Easy Peasy Japanesey - A Conversation With A Bus Driver

Compared to the English language, Japanese is more of a mouthful. Or maybe its just my thought as a beginner. About ten years ago I had wanted to learn Japanese and bought learn-in-the-car CDs. Then I got discouraged and stopped after awhile. Being more resilent now in terms of allowing myself more time to learn, I have picked it up again. I wish I had taken more of a keen interest in primary and high school, but I am putting my negligence of that study down to the fact that I was not interested like I am now. The other night while Alan was in the virtual fantasy of being a A-grade basket ball player, I was on the couch opposite him mumbling introductory phases in Japanese. 'Konnichiwa. Watashi no Sarah desu. Hajimashite. Ane na hitori onesan ga hitori imoto.' Konnichiwa. My name is Sarah. Nice to meet you. I have one older sister and one younger sister.' I stumble a little bit but I am getting there. I do not know when Alan and I will be going to Tokyo, whether it is this year or next year - but hopefully before we go I'll be able to speak Japanese well. Same with Korean. My ultimate dream would be to spend two weeks each in Japan and Korea for a white Christmas and New Year. One thing I want to do in Tokyo is hit the Mario Cart race-track as Princess Peach, go to Disney World and see Mount Fuji. Last week as I was making my way home from work, I hopped on the bus and from the moment I sat down in the seat opposite the bus driver. As a rule I basically sit in that seat when I need a little bit of quiet. But her need to talk was greater, so I dog-eared the page I was up to in my Nora Roberts novel and listened. I have a great respect for bus drivers, they have a rough deal when it comes to dead-lines and toilet breaks. Tonight this bus driver was running eight minutes late to all her stops, the result of a chain-reaction, the bus driver before her was running late. I emphasised, sympathised and then we had a conversation about diets and longevity. I brought up this book I am reading called Ikigai - the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, written by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. Ikigai is a Japanese word to describe a talent, a calling and a passion. It is also a state of mind where you are in a state of joy everyday and your ikigai is what drives you to live a long life. This bus driver told me she ate alot of wholesome food like fruits, vegetables, chicken and fish and confessed she has a sweet-tooth and is not afraid to satisfy it. Watashi mo! Before Easter I trialled eating a wholesome breakfast with Alan for one week. When I got up I went straight to the kitchen and cooked us each two slices of salmon with boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes and spinach. We both found that our focus was sharper and we were fuller for longer. By the time I would have my lunch break at 2:00pm I would be hungry but not crazy starved. Ikigai also talks about one's everyday diet, to only eat until your stomach is 80% full. And that is the Japanese secret to keeping one's figure aside from exercise. Ikigai goes into great detail about how one can choose to live each day with joy and one of those things is family and community, also fulfilling a meaningful purpose in that family and community can add years onto one's life-span. That and keeping busy, finding joy in the simple errands, mile-stones and social engagements. I like how the centenarians keep celebrating each birthday and are proud of every life experience and mile-stone they have lived. Four weeks ago, our family was celebrating Dad's birthday and we were watching videos Dad had accumulated over the years of weddings and birthdays and I announced to the entire room. "In ten years I am going to be forty and I am going to be sexy!" Naturally, this got a few giggles and head shaking from my family - they are used to my eccentric blurting, whether its on topic or not. But I still meant it. Reading Ikigai - the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, has inspired me to live each day with a passion because it is a blessing to be alive. In Ogimi, a rural village in Okinawa, there is the highest percent of centenarians in the world. This town was one of the most devastated places in World War II. From it's hardship and tragedy a new era was birthed where people are happy and enjoying long lives. It goes to show that joy can be born from times of sorrow and that is something that us humans need to remember when we are faced with our trials. That extraordinary legacies can be birthed from heart-ache. The centenarians of Ogimi would have known such sorrow in those dark times, but their ikigai kept them going through heart-breaking loss, hunger and poverty. Here is a delicious quote from Ikigai - The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life. 'Nurturing friendships, eating light, getting enough rest, and doing regular, moderate exercise are all part of the equation of good health, but at the heart of the joi de vivre that inspires these centenarians to keep celebrating birthdays and cherishing each day is their ikigai." - Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles The bus driver and I also had a conversation about ageing. I always go by that unspoken rule that you do not ask a grown woman what her age is unless she offers it. At first the bus driver said she would not tell me her age. I told her I had just turned thirty and a few minutes later,she dished up the goods. She is sixty. A sixty-year old who looks forty. I said jokingly. "I think you already know the secret to longevity." We had a good giggle over that. When it came my turn to disembark, she said she had enjoyed talking to me and hoped we would have another good talk next time she did my route home. I told her I would forward to that. That conversation was the high-light of my day. If you, an avid bookworm, need to read something that will give you a new perspective of life, ageing and if you need to find your ikigai. I recommend this book to you. And also, if you ever want some perspective - keep an eye out for those chatty bus drivers - they come in all shapes and sizes, ages and personalities, occasionally if you are really lucky - you'll find a nice stranger that wants to talk to you about all the little things that make life big. - Sarah x