tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post3535117446224407472..comments2023-10-21T11:44:45.588+01:00Comments on ResidentAlien: Living In This Time Of PeaceMary Witzlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-72780358554957106612010-03-03T22:33:19.596+00:002010-03-03T22:33:19.596+00:00What a very beautiful post. I teared up too.
Tha...What a very beautiful post. I teared up too.<br /><br />Thank you!Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14523194846272870013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-53530724388632780262010-02-15T19:29:40.464+00:002010-02-15T19:29:40.464+00:00Angela -- Thank you!
Eryl -- That really got to m...Angela -- Thank you!<br /><br />Eryl -- That really got to me too, the fact that he was out there collecting wood for my bath. If I'd known he had to go to that much trouble just so I could have hot water, I'd have gone to bed dirty. <br /><br />Pat -- Thank you. <br /><br />Japanese really isn't a hard language to speak, and although you have to be a little careful, I felt a lot safer there than I did traveling around the U.S. The people who always amaze me are the ones who travel all over places like India, Mongolia and the Outback of Australia, all by themselves. Compared to them, what I did was very tame.<br /><br />I do know Angry Parsnip, and I mean to get over to her blog again soon! I know her son is living in Japan, so I bet she'll have pictures.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-17483769406348973352010-02-14T16:39:12.185+00:002010-02-14T16:39:12.185+00:00What an uplifting post and I take my hat off to yo...What an uplifting post and I take my hat off to you for being so brave to travel alone far from home and to be able to speak in a foreign language as difficult as I imagine Japanese to be.<br />That really is a heart warming story and an unforgettable experience.<br />I wonder if you have ever discovered Angry Parsnip's blog?Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01529798893653033970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-26470588697840455752010-02-13T02:32:50.968+00:002010-02-13T02:32:50.968+00:00It was the man with the basket of fire wood that s...It was the man with the basket of fire wood that set me off!Erylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06008344023000459577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-5336657483549525042010-02-12T15:56:03.497+00:002010-02-12T15:56:03.497+00:00People like this make the world a better place. Th...People like this make the world a better place. Thanks so much for sharing this story--I loved it!Angela Ackermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01808259088625142389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-13680706504716852742010-02-12T13:29:37.976+00:002010-02-12T13:29:37.976+00:00Amber -- You poor thing -- if that had been an adu...Amber -- You poor thing -- if that had been an adult man-of-war, you could have been killed! But they are honestly so beautiful and mesmerizing, I can easily see how you would have wanted to touch one. <br /><br />We had fellow teacher friends in Kamakura who had a little boy our daughter's age who was also the first non-Asian foreigner at his school there. You guys were pioneers there, you know that? :)<br /><br />Tabitha -- Thank you for that nice compliment. <br /><br />I hope you know that I positively scour your blog; I study it for ages and take notes (seriously). It is a big souce of my personal writing education and I am very grateful to you for maintaining it. <br /><br />Charlie -- I agree. It just makes me so sad that the people who have seen what war is like firsthand are the ones who are the most determined to live in peace. And it often seems that younger generations who haven't lived through war don't profit from their painful, hard-earned lessons. <br /><br />Stella -- Thank you for commenting and giving me that nice compliment. Your email came right after one from my niece, who is also called Stella. For a brief, surprised moment, I thought you were her and wondered how she'd found my blog!Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-41131135703192543732010-02-12T03:02:08.094+00:002010-02-12T03:02:08.094+00:00Man, what a great post! You tell wonderful stories...Man, what a great post! You tell wonderful stories. Thanks for sharing this lovely experienceStellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321805301687762360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-91585264662983041032010-02-12T01:53:19.230+00:002010-02-12T01:53:19.230+00:00I believe there are more peace-loving people in th...I believe there are more peace-loving people in the world than we think; war is for those who have something to gain by it.