A quiet Thursday in Ohori Park

Not every day is exciting and packed with activities. Today I didn't have much to do and spontaneously went for a walk to the beautiful Ohori Park.

The day started like any other, except that I couldn't sleep well today. Nightmares about past loved ones woke me up seven times. Although I should have slept a total of 9 hours, it was probably more like seven due to the frequent waking up and going back to sleep. The fact that the bed isn't the cosiest didn't help every time I fell asleep either.

Anyway, the Japanese lesson still went well, but it was packed with content today and my brain needed a break. After class, I wondered whether I should go home or go for a walk. I decided in favour of the latter, not least because I also ate a lot yesterday and wanted to fast today, i.e. not eat for a day. If I went home now, I would have too much time and would probably eat something out of boredom.

So I just walked to the park, put on the audiobook ‘The Alchemist’ and arrived at the park halfway through the audiobook after an hour. However, I didn't walk there directly, but had all sorts of ideas on the way about what I wanted to see and went into every side alley that interested me. I also went to a beautiful shrine right next to Ohori Park. I met an American there who approached me. He was from the Navy and was visiting Fukuoka. I chatted to him a bit and asked him if he knew the ritual of making a wish at the shrine. He shook his head and I invited him to join in. It was a sunny but cold day and hardly anyone was out and about in the shrine's large grounds. He nodded and his eyes sparkled. I explained the ritual to him and he stood next to me and imitated me.

Throwing the golden 5-yen coin into the wooden box in front of the shrine.

Bow twice.

Clap twice and keep your hands closed the second time.

Close your eyes and make all your wishes.

Open your eyes, drop your hands and bow again.

Step away.

It was nice to teach something that I had only recently learnt myself. It was as if the enthusiasm I felt the first time I taught him was now his. We chatted briefly, exchanged our Instagrams and then I said goodbye. I told him about Fukuoka Castle and the surrounding garden, which is right next to the park, and he headed off in that direction. I went to Ohori Park and sat down on the first bench facing the lake.

The wind was cold on my face, but the sun was shining against the wind and I decided not to put my hood up. Instead, I just sat there for an hour with my audiobook in my ears. I should have taken a picture, but I'll try to describe what I saw.

I saw the islands in the centre of the lake and the little white stone bridge decorated with ornaments. The bench I was sitting on was facing the bridge and I was sitting right between the two islands, looking beyond the bridge to another small island with a bare tree where I know dozens of grey herons always sit.

I just sat there and enjoyed the view and my audiobook. I can only recommend ‘The Alchemist’ to anyone. A very clever book by Paulo Coelho from 1988.

It is one of the best-known books about self-discovery, destiny and the pursuit of dreams. It tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who has a recurring vision of a treasure near the Egyptian pyramids and sets off on a journey to find it. Along the way he meets many people, including a king, a crystal merchant, a desert woman, an English alchemist and finally the actual alchemist who helps him to understand his personal legend.

The central message of the book is the idea of the ‘personal legend’, that is, the unique destiny or life goal that each person has. It's about having the courage to follow your own path, even when there are obstacles, and trusting that the universe will help if you truly follow your heart.

As self-discovery, purpose and the pursuit of dreams are major themes in my life right now, I've been thinking about this a lot while walking home.

This suits me so well because I am on a journey - not only physically in Japan, but also inwardly in search of my place, my success and my true self. Santiago's doubts, his fears, but also his perseverance reflect a lot of what is on my mind at the moment.

A particularly strong passage in the book reflects one of the central themes of the novel:

Most people are blind to what is truly valuable. Even when the real treasure is right in front of them, they fail to recognise it because they are not prepared for it or because they have not learned to see with the right eyes.

This also parallels my own quest for success. I am in a constant inner struggle to see whether I am doing the right thing, whether I am really on the path to my own treasure. But perhaps I have been collecting treasures for a long time without really realising it. Perhaps my success is not hidden in a distant goal, but in what I have already built up - in my skills, in my experiences, in my creativity.

It was a very calm and relaxed day today. And I realised how good that did me today. Just doing what my heart suggests and despite the bad night's sleep tonight, I had so much energy without eating anything. Probably simply because I fed my heart and my cravings once again. I listened to my inner voice and had endless energy. When I got home, I learnt vocabulary and grammar, did homework + extra homework and learnt a few kanji. It's already evening now, my stomach growls from time to time, but that doesn't bother me. I'm going to read a bit more, reflect briefly and then watch a film I'm looking forward to: A Bronx Tale (1993) with Robert De Niro.

See you tomorrow!