Presentazione dell’Autore
Dopo aver viaggiato in molti paesi nel mondo, ho sentito l’aspirazione di scrivere un diario di viaggio. Tutto è stato spontaneo e il fatto che sia stato scritto in Giappone è, probabilmente, solo un caso. Spesso, come tutti gli scritti degli esseri umani, riflette il modo di vedere dell’autore, le opinioni e i suoi condizionamenti. Ma l’idea di comporre il diario rifletteva la necessità di scrivere con attenzione, ma con distacco, tutto quello che accadeva fuori e dentro di me. Mantenendo vivo lo scopo di rimanere distaccato, tutto è stato vissuto con estrema intensità percettiva, osservando e notando i minimi particolari delle cose e non tralasciando nessuno fra i più piccoli eventi trascorsi. Durante un viaggio in una cultura diversa da quella in cui si è vissuti per tanti anni, tutto viene scombussolato: corpo, mente, abitudini. È impossibile tornare da un viaggio e rimanere gli stessi di prima! Avendo un giusto atteggiamento, tutto può sembrare divertente ed eccitante, con molte sorprese, curiosità e intuizioni. Questo accade nella vita di tutti i giorni, ma quando si viaggia in altri paesi, in altre culture, tutto viene triplicato. È come se si vivesse un’altra vita in questa vita. Il viaggio non ha avuto alcuna programmazione, pianificazione e meta. Grazie a questa modalità si può vivere la bellezza della spontaneità, dove tutto si incastra come in un puzzle, momento dopo momento. I luoghi, le situazioni, le persone incontrate. Ognuno ti lascia qualcosa, un messaggio, un'emozione, un'intuizione. Viaggiare oggi non è molto difficile, ma vivere il viaggio è tutt'altra cosa. C’è, a questo scopo, un'associazione che permette di essere ospitati in aziende agricole biologiche a conduzione familiare, lavorare – collaborare - in cambio di vitto e alloggio. Oltre a lavorare a contatto con la natura, la cosa più bella è vivere e immergersi nella cultura del posto, in cui si incontrano persone semplici, a cui piace condividere tutto quello che possiedono, persone straordinarie. Inoltre, durante questo viaggio, ho potuto vivere la catastrofe dello Tsunami. Ero molto distante da Fukushima, circa a 800 Km. Non ho avvertito niente della scossa, ma ho potuto osservare e vivere la reazione dei Giapponesi di fronte ad una tragedia del genere. Coscienti di vivere in uno dei paesi più a rischio al mondo per questi eventi naturali, spesso catastrofici a causa dell’essere umano, ho potuto notare la freddezza, la solidarietà e l'organizzazione di questa cultura. Una signora giapponese mi ha raccontato che la figlia aveva perso la vita nel terremoto in Nuova Zelanda. Era un suo sogno andare in Nuova Zelanda ed è morta facendo quello che ha sempre voluto fare! Questo esempio può ben descrivere, secondo me, questo popolo incredibile.
Descrivere un viaggio con tanto distacco mi ha dato la possibilità di viverlo intensamente. Spero che ciò possa accadere a chi legge questo libro, e che possa condividere intuizioni, idee, curiosità ed altro ancora.
Buon Viaggio a tutti.
… la partenza e il
mese di gennaio 2011
19 Gennaio 2011
Eccomi in aeroporto a Fiumicino, Roma, seduto di fronte al Gate 13, destinazione Tokyo. Dopo molti viaggi in vari posti del mondo, questa volta ho deciso di scrivere un libro, o meglio, un diario del viaggio che sto per intraprendere. Viaggio sempre da solo o quasi: con me porto il mio corpo e la mia mente, a condizione che il padrone sia io. Non sento agitazione, il mio corpo è rilassato, sento il mio cuore battere piano e osservo la mia mente girare molto lentamente. Ascolto gli annunci del personale dell’aeroporto e le voci strillanti dei bambini sempre eccitati e felici. L’aeroporto è un posto incredibile, dove si concentrano tante emozioni. Ansia, paura di volare e gioia di conoscere un posto nuovo. Oppure voglia di ritornare a casa dopo aver visto cose nuove, raccontando il viaggio ai parenti e agli amici. O ancora voglia di partire per incontrare persone care. Poi c’è anche la stanchezza, uno stato che provoca di tutto all’interno di un essere umano, senza distinzione di sesso, cultura o paese. In questo posto, seduti e apparentemente rilassati, la mente gira molto veloce. Va nel passato per rivivere le esperienze appena trascorse e nel futuro per immaginare cosa accadrà all’arrivo del proprio volo; come andrà, come ci si comporterà, cosa si racconterà ai parenti o agli amici. Insomma, si proietta nella propria mente “il film” che si sta per vivere anche se non sempre si svolge come lo avevamo immaginato, perché la vita non segue la nostra mente e le situazioni si creano momento per momento. Qui in aeroporto fa caldo, sorseggio un po’ d’acqua; che bella sensazione sentire l’acqua che scende nella gola fino ad arrivare all’intestino. È come se tutte le cellule del corpo si svegliassero. Bene, manca poco all’imbarco, arriverò domani alle 11:30 a Tokyo, dove incontrerò un amico giapponese conosciuto due anni fa in Bolivia. Non ho un programma: vedremo cosa succederà.
20 Gennaio 2011
Eccomi a Tokyo! Ho imparato la prima parola giapponese: “misu”, che significa acqua. Faccio il primo tragitto in treno dall’aeroporto alla stazione centrale; sento i miei occhi stanchi, visto che non ho dormito in aereo. Con gli occhi chiusi in treno non ho la sensazione di stare in Giappone ed è la stessa sensazione di quando si viaggia nella propria nazione: il treno è treno! In effetti ad occhi chiusi si è soli in se stessi. Sono all’uscita della stazione, il clima è un po’ freddo, ma c’è il sole che mi accarezza la pelle del viso. Mi guardo attorno e osservo che la maggior parte della gente che mi circonda è giovane. Mentre aspetto che arrivi il mio amico Hiro, sento il mio stomaco che protesta e compro delle polpette di riso con miso e sesamo nero. Hanno un buon sapore. Sento del fumo di sigaretta arrivare al mio naso, ma non vedo nessuno. Ah, ecco: sotto di me c’è un angolino all’aperto, attrezzato per i fumatori con grandi posacenere. Bene! Vedo arrivare il mio amico Hiro: che bello rivederlo! Dopo aver far fatto un giro per alcune vie di Tokyo, che è grandissima, ci avviamo per andare sulle “Torri gemelle”. È il palazzo del governo e si può salire fino al quarantacinquesimo piano, senza pagare, ammirando la straordinaria città dall’alto. Mi è quasi impossibile descrivere a parole l’immensità della città, con le infinite luci che non mi consentono di vedere i suoi confini. Ho la sensazione che il cielo stellato si sia capovolto! Andiamo in un ristorante e mangiamo un piatto tipico giapponese, spaghetti, detti soba, con zuppa di miso e tofu. Il mio stomaco non ce l’ha fatta a mangiarli tutti, ma hanno un ottimo sapore. La mente è sempre pronta a fare paragoni e non sembra amare molto le novità. Penso che se si vuole vivere la vita a trecentosessanta gradi, bisogna fare un po’ attenzione a non cadere nelle abitudini che non penso si possano distinguere in buone e cattive. Vivere condizionati dalle abitudini significa somigliare a un orologio che si blocca: la vita continua a scorrere, ma le lancette rimangono ferme sempre alla stessa ora. Sto scrivendo da una specie di loculo. Mi trovo in hotel chiamato Hotel Capsula, ci sono bagni in comune e le stanze sembrano loculi di cimitero dove c’è solo lo spazio per sdraiarsi. C’è una luce, un televisore, una radio e una sveglia. Per me è comodo, economico e ho tutto quello che mi serve quando viaggio: un letto dove riposare il corpo e una doccia. Questo posto sembra perfetto, ma per coloro che vivono con la paura del chiuso, i claustrofobici, non credo sarebbe il posto ideale. Bene, i miei occhi iniziano a chiudersi. Domani sarà un altro giorno.
21 Gennaio 2011
I miei occhi si riaprono e vedo che ho dormito nel “loculo”. Non male, comunque! Da qui non si sentono rumori, visto che è quasi tutto chiuso, gli automobilisti non usano il clacson e la gente tende ha fare poco rumore per rispetto di chi ancora dorme. Una cosa strana per me che ho vissuto in una cultura differente è il bagno, che è un'enorme stanza dove ci si fa prima la doccia, poi ci si immerge in una grande vasca idromassaggio tutti insieme, con acqua molto calda. Essendo un hotel di soli uomini, si gira completamente nudi. Mi sembra un hotel di nudisti! Camminare dentro Tokyo è come essere in un paesino, non si sentono molti rumori. Gli automobilisti rispettano i pedoni e i pedoni rispettano gli automobilisti; inoltre non vedo molta polizia. Roma è piena di polizia e carabinieri ed è sempre un caos! Sono in un ristorante a sorseggiare un tè caldo giapponese, insieme al mio amico Hiro. Il profumo di questo tè è molto gradevole ed è piacevole sentirlo entrare nel corpo riscaldandolo, mentre fuori è freddo, intorno ai tre gradi. Il mio amico è di fronte a me che scrive parole in giapponese e le traduce in italiano, con un dizionario elettronico, dandomi così la possibilità di capire un po' e di comunicare in questo paese. Lui sorseggia un cappuccino. Ha viaggiato tanto anche lui, e ha rotto molti dei suoi condizionamenti, quindi non è un tradizionalista: forse nella sua ultima vita è stato un italiano! Nei bar o ristoranti si avverte sempre una bella energia, ci si rilassa e si chiacchiera, mentre le tensioni si allentano così che l’energia possa fluire creando un campo energetico. Ho incontrato parecchie persone questa sera, amici di Hiro, fra cui tre donne giapponesi e un uomo giamaicano sposato con una delle tre. Quando si incontrano persone nuove è sempre piacevole. Si crea un campo energetico, si è curiosi e la mente è aperta. Ci si scambia esperienze, opinioni, modi di vedere la vita, insomma si cerca di conoscersi. Alle volte si beve una birra, l’alcol offusca un po’ la mente e, non avendo la lucidità di pensare, si prova una sensazione di benessere. Se poi c’è anche la musica, con le vibrazioni che stimolano i centri energetici e le cellule, si possono creare momenti paradisiaci. Abbiamo trascorso una bella serata e chissà se ci rivedremo ancora. È bello vedere come le cose si creino da sole, senza interferenze e come, rimanendo distaccati e presenti, vadano come devono andare. Sento i miei piedi un po’ pesanti: abbiamo camminato molto oggi e ringrazio le mie gambe che mi portano in giro. Le massaggio un po', vado in bagno per lavarmi i denti e mi addormento nel “loculo”.
22 Gennaio 2011
Buon giorno! È passato il jet leg e ho dormito ottimamente questa notte; sento le gambe riposate e la mente fresca. Ascolto lo stomaco brontolare per la fame. Stiamo per uscire a fare colazione, non so cosa mangeremo. Noodle, riso rosso, chissà... Siamo seduti nel grande giardino di un quartiere di Tokyo che ha circa trecento anni, pieno di alberi bonsai e canne di bambù: direi che tutto è perfetto. Il giardino è circondato da alti grattacieli di vetro ed io ascolto i corvi che mi gironzolano intorno come se fossi una loro preda. Fa freddo, ma il sole riscalda. Ci sono molti alberi di ciliegio spogli, tanto da sembrare morti, ma in primavera saranno in ottima forma con il loro profumo e splendore. A pochi metri da me ci sono grandi fiori che mi inondano, come se volessero condividere la loro incredibile bellezza. Il mio amico Hiro sta acquistando per me un biglietto dell’autobus su internet, con il telefonino. Domani partirò e andrò a sud, destinazione Tokushima. Dove siamo ora, invece, c’è un laghetto e al centro, attraverso un ponte di legno, si giunge fino ad una casetta dove sperimentiamo la cerimonia del tè. Ci sediamo sul pavimento, rilassandoci, e aspettando che ci portino il tè chiamato Macha. Un tè di colore verde intenso e un dolcetto a base di azuki. Mangiamo prima il dolcetto e poi sorseggiamo il tè, che è molto amaro. Ci muoviamo lentamente, con gesti consapevoli, facendo attenzione ai piccoli particolari, ai colori, ai profumi e ai sapori, cercando di essere il più possibile presenti a ciò che accade. La mente si rilassa, i sensi si aprono e tutto sembra magico. A volte basta poco per creare situazioni nelle quali immergersi nel presente: spesso si creano da sole e a volte è bello crearle. Il sabato sera Tokyo è come tutte le grandi città, movida e ancora movida. Si esce da un locale e si va in un altro, per bere e liberarsi dai pensieri. Mi fa un po’ tristezza questo, non è il “massimo della vita”. Hiro mi dice che i Giapponesi amano fare le file, mentre sono nei ristoranti e nei negozi. Credono che la fila sia sinonimo di bontà e convenienza. Forse non sanno come funziona la mente ed hanno più fiducia negli altri che in se stessi. Siamo andati a mangiare in un ristorante dove c’era una fila di persone che attendeva e abbiamo mangiato benissimo, senza spendere molto. Anche questa sera ho conosciuto gente nuova e cenato con cibi giapponesi: comincio ad adorare questa cucina. Sono ritornato nel mio loculo per far riposare il mio corpo: come al solito c’è molto silenzio, a parte qualcuno che russa, ma non importa: uso quel rumore per agevolare la meditazione.
