Hello Everyone! What’s new?

I hope you are all doing well!

It’s really hot and humid these days!

Every day I feel like I’m walking through a sauna on my way to work! Stay cool!

Recently, “Mother Nature” has been knocking on our doors, reminding us how powerful nature can be.

The 6/18 magnitude 6 Earthquake was a wake up call for me. I never thought that the epicenter of an earthquake would be so close to home. I’ve experienced earthquakes in the past, but this one reminded me how powerful nature can be. Since the earthquake, we have had supplies prepared in case we needed to evacuate, and as soon as I feel that maybe the earthquake has settled down, another aftershock shakes the Earth. I hope that we can all live peacefully soon!

Then, for the first time since I have lived in Japan, a tornado happened in Shiga! It was hard to believe! We have an area of America called “Tornado Alley” where many tornadoes occur each year. I lived in Indiana for a year, and during that time, I experienced a tornado close to where I was living, but luckily, it did not pass through my house! I was very fortunate!

Lastly, I would like to talk about a fun experience I had in Kyoto! On December 4^th, 2014, my friends and I decided to go to a waterfall to meditate! We were all martial artists in different styles, but we set out before the sun rose, walking through the snow, to a small waterfall used by monks in Keage near the aqueducts! We hiked through the woods a bit to reach the waterfall. We did warm-up exercises to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually. The waterfall was not big, however, even though the water flow was only about 30cm wide, it felt like a frozen hammer beating down on you! Trying to find peace and meditate through this was a challenge, but I lasted a few minutes! Once I walked out, my entire body was steaming! It was an experience I will never forget! I’ve done waterfall meditation after that as well, but the first time was the most grueling! I hope to do it again someday! I hope my friends are doing well!

Thank you for reading, and if you have any questions about the English above, please let me know!

All the best!♣