The title just about sums up the content of this post.
I was away for almost the whole of August on deputation to New Delhi, and avoided the hot summer in Japan. Yes, it is quite hot and humid in summer – July and August – with the mercury rising to nearly 38 degrees Celsius. New Delhi was much cooler at about 27 degrees, and I feasted myself to fruits like papaya, pear, sapota and apples. I continued with my Yoga early mornings at that delightful park amidst pigeons, parrots and squirrels!
A pigeon making a safe landing!
Peaceful co-existence with mynas also joining the party – New Delhi Park
Where else can you find a scene like this but in India? Home to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and other religions that co-exist peacefully (relatively and most of the time!).
I snapped some flowers to at this park – probably the spider lily and some irises. Here they are:
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Lily and iris?
I returned home to Japan at the end of the month surprised to see most of my vegetables intact and plants maintained well through watering everyday by the landlord! The result was a bountiful harvest all on a single day!
Bountiful harvest
Yes, I reaped a lot of green pepper, eggplants, tomatoes, and some Molokheiya leaves (good for soup), bitter gourd, and another variety of gourd and a cucumber. Thanks to Seto-san and Utiyama-san, my local friends who kept my vegetable garden alive in my absence.
And here is another close-up of the fresh veggies that delighted me:
Close-up showing two varieties of gourds
And a close-up of green peppers that I had planted in my home garden
Meanwhile, I was also happy that my home garden was diligently watered throughout the summer (although I had a heck of a time pulling out the weeds!). Here are some blooms that brought me cheer.
The lovely Rose of Sharon
Another variety of the Rose of Sharon (with pink petals)
The exquisitely shaped Abutilon with its head bowed
Yes, I had to look up from below to take this snap. This is a shy flower and keeps its head down.
Dense growth of Morning Glory and Bitter Gourd
I had strung up the net in front of the windows and planted the Morning Glory and Bitter Gourd plants before leaving for India. They had not been led properly and the result was a dense bush. The space inside remains cool during the hot summer, so I’m happy.
Here are some other blooms from my home garden:
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Clockwise from top hosta, morning glory, fragrant ginger lily, and three-together morning glories
I must admit that the ginger lily is one of my prized possessions in the home garden. When I stand by it at night, a gentle breeze brings the delicate fragrance up and keeps me happy!
Coming to the last part of my post, namely “history in the making,” I was in New Delhi when a simple man, a soldier who fought for India, and well-known mostly in his village and his state of Maharashtra as a social worker who uplifted the residents of his village to a better life, announced that he was sick of corruption among politicians and would fast unto death unless the government took measures to accept a bill drawn up by him against corruption and vote on it. This man, Anna Hazare, suddenly struck a chord with people from all walks of life in India; the poor, the middle class, the actors, the engineers, the IT personnel – almost everyone. He had nothing to gain – he did not belong to any political party; he was not in it for money; he just wanted corrupt people brought to justice. I was in New Delhi when he began the fast; and I thought to myself that here was another Gandhi and history was being made. I agreed with all that he had said. It seems that if all the wealth stashed away by corrupt persons in India in Swiss banks was returned and distributed to the poor, poverty could be eliminated in India. I don’t know how far this is true but thinking out loud – why can’t some bright Indian (I know that you are out there!) set up a bank in India that accepted only funds from rich people in Switzerland – no questions asked! Hey! After collecting these funds, the bank could lend the money at low rates of interest to Indian entrepreneurs, who I’m sure could make better chocolates and watches and give the Swiss a run for their own money! Any takers?
Until the next post, have a great day!
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