Sakura Japan 2009

Sakura Japan 2009

Sharing some of my favourite collections of Sakura trees in Japan..
Sakura also called as Hanami (cherry blossom) in Japan has been Japanese custom since 7th century when the aristocrats used to enjoy beautiful Sakura & wrote poems..Sakura is a symbol of Japan and is said that it has more than four hundred varieties. The most popular kind of Sakura which can be viewed everywhere in Japan issomei-yoshino..
Hanami or cherry blossom festival is held everywhere in Japan in spring. In this festival people have parties, fun and eat out. The most famous food inhanami festival is dango. In this festival people in Japan also play many kinds of sports in which they have competitions for the best sports.
The blossom of flowers takes place at different times throughout Japan. This bloom is at their peak during mid- March till May first week.

1) A river side view: This shot was taken at a river which is very close to Gotanda Station. Gotanda is a busy but unfashionable neighborhood in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, Japan. The name "Gotanda" can be literally translated as "a (rice) paddy of half-hectare's size". The district straddles the Meguro river, and is located between the Meguro and Osaki stations on the important JR Yamanote line.




2)) Some lovely Shot's taken in Hida Takayama:-Set deep within the mountains of Gifu Prefecture, Takayama has been called a "little Kyoto". Its temples, shrines, festivals, rivers and bridges are indeed reminiscent of Kyoto on a smaller scale, but in some ways Takayama has delights that even Kyoto cannot match.







3)Some closer Shots:-around with a camera in hand is my favorite pass time habit. Taking every shot closer, so that one can view the actual flower.








4)Shrine covered with Sakura







5)) Walk-way Shaded with the Sakura Trees:- This walk-way is near the Tama River in Ikegami itself...

Responsibilties

Responsibilities….

Recently going through the news-papers daily in the morning, a thought came to mind & bothered me. In some or the other news-paper there is an article stating, how children leave their parents behind to lead life alone? Some send their parents to old age houses & others don’t even bother to talk to their parents; don’t have time, the only excuse they give. And many are living with the parents, but don’t treat them properly like not providing them enough space to do things they want to do, not talking to them, Mal-nutrition, ignoring whatever they say & so on…

While talking to one of my best friend who lives in Jaipur. On one hand I was feeling happy to talk to her after long time. On the other hand sad, after listening to her brother’s deed. I was shocked.

As I knew her family from childhood. I saw her brother from the time, when he was a kid. I used to go to their house often & see the love & affection they had between them. Her parents use to do everything they could, for the kids. As all the parents do. I saw them laughing, crying, and also getting tensed for each other. All the siblings had eternal love for each other. I saw her father buying every single thing the son wanted & was the same for all his kids. He never said “No” especially to his son, he always allowed him what he wanted to do. It was a perfect loving family.

My friend’s brother (son) got married to a girl against the wish of his family he got married to an inter cast girl & the family did not like that girl at all. The boy loved the girl so they had this conflict, as the son was forcing the parents to allow him to get married to that girl, whom the parents did not like at all. So after the boy got married to this girl against the wish of his parents he refused to talk to his parents, his siblings, not even on festivals & occasions… As they did not allow him. This is the only single reason the boy was not talking to the family.

After almost a year the parents decided to accept the son with his wedded wife. So he came back to live with the family but it was not so easy for both the family & the couple to adjust & accept. Many things had changed in a year span. The girl he got married to was saying before that, she would do everything to keep the boys family happy, but when the couple started staying with the parents the couple did things which a responsible son will never do. When the boy's mother was very very sick the girl (son’s wife) did not took a break from her job to take care of her mother-in-law. Parents had to keep a maid for them. While the Parents were paying the expenses of the maid then too the wife of the boy had problems saying that its just waste of money. She even use to force her mother-in-law to do all the household stuff on her own while she was ill & the son never use to say anything about what was going on. Infact some times even the son use to scold his mother & father if they did not listen to him or his wife. The parents were not allowed to watch T.V. which is the biggest time pass for an old person. The son and the wife also did not let their child play with the grand parents.