23 Gennaio 2011
Ultimo giorno in questo hotel. Ho dormito molto bene qui. Da quando sono arrivato in Giappone, ho la sensazione che la terra si muova, come se fossi perennemente su un aereo. Forse la mia mente e il mio corpo hanno registrato le sensazioni avvertite durante le turbolenze e ancora le trattengono. Probabilmente è perché la metropolitana viaggia in lungo e in largo sotto Tokyo, essendoci tante linee. Ho conosciuto un’altra amica di Hiro, molto carina e con la pelle del viso assai liscia, come la maggior parte degli orientali. Molto dipende dalla genetica, inoltre la curano molto con creme idratanti e non prendono il sole. Sento i miei occhi stanchi. È più facile che si stanchino in città che in mezzo alla natura. Quando si guarda qualcosa di vivo, come un albero, una pianta, le montagne, l’energia che si usa per osservare torna indietro. Se, al contrario, si osserva qualcosa di morto e di artificiale, come le vetrine dei negozi, i palazzi, le automobili, l’energia non ritorna e di conseguenza va dispersa. Se in città la gente si guardasse negli occhi, che sono qualcosa di vivo, si avvertirebbe una specie di rigenerazione e aiuterebbe a sentirsi meno stanchi. Questo non accade perché ci si chiude e si crea una corazza che non consente il contatto energetico. Siamo stati a pranzare in un locale giamaicano, per cambiare, visto che anche i giapponesi si stancano di mangiare sempre la stessa cucina. Abbiamo fatto un giro in un grande parco, dove c’è un tempio visitato da tantissima gente, nel quale si compiono alcuni riti prima di entrare, come lavarsi le mani e la bocca. Quindi si entra e si recita una preghiera. È anche possibile scrivere un messaggio su una tavoletta di legno che poi si appende. Mi sono avvicinato a leggere i messaggi scritti in inglese, sicuramente da turisti. C'erano messaggi che recitavano così: “desidero trovare moglie o marito”, “desidero trovare lavoro”, “desidero una buona salute”... Questo non è pregare, è elemosinare! Pregare significa ringraziare. Ho notato che i giapponesi sono un popolo di perfezionisti e, come in tutte le cose, questo atteggiamento ha dei lati positivi e negativi. Osservo la gente che lavora. Nessuno sembra annoiato e tutti utilizzano il massimo impegno e efficienza. Sono molto razionali, non fanno niente per caso. Passeggiando in lungo e in largo per Tokyo, ho notato dei distributori automatici di uova fresche. A cosa serviranno? Non l'ho ancora compreso e nemmeno Hiro sembra saperlo. Continuando a camminare osservo che le mie gambe tremano leggermente per il freddo, la temperatura è scesa di molto. Dopo una cena giapponese, ci siamo avviati verso l’hotel per prendere il mio zaino. Ho salutato Hiro, ringraziandolo per la sua compagnia, e mi sono avviato verso la fermata dell’autobus per partire in direzione di Tokushima.
24 Gennaio 2011
Sono arrivato a Tokushima e ho preso un autobus locale per giungere nel luogo in cui incontrerò Mayumi. Non sono riuscito a comunicare con l'autista, visto che lui non conosceva l’inglese e io non conosco il giapponese, così mi ha fatto scendere nel posto sbagliato. Trovato un negozio aperto ho chiesto, un po’ con gesti e un po’ aiutato da un dizionario, di poter fare una telefonata a Mayumi visto che avevo il suo numero di telefono e così abbiamo risolto il problema. La signora del negozio ha spiegato a Mayumi dove mi trovavo e lei mi ha raggiunto. Mayumi mi ospiterà per un periodo non definito, in cambio di collaborazione e lavori vari. Vive in un posto fantastico, in mezzo a un bosco in montagna. Mi ha accompagnato alla mia cameretta dalla cui finestra si vede un panorama mozzafiato. Dopo esserci conosciuti e aver scambiato informazioni, facciamo colazione, con pancake, marmellata, Tahini (crema di sesamo) e tè. Mi chiedono se mi va di cucinare della pasta con pomodoro. Ne sono entusiasta, e così preparo spaghetti al pomodoro molto apprezzati da Mayumi e dai suoi due figli. Nel pomeriggio siamo andati a prendere alla fermata dell’autobus una donna con una bambina di sei anni. Anche lei è ospite come me. È figlia di padre giapponese e madre americana, ma vive in America. Siamo andati a casa di un amico di Mayumi che vive da solo. Abbiamo acceso un fuoco, all’esterno della casa e intorno al fuoco abbiamo chiacchierato e ci siamo conosciuti. Il panorama intorno è suggestivo, con neve in cima alla montagna, grandi bambù e pini. Eccoci di nuovo a casa a preparare la cena con cibi tipici giapponesi. Poiché collaboriamo tutti, noto molti cibi che non avevo ancora visto e sono curioso di provarli. Abbiamo apparecchiato sul tavolo basso, quello dove ci si deve sedere per terra. Ci sono le bacchette, ma si usano anche forchette di legno. L’atmosfera è molto carina e intima, ci conosciamo da pochissimo, ma la sensazione è quella di conoscersi da tanto tempo. Ho notato un libro scritto in inglese. Lo prendo fra le mani e leggo di cosa si parla. Mayumi, dopo, mi spiega qualcosa di più a proposito del libro. Lo studioso in questione si occupa di indagare su differenti tipi di energie, tra cui quelle di animali come i ragni. Afferma che i ragni sono molto irrequieti, per cui alle persone che appartengono alla tipologia dei ragni vanno somministrati prodotti omeopatici che le riportino all'equilibrio. Il corpo umano e tutti gli organismi viventi sono molto complessi e mutevoli nel tempo. Tutto si muove, la vita è movimento. La sola cosa che si possa fare è non identificarsi in nulla in particolare, imparare ad essere più distaccati e aver fiducia nell’esistenza.
25 Gennaio 2011
Eccoci svegli. Qui si sente molto il freddo. Dalla finestra è possibile vedere un bel panorama. Questa notte ha nevicato in montagna, per questo possiamo ammirare le cime innevate. In Giappone si dorme sul pavimento. Io ho dormito bene e presto il mio corpo si abituerà. Il corpo umano ha la straordinaria capacità di adattarsi, basta rimanere rilassati e aspettare. Osservo che la mente è più restia, non ama molto il nuovo, ma basta non assecondarla e piano piano si rilassa anche lei. Se si impara a non prestare molta attenzione alla mente, la vita sembra più eccitante, perché bisogna rispondere alle situazioni che si presentano con tutto il proprio essere e la propria intelligenza, così ci si sente più svegli e meno annoiati. Dopo aver fatto colazione con tè, frutta e qualche biscotto, Mayumi mi ha chiesto se avevo voglia di tagliare un po’ di legna con la motosega. Prima di cominciare bisognava limare un po’ la catena e aggiungere l’olio. Qui le montagne sono piene di enormi bambù verdi. Quando c’è vento sembrano danzare. Sembra che l’esistenza abbia accontentato tutti, ogni posto ha le sue meraviglie. Tutto, però, dipende da come le si guarda e o meglio da come la mente proietta le immagini che possiede. In giardino ci sono un po’ di alberi da frutto: nespole, prugne, ciliegi, aranci e qualche pianta di tè giapponese. Ci prepariamo per pranzare all’aperto. Quando si vive in campagna si è un po’ più liberi di fare ciò che si vuole. Mangiamo zuppa di verdure con tofu e noodle. Ci troviamo in una valle con case sparse e spesso si sentono annunci che probabilmente arrivano dal Comune di questo villaggio. Mayumi dice che segnalano che se qualcuno ha bisogno di aiuto, per esempio di avvocati, dottori o altro, si può rivolgere all’ufficio competente ed è tutto gratuito. Ma cosa se ne fa di un avvocato gente che vive in mezzo ai boschi, mi chiedo! Dopo aver sistemato la legna tagliata, faccio un giro nel bosco, considerato che la mia mente per bosco intende alberi, anche se qui sono tutti bambù giganti. A causa del vento i bambù si toccano e sembra di ascoltare un'orchestra. Che silenzio c’è qui... Si sentono solo il gracchiare dei corvi, il cinguettio di uccelli color verde e l'abbaiare di qualche cane. Il tempo scorre lento e tutto si fa con calma. Ceniamo con polpette vegetali cotte in padella e qualcosa di simile agli arancini di riso. Per chiudere tè verde e una torta cotta a vapore, con patate dolci. La torta non ha un buon sapore e non è cotta bene. La mangio per non offendere Mayumi. Mi chiedono se ho voglia di cucinare la lasagna, ovviamente vegetale. Hanno capito che non so dire di no e che mi diverto a cucinare. I miei occhi vorrebbero chiudersi, così preparo il letto con il sacco a pelo in cui, con il freddo che fa, si dorme benissimo. Sento un po’ la gola pizzicare, forse mi verrà il mal di gola o la tosse. Considerando che tutti in questa casa hanno la tosse, non mi preoccupo e vado a letto.
26 Gennaio 2011
Tiro fuori la testa dalle coperte e la sento ghiacciata: la casa è fredda e non c'è il riscaldamento. Quando si è sotto le coperte, al caldo a occhi chiusi, si può notare che la sensazione è uguale, ovunque ci si trovi. Quando si riaprono gli occhi si può notare se si è in Giappone, in Italia o in qualsiasi altro posto. Ma ad occhi chiusi si è unicamente nel proprio corpo. Guardo fuori dalla finestra. C’è l’alba e sta nevicando. Noto che qui il clima cambia velocemente. Prima c’è sole, poi diventa nuvoloso, quindi fa caldo, infine freddo. Così è facile che il corpo si ammali, non avendo il tempo per adattarsi. Mayumi è a letto con la tosse e un po’ di febbre. Facciamo colazione, con tè caldo, mochi - un dolce a base di riso che sembra di gomma - e un paio di mandarini piccoli che si possono mangiare con la buccia. Qui c’è un giardino con alberi da frutto ma è abbandonato da molti anni. Vorrei potarli e ripulirli, abbassarli un po’ poiché sono troppo alti. Così faccio. Dopo aver potato alcuni alberi, mi trovo nella sala da pranzo da solo. Mayumi è a letto e i ragazzi, insieme alla nuova arrivata - una giapponese che ha vissuto in America e sua figlia di quattro anni - sono andati fuori da un amico. Ho un po’ di riso e verdure già cotte, così preparo un risotto con crema di sesamo e due uova al tegamino con salsa di soia. Il mio corpo si sente comodo seduto sul pavimento, con i piedi sotto il tavolo basso. Ho un fornellino a gas sul tavolo, quindi cucino e mangio senza muovere un passo. Che silenzio! Sento solo tossire Mayumi e l’acqua gocciolare nel bagno. Il mio respiro è lento, lo sento arrivare fino all'ombelico. L'intestino si è un po’ bloccato, sono due o tre giorni che non vado in bagno. Forse ciò è dovuto a questi cibi un po’ “gommosi” e al riso bianco. Anche la testa mi duole leggermente, ma non amo prendere medicine, così aspetto che passi. Se si impara a non identificarsi con il dolore, non dà fastidio. Sono particolarmente felice in questo momento, non so per quale motivo, ma so di certo che amo gli imprevisti e le sorprese. La ragazza americana ha voluto preparare la cena, visto che Mayumi è uscita. Dopo pochi minuti che ha messo a cuocere la zuppa, è finito il gas. Non sapendo dove fosse l’altra bomboletta, abbiamo acceso il fuoco fuori e continuato a cucinare la zuppa. Fa molto freddo, ma il cielo è stellato e si è creata una bella atmosfera. Credo che tutte le cose più belle siano spontanee. Si cerca di programmare tutto e così si perde il piacere della vita. Mi sembra che la gioia della vita sia quella di svegliarsi la mattina e dirsi “vediamo cosa mi porta la vita oggi!”.
martedì 17 aprile 2012
domenica 1 aprile 2012
Journey IN-Japan liò : ENGLISH VERSION excerpt from book,
Author presentation.
After travelling to many countries around the world, I felt the desire to write a traveldiary. Everything was spontaneous and the fact that it was written in Japan was only one case (maybe). Being written by a human being, often reflects the author's opinions and influences. But the idea of writing the diary was precisely to try to
write carefully, but from a distance, everything that was happening outside and inside of me. Keeping alive the goal to remain detached, everything has been lived with extreme intensity of perception, observing and noting every detail that happened. During a trip to a culture different from that in which you lived for many
years, everything is messed up, body, mind and habits: it is impossible to return from a trip and stay as you were before! With the right attitude, everything can seem funny and exciting, with many surprises, curiosity and intuition. This happens in life
everyday, but when you travel to other countries, other cultures, everything is tripled, it's as if you lived another life in this life. The trip was without programming, planning and goal mode through which you can see and experience the beauty of spontaneity, where everything fits like a puzzle from moment to moment. The
places, situations, people you meet: everyone leaves you something, a message, emotion or intuition. Travel today is not very difficult, but living the journey is another matter entirely. In addition there is an association that allows you to be housed in a family organic farms, work in exchange for room and board. In addition to working closely with nature, the best thing is to live and immerse themselves in local culture, they meet simple people, who likes to share everything they have, amazing people. During this trip I was able to live up to the catastrophe of the Tsunami, I was far from Fukushima to about 800 km I have not felt anything of the shock, but I could see and experience the reaction of the Japanese in the face of a
tragedy like that. Aware that they live in one of the most dangerous in the world for these natural events (often catastrophic because of the human being), I could see the coldness, solidarity and organization of this culture. A Japanese lady told me that her daughter had been killed in earthquake in New Zealand: it was his dream to go to New Zealand and died doing what he always wanted to do! This can be described well, in my opinion, this amazing people. Describe a journey with so much distance has given me the opportunity to live it earnestly hope that this will happen to those who read this book and share insights, ideas, curiosities and more.
