I had the opportunity to visit Japan.  Not the typical Japan, but the spiritual and traditional side of it.

I wrote the following piece about this journey for the newsletter of the One Touch Centre.  I also created a video with photographs from the trip taken by me and my dear friends Christina and Effie.

Both are a testament of the profound impact that this trip had on me…

THE SPIRIT OF JAPAN

There is a well-known Japanese proverb that goes something like this: “Who travels for love finds a thousand miles not longer than one.”  And I couldn’t agree with it more. I travelled more than 5,000 miles to fall in love with the person I should have always loved the most: myself.

And it literally felt as if I travelled only one mile.  Well, maybe two, or three…or ten.

It was an extraordinary journey that lasted almost two weeks.  It all started on a Sunday evening, when five of us (Effie, Christina, Arina, Gabbi and I) boarded the first of the two flights that took us to meet Anna in Tokyo almost 24 hours later.

Tokyo the vibrant, cosmopolitan and contrasting capital of a country that is caught between its traditional and culturally rich identity, and a self-imposed image of luxury and high tech that is reflected in an array of fancy shops, game arcades, and funky fashion outlets in places such as the ones we visited:  Akihabara (famous for its technology shops), and Harajuku (the shopping and entertainment district of Tokyo and a must-place if you want to see pink and blue-haired Japanese youngsters).

In Tokyo we also had the opportunity to meet our new friends:  Lilli and her husband Ron, who kindly and most-efficiently took care of organising all the details of our trip.  We also met other wonderful Japanese friends, including beautiful Izumi, whose lovely singing voice accompanied us in more than one meditation during our stay in Japan, her son, and other members of her family.

On our third day in Japan we took the bullet train, and with Mount Fuji on the background we arrived to our next destination: Kyoto.

Kyoto holds the essence of traditional and spiritual Japan. Its name simply means “capital city” as it once was the heart and power centre of the country. The city boasts hundreds of temples, one more magnificent and inspiring than the next.  But the highlight is by far Sanjyusangedo, a national treasure that hosts no less than 1,001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy.  It is impossible to describe with words what this place looks like and the immense peace that you feel when you spend a few minutes admiring it.

In Kyoto we had the opportunity to “do it like the Japanese”: we stayed at a Ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn, where our meals were authentically local, and slept on the Tatami floor (after piling up a mountain of futons, of course).

Kyoto is also the place where our meditations to reconnect with nature and the five elements took place.  The park and the area of the temple where we did the meditations could not have been better: peaceful, inspiring, beautiful, surrounded by trees that have been there for millennia and by all the mysticism that these places have been imprinted with over time.

Murayama Park was the setting of the first meditation “Reconnecting with Nature”. We sat right opposite a beautiful old tree which accompanied us during the meditation.  I connected with the wind and became the wind. Subtle yet strong I had the power to have an effect on the movement of the water, the force of the fire and the erosion of the earth.  I heard birds that nobody else heard. I travelled to places in Japan that I have never been before.

When the meditation was over I had an immense urge to sit on a huge rock that was situated by the old tree.  It made me think of the minerals that lay beyond the surface and that play such an important role in the nurturing of our planet.  I thought of how easy it is to forget to connect with the simple things when we are all so busy complicating our existence.

The next day we visited a temple where twice a year a huge wreath is placed at a special point and those who pass through it are absolved of all sins. We happened to visit it on one of those two unique days!

After following the absolution ritual we found an isolated spot where we could all lie down around another magnificent tree to follow Anna’s teachings on “Being at One with the Five Elements”. At that point I was still very much connected with the wind, but this time with the freedom that it represents to me.  The wind kept whispering to me to break free, to liberate myself from that which has been holding me back.  The message was loud and clear.

When the meditation was over I knew that I was one with nature and I knew I had to break free from those obstacles that I have created in my mind and that have not allowed me to be Who I Am.

For me, these two meditations triggered a re-connection with nature and the five elements, and also with myself. By being in touch with the most simple and beautiful of forms I remembered that life is exactly that: simple and beautiful.  I realised how much I have been involved in and absorbed by the drama and guilt I create in my life and how tiring it has been. Best of all, I realised that yes, I love myself. And very much so.

In Kyoto we also visited various shrines including The Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku), an impressive temple that has its two top floors completely covered in gold leaf.  The contrast between the gold of the temple and the greenery that surrounds it is absolutely breathtaking.

We also experienced the traditions of Kyoto by participating in a tea ceremony (chado), saw geisha dancing, Japanese girls making traditional flower arrangements (ikebana) and even watched a traditional comic play (yes, in Japanese, and yes, it was really funny!)

The Kyoto experience was unique and very special, but nothing prepared us for what we would find in Mount Koya (Koyasan), a World Heritage Site.  What an incredibly beautiful place!  Nature has, without doubt, created one of its masterpieces in this area of Japan.

Our hosts in the sacred Mt Koya were the Buddhist monks at a temple lodging or shukubo. Here we got a real taste of what a monk’s life is all about by eating strictly vegetarian, yet tasty, meals, attending the morning prayers, and sleeping again in a traditional Japanese room with Tatami floor.

