Go! Japan Soccer team!

After watching the Japanese being narrowly defeated by the Belgium soccer team at the World Cup in Russia, I realized why I have had a lasting love for the Japanese culture and its people, The manner in which the team exited the field after loosing the game was typical Japanese, like bowing to the crowd in appreciation for being hosted by the Russians and they went so far as to clean up the locker room and leaving a note in Russian to say thank you in Russian; this is what Japan is all about and teaches the rest of the world in good manners and intercultural relationship. It would well for the rest of the world to emulate the Japanese when it comes to etiquette and manners, a sense of respect for your fellow man no matter who or where you are.

Having lived for three years in the city of Sendai  in Japan I had the opportunity to taste the Japanese ways in my day to day experience with them. For three years i was the Baby sitter to my two preschool children who attended a prestigious kindergarten in the Sendai area, Mukayama Yochien, in Miyagi Prefecture and in this capacity I was exposed to all the Oka sans or mothers who were a frequent group at the school grounds. I was most probably frowned upon by the salary men, the fathers who were hardly around except on weekends or special events at the school. One learns very quickly about a culture when in the company of rich and dotting mothers, more concerned about their children than their own individual and personal happiness. It seemed they imparted discipline to their children at a very early age through unconditional love and it makes an impact on them as these children like my own are now young adults and showed great potential to become well rounded in the pursuit of happiness; I keep in touch with a few over the years.

So , Yea! to the Japanese team and their show of high moral standards in the eyes of the world as this event has gone viral in itself. Since WW2 and the japanese occupation of Malaya there has been a sympathetic relationship between the two countries and the Japanese seemed to favour the Malays in approach, the Chinese were never favoured by the Japanese even back in their history. The newly elected PM was invited to give his views over what happened in Malaysia and was also awarded a large loan to counter the financial disaster this country is facing. Here is to Katsushika Hokusai and Miyamoto Musashi and to Takanohanna the former Great Sumo Yokuzuna, my favorite. If these names are meaningless and a waste o time reading about, skip it, these are just my mind reminders of the good old Japan years of my life.