Happy Journey to everyone
... The departure and the
January 2011
January 19, 2011
Here I am at the airport in Fiumicino, Rome, seated in front of Gate 13, in Tokyo. After many trips to various places in the world, this time I decided to write a book, or rather, a diary of the journey that I am to undertake. I travel or almost always alone: with me bring my body and my mind, provided that the owner is me. I do not
feel shaking, my body is relaxed, I feel my heart beat up and I keep my mind running very slow. Listening to announcements of airport staff and the voices of screaming children always excited and happy. The airport is an amazing place where you will find many emotions: anxiety, fear of flying and the joy of knowing a new place or
return home after seeing new things, telling the journey to family and friends or even go to meet loved ones. Then there's the tiredness, in other words, where everything happens inside a human being without distinction of sex, culture or country where he lived. In this place, sitting and seemingly relaxed, the mind runs
very fast. Go back in the past to relive the experience just made and go into the future and imagine what will happen to the arrival of their flight, as it will go, how we will behave, what to tell relatives or friends, in short, you are projected throughout the play even if it does not always happen, because life does not follow
our minds and situations are created moment by moment. It's hot here at the airport, I sip a little bit of water and it is good to feel the water that goes down to the throat up to the gut: the sensation is as if all the cells of the body were awake. Well, just missing the boarding, I will arrive tomorrow at 11:30 am in Tokyo, where I meet a Japanese friend met two years ago in Bolivia. I do not have a program: we'll see what happens.
January 20, 2011
Here I am in Tokyo! I learned my first Japanese word: Misu, meaning water. I ride the
first train from airport to Central Station, my eyes feel tired, because I did not sleep on the plane. With eyes closed I did not train the feeling of being in Japan and is the same feeling as when you travel in your own home: the train is the train! In fact you are alone with yourself with eyes closed. I am out of station, the climate is a bit cold, but there is the sun strokes my facial skin. I look around and observe that most are young. While waiting for the arrival of my friend Hiro, I feel my stomach that protest and buy some rice balls with miso and black sesame: they have a good flavor. I smell the cigarettes smoke to get to my nose, but I do not see anyone. Ah, here it is: below me is a corner outside, equipped with large ashtrays for smokers. Well! I see to coming my friend Hiro: how nice to see him again! After having walked around some streets in Tokyo, which is big, we prepare to go on the twin towers: it is the
government building and you can go up to forty-fifth floor, without pay, admiring the amazing city from above. It is almost impossible to me to describe in words the immensity of the city with its many lights that do not allow me to see where they end. I have a feeling that the night sky has turned upside down! We go to a restaurant and eat a typical dish of Japanese noodles (soba called) with miso soup
and tofu: my stomach is not able to eat them all, but had an excellent flavor. The mind is always ready to judge and not much seems to love the news. My understanding is that if you want to live the life to three hundred and sixty degrees, you have to be careful to not fall into habits that which I dont think they could be
distinguish in good or bad. Living conditioned by habits is like a clock that hangs: life continues to flow, but the hands remain at the same time. I'm writing from a kind of niche. I'm in the hotel called Hotel Capsule, there are shared bathrooms and
rooms are made like cemeteries as burial niches where there is just the space for leing down. There is a light, a television, a radio and an alarm clock. For me it's convenient, cheap and has everything I need when I travel: a bed to rest the body and a shower. This place looks perfect, but for those who identify with the fear of
the closed, claustrophobic, I do not think it would be the ideal place. Well my eyes begin to close. Tomorrow is another day.
January 21, 2011
My eyes are open again and I see that I slept into the niche, but not bad! You do not hear any noise because it is almost completely closed, bikers do not use the horn and people tend to have little noise out of respecting for those who still is sleeping. The strange thing for me that I lived in a different culture, is the bathroom
which is one big room where you first have a shower, then you dive into a big pool in common, with very hot water. Being a hotel for only men, it goes completely naked. Seems like a nudist hotels! Walking through Tokyo is like being in a small town, you do not hear many noises. Pedestrians respect bikers and bikers respect
pedestrians, I do not see so much police. Rome is full of police and carabinieri and is always a mess! I'm in a restaurant sipping hot Japanese tea, with my friend Hiro. I smell the smell of this tea which is very pleasant and it is nice to fill how it enters
into the body by heating it while outside is cold, with temperatures around three degrees. My friend is opposite to me who writes the words in Japanese and translate them into Italian for me, with an electronic dictionary, giving me the opportunity to understand a little and communicate in this country. He sips a cappuccino. He also has travelled and is not a traditionalist, and broke many of his
influences, perhaps in his last life was an Italian! At bars or restaurants there are always a good energy, you can relax and chat while you loose the tension so that the energy can flow, creating an energy field. I met many people this evening, Hiro's
friends, including three Japanese women and a Jamaican man married to one of three. When you meet new people is always nice: you create an energy field, you are curious and open mind. When we exchange experiences, opinions, ways of looking at life, in short, we try to know each other. When you drink a beer, alcohol
clouds over a bit the mind and you loose the clarity of thought and this creates a feeling of well being. If then there's the music vibrations that can stimulate the energy centers and cells, you can create heavenly moments. We spent a lovely evening and who knows if we'll meet again. It's nice to see how things are created
by themselves, without interference, letting go as they should go, remaining detached and present. I feel my feet a little 'heavy: we walked a lot today and I thank my legs which carry me about. I massage my legs a little, go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and I fall asleep in the niche.
January 22, 2011
Good morning! Well, it's past the jet lag and I slept well last night, my legs feel rested and my mind fresh. I hear to my stomach rumble from hunger. We're going to go out for breakfast, I do not know what to eat ... noodles, red rice, who knows. We're sitting in a large garden, in a district of Tokyo which is about three
hundred years old, surrounded by bonsai trees and bamboo: I would say that everything is perfect. The garden is surrounded by tall glass skyscrapers and I listen to the crows circulating around me as if I were their one of prey. It's cold, but the sun is warming. There are many bare cherry trees so as they appear dead, but in the spring they will be in great shape with all their fragrance and beauty. A
few feet away from me are large flowers which flood me with their perfume, as if to share their splendour. Hiro My friend is buying me a bus ticket with his mobile phone on the internet. Tomorrow I will be leaving and go to the south, destination Tokushima. Here there is a small lake and in the middle, crossing a wooden bridge,
you arrive at a small house where we experience the tea ceremony. We sit on the floor, relaxing ourselves and waiting for them to bring us the tea called Macha. A tea with a deep green colour and a sweet made of azuki beans. We eat the sweet first and then we sip a very bitter tea. We move slowly, conscious of our gestures,
paying attention to the small details, colours, smells, tastes, trying to stay as present as possible. The mind relaxes, the senses open and everything looks magical. Sometimes it takes very little to create situations where you immerse yourself in the present: often they happen by themselves and sometimes it's nice to create them happen. Tokyo on Saturday night is like all big cities, nightlife and yet more nightlife. You go from one nightspot to another, to drink and free yourself thought I am a bit 'sad about this, it is not the best of life. Hiro tells me that the Japanese love to queue for restaurants and shops. They believe that if so many people are queuing this means that the place is good and cheap. Perhaps they don't
know how the mind works and they have more trust in others than in themselves. We went to eat at a restaurant where there was a line of people waiting and we had a great meal without spending a lot! This, too, I met new people and I had dinner with Japanese food: I am begging to adore this cuisine. I returned to my tomb to rest my body: as usual it very quite, apart from someone who snores, but
that doesn't matter: I use the sound as a meditation.
January 23, 2011
The last day at this hotel I would say that you sleep very well here. Since I arrived in Japan, I have a feeling that the earth moves, as if I were on a plane, perhaps my mind and my body registered the sensations felt in the turbulent and I still carry them with me. Probably it is because the underground travels the length and
breadth of Tokyo there being so many lines and trains. I met another friend of Hiro, very pretty and with the very smooth skin, like most of the people fro the Eas: much depends on genetics, more they take care of skin with creams and they don't stay out in the sun. I feel my eyes tiring: it is easier to get tired in the cities than in the middle of nature. When you watch something living, like a tree, a plant, mountains, the energy that you use to see, returns to you, but if you look at something dead and artificial, like shop windows, buildings, cars, the energy doesn't come back and then it's lost to you. If in the city people looked to each other in the eye, which is a living thing , there would be a kind of regeneration and it would be more helpful in feeling less tired. But this does not happen because you closed yourself and create for yourself a shell which block the sharing of energy. We have gone to lunch at a local Jamaican restaurant, as even they get tired of eating the same food and we have decided to change. We were walking around in a big park, where there is a
temple with a lot of people visiting it and we do rituals before entering, like washing hands and mouth. Then they can go in and make a prayer, you can also write a message on a wooden board, which is then hang up. I went over to read the messages written in English, surely by tourists. There were messages like: "I want
to find a wife or husband", "I want to find work," "I wish good health", wishes and desires. This is not to pray, begging you! To pray is to thank. I noticed that the Japanese are a people of a perfectionist and, as in all things, this attitude has it pros and cons. I look at the people who work: no one seems bored and they do so
with the utmost care and efficiency. They are very rational, do nothing to chance. Walking through Tokyo, I noticed the vending of fresh eggs: what will? Have not yet come to understand why and even seems to know Hiro. Continuing to walk my legs look a little 'tremble from the cold, since the temperature has fallen by much. Well, after a Japanese dinner, we headed to the hotel to take my backpack: I said goodbye to Hiro and thanked him for his company
and I started toward the bus stop to go in the direction of Tokushima.
January 24, 2011
I arrived in Tokushima, and I took another bus to go to the local place to meet Mayumi, but I could not understand me with the driver, since he knew no English and I do not know Japanese, so I brought down in the wrong place. Found a shop I asked, a little 'with gestures and a little' help from a dictionary, you can make a call
to Mayumi saw that I had his phone number so we solved the problem: the lady of the shop explained to Mayumi where I was and she joined me. Mayumi I hosted for a period not defined, in exchange for cooperation and various jobs.Wow! He lives in a
great spot in the middle of a forest in the mountains. He accompanied me to my bedroom window from which you can see a panorama of breathtaking. After we met and exchanged information, we have breakfast, pancakes, jam and Tahini (sesame
cream) and tea. They ask me if I want to cook the pasta with tomato sauce: Yes, of course, and so prepare spaghetti with tomato sauce, which were much appreciated by Mayumi and his two sons. In the afternoon we went to the bus stop to take a woman with a child of six years: she was a guest like me. She is the daughter of a
Japanese father and American mother and live in America. We went to the house of a friend Mayumi living alone.We lit a fire outside the house and we chatted around the fire and we met. The scenery around is picturesque, with snow on the mountain,
surrounded by large pine trees and bamboo. We're back home to prepare dinner with typical Japanese food. We work together and know that many foods I had never seen until now, and I'm curious to try them. We set the table on the low table, the one where you have to sit on the ground. There are chopsticks, but they also use
wooden forks. The atmosphere is very nice and intimate, we've known very little, but the feeling is to know for so long. I noticed a book written in English, take it and read what is spoken, then Mayumi tells me something more about the book. There is
a scholar who is concerned with studying different types of energies including those of animals, like spiders. He says that spiders are very restless so people who belong to the type of data spiders are homeopathic products that bring back into
balance. But the human body and all living organisms, are very complex and changing over time. Everything moves, life is movement, the only thing we can do is not to identify with anything, learn to be more detached and trust in existence.
January 25, 2011
Here we are awake, and here you can feel the cold very much. From the window you can see a beautiful view. Last night it is snowed in the mountain and you can admire the snow-capped peaks. In Japan, you sleep on the floor, I slept well, and soon my body will get used to it. The human body has the amazing ability to adapt it self, just stay relaxed and wait. I observe that the mind is more restive, not very fond of the new, but it is necessary not to follow it and little by little it too relaxes. If you learn not to pay attention much to the mind, life seems more exciting, because you have to respond to situations which present it self with all your being and
intelligence, and so you feel more awake and less bored. After having breakfast with tea, fruit and some biscuits, Mayumi asked me if I wanted to cut some wood with a chainsaw: Before you start you have to sharpen the chain a little and add some oil. Here the mountains are full of huge green bamboo and which seem to
dance when there is wind. It seems that the existence has satisfied everyone, every place has its beauty, but it all depends on how you see it or rather how the mind projects the images. In the garden there are a few fruit trees, medlars, plums, cherries, oranges and some Japanese tea plants. We are preparing to lunch out
outside: when you live in the countryside you are more free to do what you want. We eat vegetable soup with tofu and noodles. We are in a valley with scattered houses and often we hear announcement which reach us from the Town Hall of this
village, Mayumi says they signal if someone needs help, for example, lawyers, doctors or whatever, you can contact the relevant department and it is all without pay. But what can pepole who live in the middle of woods do with a lawyer ! After stacking the cut wood, I walk around in the wood, as my mind sees the trees, even
though here there are all giant bamboo. When you are immersed in the wood, because of the wind the bamboo touch each and it seems like listening to an orchestra. How quiet it is here: you only hear the cawing of crows, the twitter of the green birds and the barking of a few dog. The time passes slowly and you everything is done calmly. Well, the dinner is served with vegetable dumplings
cooked in a pan and a kind of rice balls and to finished a green tea and steamed sweet potatoes cake. I would say that the cake doesn't have good taste and it wasn't cooked well. I eat it so as not to offend Mayumi. They ask me if I want to cook lasagna, vegetable course. They understood that I don't know how to say no and that I enjoy cooking. Ok, my eyes would close so I prepare the bed with my sleeping even with the cold there is I sleep well. I feel my throat prickle, maybe I will be a sore throat or cough. Since everyone in this house has a cough, I don't worry about it and go to bed.