One of the highlights of our short stay in Koyasan was a visit to the Okonoin Temple, which is the site where the founder of Shingon Buddhism, Kukai, is believed to be resting in eternal meditation.   I am not surprised that Kukai chose this particular place to meditate forever, as it became evident to me during our full-moon meditation that Mount Koya holds a very special energy.

“Presence – Rebirth of the Soul” was taught by Anna during the June full moon. That evening was magical; I simply do not have better words to describe it. I felt the energy flow between me and everything that surrounded me, I became one with the rest of the people in the room and I felt intense joy.  I kept thinking “if this is what it feels like to be One with All That Is, then I do not want to do anything else but to keep the feeling going”.  I more than ever experienced a deep sense of connection with myself and All That Is.

The Blanca who left Cyprus a few days earlier was not the same Blanca who would be going back.

Our trip concluded in Kobe, a cosy and very international city that welcomed us with its shopping district, famous Kobe beef and hilly streets.

And then…another 5,000 miles to return my body to Cyprus.

The trip to Japan might be over, but my journey continues…and I am grateful.

Over one hundred thousand men found enough spare time to participate by filling in a questionnaire, which, by the way, is rather long.

That’s a lot of men with a lot of time available to waste on a Cosmo-style survey with questions such as “Would you send someone a birthday greeting by text?” and “Which of the following do you consider most likely to exist: aliens, angels, none of the above, ghosts, vampires?”

So, for your amusement, here is a screenshot of the highlights of the survey …

And if you have nothing better to do with you time, click here to read the complete results…have fun!

Did you know that this actually has created statistical issues in Mexico because 41 year old men simply give their age as 40 or 42 when they participate in market research or demographic censi?

Anyway, I am not a man, so today that I turn 41 I felt inspired to think of those things why being a woman over 40 is so special. I wrote a post in Spanish for 40ymas.com and here below is the translation.

I know that this might come as a surprise to many following my ramblings before my 40th birthday just over a year ago. But hey, one is supposed to get wiser with age!

I’m grateful today ..

1. For my daughter. The light of my life and the reason of my existence.
2. For my mom. For her love and support despite the many miles between us.
3. For my dad. The angel that protects me and the little devil that inspires me.
4. For my sister. Because she simply is.
5. Because I am now aware that there are no coincidences but “causalities” (effects). Things do not “happen to me” by accident, I cause them.
6. Because I’m learning to take responsibility for my life. If I am happy and there is love in my life it is because I choose to be, to give and to receive it. If I am not happy and there is no love in my life, it is because I choose not to be, not to give and not to receive it.
7. Because I know my body better than ever and recognize that it needs exercise and a proper diet for me to feel and look good.
8. Because I usually like what I see in the mirror.
9. Because on the days that I look in the mirror and I do not like what I see, I simply stop looking.
10. Because finally I’ve realized that I deserve to spoil myself and to be spoiled.
11. Because I’ve had the opportunity to live in many countries and learn from many cultures.
12. Because my loved ones and I have good health.
13. For that wonderful man who complements me and who exists somewhere in the world.
14. Because I know that one day we will meet.
15. For all that will happen after we meet.
16. For my true friends. Those who are not there for a reason or a season, but for a lifetime.
17. For my best friends and because they know well who they are.
18. Because I have enough experience in my work, I know how to do it well and this is recognized.
19. Because I still get excited when I have the opportunity to learn something new.
20. Because I am still interested in learning new things.
21. Because I feel more creative than ever.
22. Because I have the opportunity to use my creativity in positive and useful projects.
23. For those close to me who are involved in inspiring causes.
24. Because life gives me the opportunity to improve every day.
25. Because I enjoy being alone as much as I enjoy having company.
26. Because I’m never really alone.
27. Because despite everything I am still me.
28. Because a few years ago I took the toughest decision of my life and I do not regret it at all.
29. For the tears I shed before that decision.
30. For the tears I did not shed after that.
31. For the years that I have ahead of me.
32. For each of the years I’ve lived.
33. For all the mistakes I’ve made.
34. For all the mistakes I will make.
35. Because nowadays I rarely mind what others think of what I do or say.
36. Because I do not feel embarrassed anymore when I have to say “no”.
37. Because I never felt embarrassed to say yes.
38. Because I now realize that sometimes there are consequences when I say yes.
39. Because I enjoy following my heart.
40. Because when my heart has nothing to say, there are other hearts that inspire me to find the answers.
41. For 40ymas.com. A project that was born from a simple concern of mine and that today has a life of its own with a heart that beats to the rhythm of 12,000 wonderful Latin American women!

This is obviously a move intended to push Mariah’s fans to buy the CD instead of downloading it online.

So far we were used to celebrities endorsing products and politicians, and this comes to reverse the roles in a very interesting way…which got me thinking of how else this new style of promotion could work for other artists and bands.

