My Fall

Before autumn leaves, let me tell you something about its leaves.

Spring remains my favorite season. Flowers bloom life, the sun shines warmth and people take out and put on bright clothes. But if spring seems to be the happiest period for me, my fall is definitely

r o m a n t i c.

While scientists continue to research about the benefits trees get from having red or yellow leaves before winter, I am one of those who are awestruck with this phenomenon. But it's not only the vivid colors we all love to take pictures of that I adore. I love staring at the leaves even when they snap themselves from the twigs and rustle on the ground. Like the ones we see at Lindsay's playground. Or Tabor's backyard.

Their fall doesn't strike as death to me but rather a kind of submission to the calling of the season. If a leaf could speak, it would surely say it wants to stick with the tree all throughout the year. But because the calling is so powerful, it opts to smoothly go with the flow of nature. Just like when love hits a person. Once it knocks, the feeling is so consuming you open your heart, get weak and

f a l l.

The fallen leaves remind me so much of lovers kissing in the rain. When it pours on a working day, I (or we, if you're with me) hate it. I walk to the station and my pants and socks get soaked. Long walks, baseball practices and outdoor adventures are often rained out. But in the movies, a couple kissing while the sky is crying has always been sweet. Have you ever wondered why? Simple. Because when everything else falls or fails, being comforted with someone we love means a lot.

I've once read that the expression falling in love should rather be growing in love. After all, love must bring out the best in us, not pull us down. But whoever came up with that phrase must have been a love genius. Or might have lain on a blanket of fallen leaves on an autumn day. Or might have ignored the raindrops on his/her head while kissing

t h e O N E.

Laugh. Just Laugh.

Five people once gathered in a park.
To laugh.
The laughter was contagious.
Amazed bystanders joined and cracked jokes with them.
The laughter became more contagious.
They ran out of hilarious things to share.
But they got so silly they still laughed.
Laughed for no single reason.
And the laughter became even more contagious.

And those who laughed got healed.

Laughter Yoga proves what the best medicine is!

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People around the world are gathering in Laughter Clubs -
to share one of the most profound human universals.

Neil Davenport
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November 2008

Laughter clubs in over 60 countries!?!
"Laughter club in Japan" googled.
Yes. Yup. Yep. Yippee. Yay. Yehey!
"Laughter club in Nagoya" googled.
Yes. Yup. Yep. Yippee. Yay. Yehey!

Dear Club President,
I'd like to shriek in laughter.
Dear Kikit,
Join us. Guffaw with us.
Date with silliness. Fixed.

Registration. Introduction.
"Hi! I'm a child at heart."
Broken Japanese. Broken English.
"Hi! I'm a child at heart too."
A gathering of kindred souls.

Different kinds of laughter explained.
Lion's laughter. Penguin's laughter.
Different kinds of laughter explored.
Broke? Laugh. Won the lottery? Laugh.
Line between fake and real laughter broken.

Stretching with Enya's musing words.
Who can say where the road goes, only time.
Lying. Breathing. Feeling. Living.
Who can say when the roads meet, only time.
Liberation. Lightness. Love.

Laugh.
Ho-ho-ha-ha-ha!
Laugh. Just laugh.
Ho-ho-ha-ha-ha!
And the world will laugh WITH you.

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My one-time experience in laughing for no reason last year is the reason why I'm still laughing now and will continue to laugh throughout my lifetime. If the club was only based in my city, I would get nuts with them as often as I can. But the thing is, we don't need to belong to a group to laugh.

Every man can laugh anytime, anywhere, for free.

Because I Want You to Laugh

A kiss isn't always that romantic. Trust me.

For those who have troubles watching the video here, please check this link.

The Invisible Matters

Photographed by Slightlyfamous

I'm not referring to beauty, unlike Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's main message in his popular book, The Little Prince. I'm talking about that microscopic virus that puts (may put) us in a state of worry, panic and even danger.

Since the H1N1 pandemic was in the headlines, classes being cancelled because of influenza isn't new to us anymore. But in Japan at present, school rules on how to handle it has become stricter as the weather is getting colder. For every two cases of flu infection in a class, that class has to take a rest for seven consecutive days to prevent the virus from spreading to other students.

The schools in the city where I live and work aren't spared from this dilemma. Some classes were cancelled and more and more teachers and students are wearing a mask for self-protection. For a couple of weeks now, flu has become a hot topic during meetings and conversations.

As it seems so alarming, I wash my hands and gargle thoroughly in between classes. I also wear a mask on the train and bus. I take Vitamin C supplement, drink water more often and disinfect my hands with alcohol. Honestly, all these things seem so troublesome and costly but since my weak resistance to bacteria is scared to death, my "prevention is better than cure" motto will prevail.

But last Sunday, I was coughing and couldn't go to work the following day because I was slightly running a temperature. So can you imagine how a paranoid like me reacted to that? I felt so terrible because I was in the same room with my parents who were about to go on a trip and I didn't want to miss classes for seven days. But for the sake of my students, I took a sick leave to see the doctor and was relieved to hear it was just a cold. Yay.

Be safe, everyone!

Little Things

On my birthday, I was thankful because...

1. I have someone who believes in sending love letters through snail mail despite the world of technology we are in.

2. Someone at school (for the first time in four school years) remembered it was my natal day. Many teachers and students greeted me. One gave me a doughnut. Another gave me body lotion.

3. Mama prepared a birthday dinner for the whole family. After work, everyone gathered at our apartment and chitchatted while filling our starving stomachs with food.

4. Flowers bring so much life to me. Cecil gave me a couple of yellow tulips that remind me of the bright spring and Ate Cres and her family brought a pot of poinsettia that reminds me of a happy Christmas.

5. Little kids painted a smile on my face. Grazie gave me a self-decorated picture frame. Maegan tickled me as we were about to sleep. And Laya entertained us with the new words she kept babbling.

6. Friends remembered my birthday. Or probably Facebook and Friendster reminded them. Lol. I received emails, notes, text messages and phone calls.

7. I blew the candles on the birthday cake my brother and his family bought for me. Life is sweeter with your family around indeed.

8. It was a beautiful day and I could enjoy taking pictures of the blue skies brushed with high white clouds.