January 26, 2011
I Pull my head out from the covers and I feel it frozen, the house is cold and has no heating. When you are under the covers in the warm with your eyes closed, you may notice that the feeling is the same, wherever you are. When you open again your
eyes you can see that you are in Japan, Italy or wherever, but with your eyes closed you are only in your own body. I look out the window: it is dawn and it is snowing. I notice that here the climate changes quickly here, there is sun, then it becomes cloudy, then it is warm and then cold, in this ways it is easy for the body to become
ill, not having the time to adapt itself. Mayumi is in the bed with a cough and a bit of fever. We have breakfast with hot tea, mochi - a rice based sweet which taste like a rubber- and a couple of small mandarins that they can be eaten with the peel. Here there is a garden with fruit trees, abandoned many years ago: I would
like pruning and clean them, making shorter them, they are too high and so I set about it. After pruning some trees, I find myself alone in the dining room: Mayumi is in bed and the boys, along with the newcomer - a Japanese who has lived in America - and her four year old daughter, have gone out to a friend. I have a little
'rice and vegetables already cooked, so I do a risotto with a little sesame cream and two fried eggs with soy sauce. My body feels comfortable sitting on the floor with my feet under the low table. I have a gas stove on the table and then cook and eat without moving a step. What silence I only hear Mayumi coughing and the water
dripping in the bathroom. My breathing is slow, I feel it down to my navel. My bowels are a bit blocked, two or three days since I went to the bathroom. Perhaps this is due to these food, a bit like rubber and white rice, also my head is aching head a bit but I do not like taking medicine, and so I wait it pass and if you learn not
to be identify by it, it doesn't give you a problem. I am particularly happy at this moment, I do not know why, I do know that I love the unforeseen and surprises. The American girl wanted to make dinner, as Mayumi has gone out. a few minutes after she puting the soup to cook, the gas ran out.. Not knowing where the other cylinder might b, we lit the fire outside and continued to cook the soup. It is very
cold, but the sky starry creates a beautiful atmosphere and I think that all the best things are the spontaneous. We try to plan everything and so you lose the pleasure of life. It seems to me that the joy of life is to wake up and say "let's see what life brings me now!"
January 27, 2011
Hey! It's really cold here! In a sleeping bag is fine, but when you come out is like stepping into a fridge. My body feels cold, but that's okay: sometimes feels cold sometimes feels hot, life's that. I do not have a program, so let's see what happens today. Meanwhile, I put water on the heat to make a tea, since I have not yet figured
out how the breakfast works here. Well, work continues in the garden as there is a lot 'of work to do. When you live in a very quiet place, any noise, like wind, birds draws much more attention and by here you can more easily without so many distractions look within yourself. We observe the thoughts, the breathing, body
sensations, in short, you become more sensitive and attentive. Mayumi asks me if I like cooking pasta for the boys: it is strange to see how the Japanese go crazy for pasta and spaghetti, as they have noodles. However I cook It: I love to cook and gives me a great pleasure to cook for others. Being able to cook for me is a
blessing. It is always festive, everyone likes to eat, so even making two spaghetti with tomato sauce makes everyone happy, young and old. It's nice to see the boys eating pasta with a lot of pleasure, They seem really happy and also Mayumi seems content: I don't often get to see people enjoy a plate of pasta like them. It happened
Another time in Nepal when I cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce and tin tuna and everyone seemed to go wild. It really takes very little to make people happy. The daughter of the girl who lives in America is asking for seconds! The plate was bigger than her , but she still wants more. I check my e-mails on the Internet: Hiro is
writing to me asking me how I am. He says he hopes to see me again and tells me to look after to myself because most of the population in Japan has flu and the hospitals are full. But I honestly I do not I could do it! If I catch it, so be it. No one is immune from colds and flu, only the recovery times are individual. Depends on the
state of health of body and mind with a body less poisoned and well-fed and a mind less tense and more relaxed, you recover more quickly. Here's another surprise: Emi the girl who lives in America, wants to offer us a dinner in a restaurant. The city Tokushima is known in Japan for the best noodle and so we decided to go to one of the best in the area.
January 28, 2011
Here, my body has taken the cold virus and sore throat. I slept badly last night, my throat is very delicate and is the first organ to become ill. As Mayumi follows homeopathy she gives me some tablets, even though usually I do not take anything for colds. I have often noticed that whether you take medicine or not take them, always takes six or seven days. We are in 2011 and the drug companies have not yet
understood how flu virus works, I can't even think how they would deal with something else more serious . It would take a thousand pages book to write about the pharmaceutical companies. There is a lot of movement around the house: Oh yes! Today Emi is leaving with her daughter and in the same time an other woman
is arriving with her child from Tokyo. There's a bustle in this house, this is better as in this way the days are most interesting. There is a group photo and than they're off, gone. It was nice meeting her in this life, who knows if I will see her again. Her vision of life seems a little extreme. She lives in a village in America, Native American style teepees without lighting and gas. In the life the mind often goes
from one extreme to another, it is a bit hard to stay in balance. Because the life is not in balance, but balances itself moment by moment, it is easier to go to an extreme. Sometimes you think to do that because we do not accept certain rules of society, but the revolution, the true revolution is not against the society, but the
conditioning, social or individual that exists. Here, I see the other woman arrive with the child. Mayumi says we're going to one of her friend for lunch where she will be having English lesson and her children private lessons, as they don't go to any type of school. She asks me if I want to cook lasagna. So I prepare the sauce and as
since they are vegetarian, I use dry soya. I also cooked some fusilli al pesto because they want to eat Italian style.
To me that's fine because I enjoy cooking. In the afternoon, after tasting the food, we go to a spa called Hot Springs where we used the communal hot bath in separate rooms, men only and women only. We were going to that place in the afternoon so I hadn't realised so I hadn't take clothes to change into or the towel.
So I wait in the waiting room eating a couple of mochi and sipping a hot coffee in tins. Then I have a massage with the vibrating chair at a cost of about two hundred yen for twenty minutes: not bad for two hundred yen even if it's not like it done by a person who transmits energy, provided that it's done well and with love and understanding and you feel the warmth . Returning home, I put my hand on my
forehead and it is little hot and I take my temperature and it's 38 degrees. We eat a little hot noodle soup and go to bed.
January 28, 2011
Here I am, my body has taken the cold virus and and I have sore throat. I slept badly last night, my throat is very delicate and it is the first organ to become ill. As Mayumi is homeopathic, she gives me some tables, even though in general I don't take anything for colds. I have often noticed whether you take medicine or not, it
always lasts six or seven days. We are in 2011 and the drug companies have not yet understood how the flu virus works, let's not think about other more serious illnesses. It would take a thousand pages book to write about the pharmaceutical companies. We hear a great movement in the house: Oh yeah! This morning Emi
with her baby is leaving and still this morning we have got another woman with her child from Tokyo. There is a coming and going in this house, so it better, days like these are more interesting. They take a group photo and leave. It was nice meeting
her in this life, who knows if I will see her again. Her vision of life seems a little extreme. She lives in a village in America, Native American style huts without electricity and gas. In life the mind often goes from one extreme to another, it is a bit 'hard to stay in balanced. Because life is not in balanced, but it s to be kept moment
by moment, it is very easy to go to an extreme. Sometimes you think to do because the rules of society are not accepted, but the revolution as the revolution is not against the society, but against conditioning which could be social or individual. Here we are, I see the other woman with the baby arrive. Mayumi tells me we're going to her friend's to lunch where she will make English class and her
children will have private lessons, because they do not go to any type of school. She asks me if I want to cook lasagna. So I prepare the sauce and as they are vegetarians, I use dry soya. I cook also some fusilli with pesto because they want to eat in Italian style. To me that's fine because I enjoy cooking. In the afternoon, after tasting the food, we go to a spa called Hot Springs where the hot
bath in common, but there are separate rooms, one only for men and one only for women. I hadn't realize we were going to that place in the afternoon so I hadn't taken my changing clothes and nor a towel. So I wait in the waiting room eating a couple of mochi and sipping a hot coffee in cans. Then I do a massage with the electric chair at a cost of about two hundred yen for twenty minutes: not bad for two
hundred yen even if it's not like it'sdone by a person who transmits energy, provided that it is done with love and consciousness and you feel the warmth.
Returning home, I put my hand on my forehead and I feel a little 'hot and I measure the temperature it is 38 degrees. We eat a little hot noodle soup and go to bed.
January 29, 2011
I didn't sleep very well last night, but I feel good: I do not have a cold or fever. Everybody wakes up later than usual. Go down and make some hot water for tea and decide to eat a little bread and fruit, since I havn't yet figured out what makes up a Japanese breakfast. I start working in the garden: there is a lot of work
to do and I want to finish it before moving to another house near Mount Fuji, the next week. Something unexpected happened to me: I fell from a wall and I think I broken my little finger I don't feel much pain, but I can not bend it. I made a flight, I think a couple of yards and I hit my head on the ground, fortunately there was no
stones, otherwise I would have risked hurting myself really badly.. I do not remember the fall, but I remember when I banged my head: I felt an emptiness and silence as if a computer had broken. I watched my body lying on the ground, but calmly and quietly. After a few minutes I got up slowly and I touched my head to see
if there was blood, but it was all right. I just noticed that I couldn't move my little finger of the hand. When you understand that you are not the mind nor the body, you can see everything that happens inside and outside the body, remaining calm and peaceful. You can learn and understand this with many meditation techniques,
or also in particular moments in life like an accident or coma. I went to Mayumi and I explained what had happened to me and she made a round of phone calls to find out where we could go, because here you have to pay to go to the hospital. We go to a private clinic, but only to check what it is. The doctor arrives and tells me that I
should go to hospital for X-rays, but it's lunchtime and hospitals are closed for two hours, what kind of system is this! Tomorrow is Sunday, we'll think about it again Monday. Meanwhile, we go to lunch in the restaurant to eat noodles and then we go
home. Mayumi makes a traditional Japanese vegetable remedy and binds my hand, then I go into my room to rest a little because I didn't sleep last night, while Mayumi and the lady who had arrived last night are in the room and the lady is making a healing practice like Reiki. Often I see people obsessed with the health of the body,
but no-one stops to ask to themselves how we're using our bodies and our energy , being obsessed with the health of the body is like being ill and only the ill think continuously. Since I left Tokyo, I often met people who are looking for the way to live the most natural life possible, but as I see it, the very act of looking for it, is
unnatural. Deciding whether something is good or bad is unnatural and stressful: the natural way is to live with awareness moment by moment trying to make as few less choices as possible and to adapt oneself to life instead of looking for life to adapt to us. As a friend wrote in an email " to live you need balls."
January 30, 2011
I see a little light from under the covers: It's morning. My finger feels a little heavy, it's swollen an is going black perhaps there will be a hairline fracture, but I'll wait until Monday to see what to do. If I'd broken it I would have felt a lot of pain, but It only hurts when I touch it. Wow! Outside it's all white, It's snowing. The snow falls
so gently : it is as if it's enjoying the journey from sky to earth. It's just what the human being should do, enjoy the journey on this earth. We have created a very complex social system which doesn't allow us to enjoy the landscape on this planet: the system should be adapted to the human, instead it's the opposite: the human being who must adapt to the system. The human being doesn't need many
things: a house to protect the body, good natural food and few friends while everything else it 's all optional. I notice instead that we give more importance to the optional than to the more essential things. Today I am alone in the house, everybody went out for a meeting and they'll be back tonight. I enjoy being alone, I
have a walk in the woods and after I want to have a warm bath. It's still snowing and there is a lot of wind. Here the houses are all made of wood and it feels like the wind would carry them away. I am seating on the floor, close to the coffee table and I can see through the window the valley : it's snowing and the bamboo covered in
snow is a sight to be seen. It feels like being a king. Here, they are back, I hear the boys running in, they are full of energy and it's difficult to stop them. They all looks excited: when you do new things you are always excited and every single moment
could be new, even if we don't see it. We stick with what we our know and so we become a little blind, even if the eyes work perfectly! We have a little snack with mochi and green tea. I didn't do much today, but I feel so satisfied and calm: it was
enough to have played with the children with whom, even though we don't understand each other' language, we enjoyed ourselves equally. I love to be with the children who are full of energy and curious, I noted that the children like stay with me too. I speak to them as if they were adults, but I act like a child, that is with
spontaneity and curiosity. You lean a lot from children: they still want to know and this leads them to wonder all the time. I noticed that my cold seems to have passed and the fever too, despite not having take any medicine: The body is so complex!!
Nothing lasts, everything comes and everything goes. Perhaps because I stayed home to rest, the body had more energy to deal with the situation.
31 January
Hey! This morning it's colder, but with the sleeping bag which my friend Betti gave me as a present I am well ans really warm. I'll go quickly to see the situation outside: it's all white with snow, but the blue sky is cloudless. From here every day you see a new scenery. Well, everybody is still asleep so I go down and boil water
for a tea or barley coffee which is not typically Japanese as on the can is written “produced in Italy”. As today is a sunny day, we pick mandarins and oranges to make marmalade. I see the children climb up the trees as if they were monkeys: they call out to me continuously to tell me something, but I don't understand them even if sometime I guess something.
I noticed that it's much better not to know many languages so you avoid listening to the many foolish things which people say and you limit yourself only to observe sounds and vibrations. The real language is made by sounds and vibrations and the person really awake listens even though he doesn't speak. Instead, if you identify
yourself with the words, you are continuous tension: the meaning of the word is relative and each one could give it their own interpretation. I believe that after the lack of awareness, the second problem for humanity is communication. I cook for lunch fusilli with broccoli. Because I like cooking and they like how I cook , all is perfect! For dinner I intend to cook pumpkin risotto. After
doing some work in the garden, I set of on a walk through the bamboo. I love the richness and abundance. Just to see the abundance of nature: a few bamboo isn't enough: there are thousand and thousand of birds, plants and flowers. This make me think that the abundance is a natural thing. Many make us think that poverty is a spiritual thing or that you need to be poor ,to not have comfort and little food in order to be worth living. For me this is crap; we are worthy of living in abundance, only we forget to give thanks for all that we have got. Living in poverty is unnatural,
I have never seen a happy poor person -unless he is an enlightened – and also in this case he would never say that poverty makes life worth living. When you are in the midst of nature you enjoy in full everything which comes to our senses, perceiving the images, sounds, smells and the vibrations of plants. You can take
note of all the small list details. A day lived here it's like a year lived in the city!!!
I observe my mind: the thoughts are like the clouds today, few and going slowly. Well, the risotto has come out a masterpiece: I surprised even myself, I made a tiny changes and I used a little soya milk. I see Mayumi taking photos of the dishes. I am
not tired so I check my emails on the internet. I cast my eye over the news, always negative, as the news if it is not negative isn't a real news. This is what they want to make us believe. By luck life is not as the papers describe it!!
