Spanish Moss
Golden Week
Diamonds
Orient/Occident/Paradise
"Japanese" Restaurant
Daruma
Long and Short Names #1
Long and Short Names #2
Happy News
Chickens
"Highs"
Dining Room Conversations
Penney Buddies

Spanish Moss
01/05/02

In this Penney Retirement Community, residents are encouraged to take part in volunteer activities that serve the community and reduce the need for more paid employees. One of my volunteer activities is to work with a group of men in the PRC cemetery every Monday morning for two hours to keep the grass mowed, bushes trimmed and grave markers in good condition. There, I often trim bushes and scrape off or pull off such parasitic growths as lichen and Spanish moss. I had to ask the name of the green, fungus-type growth called "lichen", but I had seen the gray, threadlike stems of Spanish moss drooping in long, densely matted clusters from trees in Hawaii as well as in Florida. It is interesting that the Chinese characters used in the Japanese translation of "lichen" literally mean "earth garment". I am not sure of the relation of Spanish moss to Spain, but I recall other words used to designate something unfavorable that contain the name of a country or area from which it supposedly came. They include such illnesses as Asian flu and German measles and such pesky pests as Japanese beetles. Whether or not moss is considered something good and beautiful or bad and despicable depends on one's perspective and cultural background as seen in the different interpretations given to the English proverb, "A rolling stone gathers no moss". Those who consider moss a hindrance see this proverb as a call to keep active, busy and moving from place to place. But those who appreciate the beauty of moss interpret the proverb to mean one should stay settled in one place. Which interpretation do you prefer? (262)

Golden Week
01/05/04

From ancient times, gold has been considered a very precious metal, so the term "golden" has been applied to things of great value or importance. A "golden age" is a time of peace, prosperity and happiness, but the particular period so designated depends on the nation involved. This week in Japan is known as "golden week" because there are a number of holidays in it and, in years gone by, it was an especially prosperous time for the owners of movie theaters. This year, there are legal holidays on April 29th and 30th, May 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th. Also, May 1st is a special day for workers. April 29th was the birthday of the late emperor. While he was alive, that holiday was called "Emperor's Birthday", but since his death,12 years ago, the name was changed to "Green Day" and attention is directed to the natural greenery of the world around us. Since April 29th falls on a Sunday this year, the following day is observed as a "substitute holiday". May 3rd is Constitution Day, commemorating the day in 1947 when Japan's new Constitution went into effect. May 5th is Children's Day. Traditionally, this was Boy's Day, even as March 3rd was Girl's Day. In recent years, May 4th has also been declared a public holiday to provide a longer period of relaxation and, this year, May 6th is a Sunday, which extends the "golden week" even further. In the United States, the strait leading into San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean is called the "Golden Gate" and the teaching of Jesus, in Matthew 7:12, that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us is commonly called the "golden rule". (273)

Diamonds
01/05/06

Silver is another precious metal, but it ranks below gold in its value. In the Olympics, winners receive a gold medal and those coming in second receive a silver medal. Likewise, a "silver age" is less auspicious than a "golden age". It has become customary to relate certain metals or gems to certain anniversaries. The most widely recognized ones are the "golden" and "silver" anniversaries which are the fiftieth and twenty-fifth anniversaries respectively. Diamonds are associated with a seventy-fifth anniversary, but needless to say, few couples celebrate their "diamond wedding anniversary". The primary meaning of "diamond" is a mineral, the hardest natural substance known, which is also considered a gemstone. "Diamond" also denotes a certain shape, having four equal sides with two wide angles and two narrow ones. Because of its shape, the baseball playing field is called a "diamond" and that is also the name given to a group of playing cards that contain a diamond-shaped figure on them. This Penney Retirement Community is in the process of celebrating its "diamond anniversary" this year, for it was founded by J. C. Penney in 1926. The weekend of April 27, 28 and 29 featured various activities, exhibits and programs to mark the beginning of a year-long celebration of the "Diamond Jubilee Anniversary". A person who obviously has great ability but lacks training may be called "a diamond in the rough" and in the classical English translation of the Bible, a diamond was included in the breastplate of the high priest (Exodus 28:18), but later translations used different words for that gem. (274)