<br /><br />Through blogging and especially LibraryThing, I meet people from everywhere. Our cultures and languages may be different, but we share the same emotions, the same laughter and tears, and the same love for peace.Charliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722567671925063706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-44600316979466107642010-02-11T18:09:08.433+00:002010-02-11T18:09:08.433+00:00Hi Mary! I've kind of fallen off the planet, b...Hi Mary! I've kind of fallen off the planet, but am finally adjusting to all the major changes in my life. I've still found sometime to read your blog, though. :)<br /><br />This is such a beautiful story! I just love your blog. :)Tabithahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420910182752981979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-14033437517644499322010-02-11T17:52:31.095+00:002010-02-11T17:52:31.095+00:00Yes, I went to a Japanese elementary school for 2 ...Yes, I went to a Japanese elementary school for 2 1/2 years. Their first foreign student!<br /><br />My mother taught at Seisen in Kamakura, but your jellyfish-sting story (on my blog) reminded me of the time I picked up a Portuguese man-of-war (a baby one) in a beach in Yokosuka. I had scooped it up in a shell to admire the beauty of it, someone said something, and I turned, sloshing it over my hand. I was standing next to tide pools filled with jellyfish, and I had to plunge my hand in the water of the nearest one (and avoid other jellyfish) to get the stinging blue strands off. My friends (all Japanese) thought I was nuts. My dad said I was an idiot. I had bubbly hands for weeks!Amber Loughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12374291005610549082noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-81416149214443473852010-02-11T16:59:30.350+00:002010-02-11T16:59:30.350+00:00Kim -- If you pass by our house, check it's st...Kim -- If you pass by our house, check it's still standing, would you? I have such mixed feelings about that snow. Glad to have missed it, longing to have seen it just once...<br /><br />P -- Thank you! See you tomorrow. We'll have our work cut out for us, won't we?<br /><br />Falak -- Thank you for doing that. I'm behind on my visits, but I'll be getting over to you soon too!Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-23940485209030456042010-02-11T13:38:16.083+00:002010-02-11T13:38:16.083+00:00Hi Mary! You don't know how good it felt to ha...Hi Mary! You don't know how good it felt to have overcome my lazines and come over to the cyber cafe rather than wait for my computer to get repaired when I read this post! The fact that we can travel around the world and meet new people and learn so much.Thanks for sharing all these beautiful stories with us.<br />PS: Read all your previous posts that i missed out on.Falakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08321524864693512771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-60798100273099987292010-02-11T10:12:50.200+00:002010-02-11T10:12:50.200+00:00Thank you my dear Mary... for once again you made ...Thank you my dear Mary... for once again you made us remember how lucky we are to live in a time of peace... and may that couple be blessed... it is so good to know that such people exist... thank you...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-6827499475010049952010-02-11T10:09:16.942+00:002010-02-11T10:09:16.942+00:00Not snowing here, but it has been frosty the past ...Not snowing here, but it has been frosty the past few morningsKim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-78421971218889578002010-02-11T07:45:52.144+00:002010-02-11T07:45:52.144+00:00AnneS -- Thank you. I worry so much that these vig...AnneS -- Thank you. I worry so much that these vignettes will come off as feel-good and mawkish; I reread them again and again, worrying that I've gone over-the-top and achieved Pollyanna-esque sentiment when I'm aiming for so much more. <br /><br />AnneB -- Thank you for passing this on. I've told my kids this story too.<br /><br />Writing it made me cry a little too -- I felt like such an idiot! I'm SO glad that I wasn't the only one who felt this way.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-23224403325383073232010-02-11T04:03:45.432+00:002010-02-11T04:03:45.432+00:00This had me in tears, Mary. I sent the link to bo...This had me in tears, Mary. I sent the link to both my sons.AnneBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14353297751372957745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-69931495949009714842010-02-10T22:01:24.439+00:002010-02-10T22:01:24.439+00:00What a wonderfully written story - poetic!