After travelling to many countries around the world, I felt the desire to write a traveldiary. Everything was spontaneous and the fact that it was written in Japan was only one case (maybe). Being written by a human being, often reflects the author's opinions and influences. But the idea of writing the diary was precisely to try to
write carefully, but from a distance, everything that was happening outside and inside of me. Keeping alive the goal to remain detached, everything has been lived with extreme intensity of perception, observing and noting every detail that happened. During a trip to a culture different from that in which you lived for many
years, everything is messed up, body, mind and habits: it is impossible to return from a trip and stay as you were before! With the right attitude, everything can seem funny and exciting, with many surprises, curiosity and intuition. This happens in life
everyday, but when you travel to other countries, other cultures, everything is tripled, it's as if you lived another life in this life. The trip was without programming, planning and goal mode through which you can see and experience the beauty of spontaneity, where everything fits like a puzzle from moment to moment. The
places, situations, people you meet: everyone leaves you something, a message, emotion or intuition. Travel today is not very difficult, but living the journey is another matter entirely. In addition there is an association that allows you to be housed in a family organic farms, work in exchange for room and board. In addition to working closely with nature, the best thing is to live and immerse themselves in local culture, they meet simple people, who likes to share everything they have, amazing people. During this trip I was able to live up to the catastrophe of the Tsunami, I was far from Fukushima to about 800 km I have not felt anything of the shock, but I could see and experience the reaction of the Japanese in the face of a
tragedy like that. Aware that they live in one of the most dangerous in the world for these natural events (often catastrophic because of the human being), I could see the coldness, solidarity and organization of this culture. A Japanese lady told me that her daughter had been killed in earthquake in New Zealand: it was his dream to go to New Zealand and died doing what he always wanted to do! This can be described well, in my opinion, this amazing people. Describe a journey with so much distance has given me the opportunity to live it earnestly hope that this will happen to those who read this book and share insights, ideas, curiosities and more.
Happy Journey to everyone
... The departure and the
January 2011
January 19, 2011
Here I am at the airport in Fiumicino, Rome, seated in front of Gate 13, in Tokyo. After many trips to various places in the world, this time I decided to write a book, or rather, a diary of the journey that I am to undertake. I travel or almost always alone: with me bring my body and my mind, provided that the owner is me. I do not
feel shaking, my body is relaxed, I feel my heart beat up and I keep my mind running very slow. Listening to announcements of airport staff and the voices of screaming children always excited and happy. The airport is an amazing place where you will find many emotions: anxiety, fear of flying and the joy of knowing a new place or
return home after seeing new things, telling the journey to family and friends or even go to meet loved ones. Then there's the tiredness, in other words, where everything happens inside a human being without distinction of sex, culture or country where he lived. In this place, sitting and seemingly relaxed, the mind runs
very fast. Go back in the past to relive the experience just made and go into the future and imagine what will happen to the arrival of their flight, as it will go, how we will behave, what to tell relatives or friends, in short, you are projected throughout the play even if it does not always happen, because life does not follow
our minds and situations are created moment by moment. It's hot here at the airport, I sip a little bit of water and it is good to feel the water that goes down to the throat up to the gut: the sensation is as if all the cells of the body were awake. Well, just missing the boarding, I will arrive tomorrow at 11:30 am in Tokyo, where I meet a Japanese friend met two years ago in Bolivia. I do not have a program: we'll see what happens.
January 20, 2011
Here I am in Tokyo! I learned my first Japanese word: Misu, meaning water. I ride the
first train from airport to Central Station, my eyes feel tired, because I did not sleep on the plane. With eyes closed I did not train the feeling of being in Japan and is the same feeling as when you travel in your own home: the train is the train! In fact you are alone with yourself with eyes closed. I am out of station, the climate is a bit cold, but there is the sun strokes my facial skin. I look around and observe that most are young. While waiting for the arrival of my friend Hiro, I feel my stomach that protest and buy some rice balls with miso and black sesame: they have a good flavor. I smell the cigarettes smoke to get to my nose, but I do not see anyone. Ah, here it is: below me is a corner outside, equipped with large ashtrays for smokers. Well! I see to coming my friend Hiro: how nice to see him again! After having walked around some streets in Tokyo, which is big, we prepare to go on the twin towers: it is the
government building and you can go up to forty-fifth floor, without pay, admiring the amazing city from above. It is almost impossible to me to describe in words the immensity of the city with its many lights that do not allow me to see where they end. I have a feeling that the night sky has turned upside down! We go to a restaurant and eat a typical dish of Japanese noodles (soba called) with miso soup
and tofu: my stomach is not able to eat them all, but had an excellent flavor. The mind is always ready to judge and not much seems to love the news. My understanding is that if you want to live the life to three hundred and sixty degrees, you have to be careful to not fall into habits that which I dont think they could be
distinguish in good or bad. Living conditioned by habits is like a clock that hangs: life continues to flow, but the hands remain at the same time. I'm writing from a kind of niche. I'm in the hotel called Hotel Capsule, there are shared bathrooms and
rooms are made like cemeteries as burial niches where there is just the space for leing down. There is a light, a television, a radio and an alarm clock. For me it's convenient, cheap and has everything I need when I travel: a bed to rest the body and a shower. This place looks perfect, but for those who identify with the fear of
the closed, claustrophobic, I do not think it would be the ideal place. Well my eyes begin to close. Tomorrow is another day.
January 21, 2011
My eyes are open again and I see that I slept into the niche, but not bad! You do not hear any noise because it is almost completely closed, bikers do not use the horn and people tend to have little noise out of respecting for those who still is sleeping. The strange thing for me that I lived in a different culture, is the bathroom
which is one big room where you first have a shower, then you dive into a big pool in common, with very hot water. Being a hotel for only men, it goes completely naked. Seems like a nudist hotels! Walking through Tokyo is like being in a small town, you do not hear many noises. Pedestrians respect bikers and bikers respect
pedestrians, I do not see so much police. Rome is full of police and carabinieri and is always a mess! I'm in a restaurant sipping hot Japanese tea, with my friend Hiro. I smell the smell of this tea which is very pleasant and it is nice to fill how it enters
into the body by heating it while outside is cold, with temperatures around three degrees. My friend is opposite to me who writes the words in Japanese and translate them into Italian for me, with an electronic dictionary, giving me the opportunity to understand a little and communicate in this country. He sips a cappuccino. He also has travelled and is not a traditionalist, and broke many of his
influences, perhaps in his last life was an Italian! At bars or restaurants there are always a good energy, you can relax and chat while you loose the tension so that the energy can flow, creating an energy field. I met many people this evening, Hiro's
friends, including three Japanese women and a Jamaican man married to one of three. When you meet new people is always nice: you create an energy field, you are curious and open mind. When we exchange experiences, opinions, ways of looking at life, in short, we try to know each other. When you drink a beer, alcohol
clouds over a bit the mind and you loose the clarity of thought and this creates a feeling of well being. If then there's the music vibrations that can stimulate the energy centers and cells, you can create heavenly moments. We spent a lovely evening and who knows if we'll meet again. It's nice to see how things are created
by themselves, without interference, letting go as they should go, remaining detached and present. I feel my feet a little 'heavy: we walked a lot today and I thank my legs which carry me about. I massage my legs a little, go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and I fall asleep in the niche.
January 22, 2011
Good morning! Well, it's past the jet lag and I slept well last night, my legs feel rested and my mind fresh. I hear to my stomach rumble from hunger. We're going to go out for breakfast, I do not know what to eat ... noodles, red rice, who knows. We're sitting in a large garden, in a district of Tokyo which is about three
hundred years old, surrounded by bonsai trees and bamboo: I would say that everything is perfect. The garden is surrounded by tall glass skyscrapers and I listen to the crows circulating around me as if I were their one of prey. It's cold, but the sun is warming. There are many bare cherry trees so as they appear dead, but in the spring they will be in great shape with all their fragrance and beauty. A
few feet away from me are large flowers which flood me with their perfume, as if to share their splendour. Hiro My friend is buying me a bus ticket with his mobile phone on the internet. Tomorrow I will be leaving and go to the south, destination Tokushima. Here there is a small lake and in the middle, crossing a wooden bridge,
you arrive at a small house where we experience the tea ceremony. We sit on the floor, relaxing ourselves and waiting for them to bring us the tea called Macha. A tea with a deep green colour and a sweet made of azuki beans. We eat the sweet first and then we sip a very bitter tea. We move slowly, conscious of our gestures,
paying attention to the small details, colours, smells, tastes, trying to stay as present as possible. The mind relaxes, the senses open and everything looks magical. Sometimes it takes very little to create situations where you immerse yourself in the present: often they happen by themselves and sometimes it's nice to create them happen. Tokyo on Saturday night is like all big cities, nightlife and yet more nightlife. You go from one nightspot to another, to drink and free yourself thought I am a bit 'sad about this, it is not the best of life. Hiro tells me that the Japanese love to queue for restaurants and shops. They believe that if so many people are queuing this means that the place is good and cheap. Perhaps they don't
know how the mind works and they have more trust in others than in themselves. We went to eat at a restaurant where there was a line of people waiting and we had a great meal without spending a lot! This, too, I met new people and I had dinner with Japanese food: I am begging to adore this cuisine. I returned to my tomb to rest my body: as usual it very quite, apart from someone who snores, but
that doesn't matter: I use the sound as a meditation.
January 23, 2011
The last day at this hotel I would say that you sleep very well here. Since I arrived in Japan, I have a feeling that the earth moves, as if I were on a plane, perhaps my mind and my body registered the sensations felt in the turbulent and I still carry them with me. Probably it is because the underground travels the length and
breadth of Tokyo there being so many lines and trains. I met another friend of Hiro, very pretty and with the very smooth skin, like most of the people fro the Eas: much depends on genetics, more they take care of skin with creams and they don't stay out in the sun. I feel my eyes tiring: it is easier to get tired in the cities than in the middle of nature. When you watch something living, like a tree, a plant, mountains, the energy that you use to see, returns to you, but if you look at something dead and artificial, like shop windows, buildings, cars, the energy doesn't come back and then it's lost to you. If in the city people looked to each other in the eye, which is a living thing , there would be a kind of regeneration and it would be more helpful in feeling less tired. But this does not happen because you closed yourself and create for yourself a shell which block the sharing of energy. We have gone to lunch at a local Jamaican restaurant, as even they get tired of eating the same food and we have decided to change. We were walking around in a big park, where there is a
temple with a lot of people visiting it and we do rituals before entering, like washing hands and mouth. Then they can go in and make a prayer, you can also write a message on a wooden board, which is then hang up. I went over to read the messages written in English, surely by tourists. There were messages like: "I want
to find a wife or husband", "I want to find work," "I wish good health", wishes and desires. This is not to pray, begging you! To pray is to thank. I noticed that the Japanese are a people of a perfectionist and, as in all things, this attitude has it pros and cons. I look at the people who work: no one seems bored and they do so
with the utmost care and efficiency. They are very rational, do nothing to chance. Walking through Tokyo, I noticed the vending of fresh eggs: what will? Have not yet come to understand why and even seems to know Hiro. Continuing to walk my legs look a little 'tremble from the cold, since the temperature has fallen by much. Well, after a Japanese dinner, we headed to the hotel to take my backpack: I said goodbye to Hiro and thanked him for his company
and I started toward the bus stop to go in the direction of Tokushima.
January 24, 2011
I arrived in Tokushima, and I took another bus to go to the local place to meet Mayumi, but I could not understand me with the driver, since he knew no English and I do not know Japanese, so I brought down in the wrong place. Found a shop I asked, a little 'with gestures and a little' help from a dictionary, you can make a call
to Mayumi saw that I had his phone number so we solved the problem: the lady of the shop explained to Mayumi where I was and she joined me. Mayumi I hosted for a period not defined, in exchange for cooperation and various jobs.Wow! He lives in a
great spot in the middle of a forest in the mountains. He accompanied me to my bedroom window from which you can see a panorama of breathtaking. After we met and exchanged information, we have breakfast, pancakes, jam and Tahini (sesame
cream) and tea. They ask me if I want to cook the pasta with tomato sauce: Yes, of course, and so prepare spaghetti with tomato sauce, which were much appreciated by Mayumi and his two sons. In the afternoon we went to the bus stop to take a woman with a child of six years: she was a guest like me. She is the daughter of a
Japanese father and American mother and live in America. We went to the house of a friend Mayumi living alone.We lit a fire outside the house and we chatted around the fire and we met. The scenery around is picturesque, with snow on the mountain,
surrounded by large pine trees and bamboo. We're back home to prepare dinner with typical Japanese food. We work together and know that many foods I had never seen until now, and I'm curious to try them. We set the table on the low table, the one where you have to sit on the ground. There are chopsticks, but they also use
wooden forks. The atmosphere is very nice and intimate, we've known very little, but the feeling is to know for so long. I noticed a book written in English, take it and read what is spoken, then Mayumi tells me something more about the book. There is
a scholar who is concerned with studying different types of energies including those of animals, like spiders. He says that spiders are very restless so people who belong to the type of data spiders are homeopathic products that bring back into
balance. But the human body and all living organisms, are very complex and changing over time. Everything moves, life is movement, the only thing we can do is not to identify with anything, learn to be more detached and trust in existence.
