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29/9/26 one minute poetry
Marcus’ cat
Midas is unlike the Midas of Old
We love him more than any gold
He loves to watch the world go by
Outside may be a hazy sky
He loves the hooman in the house
As he prowls around unannounced
He loves to loaf beside you
Or next to a window with a view
What’s so amazing is his might
Of this feline who is burning bright
With spectacular spots and distinct stripes
An M on his head, Oh What a Sight!
17/9/26 ( Trip to Hokkaido 18/7 to 27/8/26)
We are all different human beings, it is rare to find some one who may look like and behave like us. That is because we are from different countries, cultural backgrounds, and upbringing so no two persons are alike.
That’s where the conflict lies and that’s where you either resolve the conflict or go separate ways.
A trip with a good friend of many decades put us to the test.
We had two lovely trips to China, on a guided tour, organized by her as she has been to China 30 x. . Everything went well, with minor hiccups over food due to my fussiness.
The recent trip to Hokkaido was different. Japan is my playground of 40 years and I feel her map is on the back of my hand.
My friend wanted to drive, I wanted to use mostly their trains which are highly efficient and modern.
It’s human nature to feel uncomfortable, being out of my comfort zone to drive in Japan. Hokkaido is a vast landscape.
My intention was to use trains then move around with the local transport.
However, my friend had astutely planned the trip and we were going to explore out of the beaten tracks. Since she had done all the research, I decided to do it her way with the agreement that we would take some trains to relax as being a co- driver would tax my mind.
The train journey from Sapporo to Furano was smooth and fast. On arrival, we rented a car. Over the next few days, I could see the convenience in using the car to drive to the flower fields where we could stop at will. There was much time saved getting to the sunflower fields and also the lavender fields.
Sunflowers track the sun in Furano
Lavender in full bloom at Tomita farm
The availability of a car also allows us to go straight to view the famous road of Furano— called the Roller Coaster road, a 4.5 km of undulating hills that rise and dip, offering grand views of the Tokachi mountain range.
This pix did not catch the actual dramatic slopes of the jet coaster road but it can be seen from another perspective.
Thanks to the boundless curiosity of my avid driver friend, we went to view the ‘lonely Christmas tree’ in Biei, best accessed by a car.
We bought some of the best rice sake here
The sake brewery was exquisite with its selections and free samplings.
It was refreshing to dine at the famous eatery Kunimare where they served fresh seafood in a ship’s interior.
On route to Furano, the season of blooms still greeted us along the roads.
The next day, my ardent friend had planned a 3 hour drive to Kushiro, 226 km from Furano.
Oh no, more look out to do for ongoing cars to ensure safety. However, my driver friend was as steady as a rock.
The drive on Hokkaido highway was limited mostly to 60 km/ hour so one can imagine the endless green landscapes we were blessed with. We broke journey halfway at Ikeda wine castle, a research Institute where they age wines and produce the famous Tokachi wines.
Announcements blared from the speakers in the streets, maybe to soothe the people’s loneliness in a sparsely populated town. Quaint shops lined the streets and the food was fabulous.
Old world charm of Kushiro streets
The next day, she said we would drive for 2 1/2 hours to Rausu to eat Hokkaido crabs.
This time she used the car gps only. She saw the rationale. Another quiet town with miles and miles of the Japanese sea.
My friend, being a foodie then drove to Rausu market place and we had the best Hokkaido crabs for an unbeatable price.
The next day, she said we would drive for 2 1/2 hours to Rausu to eat Hokkaido crabs.
This time she used the car gps only. She saw the rationale. Another quiet town with miles and miles of the Japanese sea.
My friend, being a foodie then drove to Rausu market place and we had the best Hokkaido crabs for an unbeatable price.
From the deck of the market place, it was a spectacular sight to behold the seabirds lining the coastline of Rausu
Back to Kushiro, we made it to the marshlands of Kushiro City Tancho Crane National park an hour before it closed to view the Japanese red crowned cranes.
These cranes are designated as a Japanese Special Natural Monument and considered as an endangered species.
The next day, we took the train that I wanted all along to go back to Sapporo. Ah, my beloved Japan train, and the ride was smooth as velvet.
Sapporo would remain my territory to bring her around for underground shopping. We had our little couple disputes now and then over silly things.
However, we kept silent after a few outbursts and let time heal. It’s important to keep silent and not detract from your goal of enjoying a beautiful trip!
Overall, it was a very good trip and I thanked her with a lunch treat. She treated me to a Sushi lesson in Sapporo taught by an enterprising young lady who had sushi training, worked at a sushi restaurant and now has become an instructor.
We had a great time. Sushi is healthy food, easy to made for busy people on the go.
We have acquired the skill of folding and holding the ingredients together in sushi making which was an art.
….conversation with a kitten
What are your thinking, Squeaks
If only you can speak
Your countenance says it all
Don’t ignore my gentle calls
I am precious in your eyes
That nobody can deny
I am irresistible to your touch
Not to cuddle me is just too much
25/5/2026. 2 min read
Tonight, I am exceptionally happy. Not because I have struck lottery,
Not because I have completed my ‘To do List’,
Not because another vacation is on the horizon.