Orient/Occident/Paradise
01/05/09

According to an ancient Chinese document, in the year 607 a letter from the Japanese ruler was delivered to the ruler of China that began: "The Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets." The Chinese ruler considered this description of the two countries unacceptable for it seemed to imply the superiority of Japan. In modern English, the words "orient" and "occident", derived from Latin words referring to the "rising" and "setting" of the sun, denote countries of the east and countries of the west with no implication of superiority or inferiority. In fact, although Japan is located in the "Orient", it lies to the west of America and although the United States is in the "Occident", it is located east of Japan. In Japanese, it is common to use the Chinese characters literally meaning "rice country" for the United States and the technological preeminence of the West is generally recognized. This is not related, however, to the conception of the major Japanese Buddhist sect that the "pure land", "paradise", "the abode of the departed" is in the west. In fact, the two times in the year when day and night are equal, (the "equinoxes") are holidays in Japan when family graves are visited and memorial services for the departed are held because on those days the sun sets directly in the west. "Paradise", from a Persian word for an enclosed garden or park used by Persian kings, was used by Greek translators of the Old Testament for the Garden of Eden in the first book of the Bible (Genesis 2:8) and for the abode of God and of the righteous dead in the last book (Revelation 2:7). (264)

"Japanese" Restaurant
01/05/11

There is an eighty-three-year-old resident of this retirement community who had a stroke a couple of years ago. As one of my volunteer activities, on Friday mornings, I push him in his wheelchair to the Fitness Center, where he makes use of exercise machines to strengthen his muscles. He has an interest in orchids which he used to grow in a greenhouse. Therefore, when we were informed of a special exhibit featuring orchids in the city of Jacksonville, about one hour away by car, we decided to take him there after his workout at the Fitness Center. We were able to collapse his wheelchair and put it in the back seat beside my wife. After looking at the exhibit, we decided to stop for lunch at a Japanese restaurant on the way home since he also had worked in a mission office in Tokyo and taught in a school in Yokohama. In the restaurant, there was a sushi bar and a separate section where meals are cooked by chefs on large, flat, metal griddles in front of the diners. The restaurant employees were all Oriental, but when I spoke in Japanese to the waitress and the chef, they did not understand. I was told that there were Koreans, Chinese and other Asian nationalities on the staff, but surprisingly, there were no Japanese. The Chinese chef did a good job of cutting up and frying our meat and vegetables which we enjoyed along with the soup, steamed rice and green tea, all of which reminded us of Japan--as did the faces of the workers, which most diners would think were Japanese. And I was reminded of the fact that many of us may appear to others to be different than we really are. (268)

Daruma
01/05/13

This message was inspired by a recent visit to a Japanese restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. The name of the restaurant was "Daruma". When my wife and I saw the name of that restaurant, we were reminded of the sushi restaurants in a couple of cities in Aichi Prefecture in Japan where we had served churches. This name is derived from a Sanskrit word denoting Buddhist teaching and was part of the name of the Buddhist patriarch, Bodhidharma, who established Zen Buddhism in China. It is said that this monk sat facing a wall in meditation for nine years and, as a result, lost the use of his legs. Nowadays, when most Japanese people hear the word "daruma", they think of a doll with no arms or legs, representing this monk. Weighted at the bottom, when this tumbler doll is tipped over, it always returns to an upright position, symbolizing patience, perseverance and an undaunted spirit, in keeping with the Japanese proverb "fall seven times, rise eight times". The round, roly-poly doll has two large, white eyes. Some people paint in the black pupil in one of the eyes when they make a wish and will paint in the pupil in the other eye if the wish comes true. In recent years, it has become customary for political candidates to paint in one of the eyes of a large daruma doll at the beginning of an election campaign and paint in the other eye at a special celebration if their campaign is successful. Wishes do not always come true; all candidates are not elected. But it is comforting to have faith in a righteous God of love who is in control of events and who will finally work out all things for a good purpose. (269)