January 25, 2011
Here we are awake, and here you can feel the cold very much. From the window you can see a beautiful view. Last night it is snowed in the mountain and you can admire the snow-capped peaks. In Japan, you sleep on the floor, I slept well, and soon my body will get used to it. The human body has the amazing ability to adapt it self, just stay relaxed and wait. I observe that the mind is more restive, not very fond of the new, but it is necessary not to follow it and little by little it too relaxes. If you learn not to pay attention much to the mind, life seems more exciting, because you have to respond to situations which present it self with all your being and
intelligence, and so you feel more awake and less bored. After having breakfast with tea, fruit and some biscuits, Mayumi asked me if I wanted to cut some wood with a chainsaw: Before you start you have to sharpen the chain a little and add some oil. Here the mountains are full of huge green bamboo and which seem to
dance when there is wind. It seems that the existence has satisfied everyone, every place has its beauty, but it all depends on how you see it or rather how the mind projects the images. In the garden there are a few fruit trees, medlars, plums, cherries, oranges and some Japanese tea plants. We are preparing to lunch out
outside: when you live in the countryside you are more free to do what you want. We eat vegetable soup with tofu and noodles. We are in a valley with scattered houses and often we hear announcement which reach us from the Town Hall of this
village, Mayumi says they signal if someone needs help, for example, lawyers, doctors or whatever, you can contact the relevant department and it is all without pay. But what can pepole who live in the middle of woods do with a lawyer ! After stacking the cut wood, I walk around in the wood, as my mind sees the trees, even
though here there are all giant bamboo. When you are immersed in the wood, because of the wind the bamboo touch each and it seems like listening to an orchestra. How quiet it is here: you only hear the cawing of crows, the twitter of the green birds and the barking of a few dog. The time passes slowly and you everything is done calmly. Well, the dinner is served with vegetable dumplings
cooked in a pan and a kind of rice balls and to finished a green tea and steamed sweet potatoes cake. I would say that the cake doesn't have good taste and it wasn't cooked well. I eat it so as not to offend Mayumi. They ask me if I want to cook lasagna, vegetable course. They understood that I don't know how to say no and that I enjoy cooking. Ok, my eyes would close so I prepare the bed with my sleeping even with the cold there is I sleep well. I feel my throat prickle, maybe I will be a sore throat or cough. Since everyone in this house has a cough, I don't worry about it and go to bed.
January 26, 2011
I Pull my head out from the covers and I feel it frozen, the house is cold and has no heating. When you are under the covers in the warm with your eyes closed, you may notice that the feeling is the same, wherever you are. When you open again your
eyes you can see that you are in Japan, Italy or wherever, but with your eyes closed you are only in your own body. I look out the window: it is dawn and it is snowing. I notice that here the climate changes quickly here, there is sun, then it becomes cloudy, then it is warm and then cold, in this ways it is easy for the body to become
ill, not having the time to adapt itself. Mayumi is in the bed with a cough and a bit of fever. We have breakfast with hot tea, mochi - a rice based sweet which taste like a rubber- and a couple of small mandarins that they can be eaten with the peel. Here there is a garden with fruit trees, abandoned many years ago: I would
like pruning and clean them, making shorter them, they are too high and so I set about it. After pruning some trees, I find myself alone in the dining room: Mayumi is in bed and the boys, along with the newcomer - a Japanese who has lived in America - and her four year old daughter, have gone out to a friend. I have a little
'rice and vegetables already cooked, so I do a risotto with a little sesame cream and two fried eggs with soy sauce. My body feels comfortable sitting on the floor with my feet under the low table. I have a gas stove on the table and then cook and eat without moving a step. What silence I only hear Mayumi coughing and the water
dripping in the bathroom. My breathing is slow, I feel it down to my navel. My bowels are a bit blocked, two or three days since I went to the bathroom. Perhaps this is due to these food, a bit like rubber and white rice, also my head is aching head a bit but I do not like taking medicine, and so I wait it pass and if you learn not
to be identify by it, it doesn't give you a problem. I am particularly happy at this moment, I do not know why, I do know that I love the unforeseen and surprises. The American girl wanted to make dinner, as Mayumi has gone out. a few minutes after she puting the soup to cook, the gas ran out.. Not knowing where the other cylinder might b, we lit the fire outside and continued to cook the soup. It is very
cold, but the sky starry creates a beautiful atmosphere and I think that all the best things are the spontaneous. We try to plan everything and so you lose the pleasure of life. It seems to me that the joy of life is to wake up and say "let's see what life brings me now!"
January 27, 2011
Hey! It's really cold here! In a sleeping bag is fine, but when you come out is like stepping into a fridge. My body feels cold, but that's okay: sometimes feels cold sometimes feels hot, life's that. I do not have a program, so let's see what happens today. Meanwhile, I put water on the heat to make a tea, since I have not yet figured
out how the breakfast works here. Well, work continues in the garden as there is a lot 'of work to do. When you live in a very quiet place, any noise, like wind, birds draws much more attention and by here you can more easily without so many distractions look within yourself. We observe the thoughts, the breathing, body
sensations, in short, you become more sensitive and attentive. Mayumi asks me if I like cooking pasta for the boys: it is strange to see how the Japanese go crazy for pasta and spaghetti, as they have noodles. However I cook It: I love to cook and gives me a great pleasure to cook for others. Being able to cook for me is a
blessing. It is always festive, everyone likes to eat, so even making two spaghetti with tomato sauce makes everyone happy, young and old. It's nice to see the boys eating pasta with a lot of pleasure, They seem really happy and also Mayumi seems content: I don't often get to see people enjoy a plate of pasta like them. It happened
Another time in Nepal when I cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce and tin tuna and everyone seemed to go wild. It really takes very little to make people happy. The daughter of the girl who lives in America is asking for seconds! The plate was bigger than her , but she still wants more. I check my e-mails on the Internet: Hiro is
writing to me asking me how I am. He says he hopes to see me again and tells me to look after to myself because most of the population in Japan has flu and the hospitals are full. But I honestly I do not I could do it! If I catch it, so be it. No one is immune from colds and flu, only the recovery times are individual. Depends on the
state of health of body and mind with a body less poisoned and well-fed and a mind less tense and more relaxed, you recover more quickly. Here's another surprise: Emi the girl who lives in America, wants to offer us a dinner in a restaurant. The city Tokushima is known in Japan for the best noodle and so we decided to go to one of the best in the area.
January 28, 2011
Here, my body has taken the cold virus and sore throat. I slept badly last night, my throat is very delicate and is the first organ to become ill. As Mayumi follows homeopathy she gives me some tablets, even though usually I do not take anything for colds. I have often noticed that whether you take medicine or not take them, always takes six or seven days. We are in 2011 and the drug companies have not yet
understood how flu virus works, I can't even think how they would deal with something else more serious . It would take a thousand pages book to write about the pharmaceutical companies. There is a lot of movement around the house: Oh yes! Today Emi is leaving with her daughter and in the same time an other woman
is arriving with her child from Tokyo. There's a bustle in this house, this is better as in this way the days are most interesting. There is a group photo and than they're off, gone. It was nice meeting her in this life, who knows if I will see her again. Her vision of life seems a little extreme. She lives in a village in America, Native American style teepees without lighting and gas. In the life the mind often goes
from one extreme to another, it is a bit hard to stay in balance. Because the life is not in balance, but balances itself moment by moment, it is easier to go to an extreme. Sometimes you think to do that because we do not accept certain rules of society, but the revolution, the true revolution is not against the society, but the
conditioning, social or individual that exists. Here, I see the other woman arrive with the child. Mayumi says we're going to one of her friend for lunch where she will be having English lesson and her children private lessons, as they don't go to any type of school. She asks me if I want to cook lasagna. So I prepare the sauce and as
since they are vegetarian, I use dry soya. I also cooked some fusilli al pesto because they want to eat Italian style.
To me that's fine because I enjoy cooking. In the afternoon, after tasting the food, we go to a spa called Hot Springs where we used the communal hot bath in separate rooms, men only and women only. We were going to that place in the afternoon so I hadn't realised so I hadn't take clothes to change into or the towel.
So I wait in the waiting room eating a couple of mochi and sipping a hot coffee in tins. Then I have a massage with the vibrating chair at a cost of about two hundred yen for twenty minutes: not bad for two hundred yen even if it's not like it done by a person who transmits energy, provided that it's done well and with love and understanding and you feel the warmth . Returning home, I put my hand on my
forehead and it is little hot and I take my temperature and it's 38 degrees. We eat a little hot noodle soup and go to bed.
January 28, 2011
Here I am, my body has taken the cold virus and and I have sore throat. I slept badly last night, my throat is very delicate and it is the first organ to become ill. As Mayumi is homeopathic, she gives me some tables, even though in general I don't take anything for colds. I have often noticed whether you take medicine or not, it
always lasts six or seven days. We are in 2011 and the drug companies have not yet understood how the flu virus works, let's not think about other more serious illnesses. It would take a thousand pages book to write about the pharmaceutical companies. We hear a great movement in the house: Oh yeah! This morning Emi
with her baby is leaving and still this morning we have got another woman with her child from Tokyo. There is a coming and going in this house, so it better, days like these are more interesting. They take a group photo and leave. It was nice meeting
her in this life, who knows if I will see her again. Her vision of life seems a little extreme. She lives in a village in America, Native American style huts without electricity and gas. In life the mind often goes from one extreme to another, it is a bit 'hard to stay in balanced. Because life is not in balanced, but it s to be kept moment
by moment, it is very easy to go to an extreme. Sometimes you think to do because the rules of society are not accepted, but the revolution as the revolution is not against the society, but against conditioning which could be social or individual. Here we are, I see the other woman with the baby arrive. Mayumi tells me we're going to her friend's to lunch where she will make English class and her
children will have private lessons, because they do not go to any type of school. She asks me if I want to cook lasagna. So I prepare the sauce and as they are vegetarians, I use dry soya. I cook also some fusilli with pesto because they want to eat in Italian style. To me that's fine because I enjoy cooking. In the afternoon, after tasting the food, we go to a spa called Hot Springs where the hot
bath in common, but there are separate rooms, one only for men and one only for women. I hadn't realize we were going to that place in the afternoon so I hadn't taken my changing clothes and nor a towel. So I wait in the waiting room eating a couple of mochi and sipping a hot coffee in cans. Then I do a massage with the electric chair at a cost of about two hundred yen for twenty minutes: not bad for two
hundred yen even if it's not like it'sdone by a person who transmits energy, provided that it is done with love and consciousness and you feel the warmth.
Returning home, I put my hand on my forehead and I feel a little 'hot and I measure the temperature it is 38 degrees. We eat a little hot noodle soup and go to bed.
January 29, 2011
I didn't sleep very well last night, but I feel good: I do not have a cold or fever. Everybody wakes up later than usual. Go down and make some hot water for tea and decide to eat a little bread and fruit, since I havn't yet figured out what makes up a Japanese breakfast. I start working in the garden: there is a lot of work
to do and I want to finish it before moving to another house near Mount Fuji, the next week. Something unexpected happened to me: I fell from a wall and I think I broken my little finger I don't feel much pain, but I can not bend it. I made a flight, I think a couple of yards and I hit my head on the ground, fortunately there was no
stones, otherwise I would have risked hurting myself really badly.. I do not remember the fall, but I remember when I banged my head: I felt an emptiness and silence as if a computer had broken. I watched my body lying on the ground, but calmly and quietly. After a few minutes I got up slowly and I touched my head to see
if there was blood, but it was all right. I just noticed that I couldn't move my little finger of the hand. When you understand that you are not the mind nor the body, you can see everything that happens inside and outside the body, remaining calm and peaceful. You can learn and understand this with many meditation techniques,
or also in particular moments in life like an accident or coma. I went to Mayumi and I explained what had happened to me and she made a round of phone calls to find out where we could go, because here you have to pay to go to the hospital. We go to a private clinic, but only to check what it is. The doctor arrives and tells me that I
should go to hospital for X-rays, but it's lunchtime and hospitals are closed for two hours, what kind of system is this! Tomorrow is Sunday, we'll think about it again Monday. Meanwhile, we go to lunch in the restaurant to eat noodles and then we go
home. Mayumi makes a traditional Japanese vegetable remedy and binds my hand, then I go into my room to rest a little because I didn't sleep last night, while Mayumi and the lady who had arrived last night are in the room and the lady is making a healing practice like Reiki. Often I see people obsessed with the health of the body,
but no-one stops to ask to themselves how we're using our bodies and our energy , being obsessed with the health of the body is like being ill and only the ill think continuously. Since I left Tokyo, I often met people who are looking for the way to live the most natural life possible, but as I see it, the very act of looking for it, is
unnatural. Deciding whether something is good or bad is unnatural and stressful: the natural way is to live with awareness moment by moment trying to make as few less choices as possible and to adapt oneself to life instead of looking for life to adapt to us. As a friend wrote in an email " to live you need balls."
January 30, 2011
I see a little light from under the covers: It's morning. My finger feels a little heavy, it's swollen an is going black perhaps there will be a hairline fracture, but I'll wait until Monday to see what to do. If I'd broken it I would have felt a lot of pain, but It only hurts when I touch it. Wow! Outside it's all white, It's snowing. The snow falls
so gently : it is as if it's enjoying the journey from sky to earth. It's just what the human being should do, enjoy the journey on this earth. We have created a very complex social system which doesn't allow us to enjoy the landscape on this planet: the system should be adapted to the human, instead it's the opposite: the human being who must adapt to the system. The human being doesn't need many
things: a house to protect the body, good natural food and few friends while everything else it 's all optional. I notice instead that we give more importance to the optional than to the more essential things. Today I am alone in the house, everybody went out for a meeting and they'll be back tonight. I enjoy being alone, I
have a walk in the woods and after I want to have a warm bath. It's still snowing and there is a lot of wind. Here the houses are all made of wood and it feels like the wind would carry them away. I am seating on the floor, close to the coffee table and I can see through the window the valley : it's snowing and the bamboo covered in
snow is a sight to be seen. It feels like being a king. Here, they are back, I hear the boys running in, they are full of energy and it's difficult to stop them. They all looks excited: when you do new things you are always excited and every single moment
could be new, even if we don't see it. We stick with what we our know and so we become a little blind, even if the eyes work perfectly! We have a little snack with mochi and green tea. I didn't do much today, but I feel so satisfied and calm: it was
enough to have played with the children with whom, even though we don't understand each other' language, we enjoyed ourselves equally. I love to be with the children who are full of energy and curious, I noted that the children like stay with me too. I speak to them as if they were adults, but I act like a child, that is with
spontaneity and curiosity. You lean a lot from children: they still want to know and this leads them to wonder all the time. I noticed that my cold seems to have passed and the fever too, despite not having take any medicine: The body is so complex!!
