I was born around noon – just 15 minutes past noon, precisely – 56 years ago today. I like summer very much, but I gave in to the summer’s heat in Nagoya about two weeks ago, though.

I’d hidden my birthday on the internet until last time because I was not that pleased at getting older and also I thought it would be embarrassing if someone would congratulate me on the net. However, I started to wonder how many times I would celebrate my birthday after the earthquake & tsunami attack on March 11 and then I began to feel like simply cerebrating my birthday and put it on the net after that.

It was amazing to receive a lot of birthday messages from old and new friends on the net, through facebook, twitter and on a blog where I regularly post. I haven’t written any thank you messages yet. I’m going to reply tomorrow. It’s a bit strange, but I was truly happy today.

It turned out the busiest day in a while. I came back home late at night.

I take part in two classes this semester at a nearby college. I was supposed to submit a book report and also have a listening test today, so I was quite busy for preparing this morning. I couldn’t finish the book report and then gave up sending it by email. Luckily, the test was cancelled by the teacher, and she took five of us to the Kobe Club or 神戸外国倶楽部 for high tea instead.

We didn’t have tea but beer and some ethnic dishes. I especially liked hummus with pita bread very much. According to her, hummus is from the Middle East and made of chickpeas(ひよこ豆) or garbanzo beans, olive oil, garlic and some other ingredients. On the way back, I followed her to an international supermarket to buy those ingredients for hummus. I bought a packet of dried chickpeas and pita bread. In addition, Vegemite, natural peanut butter and, on her recommendation, lemon curd was also put in my basket.

In the evening, three of my friends, two kids, my husband and I made a video at my workplace. Have you ever heard of Miyazawa Kenji or 宮沢賢治? He is a famous Japanese poet. He’s from Iwate prefecture that was one of the affected areas by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami attack.

We have been practicing reading out one of his works called “Ame nimo Makezu” or “雨ニモ負ケズ” till today. If we successfully put the video on YouTube, mpi, the publisher will send money to the people in the affected areas. They did a very good job. After that, my husband and I went to a nearby restaurant for a late dinner.

Let me share the translation of the poem here, however, I left my book at my work place so I can’t write the name of the person who translated into English right now.

“I will not give in to the rain”

I will not give in to the rain.
I will not give in to the wind.
I will have a healthy body
that won’t give in to the snow
or to summer’s heat.

I will not have desire.
I will not get angry.
I will always be smiling quietly.

I will eat four cups of brown rice,
miso and a bit of vegetables each day.

In everything,
I will not count myself.
I will look, listen and understand well,
and I won’t forget.

I will live in a small thatched hut
in the field in the shade of some pine trees.

When there is a sick child in the east,
I will go and nurse him.
When there is a tired mother in the west,
I will go and carry her load of rice.
When there is a person dying in the south,
I will go and say,
“You don’t have to be afraid.”
When there are fights or lawsuits in the north,
I will say,
“Stop it!
Because it’s not important.”

When there is a drought,
I will shed tears.
When the summer is cold,
I will walk around helplessly.

I will be called useless by everyone.
I will not be praised
or thought a pain.

This is the person
I want to be.