Long and Short Names #1
01/05/16

"The long and the short" is a well-known English expression. In fact, it is so often used that one reference book calls it "a hackneyed phrase". "Hackneyed" is defined as "overused and thus cheapened, trite". "The long and the short" means the substance, gist or basic point of something. Today's message, however, is related to long and short names. Of the 190 countries in the United Nations, which one do you think has the longest name in its English form and which ones have the shortest names? There are fifty states in the U. S. A. Among those whose names you know, which ones have the most letters and which ones have the fewest? I will give my answer to these questions in the following message, but I would like to know your opinion about this experiment of posing a question in one message and then supplying the answer in a subsequent message. What do you think about it? You may express your opinion by writing in the "Guestbook" on the homepage or sending me an e-mail directly. I would like to know the reaction of many readers. You may be surprised to know that the original, long name of the third largest city in the U. S. A. was El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles de Porciuncula. This was the Spanish name given to a settlement on the Pacific Ocean by a Spanish explorer in 1679. In Spanish, it means The Town of Our Lady of the Angels of the Little Portion. In this case, "our Lady" was the Virgin Mary and "the Little Portion" was the name of a Franciscan shrine which was also given to a nearby river. Later, that name was shortened to Los Angeles, which, in Spanish, means "The Angels". (271)

Long and Short Names #2
01/05/18

This message contains answers to questions posed in the previous message. If you did not read that message, you may want to read it before reading this one. According to the reference book I have on hand, the country with the longest name in English is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which has 45 letters in its name. In the list, in English, of members of the United Nations, there are ten nations whose unofficial names have only four letters in them. I wonder how many of them you can locate geographically. Their names are Chad, Cuba, Fiji, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Mali, Oman, Peru and Togo. There are three states in the U. S. A. which have 13 letters in their names. They are Massachusetts, North Carolina and South Carolina. And the three states with only four letters in their names are Iowa, Ohio and Utah. For your further information, there is only one state whose name is just one syllable. Do you know the name of that state? Known as the Pine Tree State, it is located on the northeastern tip of the country. People who live there probably consider it the main state, for it is the state of Maine. Incidentally, the longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched." In regard to long or short prayers, Jesus taught that short prayers are preferable (Matthew 6:7; Luke 20:40). Please inform me of your reaction to this experiment of posing a question in one message and giving the answer in a subsequent one--along with any other comments or suggestions you have about these messages. You may do so by writing in the Guestbook or sending an e-mail message directly to me. (272)

Happy News
01/05/21

If I am at home in the evening, I try to listen to a short-wave radio broadcast in Japanese from 6:00 to 7:00 o'clock (Eastern Daylight Saving Time). That is the regular program of Japanese news which is broadcast in Japan from 7:00 to 8:00 in the morning of the following day. Along with other news, I am informed of the results of sumo matches and baseball games and how major league baseball players from Japan are doing in this country. Recently, the main news story was related to the pregnancy of the crown princess and various ceremonies that will be observed prior to and following the expected birth in late November or early December. The day after listening to that happy news on the radio, our morning newspaper included a major article related to it and the joyful atmosphere in Japan where an heir to the imperial throne is now eagerly anticipated. Princess Masako, a graduate of Harvard University, is 37 years old and married the crown prince about eight years ago. On another page of that same newspaper there was a short, less conspicuous article about a birth that occurred in the American state of Massachusetts. These two articles indicate some differences between Japan and the U. S. A. The 36-year-old mother who gave birth to twin girls the night before is the governor of that state, the country's youngest governor and the first woman in the nation's history to give birth while serving as a state governor. The future of these baby girls is unclear, but if the crown princess gives birth to a girl, there is a rumor that the Japanese Constitution may be changed to permit her to become the empress. (278)

Chickens
01/05/23

In the backyard of my childhood home there was a chicken coop. Everyday someone went to that coop to feed the chickens and to collect the eggs. At times, chickens not only provided eggs for our family, they provided the meat as well. Although I enjoyed eating the meat, I did not like to see my father take a hatchet and cut off a chicken's head. There are a number of expressions related to chickens. A person who is timid or afraid may be called "chicken" and both "chicken-hearted" and "chicken-livered" mean cowardly or timid. "Chicken feed" denotes a trifling amount of money. The question "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" is often used to conclude a non-productive exchange of circular reasoning. And as a warning against speaking or acting as if something were already obtained before it actually was, we advise "Don't count your chickens before they are hatched". Regarding the person who is suffering because of his sins or foolish deeds, we may say that "His chickens have come home to roost". A young chicken may be called a "chick", which is also used for the young of other birds and even for a human child or young woman. In the Bible, the only place where chickens or chicks are mentioned is in the words of Jesus as he was approaching the city of Jerusalem, where he would be arrested, tried and executed. Both his disappointment and compassion are reflected in these words in Matthew 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." (266)