These are my suggestions:

• Dire Straits could very appropriately be endorsed by Gordon Brown
• The Who would be backed by the new president of the EU, Mr. …hmmm… what was his name?
• The UK’s Meteorological Department should support Scottish band Wet Wet Wet
• Any Electricity Authority in the world could sponsor AC/DC
• English rock band The Clash would get the ideal endorsement from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• Merrill Lynch could suitably support American band The Pretenders
• Silvio Berlusconi could throw his millions behind The Kinks
• Chrysler’s new ads should all be played to the tunes of The Grateful Dead

and

• The new agreement following the forthcoming UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen should be printed to be distributed with a CD including the best of Blind Faith

And when it comes to life as a woman, especially as a working woman, we really have a short memory issue.

Just check below … it is a teacher’s contract drafted in Spain in 1923. It spells out a list of things that a teacher should and should not do to keep her job, and most of them do not make any sense at all!

Really, can someone explain to me what was wrong with a teacher getting married? or even more puzzling, why couldn’t a teacher visit an ice-cream parlor?

Notice that they were not allowed to drink beer, wine or whisky. Does that mean that they could drink vodka, gin and tequila?

This is the translation to English, or scroll down to see the original document in Spanish and have a good laugh:

¡Gracias mamá por compartir!

But no, unfortunately it was not a CHiPs episode.  The policemen rode away and I stayed there remembering the good’ol police and detective TV shows of yesteryear.

And I realized that there are so many of them and so hard to forget!

No, really.  How can anybody ever forget Max from Hart to Hart? Or the way Bruce Willis looked with hair in Moonlighting?  Or Tom Selleck’s moustache in Magnum PI?

And what about Farrah Fawcett’s larger-than-life smile on Charlie’s Angels … Columbo’s cigar …. Maxwell Smart’s goofiness … Kojak’s bald head … Hawaii 5-0 intro theme …. and Quincy’s …. ehem … well, who can possibly forget Quincy?!  He is the forefather of CSI after all!

I love police shows.  We’ve certainly been enjoying some good stuff also in the past couple of decades: from the X-Files to NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Dexter, Prison Break and 24, just to mention a few.

So this one is for all of you who still remember the oldies and liked them as much as I did: Officers Frank “Ponch” Poncherello and Jonathan “Jon” Baker in action. (and yes, please, feel free and get the tune stuck in your head for the rest of the week…)

He seems to jump from one thought to the next, killing the flow of the story in the process. At first I had the feeling that it was probably a translation issue, but now that I am almost half-way through the book, it simply feels like if it was written by a first-time author.

But there is one part that -although it seems like a “patch” on the plot- I really liked. It’s actually two paragraphs that I read over and over again and decided that they have more meaning than the 150 pages of the book I’ve read so far. I liked them so much that I felt compelled to close the book and write this post straight away.

One of the main characters is an Arab, Hamid, who at a time of reflection about his past and future recalls the Arabic proverb “Blessed be that which gives your children wings and roots.”

And the next two paragraphs go like this:

He needed his roots. There is a place in the world where we are born, where we learn our mother tongue and discover how our ancestors overcame the problems they had to face. There always comes a point when we feel responsible for that place.

He needed his wings too. They reveal to us the endless horizons of the imagination, they carry us to our dreams and to distant places. It is our wings that allow us to know the roots of our fellow men and to learn from them.

And by reading this my muse finally decided to come back!

So, I guess I should thank Paulo Coelho for writing those two paragraphs.  They are precious … even if the rest of his book is truly appalling.

The worst thing is that the only excuse I can think of is that I have no inspiration whatsoever! No, really.  And this is a first.  If there is something I usually have too much of are millions of thoughts inside my head desperately looking for a way out … and for the past year or so, I have happily found an escape route for them through this blog.

But right now, there is nothing. Zip. Nada enchilada.

My creativity has come to a halt, so I’ve decided to blame it on the fact that my muse must have taken a vacation.  What else, right?

You see, EVERYBODY in this country takes a break during August, and I am sure my muse is now having a great time somewhere fun.  I can see her sunbathing at a Caribbean beach or shopping till she drops in London while I am here, over-worked and wondering where she is.

“¿… a dónde a dónde a dónde estará …?”

So, if you happen to bump into her, can you please tell her to cut her vacation short and come back soon?

And to bring me a large bottle of my favorite perfume from duty free is she is so kind.

Facebook was terribly slow all day, Twitter went completely down, and sites such as YouTube and Google’s Blogger were also affected.

And the rumor goes that it was all a plot to silence one blogger from writing posts on the Russian-Georgia conflict!

I really love a good conspiracy theory.  It makes me smile.

I also love the way some bloggers described the “crisis” as the morning when civilization almost ground to a halt as Twitter was hit by hackers.  It makes me chuckle.

And what I love most of it all is the way some people were posting on the few sites that were still up and running during the event on how they felt miserable, useless and how much they missed their Twitter friends.  It makes me want to laugh hysterically.

But the fact is that Twitter was launched in July 2006 and Facebook was launched in March 2007.  Which means that civilization started only three years ago and by definition (of those Twitter-lovers, not me) we must have been all useless and miserable before that!

Not sure if I was less civilized and more useless then.  But certainly I cannot be really miserable anymore with all that smiling, chuckling and laughing that the social media meltdown has brought to my life since yesterday!