Miscellaneous

Our humble heart and compassion should be projected on those suffering in the stricken area.

When a 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on March 11, 2011, I was in Cuba being informed about the unprecedented disaster in northeastern Japan. The resulting tsunami swept the coast leaving widespread destruction behind.

I don't remember how the days have gone by since then. My eyes are glued to the TV screen every day hoping the situation would improve for the better. On the contrary, the situation seemed to have gotten worse ever since. As a result of the quake and tsunami, the damage of the coastal Fukushima nuclear power station was nearly close to the edge of ruin. Workers and staff have been battling for weeks to avoid a meltdown situation at the plant. However, no definite progress has been shown in regard to the media disclosure.

We Japanese should understand and prepare for the reality that we live on volcanic Islands. There are four large tectonic plates met underneath the Japanese Islands. Consequently, Japanese have been experienced frequent earthquakes through centuries. The fact is that as long as we live on these volcanic islands we would have a crucial experience in some series of disasters sometime and somewhere.

I experienced myself that some earthquakes occurred in my home town while travelling in Turkey in March, 2005. I returned home from Turkey 8 days later and found my apartment a total mess. Glass covers of the bookcase were shattered and every book was thrown to the floor. Everything valuable to me was broken into pieces, none of which were beyond repair. However, I was lucky enough to get back to an ordinary life thanks to the early recovery of some holes in the thick wall caused by the big shake.

So, when I knew about the March 11, 2011 earthquake and the aftermath tsunami and the nuclear crisis which was the worst ever, I lost myself in a maze of no exit. I have deeply felt sorry for those who have been evacuated and forced to live in shelters for many months to come afterward. My deepest sympathies and condolences should go to those who have lost their beloved ones in such unpredictable disasters as well.

Of course, this could be, so to speak, a force majeure and consequently no one to be blamed for. There is nothing indeed more regrettable than a tragedy of this kind. The only hope is that our sincere pray should reach to everyone in a stricken area to make them stand up and move forward for their decent living all soon, which they used to have before 11 March, 2011.
My travelling this year was something unique.
In spring... to EGYPT/Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Alexandria, Dendera, Nuweiba, Taba; JORDAN/Aqaba, Petra; ISRAEL/Jerusalem, Dead Sea, Eilat...
In summer... to CROATIA/Zagreb, Dubrovnik; SLOVENIA/Ljubljana; BOSNIA-HRZ./Salajevo,Mostar; ITALY/Catania, Caltagirone, Taormina, Palermo, Monreale,Vatican,Rome,Assisi, Siracusa; MALTA/Valletta, Medina; TUNISIA/Tunis...

Among those, the scene of Bosnia-Herzegovina has Horrifyingly stayed in my mind . The places I visited were at least safe and sound except a town named OLOVO which is situated between Salajevo and Mostar. As soon as our bus got into the town, I saw tens of thousands of holes in the walls of the housing complex. Apparently those were traces of bullet. Those houses were just ordinary houses for ordinary people in the community.

I observed many warning signs of mines along the main road when going through the woods by bus. I reaffirmed that this is the consequence of a battle with no cause that leaves no fruits to mankind whatsoever. Ethnic cleansing, this hideous act itself should be buried in darkness to eternity. I had been full of fears until the bus got out of the woods. Still, it was worth that I became a witness of the history of mankind.

On this journey I also experienced unexpected weather. The further I travelled, the hotter it became. It was tough travelling in this heat but I couldn't stop giving up on this journey. I believe that this is apparently a big part of so-called climate damage caused by global warming. The rational balance of the environment that mankind had cultivated through ages has easily been destroyed more obviously in this century than ever.

Unless we take immediate action to improve this eroding environment, we shall never get our irreplaceable earth back forever.
This autumn I visited Kamikochi and Kurobe gorge, the greatest and deepest V-shaped gorge in Japan, and other touristic sights with hot springs situated in the region of Japan Alps. Observing the peaks of the Japan Alps -soaring 3,000 meters into the sky, we could enjoy the beauty of the canyon...the whole mountain was ablaze with scarlet-tinged leaves. It was worthwhile just being there in crispy autumn air.

We really should keep in mind that we are obliged to pass down this irreplaceable natural beauty as a whole to the next generation. We all know that tens of thousands of species were disappeared from this earth and forgotten as the unsustainable link of the nature forever.
Remember what you thought and what you saw was what you were. Remember what you have felt and what you have touched made you what you are now. Mind yourself then what you think of yourself and what you see in yourself is what you will be.
There is an abysmal, obscure river too far to cross over. There are unforgettable memories... too harsh to dispose of, yet, too harsh to bear in mind ... seeking for the invisible hand of God ... for the sake of inner-myself.
The other day I went to see Robert Capa's photograph Exhibit. While observing his photo work, I just kept thinking myself why humans never learn anything from the brutality of history. At any stage in our history we all once reflected on our conduct and regretted what we did to others and what we were done by others. As time goes by, however, we tend to forget such things.

History repeats itself. Ordinary citizens, in consequence, are the ones to suffer from phases of misery created by those indiscreet rulers whose self-interests took precedence over the public interests. What a pity!!
Don't just look but observe what's going on in this world and be perspective on your own life.
Joy can only fill you as deeply as your sorrow carve you ... Is it true? You never know what my deep sorrows are. Only your faithful words will heal my pain and that's what all I dream of from you.
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