know how my playing comes along. Yes, I should do that. I should start with Scarborough Fair. Slow but sure.

Haiku

Her piano sound

forcing rain-frogs to shut up

hiding in the drain.