Death is nothing at all...

This past week was a difficult one. My Aunt Rose Marie passed away after a very brief battle with cancer. I want to send my love to all my family back in the states and I want to encourage them to stay strong through this hard time. I wish I could be there with you to support you.

“Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, you are you and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak to me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind just because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well.”

I love you Aunt Rose Marie. I wish I could have seen you more in the past years but you will always be in my heart. I am lucky to have spent the time I did with you. Rest in peace.

Comments

Countdown: 4 days.

I have packed one box of books to put into storage, I have not picked out anything I am bringing to Thailand, my room is a mess with suitcases and laundry thrown everywhere, and I leave in 4 days. So of course, instead of packing or cleaning or moving, I decide to start my blog. I hope to keep up to date on the adventures I have in Thailand, although I cannot promise anything. But as of now, it is time to get my act together and get things in order for my departure on Thursday. Next time I write it will be from Thailand!

Akame Shijuhachitaki Falls

Last Sunday, the lovely Sachiko brought Phil, Dominique and myself to the Mei prefecture to hike to see the beautiful Akame Shijuhachitaki Falls. Akame Shijuhachitaki Falls is a series of crystal blue waterfalls that covers around 4 kilometers. Overall there is said to be 48 waterfalls. We didn't see all of them, but there is no way to tell how many we did see. There were waterfalls of all sizes and who am I to judge whether a waterfall is big enough to be considered one of the 48 waterfalls of Akame? We headed to Nagoya station at 8:30 a.m. and took three separate trains and a taxi from there to get to the entrance. Admissions to the falls also admitted us to the Japanese salamander museum. There we saw some of the largest salamanders of our lives. We renamed the display "This kids, is why you shouldn't swim in the river!"  The given name "Akame (Red Eye)" is based on the legend in which Fudo-Myoo , commander of the Wisdom Kings i...

AkemashiteOomedetou Gozaimasu - 明けましておめでとうございます

This new years I had two celebrations. I had the countdown in Tokyo and I was lucky enough to be invited over to my boss, Mitani-san's, house for a traditional Japanese new year bento box. The Japanese celebrate new years as we celebrate Christmas in the states. It is a time for families to gather, dine and relax. While the concept of New Years in Japan is similar to that of Christmas in the states the cuisine is very different. Every family makes a osechi ryouri. Osechi ryouri is supposed to be made before New Year’s Day dawn, and to last for days without refrigeration during the 7-day New Years holiday. The original reason for this period of rest or non-cooking was supposed to be to appease the fire god, Kohjin, who might get angry if one made fires so early in the year. Then in later years, this period of non-cooking was ostensibly to allow the wife (or cook of the house) a rest and time to spend with the family. Mitani-san st...

TraveLLs

Search This Blog