Just a simple happening.
I did my monkey bars successfully
Where I could swing from one bar to another skipping one in between and arrived at the end of it.
Having been away for two trips, I was out of practice for almost 3 weeks.
When I came back, I went straight for the monkey bars at the fitness corner but felt stumped.
By uncertainty
By doubt
By fear
For many nights,I went back to the monkey bars and stood on the threshold and managed only the single bars in succession. Not the full swing where I could skip bars.
I was dejected that I have lost the pizazz, the momentum and courage that have imbued me over the last two years’ practice.
Tonight I have decided to be different. There were no excuses. It was not rainy, the grounds were not slippery and the monkey bars beckoned.
I stood on the foothold, told myself that I must and could regain my love for this challenge. It’s about self belief. It’s about grit. It’s about dare.
I went forward to grab one bar then swing forward to grab the third one with my other hand and so on. I reached the end. Back to the Old times!
I was elated to reinstate my familiarity with the monkey bars again! Happier than any exclusive gift for this was a present I gave myself.
I got off and went back to the horizontal bars and did three more times. Yes, I see myself doing this even as I head into my seventies.
Exhilaration burst forth, I have overcome. Flying forward weightless, with intense focus and flushed by an adrenaline rush .
Empowerment was the result.
…… my interpretation
15/12/2025. 4 min read
author at Eikando, Kyoto 2014, autumn
春有百花
秋有月
夏有凉风
冬有雪
若无闲事挂心头
便是人间好时节
It is translated as;
In Spring, there are flowers
In Autumn, there is the moon
In Summer, there is the cool breeze
In Winter, there is snow.
If you have no worries on your mind
Then it is the good time of the year
This is a simple, verse poem written by a monk named Huikai during the Southern Song Dynasty.
It does not merely describes the classic image of each season. To me, this poem belies a very important message.
It attests to the beauty of the perennial four seasons that surround us. Each season has its immense joys and benefits.
Even if it is Summer all year round, ravel in the wonder of this season fully. Some countries are fortunate to have four seasons.
In Spring, everything is refreshed from the rebirth of nature. From a chilly winter, fresh flowers bloom, the gentle air rejuvenates, and the new produce of Sprng marks a vibrant change of mood and activities.
A new beginning of life, a fresh outlook, and an ardent aim to achieve for the year.
Summer marches in with longer daylight hours and a healthy dose of Vitamin D to strengthen our bones.
It’s a delight to dress light, take in the breeze and explore more rigorously.
Walk in the verdant and vibrant shades of green, empowered and rejuvenated by sun bathing and the gentler waves of the sea.
Autumn paints its way in gradually as the leaves turn color into a mix of yellow, orange, brown, and even gold, creating a riot of colors.
It is at this stage that I feel sedated, and relaxed, accepting change that slowly sweeps over me, a year older soon, a year wiser, a year stronger.
In a cosy, cooler state, I can learn to let go of any uneasiness and fuss and look forward to Winter, which heralds a dramatic change.
Winter, this is a time when the air is clearer , the sky is infinitely bluer and the space seemingly broader from the white sparkling landscape.
Winter is a time of reflection, as nights are long and thoughts linger.
It is a time to build resilience for even in the frosty cold, living still goes on. It is a time of exhilaration when one feasts on warm food and drinks in contrast to the dastardly chill outside. But it is a season of high festivities as it marks X’mas day to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ and the coming of a New Year.
Given the four seasons or even only a summer season in the tropics, it is time of joy, beauty and hope. Even abundance.
In the last two lines of his poem, I interpret as;
If one is able to cast away worries that arise from self or of the world, then every season and its moments are the best time of life.
Since our mind is ours to control, we can choose to view worries as unnecessary or solvable or fully accept their fate. They would then have lost their sting.
Let’s bask in the glory of each season. They come around only once a year and they offer opportunities to do what you may not be able to do during other seasons.
We should then enjoy every moment of our blessed life in the four seasons.
Then, what is there to worry?
10/12/2025. Poetry 1 min read
It all happened in a matter of seconds
On the steps of an upward moving escalator
The drama had unfolded quickly
My right knee with a recovering medial ligament tear lost its balance
As my right foot teetered at the edge, I fell backwards
The ascending escalator continued
Causing me to bend back further
The world went swirling for a moment
I was about to be reckoned
The scene was about to turn upside down
One guy I caught sight standing behind me, grabbed and pushed me forward and upward
For a few moments we both stumbled back
He too was about to go topsy turvy
He went back down a few steps and held fort
Finally he straightened me up and I caught on the railing
We both ascended the escalator, panting
He was in shock, I was in a daze
I apologised for my carelessness, a weak knee and carrying too many things
He was clearly flustered, I was relieved
“You should take the elevator”, he said
I should stop dreaming, I told myself
On hindsight, I could have been more quick thinking;
To be more reactive in this case
To hold onto the railing properly in the first place
To let go of my stuff and grabbed the railing tightly when destabilized
To step back with my good left foot to restore balance and try to upright instantly
My lesson; Be proactive! In whatever task I have in front of me, I must focus