Category: Religion

CategoriesEssay Inner GPS Life Memories Mental Health Religion

The End of My Open-mindedness

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“If you’re too open-minded; your brains will fall out.”― Lawrence Ferlinghetti I used to enjoy my open-mindedness. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, and religion, I open-mindedly allowed everyone to have a space in my life. My former best friend was a Muslim, and despite our religious and ethical disagreements, we enjoyed our cross-cultural friendship that lasted about five years. Due to his job as a tour guide, he occasionally travels back and forth between Japan and his home country, Indonesia. Every time we meet, not only did we exchange our languages but also exchanged kindness. When he married a wife, he brought her all the way to Japan, and I … Continue ReadingThe End of My Open-mindedness

CategoriesEmotions Essay Inner GPS Kanagawa Life Photography Religion Shonan

Open-Letter: A Creed For Those Who Have Suffered

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“Without suffering, there’d be no compassion.” ― Nicholas Sparks, A Walk to Remember Dear someone in the world, If you run into this post by chance, nice to meet you. Wherever you’re now at this moment, I sincerely hope you’re doing well. Especially under the current circumstances where our lives are significantly restricted due to the global pandemic and are a far cry from what it used to be, we may need to pray for and support each other spiritually despite our distances more than ever. Think like this. We all are the crew of Spaceship Earth. We’re all together here. What is happening on the other side of the … Continue ReadingOpen-Letter: A Creed For Those Who Have Suffered

CategoriesEssay Food Friendship Inner GPS Life Photography Religion Tokyo

Connecting Indonesia Japan

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“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead Walk beside me… just be my friend” ― Albert Camus Connecting Indonesia Japan – that’s his motto. If you have been reading my blog’s posts, probably you already know him. Hasnul Zainal Tamin likes Japan, and as a travel guide, his enthusiasm towards my country has driven him to travel between Indonesia and Japan as frequent as every month. His knowledge about Japan, therefore, is even deeper than the average Japanese. Having guided a number of Indonesian tourists all across Japan for many years, he especially knows about the country’s major cities … Continue ReadingConnecting Indonesia Japan

CategoriesChurch Decorations Flower Louisiana Photography Religion

Chapel of the Madonna

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“My alone feels so good, I’ll only have you if you’re sweeter than my solitude.” ― Warsan Shire In August, I came back to the United States after a temporary stay in Japan. Since I had a chance to visit a special little place in my area on Sunday, I felt I need to write about it. Located across the street from the Mississipi River, Chapel of the Madonna silently stands, offering its past tales to those who visit the beautiful little sanctuary. The chapel was build in 1903 by Anthony Gullo, a poor sugar farmer, who prayed to the Virgin Mary for the recovery of his sick child. He … Continue ReadingChapel of the Madonna

CategoriesIslam Photography Religion Tokyo

Tokyo Camii

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“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” ― Albert Einstein As a Catholic, one of the rarest things to do is visiting a mosque. Despite my Japanese nationality, I’m Catholic – I know it’s strange; it’s my family’s tradition back to my grandparents’ generation. Anyways, as long as living in the Greater Tokyo Region, you have a plenty of opportunities to participate in a constellation of international events and activities, thanks to a multitude of foreigners living in the megalopolis. I was invited by my Indonesian friend who was temporarily coming back to Japan for a couple of weeks to attend what they call breakfasting – a break from fasting, … Continue ReadingTokyo Camii