Nothing lasts, everything comes and everything goes. Perhaps because I stayed home to rest, the body had more energy to deal with the situation.
31 January
Hey! This morning it's colder, but with the sleeping bag which my friend Betti gave me as a present I am well ans really warm. I'll go quickly to see the situation outside: it's all white with snow, but the blue sky is cloudless. From here every day you see a new scenery. Well, everybody is still asleep so I go down and boil water
for a tea or barley coffee which is not typically Japanese as on the can is written “produced in Italy”. As today is a sunny day, we pick mandarins and oranges to make marmalade. I see the children climb up the trees as if they were monkeys: they call out to me continuously to tell me something, but I don't understand them even if sometime I guess something.
I noticed that it's much better not to know many languages so you avoid listening to the many foolish things which people say and you limit yourself only to observe sounds and vibrations. The real language is made by sounds and vibrations and the person really awake listens even though he doesn't speak. Instead, if you identify
yourself with the words, you are continuous tension: the meaning of the word is relative and each one could give it their own interpretation. I believe that after the lack of awareness, the second problem for humanity is communication. I cook for lunch fusilli with broccoli. Because I like cooking and they like how I cook , all is perfect! For dinner I intend to cook pumpkin risotto. After
doing some work in the garden, I set of on a walk through the bamboo. I love the richness and abundance. Just to see the abundance of nature: a few bamboo isn't enough: there are thousand and thousand of birds, plants and flowers. This make me think that the abundance is a natural thing. Many make us think that poverty is a spiritual thing or that you need to be poor ,to not have comfort and little food in order to be worth living. For me this is crap; we are worthy of living in abundance, only we forget to give thanks for all that we have got. Living in poverty is unnatural,
I have never seen a happy poor person -unless he is an enlightened – and also in this case he would never say that poverty makes life worth living. When you are in the midst of nature you enjoy in full everything which comes to our senses, perceiving the images, sounds, smells and the vibrations of plants. You can take
note of all the small list details. A day lived here it's like a year lived in the city!!!
I observe my mind: the thoughts are like the clouds today, few and going slowly. Well, the risotto has come out a masterpiece: I surprised even myself, I made a tiny changes and I used a little soya milk. I see Mayumi taking photos of the dishes. I am
not tired so I check my emails on the internet. I cast my eye over the news, always negative, as the news if it is not negative isn't a real news. This is what they want to make us believe. By luck life is not as the papers describe it!!
giovedì 15 marzo 2012
Stralcio del libro Liò Viaggio IN-Giappone
Presentazione dell’Autore
Dopo aver viaggiato in molti paesi nel mondo, ho sentito l’aspirazione di scrivere un diario di viaggio. Tutto è stato spontaneo e il fatto che sia stato scritto in Giappone è, probabilmente, solo un caso. Spesso, come tutti gli scritti degli esseri umani, riflette il modo di vedere dell’autore, le opinioni e i suoi condizionamenti. Ma l’idea di comporre il diario rifletteva la necessità di scrivere con attenzione, ma con distacco, tutto quello che accadeva fuori e dentro di me. Mantenendo vivo lo scopo di rimanere distaccato, tutto è stato vissuto con estrema intensità percettiva, osservando e notando i minimi particolari delle cose e non tralasciando nessuno fra i più piccoli eventi trascorsi. Durante un viaggio in una cultura diversa da quella in cui si è vissuti per tanti anni, tutto viene scombussolato: corpo, mente, abitudini. È impossibile tornare da un viaggio e rimanere gli stessi di prima! Avendo un giusto atteggiamento, tutto può sembrare divertente ed eccitante, con molte sorprese, curiosità e intuizioni. Questo accade nella vita di tutti i giorni, ma quando si viaggia in altri paesi, in altre culture, tutto viene triplicato. È come se si vivesse un’altra vita in questa vita. Il viaggio non ha avuto alcuna programmazione, pianificazione e meta. Grazie a questa modalità si può vivere la bellezza della spontaneità, dove tutto si incastra come in un puzzle, momento dopo momento. I luoghi, le situazioni, le persone incontrate. Ognuno ti lascia qualcosa, un messaggio, un'emozione, un'intuizione. Viaggiare oggi non è molto difficile, ma vivere il viaggio è tutt'altra cosa. C’è, a questo scopo, un'associazione che permette di essere ospitati in aziende agricole biologiche a conduzione familiare, lavorare – collaborare - in cambio di vitto e alloggio. Oltre a lavorare a contatto con la natura, la cosa più bella è vivere e immergersi nella cultura del posto, in cui si incontrano persone semplici, a cui piace condividere tutto quello che possiedono, persone straordinarie. Inoltre, durante questo viaggio, ho potuto vivere la catastrofe dello Tsunami. Ero molto distante da Fukushima, circa a 800 Km. Non ho avvertito niente della scossa, ma ho potuto osservare e vivere la reazione dei Giapponesi di fronte ad una tragedia del genere. Coscienti di vivere in uno dei paesi più a rischio al mondo per questi eventi naturali, spesso catastrofici a causa dell’essere umano, ho potuto notare la freddezza, la solidarietà e l'organizzazione di questa cultura. Una signora giapponese mi ha raccontato che la figlia aveva perso la vita nel terremoto in Nuova Zelanda. Era un suo sogno andare in Nuova Zelanda ed è morta facendo quello che ha sempre voluto fare! Questo esempio può ben descrivere, secondo me, questo popolo incredibile.
Descrivere un viaggio con tanto distacco mi ha dato la possibilità di viverlo intensamente. Spero che ciò possa accadere a chi legge questo libro, e che possa condividere intuizioni, idee, curiosità ed altro ancora.
Buon Viaggio a tutti.… la partenza e il
mese di gennaio 2011
19 Gennaio 2011
Eccomi in aeroporto a Fiumicino, Roma, seduto di fronte al Gate 13, destinazione Tokyo. Dopo molti viaggi in vari posti del mondo, questa volta ho deciso di scrivere un libro, o meglio, un diario del viaggio che sto per intraprendere. Viaggio sempre da solo o quasi: con me porto il mio corpo e la mia mente, a condizione che il padrone sia io. Non sento agitazione, il mio corpo è rilassato, sento il mio cuore battere piano e osservo la mia mente girare molto lentamente. Ascolto gli annunci del personale dell’aeroporto e le voci strillanti dei bambini sempre eccitati e felici. L’aeroporto è un posto incredibile, dove si concentrano tante emozioni. Ansia, paura di volare e gioia di conoscere un posto nuovo. Oppure voglia di ritornare a casa dopo aver visto cose nuove, raccontando il viaggio ai parenti e agli amici. O ancora voglia di partire per incontrare persone care. Poi c’è anche la stanchezza, uno stato che provoca di tutto all’interno di un essere umano, senza distinzione di sesso, cultura o paese. In questo posto, seduti e apparentemente rilassati, la mente gira molto veloce. Va nel passato per rivivere le esperienze appena trascorse e nel futuro per immaginare cosa accadrà all’arrivo del proprio volo; come andrà, come ci si comporterà, cosa si racconterà ai parenti o agli amici. Insomma, si proietta nella propria mente “il film” che si sta per vivere anche se non sempre si svolge come lo avevamo immaginato, perché la vita non segue la nostra mente e le situazioni si creano momento per momento. Qui in aeroporto fa caldo, sorseggio un po’ d’acqua; che bella sensazione sentire l’acqua che scende nella gola fino ad arrivare all’intestino. È come se tutte le cellule del corpo si svegliassero. Bene, manca poco all’imbarco, arriverò domani alle 11:30 a Tokyo, dove incontrerò un amico giapponese conosciuto due anni fa in Bolivia. Non ho un programma: vedremo cosa succederà.
20 Gennaio 2011
Eccomi a Tokyo! Ho imparato la prima parola giapponese: “misu”, che significa acqua. Faccio il primo tragitto in treno dall’aeroporto alla stazione centrale; sento i miei occhi stanchi, visto che non ho dormito in aereo. Con gli occhi chiusi in treno non ho la sensazione di stare in Giappone ed è la stessa sensazione di quando si viaggia nella propria nazione: il treno è treno! In effetti ad occhi chiusi si è soli in se stessi. Sono all’uscita della stazione, il clima è un po’ freddo, ma c’è il sole che mi accarezza la pelle del viso. Mi guardo attorno e osservo che la maggior parte della gente che mi circonda è giovane. Mentre aspetto che arrivi il mio amico Hiro, sento il mio stomaco che protesta e compro delle polpette di riso con miso e sesamo nero. Hanno un buon sapore. Sento del fumo di sigaretta arrivare al mio naso, ma non vedo nessuno. Ah, ecco: sotto di me c’è un angolino all’aperto, attrezzato per i fumatori con grandi posacenere. Bene! Vedo arrivare il mio amico Hiro: che bello rivederlo! Dopo aver far fatto un giro per alcune vie di Tokyo, che è grandissima, ci avviamo per andare sulle “Torri gemelle”. È il palazzo del governo e si può salire fino al quarantacinquesimo piano, senza pagare, ammirando la straordinaria città dall’alto. Mi è quasi impossibile descrivere a parole l’immensità della città, con le infinite luci che non mi consentono di vedere i suoi confini. Ho la sensazione che il cielo stellato si sia capovolto! Andiamo in un ristorante e mangiamo un piatto tipico giapponese, spaghetti, detti soba, con zuppa di miso e tofu. Il mio stomaco non ce l’ha fatta a mangiarli tutti, ma hanno un ottimo sapore. La mente è sempre pronta a fare paragoni e non sembra amare molto le novità. Penso che se si vuole vivere la vita a trecentosessanta gradi, bisogna fare un po’ attenzione a non cadere nelle abitudini che non penso si possano distinguere in buone e cattive. Vivere condizionati dalle abitudini significa somigliare a un orologio che si blocca: la vita continua a scorrere, ma le lancette rimangono ferme sempre alla stessa ora. Sto scrivendo da una specie di loculo. Mi trovo in hotel chiamato Hotel Capsula, ci sono bagni in comune e le stanze sembrano loculi di cimitero dove c’è solo lo spazio per sdraiarsi. C’è una luce, un televisore, una radio e una sveglia. Per me è comodo, economico e ho tutto quello che mi serve quando viaggio: un letto dove riposare il corpo e una doccia. Questo posto sembra perfetto, ma per coloro che vivono con la paura del chiuso, i claustrofobici, non credo sarebbe il posto ideale. Bene, i miei occhi iniziano a chiudersi. Domani sarà un altro giorno.
21 Gennaio 2011
I miei occhi si riaprono e vedo che ho dormito nel “loculo”. Non male, comunque! Da qui non si sentono rumori, visto che è quasi tutto chiuso, gli automobilisti non usano il clacson e la gente tende ha fare poco rumore per rispetto di chi ancora dorme. Una cosa strana per me che ho vissuto in una cultura differente è il bagno, che è un'enorme stanza dove ci si fa prima la doccia, poi ci si immerge in una grande vasca idromassaggio tutti insieme, con acqua molto calda. Essendo un hotel di soli uomini, si gira completamente nudi. Mi sembra un hotel di nudisti! Camminare dentro Tokyo è come essere in un paesino, non si sentono molti rumori. Gli automobilisti rispettano i pedoni e i pedoni rispettano gli automobilisti; inoltre non vedo molta polizia. Roma è piena di polizia e carabinieri ed è sempre un caos! Sono in un ristorante a sorseggiare un tè caldo giapponese, insieme al mio amico Hiro. Il profumo di questo tè è molto gradevole ed è piacevole sentirlo entrare nel corpo riscaldandolo, mentre fuori è freddo, intorno ai tre gradi. Il mio amico è di fronte a me che scrive parole in giapponese e le traduce in italiano, con un dizionario elettronico, dandomi così la possibilità di capire un po' e di comunicare in questo paese. Lui sorseggia un cappuccino. Ha viaggiato tanto anche lui, e ha rotto molti dei suoi condizionamenti, quindi non è un tradizionalista: forse nella sua ultima vita è stato un italiano! Nei bar o ristoranti si avverte sempre una bella energia, ci si rilassa e si chiacchiera, mentre le tensioni si allentano così che l’energia possa fluire creando un campo energetico. Ho incontrato parecchie persone questa sera, amici di Hiro, fra cui tre donne giapponesi e un uomo giamaicano sposato con una delle tre. Quando si incontrano persone nuove è sempre piacevole. Si crea un campo energetico, si è curiosi e la mente è aperta. Ci si scambia esperienze, opinioni, modi di vedere la vita, insomma si cerca di conoscersi. Alle volte si beve una birra, l’alcol offusca un po’ la mente e, non avendo la lucidità di pensare, si prova una sensazione di benessere. Se poi c’è anche la musica, con le vibrazioni che stimolano i centri energetici e le cellule, si possono creare momenti paradisiaci. Abbiamo trascorso una bella serata e chissà se ci rivedremo ancora. È bello vedere come le cose si creino da sole, senza interferenze e come, rimanendo distaccati e presenti, vadano come devono andare. Sento i miei piedi un po’ pesanti: abbiamo camminato molto oggi e ringrazio le mie gambe che mi portano in giro. Le massaggio un po', vado in bagno per lavarmi i denti e mi addormento nel “loculo”.
