Power. Wealth. Position. This can be abused in many parts of the world. It can rid people of their own happiness, as the value of what really matters in life can be trapped under the greedy hands of communism. If we take them all out of the equation, what remains? The power of relationships between family and friends as well as one’s dreams and ambitions. Ultimately, I believe the focal point of our lives is centred on love.

Sometimes, I forget to realise how fortunate I am until I read real life accounts of people who are suffering under communism. North Korean defector Yeon-Mi Park reveals the world she lived in, under the all powerful communist regime of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Un. In this book ‘In order to live’ , she writes openly of the dangers she and her family have faced in their escape to South Korea.

I will not reveal any spoilers as I would like you to discover for yourself her reality, that I found hard to accept, leading me to tears knowing she would do anything out of her love for her family, to escape this dreaded nightmare, many cannot wake up from till this day forward.

I found it hard to keep reading for long lengths of time because each page carried the weight of burden. As each burden was encountered, I tensed up and only wished this book was fictional. Though, the element of surprise would take me by surprise as glimmers of hope would shine through the cracks of mystery. As a new world was opening before her, so did she come to realise the fog blinding her way, the codes cracked, and a trail to freedom lay ahead of her.

I was horrified, shocked, disgusted by the ordeals she and her family went through, as my respect for them all heightened to the point where I felt we have so much to be thankful for. So little to complain about in comparison to a restricted culture as North Korea, where everything seems so normal to them given the way they had been brought up. In Yeon-Mi’s case, underneath everything, her sixth sense worked in her favour as she battled with pride and dignity to fulfil a dream that remained a pipe dream for so long. And that dream was to be free.

Gamsahamnida.

Painting of sunrise on the ocean around 5am. I used watercolour. The view was mesmerising. Pretty heavenly. They are the boat waves produced by the way hehe.. we went 1 hour 1/2 into the ocean super fast.

Everyone did so well. We were super patient and just kept fishing with a lot of faith that the ocean would open up and bring much joy to us. And it did. We all got big ones 😉 , it was fun. One time , one of us got a hammer head shark onto the boat. Never have I felt so tense in so long. It certainly hammered around! It rightfully went back into the water haha.

Altogether we all caught 12 fish 🙂 Miwa caught the long fish on the first day! Woop!! (2nd last pic) . She gave us hope for the next day 🙂

Thought I would make a cake for friends tonight,and wanted to share this yummy tutorial with you. This is from the amazing Hummingbird Bakery recipe book. This apple streusel cake is nice, moist and fluffy! ENJOY 🙂

(P.S final post of Japan coming soon)

✨I forgot to mention you must put 140g plain flour in! ✨

I will never forget my time in Kumamoto. The heartistic nature of the Japanese people who took care of us will never be forgotten and engrained in my memory. The whole string of activities that we were fortunate to experience brought much excitement and enriched my time in Japan. The main activity we got involved in was the Peace Road.

The Peace Road project involved cycling for peace across the world, Korea and Japan in particular. This project was taking place across Japan as well as Korea. It was a privilege to be involved in this. There were a few cyclists that would cycle every few kilometres and then would change over with a different few. I was able to cycle once and offer my efforts. It was stunning to cycle among the beautiful landscape of Kumamoto. To be part of a team of dedicated individuals, the team spirit was in top form and it was a meaningful offering to peace. It was recognised by the local city hall leader.

Brother and sister cycling

Rice fields

In Kumamoto we were also able to discover the beautiful landscapes and I was so overwhelmed by how much vegetation there was! Super green! I was so thrilled at how intensely green it was. It was rather breathtaking, I must say!. I’ve never in my life seen so much green. We were taken to Mount Aso, to marvel at its beauty. And it sure is beautiful. Mount Aso is the largest active volcano in Japan. It’s peak is 1,592 metres above sea level. I was surprised to see there is a town nearby where people live! Brave.

One day, we gave an English lesson to the mini Kumamoto children and how cute were they?! They were super cute! The lesson went well as they were able to have fun and have a lot of laughs. I think this image just screams CUTENESS OVERLOAD

We went to a festival in Kumamoto, which was so fun. Everyone was in happy spirits. I could really enjoy the joyful atmosphere, as smiles were exchanged all round among the people of Kumamoto. The stalls were diverse as they offered games , cheap food and entertainment. My ultimate highlight was the Taiko group. Taiko is a traditional Japanese drum. The group used really dynamic choreography as they drummed away to the catchy music. They were so amazing and so talented! I managed to film a whole performance from them. Enjoy 😊.

I honestly felt the inner warrior spirit spread to their fingertips. They drummed like they meant it.

Kumamoto’s mascot Komamon is pictured everywhere. On the buses, on the buildings, in shops. I didn’t get to meet him. He’s a busy bear with many engagements hehe 😉. He is a cutie pie, and everyone knows it.

I want to say a big Thank you for the big love we received from the Japanese people who took good care of us over the 10 days. We felt the love through your smiles, generosity and kindness. Even though language was a barrier somehow we could understand each other through our actions. It goes to show actions speak louder than words. The memories are locked in my heart and will forever be cherished. I shall come again soon. I miss you all.