I know it’s the responsibilities of our parents to give love, care, affection, guidance & help in choosing the career, fulfilling all the desires of the kids. The thing that comes to mind is: - Is it not the responsibility of the child to return the same to the parents when they need the most i.e. old age.

I wonder when parents take care of the child & are doing everything they could do for the kid. Why the kids are hesitant in doing the same at the age when parents need them the most. In early age parents are strong enough to take care of themselves. While taking care of the kids they don’t even think about the precious moments of their lives they are missing. After becoming parents they cannot go out for dinner’s often, watch movie, meet friends often, cannot even have a cup of tea if the child is crying around as the kid wants full attention always etc…

Why a child hurt parents??? I don’t say all are the same but there are many in this world that don’t want to live with their parents & are left alone in some old age houses or somewhere alone where it’s very difficult to manage their lives. I heard a saying that “Responsibilities began in dreams” So that means young generation should sleep real well to know their responsibilities…

I just want to say never leave or forget your parents, they do too much for us, we never realize it until we ourselves put us in their shoes be a parent & treat our parents in the way you want yourself to be treated as there is a saying “The only person to be called & worshiped as God are Parent’s” as they make us worth of what we are.

Golden Period of Life

This morning I wake up early and am enjoying my hot cup of tea with ginger. My 1.5 year old son is still sleeping nicely and husband has left for work. This is also the time you cannot help getting into thinking mode. Thinking about past, present or future. Today, it is the past.

I am 30 years old now. I can divide this life journey in 3 spans of 10 years each. I think about them separately. If I have to choose the best, the golden period, which one I would?

Very first my early childhood, wondering was that my golden period. As a child I had nothing to do, I had to listen to my parents, cannot go out alone with friends, and no pocket money at that age. So am I supposed to happy that time? The answer is NO. But why do I forget about the playing time which I use to enjoy a lot, watching T.V without any tension of studies, playing games for which I don’t have time now, being the eldest child pampered and loved by parent’s lot. Yes I should say that this was the GOLDEN PERIOD..

Now coming to my teenage I had more tensions compared to my childhood as had lot of pressure of studies, choosing the right career, taking care of family affairs, help cooking at home, as an Indian girl supposed to do. So is this the golden period again the answer is NO.

Again am I forgetting something or missing out something, yes friends, it’s the lovely college days in which I made many good friends, go out for movies, bunking lectures and enjoying with friends, good pocket money and so on. I miss all that fun now. I am sure this is the GOLDEN PERIOD of my life.

Thinking about my life between the ages of 20 to 30 years. This is the time when I got married. I had to leave my family behind, had to adjust in the new atmosphere, had to change habit of waking up late in the morning. In this due course of time I even gave birth to a cute little baby boy. Happiest moment of my life still had to face many problems, waking up in nights for the baby, taking care every second, no time for my-self etc.

But, but and but why again here I forget the joy of new life & all new things coming in the way, enjoying every bit of time. Even though I left my parents & siblings behind I have a very nice partner who is so much caring, loving and the most responsible person in my life. I have my in-laws who are equally caring & loving like my parents & not to forget my brother-in-laws & sister-in-laws who love as my siblings. In these 10 years I was born twice as said by everyone getting married is a re-birth for a women & giving birth to a kid is to be called as a re-birth. I have a baby boy who is my life now. I enjoy playing with him, getting tensed for him, cooking and feeding him, love when he says MUM. I find all the happiness in his smile..

Am I supposed to think that this is the golden period of my life??? Coming to a conclusion here I say I have enjoyed almost all my life. Ah!!!! Now I have a ratiocination that the real golden period is the present which you are living…People always feel sad about events in the present saying this is the worst time. And when the present becomes the past then one realizes the real happiness, the joy, the fun, he missed.

It’s the “PRESENT” which is to be called as “THE GOLDEN PERIOD OF LIFE”. Don’t let your present become your past & regret on missing that time. Live your present to the fullest as PRESENT is only THE GOLDEN PERIOD OF OUR LIVES.