"Highs"
01/05/25

A common, informal greeting in America is the simple word "hi", spelled h-i. When an e is added to this word, a new word with the same pronunciation is formed. "Hie" means "to go quickly, hasten". When the letters g-h are added, we gain yet a third word with the same pronunciation having a variety of meanings. When speaking of distance, "high" denotes something of great elevation, such as a "high mountain". When speaking of sound, a "high voice" has a shrill, piercing tone. A person who is in a superior position may be called a "high official". One with an exemplary character may be said to have "high morals" but "high treason" is a very serious offense. In regard to price, something expensive is "high" and "high living" is used for a person living in luxury. An intoxicated person may be said to be "high" and an excited person has "high spirits". A "highball" is not a baseball term but a kind of liquor and a "highlight" may denote an outstanding event or occurrence. As a verb, however, "highlight" means "to make prominent, emphasize." When using a computer, we highlight passages we wish to erase or copy. A recent highlight in our lives was the visit of my elder brother and his wife. They drove here on the highway and while they were here we had some high-flown, high-minded conversations. In the Bible, God is said to be "on high" but "he looks upon the lowly" (Psalm 138:6) and according to the word of the Lord found in Isaiah 55:9, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts". (280)

Dining Room Conversations
01/05/27

Residents in this retirement community may go to the dining room for any or all of their daily meals, but my wife and I usually eat only our noon meal there. At the dining room tables, which are square, round or oblong, from four to six people sit and eat together. When we enter the dining room, we pick up a table number at the desk. Then we look around to see if there are any open places at tables of those already seated with whom we would like to eat and talk. When the servers, food and drinks are all ready, the person sitting at the desk begins calling table numbers in chronological order. As each number is called, those seated at the table with that number get up, take a tray and form a line which moves along the counter where the food and drinks are served. At least two kinds of main dishes and a variety of salads, vegetables, desserts and drinks are available. After returning to their table, diners hold hands while one of them offers a prayer of thanks. Since residents have served in a variety of interesting positions in many different countries or areas in the United States, stimulating conversations are carried on at every meal. Recently while eating at table #4, I noted that that was considered an unlucky number in Japan. After a man who had served in Costa Rica informed us that among Native Americans an owl was a symbol of bad luck, the man sitting next to me informed us that, according to his daughter-in-law, who is Japanese, in Japan, a cricket was a symbol of good fortune. My wife and I were not aware of this even though we had spent most of our lives in Japan. (267)

Penney Buddies
01/05/30

A "bud" is a small swelling on a plant which may develop into a flower. On a tall stalk just outside the window of my study, I can see a couple of pretty red roses and a number of small buds. The expression "nip in the bud" means to stop something at the very beginning. "Bud" is also a slang term for a man or a boy. In this case, it is an abbreviation of "buddy", which may denote a good friend or companion. A "buddy system" is an informal arrangement in which persons are paired for some special purpose and there is a "buddy system" at this Penney Retirement Community. Men and women whose applications for membership have been accepted and who have definite plans to move in are assigned a "Penney Buddy", or a couple of "Penney Buddies", to help them make the move with ease. There are many adjustments to be made by senior citizens when moving into any new community and there are special activities and arrangements here at PRC to which new residents should be introduced. When my wife and I moved here from Japan, our Penney Buddies had been missionaries in Burma who had entered the community a couple of years earlier. Now it is our turn to serve as Penney Buddies to a new couple who previously served in Japan but have now come from Kansas, where the husband has been a seminary professor. Introducing them to facilities, activities, people and customs of this community as well as to shopping places in the surrounding area, we have tried to make them feel at home. Indeed, here we all feel a part of a great, happy family, the "family of God". (282)