The rain finally stopped on Wednesday, though it returned Friday, and I went for a walk in my neighbourhood. I was curious about where I live. I went for a bike ride the following night. The walk was beautiful. I started out as the sun was going down, and as I walked in the dusk I was joined by several flitting bats. I love the bats. They're harmless, and to me that's one of the things that makes Japan Japan. Not that there aren't bats at home, just that I never see them there. So the bats entertained me as I ogled my neighbors' homes. Most of them look to be quite new. Some of them also have very nice yards. The neighborhood is quite eclectic. Houses of all ages, apartments, gardens, fields, and shrines all meshed together. The shrines are surrounded by trees, and therefore add spots of nature to the area. The gardens had corn, pumpkins, onions, potatoes, and other things I didn't recognize. There were a few places with corn in them. The shortest corn was a foot tall, and the tallest maybe 4 feet, so that'll give you gardeners some idea of when they plant around here.
As I walked, I came to some rice fields. I was so glad. I love rice fields. Now I feel not so "trapped" in the city. I heard a couple of bullfrogs. They have the neatest voices, and I haven't heard them since last in Japan. When I lived here before, I had rice fields off my balcony, and I would often enjoy listening to the choruses of the bullfrogs and other frogs. So the sound took me back a bit. When I headed home, I tried a different route and managed to find the road my closest supermarket is on. So now I know my neighborhood a bit better.
On my bike ride, I started following the same little river I'd been following during my walk, but decided to go farther. I was sure I had to be close to the bay, and figured the river would lead me to it. I was right. The little river (more of a stream) led to a huge river which I followed to the port. Apparently that port is the one where most of the imported cars arrive. It's very industrial, at least the part I found. But if I keep looking I might find a beach. However, I'm not sure I'll have time since I need to use my weekends to visit the various friends I want to see around the country, and between rainy days and a 7:30pm sundown, I won't have much time to explore during the week. I should have come in fall.
Anyway, as I walked and rode, I totally reconnected with my love for this place. I love the natural beauty of this place. It's a little harder to find here than where I was before, but it's here. I wondered what it is about the nature that captivates me so. And then this thought came to me. Maybe it's because nature here is singing, even screaming, out God's praises. That's what always got me growing up in the Canadian prairie, maybe that's what's attracting me to nature here. And perhaps, since when man is silent the rocks will cry out to praise the Creator, nature is singing God's praises even more loudly in this country than in my own. There aren't many people here who will even acknowledge the Creator, nevermind praise him. Perhaps nature is stepping in to fill the gap.
Whatever the case, this place is beautiful. I love it.
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