22 Gennaio 2011
Buon giorno! È passato il jet leg e ho dormito ottimamente questa notte; sento le gambe riposate e la mente fresca. Ascolto lo stomaco brontolare per la fame. Stiamo per uscire a fare colazione, non so cosa mangeremo. Noodle, riso rosso, chissà... Siamo seduti nel grande giardino di un quartiere di Tokyo che ha circa trecento anni, pieno di alberi bonsai e canne di bambù: direi che tutto è perfetto. Il giardino è circondato da alti grattacieli di vetro ed io ascolto i corvi che mi gironzolano intorno come se fossi una loro preda. Fa freddo, ma il sole riscalda. Ci sono molti alberi di ciliegio spogli, tanto da sembrare morti, ma in primavera saranno in ottima forma con il loro profumo e splendore. A pochi metri da me ci sono grandi fiori che mi inondano, come se volessero condividere la loro incredibile bellezza. Il mio amico Hiro sta acquistando per me un biglietto dell’autobus su internet, con il telefonino. Domani partirò e andrò a sud, destinazione Tokushima. Dove siamo ora, invece, c’è un laghetto e al centro, attraverso un ponte di legno, si giunge fino ad una casetta dove sperimentiamo la cerimonia del tè. Ci sediamo sul pavimento, rilassandoci, e aspettando che ci portino il tè chiamato Macha. Un tè di colore verde intenso e un dolcetto a base di azuki. Mangiamo prima il dolcetto e poi sorseggiamo il tè, che è molto amaro. Ci muoviamo lentamente, con gesti consapevoli, facendo attenzione ai piccoli particolari, ai colori, ai profumi e ai sapori, cercando di essere il più possibile presenti a ciò che accade. La mente si rilassa, i sensi si aprono e tutto sembra magico. A volte basta poco per creare situazioni nelle quali immergersi nel presente: spesso si creano da sole e a volte è bello crearle. Il sabato sera Tokyo è come tutte le grandi città, movida e ancora movida. Si esce da un locale e si va in un altro, per bere e liberarsi dai pensieri. Mi fa un po’ tristezza questo, non è il “massimo della vita”. Hiro mi dice che i Giapponesi amano fare le file, mentre sono nei ristoranti e nei negozi. Credono che la fila sia sinonimo di bontà e convenienza. Forse non sanno come funziona la mente ed hanno più fiducia negli altri che in se stessi. Siamo andati a mangiare in un ristorante dove c’era una fila di persone che attendeva e abbiamo mangiato benissimo, senza spendere molto. Anche questa sera ho conosciuto gente nuova e cenato con cibi giapponesi: comincio ad adorare questa cucina. Sono ritornato nel mio loculo per far riposare il mio corpo: come al solito c’è molto silenzio, a parte qualcuno che russa, ma non importa: uso quel rumore per agevolare la meditazione.
23 Gennaio 2011
Ultimo giorno in questo hotel. Ho dormito molto bene qui. Da quando sono arrivato in Giappone, ho la sensazione che la terra si muova, come se fossi perennemente su un aereo. Forse la mia mente e il mio corpo hanno registrato le sensazioni avvertite durante le turbolenze e ancora le trattengono. Probabilmente è perché la metropolitana viaggia in lungo e in largo sotto Tokyo, essendoci tante linee. Ho conosciuto un’altra amica di Hiro, molto carina e con la pelle del viso assai liscia, come la maggior parte degli orientali. Molto dipende dalla genetica, inoltre la curano molto con creme idratanti e non prendono il sole. Sento i miei occhi stanchi. È più facile che si stanchino in città che in mezzo alla natura. Quando si guarda qualcosa di vivo, come un albero, una pianta, le montagne, l’energia che si usa per osservare torna indietro. Se, al contrario, si osserva qualcosa di morto e di artificiale, come le vetrine dei negozi, i palazzi, le automobili, l’energia non ritorna e di conseguenza va dispersa. Se in città la gente si guardasse negli occhi, che sono qualcosa di vivo, si avvertirebbe una specie di rigenerazione e aiuterebbe a sentirsi meno stanchi. Questo non accade perché ci si chiude e si crea una corazza che non consente il contatto energetico. Siamo stati a pranzare in un locale giamaicano, per cambiare, visto che anche i giapponesi si stancano di mangiare sempre la stessa cucina. Abbiamo fatto un giro in un grande parco, dove c’è un tempio visitato da tantissima gente, nel quale si compiono alcuni riti prima di entrare, come lavarsi le mani e la bocca. Quindi si entra e si recita una preghiera. È anche possibile scrivere un messaggio su una tavoletta di legno che poi si appende. Mi sono avvicinato a leggere i messaggi scritti in inglese, sicuramente da turisti. C'erano messaggi che recitavano così: “desidero trovare moglie o marito”, “desidero trovare lavoro”, “desidero una buona salute”... Questo non è pregare, è elemosinare! Pregare significa ringraziare. Ho notato che i giapponesi sono un popolo di perfezionisti e, come in tutte le cose, questo atteggiamento ha dei lati positivi e negativi. Osservo la gente che lavora. Nessuno sembra annoiato e tutti utilizzano il massimo impegno e efficienza. Sono molto razionali, non fanno niente per caso. Passeggiando in lungo e in largo per Tokyo, ho notato dei distributori automatici di uova fresche. A cosa serviranno? Non l'ho ancora compreso e nemmeno Hiro sembra saperlo. Continuando a camminare osservo che le mie gambe tremano leggermente per il freddo, la temperatura è scesa di molto. Dopo una cena giapponese, ci siamo avviati verso l’hotel per prendere il mio zaino. Ho salutato Hiro, ringraziandolo per la sua compagnia, e mi sono avviato verso la fermata dell’autobus per partire in direzione di Tokushima.
24 Gennaio 2011
Sono arrivato a Tokushima e ho preso un autobus locale per giungere nel luogo in cui incontrerò Mayumi. Non sono riuscito a comunicare con l'autista, visto che lui non conosceva l’inglese e io non conosco il giapponese, così mi ha fatto scendere nel posto sbagliato. Trovato un negozio aperto ho chiesto, un po’ con gesti e un po’ aiutato da un dizionario, di poter fare una telefonata a Mayumi visto che avevo il suo numero di telefono e così abbiamo risolto il problema. La signora del negozio ha spiegato a Mayumi dove mi trovavo e lei mi ha raggiunto. Mayumi mi ospiterà per un periodo non definito, in cambio di collaborazione e lavori vari. Vive in un posto fantastico, in mezzo a un bosco in montagna. Mi ha accompagnato alla mia cameretta dalla cui finestra si vede un panorama mozzafiato. Dopo esserci conosciuti e aver scambiato informazioni, facciamo colazione, con pancake, marmellata, Tahini (crema di sesamo) e tè. Mi chiedono se mi va di cucinare della pasta con pomodoro. Ne sono entusiasta, e così preparo spaghetti al pomodoro molto apprezzati da Mayumi e dai suoi due figli. Nel pomeriggio siamo andati a prendere alla fermata dell’autobus una donna con una bambina di sei anni. Anche lei è ospite come me. È figlia di padre giapponese e madre americana, ma vive in America. Siamo andati a casa di un amico di Mayumi che vive da solo. Abbiamo acceso un fuoco, all’esterno della casa e intorno al fuoco abbiamo chiacchierato e ci siamo conosciuti. Il panorama intorno è suggestivo, con neve in cima alla montagna, grandi bambù e pini. Eccoci di nuovo a casa a preparare la cena con cibi tipici giapponesi. Poiché collaboriamo tutti, noto molti cibi che non avevo ancora visto e sono curioso di provarli. Abbiamo apparecchiato sul tavolo basso, quello dove ci si deve sedere per terra. Ci sono le bacchette, ma si usano anche forchette di legno. L’atmosfera è molto carina e intima, ci conosciamo da pochissimo, ma la sensazione è quella di conoscersi da tanto tempo. Ho notato un libro scritto in inglese. Lo prendo fra le mani e leggo di cosa si parla. Mayumi, dopo, mi spiega qualcosa di più a proposito del libro. Lo studioso in questione si occupa di indagare su differenti tipi di energie, tra cui quelle di animali come i ragni. Afferma che i ragni sono molto irrequieti, per cui alle persone che appartengono alla tipologia dei ragni vanno somministrati prodotti omeopatici che le riportino all'equilibrio. Il corpo umano e tutti gli organismi viventi sono molto complessi e mutevoli nel tempo. Tutto si muove, la vita è movimento. La sola cosa che si possa fare è non identificarsi in nulla in particolare, imparare ad essere più distaccati e aver fiducia nell’esistenza.
25 Gennaio 2011
Eccoci svegli. Qui si sente molto il freddo. Dalla finestra è possibile vedere un bel panorama. Questa notte ha nevicato in montagna, per questo possiamo ammirare le cime innevate. In Giappone si dorme sul pavimento. Io ho dormito bene e presto il mio corpo si abituerà. Il corpo umano ha la straordinaria capacità di adattarsi, basta rimanere rilassati e aspettare. Osservo che la mente è più restia, non ama molto il nuovo, ma basta non assecondarla e piano piano si rilassa anche lei. Se si impara a non prestare molta attenzione alla mente, la vita sembra più eccitante, perché bisogna rispondere alle situazioni che si presentano con tutto il proprio essere e la propria intelligenza, così ci si sente più svegli e meno annoiati. Dopo aver fatto colazione con tè, frutta e qualche biscotto, Mayumi mi ha chiesto se avevo voglia di tagliare un po’ di legna con la motosega. Prima di cominciare bisognava limare un po’ la catena e aggiungere l’olio. Qui le montagne sono piene di enormi bambù verdi. Quando c’è vento sembrano danzare. Sembra che l’esistenza abbia accontentato tutti, ogni posto ha le sue meraviglie. Tutto, però, dipende da come le si guarda e o meglio da come la mente proietta le immagini che possiede. In giardino ci sono un po’ di alberi da frutto: nespole, prugne, ciliegi, aranci e qualche pianta di tè giapponese. Ci prepariamo per pranzare all’aperto. Quando si vive in campagna si è un po’ più liberi di fare ciò che si vuole. Mangiamo zuppa di verdure con tofu e noodle. Ci troviamo in una valle con case sparse e spesso si sentono annunci che probabilmente arrivano dal Comune di questo villaggio. Mayumi dice che segnalano che se qualcuno ha bisogno di aiuto, per esempio di avvocati, dottori o altro, si può rivolgere all’ufficio competente ed è tutto gratuito. Ma cosa se ne fa di un avvocato gente che vive in mezzo ai boschi, mi chiedo! Dopo aver sistemato la legna tagliata, faccio un giro nel bosco, considerato che la mia mente per bosco intende alberi, anche se qui sono tutti bambù giganti. A causa del vento i bambù si toccano e sembra di ascoltare un'orchestra. Che silenzio c’è qui... Si sentono solo il gracchiare dei corvi, il cinguettio di uccelli color verde e l'abbaiare di qualche cane. Il tempo scorre lento e tutto si fa con calma. Ceniamo con polpette vegetali cotte in padella e qualcosa di simile agli arancini di riso. Per chiudere tè verde e una torta cotta a vapore, con patate dolci. La torta non ha un buon sapore e non è cotta bene. La mangio per non offendere Mayumi. Mi chiedono se ho voglia di cucinare la lasagna, ovviamente vegetale. Hanno capito che non so dire di no e che mi diverto a cucinare. I miei occhi vorrebbero chiudersi, così preparo il letto con il sacco a pelo in cui, con il freddo che fa, si dorme benissimo. Sento un po’ la gola pizzicare, forse mi verrà il mal di gola o la tosse. Considerando che tutti in questa casa hanno la tosse, non mi preoccupo e vado a letto.
26 Gennaio 2011
Tiro fuori la testa dalle coperte e la sento ghiacciata: la casa è fredda e non c'è il riscaldamento. Quando si è sotto le coperte, al caldo a occhi chiusi, si può notare che la sensazione è uguale, ovunque ci si trovi. Quando si riaprono gli occhi si può notare se si è in Giappone, in Italia o in qualsiasi altro posto. Ma ad occhi chiusi si è unicamente nel proprio corpo. Guardo fuori dalla finestra. C’è l’alba e sta nevicando. Noto che qui il clima cambia velocemente. Prima c’è sole, poi diventa nuvoloso, quindi fa caldo, infine freddo. Così è facile che il corpo si ammali, non avendo il tempo per adattarsi. Mayumi è a letto con la tosse e un po’ di febbre. Facciamo colazione, con tè caldo, mochi - un dolce a base di riso che sembra di gomma - e un paio di mandarini piccoli che si possono mangiare con la buccia. Qui c’è un giardino con alberi da frutto ma è abbandonato da molti anni. Vorrei potarli e ripulirli, abbassarli un po’ poiché sono troppo alti. Così faccio. Dopo aver potato alcuni alberi, mi trovo nella sala da pranzo da solo. Mayumi è a letto e i ragazzi, insieme alla nuova arrivata - una giapponese che ha vissuto in America e sua figlia di quattro anni - sono andati fuori da un amico. Ho un po’ di riso e verdure già cotte, così preparo un risotto con crema di sesamo e due uova al tegamino con salsa di soia. Il mio corpo si sente comodo seduto sul pavimento, con i piedi sotto il tavolo basso. Ho un fornellino a gas sul tavolo, quindi cucino e mangio senza muovere un passo. Che silenzio! Sento solo tossire Mayumi e l’acqua gocciolare nel bagno. Il mio respiro è lento, lo sento arrivare fino all'ombelico. L'intestino si è un po’ bloccato, sono due o tre giorni che non vado in bagno. Forse ciò è dovuto a questi cibi un po’ “gommosi” e al riso bianco. Anche la testa mi duole leggermente, ma non amo prendere medicine, così aspetto che passi. Se si impara a non identificarsi con il dolore, non dà fastidio. Sono particolarmente felice in questo momento, non so per quale motivo, ma so di certo che amo gli imprevisti e le sorprese. La ragazza americana ha voluto preparare la cena, visto che Mayumi è uscita. Dopo pochi minuti che ha messo a cuocere la zuppa, è finito il gas. Non sapendo dove fosse l’altra bomboletta, abbiamo acceso il fuoco fuori e continuato a cucinare la zuppa. Fa molto freddo, ma il cielo è stellato e si è creata una bella atmosfera. Credo che tutte le cose più belle siano spontanee. Si cerca di programmare tutto e così si perde il piacere della vita. Mi sembra che la gioia della vita sia quella di svegliarsi la mattina e dirsi “vediamo cosa mi porta la vita oggi!”.
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