Wishing you.....

After busy days for the New Year, I'm guessing I need a little break. I had a happy time with my family and relatives to celebrate the new year on the first day. So today I feel like staying at home to read books and blogs, then I might go out for a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

I got this video from my friend today. It's so nice that I want to share it with you.

Have a nice day, friends.

Japan is a new country?

sasanqua camellia

 Today's finding

I could say Japan is rather a new country. Today I heard a very interesting story about Japan.
That is...

lotus pond in rest

Japan had a national isolation policy during the Edo Period (1603~1867) when the Tokukgawa military government controlled the country. And in 1867, when the last 15th shogun, Yoshinobu Tokugawa returned the sovereign to the Emperor, Japan opened to the world dramatically and struggled to modernize in a rapid speed in order to follow other industrialized countries.

But until then, people hadn't had the idea as a country because Japan had consisted of over 200 different feudal domains called "han" under the Tokugawa government. Each "han" was independent and had a typical characteristic and specialties based on its climate and topography, etc. People served for their feudal lords, not for the Tokugawa shogun.

So the new government tried to create a new vision that Japan is a united country. Japanese-style room, Japanese food, Japanese hairstyle....These expressions were created at that time to compare with Western-style.

Tomorrow Never Comes

http://www.trulyjapanese.com/

Every two weeks I meet my friends to have a self-directed English study session in Ikoma city, Nara Prefecture. Yesterday five people attended and enjoyed reading an article, listening to CNN news ... In the session, we make a presentation voluntarily. We can choose the topic freely and yesterday's topic varied from "IMF" to "Toji Temple".
 One of the members made a presentation about the nun of "Chuguji Imperial Convent". The nun had a very unique career of living a cosmopolitan life in Singapore in her childhood and working for a pharmaceutical company for several years. In the end of the presentation, she cited "Tomorrow Never Comes" by Norma Cornett Marek.
 I was so impressed with the poem. I've never thought about that. If I knew it would be the last day, what do I want to do?

Tomorrow Never Comes

  Norma Cornett Marek

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss, and call you back for just one more. 

If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,

I would tape each word and action, and play them back throughout my days.

If I knew it would be the last time, I would spare an extra minute or two,

To stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming you know I do.

So just in case tomorrow never comes, and today is all I get,

I'd like to say how much I love you, and I hope we never will forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike.

And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day

That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss,

And you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one

last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today and whisper in their ear

That you love them very much, and you'll always hold them dear.

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"... "Please forgive me,"..."thank you" or "it's okay".

And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

http://www.heartwhispers.net/index.html

To Be a Cool Old Lady

It's a little embarrassing to say....my project "To be a cool old lady."

These days I have been wondering about "age". We grow old day by day. We can't stop aging, I know. But the older people are, the more differently they look. Some people look younger, others look older. What is the difference? The reason why I'm thinking about this is probably I see my mother's slow action every day, which sometimes bothers me.
I wish to become an active, nice old woman with a positive mind when I am 80. What do you think is the key? What do I keep in mind from now?
These are what I am thinking now.
#1 I should lose some weight to move more easily.
#2 I should keep walking and playing tennis for fun.
#3 I will start to learn a new foreign language for brain anti-aging.
#4 ?

 Please give me your suggestion in the comment part below.  http://www.trulyjapanese.com/