Care worker from Myanmar

Thanks for coming to Japan, from Myanmar. I don’t know her name but she is a very kind girl. My mother has a little dementia and she is very much weakened now, so she is in a care facility. My mother can’t go to the bathroom by herself because she can’t walk, I mean, she is alive thanks to care workers’ help. 

In the care facility, one of the staff is from Myanmar and she looks like her 20s. Very cute. Seemingly she falls in love with a Japanese guy, but she said that she can’t marry him. My mother was asked by the girl what to do about her love. So she advised her. But my mother told me, “Seemingly, she is prohibited from seeing Japanese boys because of her business rule.” 

Oh my goodness. I wanted to give her some advice but I couldn’t. The Myanmar girl is a female like my daughter and my mother loved her just like her granddaughter. I hope she will get a chance to marry her Japanese boyfriend somehow. Life is sometimes swinged by destiny. 

Could you tell me your love story?

Indonesian penpal gave me a lovely poetry, I will show you

From Indonesia, this poetry arrived at me. This is written by my pen friend and I guess he describes himself in this poem. Lovely. I also like to make short Japanese poems. I would like to show you this impressive poem.

Steps on the Horizon

by Dwi Anto

There’s a whisper in the wind calling me

Far from the city, far from quiet memories

The vast sky promises untold tales,

On every horizon, a story yet to be unveiled.

Small steps carve a path anew,

Treading foreign lands, defying bounds.

Mountains whisper in their silence,

The seas stretch wide, in freedom profound.

Ancient towns hold timeless memories

In their alleys full of mystery,

Strangers’ faces become dear friends,

New languages dance as the journey extends.

Oh, world that never rests,

You offer colours and meanings untold

I am but a humble traveller,

Thirsting for the longing and scents you hold.

Each journey is a dream realised,

Each step a poem crystallised,

On the map of my heart, I mark my tales

This desire will never pale.

Carry me, oh winds of adventure,

Through valleys, hills, and endless seas,

Until my breath meets the horizon's edge,

And the world becomes home to me.

"A 60 year old man is young, right?"

“A 60 year old man is young.” We are sometimes told by older people. But. Is it really? As for me, around the age of 55, I have gotten easily tired step by step. Additionally I get a cold easily. So I'm disappointed in myself now.

Life is not easy.  To be honest, it was hard to live when I was in my 40s. My 30s were the same and also my 20s were. Anyway I have lived somehow until now, and the day of retirement is close to me. But I still feel anxious and melancholic now.

So I actually began to read the novel “No Longer Human” again. This is a novel written by the famous Japanese author Osamu Dazai. This novel is very dark but it’s fascinating to many young people in the world. I’m not sure the reason. I can say this novel describes humans' profound mentality.

The main character in this novel tried to have a suicide again and again. He had been feeling anxiety very much since his childhood. He had been afraid of other people in society because he couldn’t understand what society is. And, because he always felt huge anxiety, he always wanted to die. And unfortunately this author ended up having a suicide after writing this novel. Maybe this main character is the author himself. That's why it's tragic and interesting.

However, I don’t know if everyone understands what society is, and also they are living in this society. So, why do human beings feel anxious, even if they don’t have a dangerous situation now? Maybe I’m afraid that I don’t know what will happen from now on. I mean, it’s what will happen after my age of 60. I’m getting forward to my death day by day. 

When I was living with my beloved dog, I noticed. They don’t think anything about their future. They don’t take care of anything about their future. For them, it’s important only to think about the current situation. If they have food to eat today or not. If they stay with family now. So they looked like they didn't feel anxious. I envy them, animals.

For people who are 80 years old, 60 year old people are young. For 60 year old people, 50 or 40 year old people are young. Of course 20 year old people are definitely young. Although, I’m not sure if I’m young now. So, I want to ask you, if you feel anxious now. How is it?

Ah, I want to live like that beloved dog. I feel anxious today too.