port island beach p3

Ako-san obliged my request to visit the "beach resort" again. This was the end of June just before the warm weather start to get humid. Sumiko-san could not join us as she had to return to take the dogs out for a walk. Maybe I can get my furry therapy in Kobe instead..!

It was still a bit chilly though I was all dressed in beach attire - that's an 8-year-old Uniqlo top which I can't bear to throw away because it reminds me of my humble roots in Niigata >.<

We purposely sat on this bench, and managed to ask a passerby to make sure he take us with the coconut tree in the background.

Ako-san really loved the polariod shots, so I gave her one as a souvenir. I have these in front of my study table to remind me of His grace. Just when I least expected, He enveloped me with warm hugs and little things that work like the proverbial chicken soup.

the round papaya eaten

I finally had to cut open that round papaya in the fridge.

Lesson learnt : Put papaya in the fridge after it has been left outside for awhile to ripen. If not, according to my dad, the fruit would not have a chance to mature naturally, its growth somewhat stunted.

To be honest, I'm not sure if this exotic fruit would eventually taste like those back home, but having a taste of something so familiar really made me happy! Looking at this papaya reminds me of sweet little blessings ^.^

have i played pingpong before?

I don't remember the last time I tried my hand at table tennis. So the convenient answer would be, no, I have not played before. I've probably tried for a few minutes before giving up, would be the accurate response.

I was a little nervous joining my 60+ year old colleague and his coach for a game of table tennis. Here at the forefront are the coach's parents who are probably 70+. I'm sure in their heydays they were at their fittest and best form.

Being the youngest, I really appreciated his patience and guidance. He was generous with his compliment - he commented my serves improved. But truly, I have much to work on. My 60+ year old colleague plays at least 4 sports on an almost-daily basis - badminton, basketball, ping pong and volleyball, not to mention regular visits to the gym!

grit ain't over but it's okay

For the past few weeks I have been attending Ako-san's house church. They had welcomed me without asking questions, and for that I found refuge.

Due to the incident last month, I was not comfortable attending KBF. It was a really small matter, misunderstood and blown out of proportion. I suspect there is a deeper root from this lady's past which was not resolved, and somehow manifested itself through unmet expectations.

It happened amongst a handful of us, but I became the target of her anger. She started writing negative and hurtful messages on my FB, I was so shocked I had to block her. Later I found out she continued spreading lies, I started to think that everyone else would believe her.

As I prayed about the matter to God, I decided to trust Him that truth would prevail. I didn't defend myself on FB, neither did I attempt to counter-reply her posts. I was comforted when my closest friends heard and understood my side of the story. They agreed that her reaction was more than shocking, and it was not fair of her to accuse me.

I was prompted to return to KBF last weekend. Dragging my feet, I wondered what I would do if I met her at church. My wild imagination imagined the worst!

I did bump into her, but she didn't say anything. I was a bit puzzled, given that my friends told me she had been looking for me past few weeks.

Since I have been away some time, it was really nice to see everyone again. The church is really like a hospital; there are many hurting people inside. No one is perfect, each of us have our baggages from the past. Only He can heal our past hurts, if we would acknowledge and allow Him to.

Yumiko asked me to join her and her friend for dinner. Even though I had spent the entire afternoon with her the day before, I was very comforted by her love and support. She even said she would protect me if I had to speak to that lady.

Last night, she sent me this picture we took at the Vietnamese restaurant we tried out. What she wrote was simple, but meant a lot to me :

Hi Sarah!
Welcome home!
God is goooood!

port island beach p2

After lunch, I decided to go nearer to the "beach". I still couldn't believe there were coconut trees on this man-made island.

Ako-san was kind enough to tag along and asked if I'd like to take some pictures at the "beach resort". Since I was in the mood, I suggested we do the jumping shot. Or rather, I jump and she shoot.

We tried so many times, and each time I was either about to jump, or had already obeyed the law of gravity. When she finally got the timing right, she accidentally pressed the video button instead.

I'll never forget this day, when I found my oasis in the middle of the desert.

port island beach p1

I was awed at the "beach" they introduced me last weekend. Since it was lovely weather to be out, they decided to do a picnic at the Kobe Gakuin University grounds. Very sunny but with lots of summer breeze.

Japan is not known for beaches, though its a nation made up of many many islands. Okinawa is an exception, so it's probably the only prefecture I'd like to visit one day.

So when Ako-san brought us to the campus grounds, I was surprised to see such a place existed on Port Island. Facing the port city on mainland, with an excellent view of all the tourist attractions and what Kobe is known for, the only thing missing is real sand. It's almost like Gurney Drive with embankment surrounding the campus grounds.

Even the pictures we took looked like something out of a beach resort. In fact, this was the University's cafeteria patio.

Ako-san who was using my phone camera for the first time accidentally pressed the video button.

I can't stop looking at the pictures we took. Just seeing the coconut trees make me wanna get away on a beach holiday soon.

lilies and hydrangea

One of the reasons I love living in a four-season country is the variety of flowers they have. More so in Japan where the seasons are pretty distinct, and the blossom of a certain species of flower denote a particular season.

The walks in Port Island have been pleasantly graced by such colourful flowers, particularly near Ako-san's house. Even though Kobe does not have much space for parks like Tokyo, there are little delights to be found in small spaces too.

These lilies and hydrangea are just a few feet from the sakura trees which blossomed early April. Yet the cherry blossoms are now no more, and the tree is all green with leaves. There's always something to look forward to, and quite a reminder of the brevity of life.

the round papaya in the fridge

These days, my weekends feel richer. For a long time they have been filled with Japanese classes, Bible Study and church - not always all 3, but more or less.

Since I have little me-time on weekdays, I cherish my weekends because it's the only time I get to do house work and do me-stuff. There's also the occasional gatherings, birthday stuff, outings and playing host to friends, but were always planned in advance.

Recently, however, my weekends have been somewhat thrown into a disarray - Even though I have more different/new things crammed into the tiny hours, and I am tired at the end of it, but I kinda like it!

Like last weekend, out of the blue, Akari-san decided to drop by Sunday afternoon as I was making lunch. She brought some surprise goodies - A mango from Thailand, a round papaya from the Philippines, and a Vietnamese-inspired tomyam pho cup noodle. How South East Asian!

I couldn't help but give her a big big hug (from small small me). Words can't describe how loved I felt, knowing she wanted to make me feel better, and took the trouble to make sure I was okay. Everytime I open the fridge and see the ripening papaya, I break into a little smile.