And so...What a wonderfully written story - poetic!<br /><br />And so touching.Anne Spollenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12915171740680350711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-10748667592020521782010-02-10T20:59:54.068+00:002010-02-10T20:59:54.068+00:00Kit -- Thank you. We really are lucky, aren't ...Kit -- Thank you. We really are lucky, aren't we? I think about the millions of people who suffered through WWII -- and the ones who are living in the midst of war right now -- and I find myself wondering how long that luck will last.<br /><br />Bish -- Thank you. <br /><br />They were so incredibly helpful and welcoming, which was great. But it was seeing what an impact they'd had on so many other lives that really impressed me. And it has stayed with me all these years. <br /><br />Kim -- Thank you. <br /><br />(Is it still snowing over there? I miss snow...)<br /><br />Elizabeth -- Thank you, too.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-61804026001672380142010-02-10T20:42:59.153+00:002010-02-10T20:42:59.153+00:00Excellent post! I really enjoyed this one.Excellent post! I really enjoyed this one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-7155661633694224942010-02-10T16:27:33.537+00:002010-02-10T16:27:33.537+00:00Beautifully written and a wonderful sentiment :)Beautifully written and a wonderful sentiment :)Kim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-37969762851156964592010-02-10T13:41:55.298+00:002010-02-10T13:41:55.298+00:00I was right there with you. What a beautiful story...I was right there with you. What a beautiful story. Indeed, you were blessed to have found your way to them. It was meant to be.Bish Denhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13359927719391990534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-86135441440407291022010-02-10T13:41:27.324+00:002010-02-10T13:41:27.324+00:00What a gorgeous story and how wonderful to find th...What a gorgeous story and how wonderful to find them exactly when you needed them.<br />We are so lucky to be able to travel and meet people without the barriers of wartime.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11594062064082350697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-38324416750231721822010-02-10T07:21:36.068+00:002010-02-10T07:21:36.068+00:00Helen -- They really did have such a good impact o...Helen -- They really did have such a good impact on everyone that stayed with them, I'm sure. There are a lot of great people in Japan and I'm glad I've met so many, but that couple were something special.<br /><br />Vijaya -- It's easy to forget how lucky we are to live in the time we live in, isn't it? That was the first time it struck me how lucky our generation had it. <br /><br />And thank you for saying that about my book! I'll keep trying.<br /><br />Blythe -- Thank you for saying that, but I'm squirming now: my generosity and goodness are poor things when I compare them to the superior stuff I see around me. Like that couple in Shikoku, for instance. They were an inspiration.<br /><br />Postman -- Thank you for those kind words. I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, but whenever I tried, I didn't feel I could do the couple justice. I STILL don't feel like I've done this justice, but it'll have to do as it is. That my readers got this really means a lot to me.<br /><br />Robert -- I had that happen a few times myself, though usually not in the town where we lived (it's too hard to keep that sort of thing up all the time!) I encountered a lot of kindness (and occasional unkindness too) during my time in Japan, but those people I met in Shikoku were utterly memorable and special. <br /><br />Amber -- Thank you. You've spent time in Japan too, haven't you? I wish I could go back myself. <br /><br />Robin -- If Alex ever goes to Japan, I guarantee you, he won't come back. We wanted to import a Japanese bathtub back to the U.K. It makes you feel so clean and relaxed and it warms you through and through.<br /><br />Meg -- Size 24! In fact, when I shop for shoes now, I have trouble remembering whether I'm 6 or 7. But 24 nails it. <br /><br />You've spent a long time studying Japanese, haven't you? I would love to trade stories. <br /><br /><br />Charles -- If people were like that all over the world, we'd be hard put to fight over anything. Thank you for your kind words.<br /><br />Carolie -- Thank God you're okay! I've been thinking about you, wondering where you'd ended up. I will send you an email soon. I can imagine how hard it was for you to leave Nagasaki!<br /><br />And two cats in a hotel? I have a feeling my daughter will have a lot to share with you on that score...<br /><br />AP -- I'm so glad that I have a good sample of readers here who have spent time in Japan. Thank you for stopping by.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-2302924803449277422010-02-10T06:49:49.079+00:002010-02-10T06:49:49.079+00:00Wonderful story...
I have traveled by myself quit...Wonderful story... <br />I have traveled by myself quite often in Japan with no language skills beyond basic and I have only been met with kindness. <br />I am now trying to learn Japanese but goodness my brain is in a fog !<br /><br />cheers...angryparsniphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17236094827257446781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-965824120120454342.post-40216702240097091282010-02-10T04:17:37.215+00:002010-02-10T04:17:37.215+00:00Oh dear, Mary...your stories are so poignant and b...Oh dear, Mary...your stories are so poignant and beautiful and you write them so well! You've brought me to tears, again! I envy your experiences and your gifts. <br /><br />Yes, I'm still alive, though still homeless -- we left Japan (me sobbing the whole time!) and made it to Virginia, spent a week and a half looking at houses, and are now visiting relatives in Minnesota and Nevada before heading back to Virginia. We two and the two cats will be living in a hotel for another month or so, unfortunately -- but I look forward to finally finding some down time during which I can write to you!Caroliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11637418089860927715noreply@blogger.com