Category Archives: culture

Hatsuhinode 2019

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Welcome beautiful 2019!!

I usually do the countdown and the cleaning thereafter. So never, in my entire life, have I tried to catch the first sunrise of the year.

Hence I was surprised with the well of emotions I felt, seeing the beautiful orange rays of the sun shining through dark, ominous clouds. Suffice to say I was moved to tears.

Thank you, Lord, for this beauty and for this new year!

PS

Didn’t have any difficulty waking Yui up and from making her walk for thirty minutes so early in the morning. She was so excited! Grateful for this beautiful start of the year, and with good friends at that too!

baby diaries: Remember Me

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Coco debuted in Japan almost six months late. But I’d say that for us, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

We watched it a week after we bought your first guitar; guitar which have been designed after Hector’s guitar in the movie. We watched it the day after we said our last goodbyes to Hiojiichan. And I could only guess that it was because of Hiojiichan that you cried during the touching scenes of the movie. At first you tried to resist; at one point I could see you frowning, fighting the tears. But eventually, you couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. And even as my own tears were streaming down my cheeks, you were using my sleeves to wipe your own tears. Very endearing. Of course I’m writing this down to remind us that Coco was the first ever movie that made you really cry like an adult would while watching the movie; and you’re just five (and half); while the movie itself has a deep meaning.

And oh yes, you led the first prayer to Hiojiichan this evening. It was your first time to hold the prayer booklet much less read it and chant but they allowed you to lead and you more than delivered; well, except for the times you laugh out loud whenever you read “Yui” (altogether different kanji and meaning from your name). Hiobaachan and your grandparents were all praises for you; impressed that you could lead the chant and properly read the text which even for adults is a bit difficult. Everyone is pretty sure that you made Hiojiichan very happy. Good job, my baby.

New Year flowers

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I went Japanese this New Year. Or at least I tried to observe some of the auspicious traditions in Japanese New Year; for one, I bought a special set of flowers in which each had a special meaning. This beautiful one was the littlest in a stem with five buds. I actually thought it wouldn’t ever bloom; that the whole stem would already die down before this one would reach her time. I even already stopped refilling the vase with fresh water. But she did, she did, and she did bloom today. She was the last, but she did bloom. And the marvel was that, she was the most beautiful of them five. Somehow, the line in Mulan comes to mind,

The flower that blooms in adversity, is the most rare and beautiful of all.

I smile too whenever I gaze at these orchids which have been in bloom for more than two weeks yet still looking as fresh as ever (the third though was also a late bloomer; just the other day! And I thought we wouldn’t have new blooms anymore.

And because I want to mark today.

Happy New 2018!

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Cheers to the new year!

It’s only been a few days into the new year and our little girl has already been teaching me a lot about Japanese traditions and the language.

She taught me about Shishimai / Lion Dance as we made our queu for her head to be “bitten” for protection and goodluck (hopefully for the whole family, with Yui as our representative). Albeit she didn’t really lecture me about it’s significance and history, Yui did teach me about the different forms of Shishimai.

Here’s to a great New Year!