KEIKO KOMA net

17 Apr. 2012

Gastronomic culture

I was invited to the Arab day and tasted a variety of Arab foods that were prepared by each country’s Ambassador’s wife. Everything was delicious and full of love. I recalled that in Bint-Jibeil, Lebanon, a city near the border with Israel, I was invited to have a lunch at the house of a member of Lebanon’s parliament. At that time I was asked to hold our concert event with my poetic narrations entitled “Messages from the Mother earth” at the saddest city destroyed by war that caused numerous victims. Though I narrated poems in Japanese I was very impressed as the local audience understood them as they listened to them out of soul. And after the concert together with all our staff we greatly enjoyed the delicious lunch as I felt love from every dish; this became one of the unforgettable experiences in my life. I realized that they prepared lunch out of deepest wishes and love for their family members so they should have selected the best healthy materials that had a lot of energy, cooked beautifully with care, and prayed for their wellbeing. At today’s reception, each Arab dish was delicious and made me realize love at heart. I felt that we could create a truly good society and communicate with people at heart if we expressed our sincere wishes in this manner, while a traditional Arab dish was an example of its marvelous culture and the richness of people’s heart. I sincerely prayed that a truly peaceful world that would allow people to live a happy life would come on the earliest day possible. This was my deepest wish that I had cherished since childhood. I felt grateful as I came to get acquainted with people in Arab countries with whom our heart was connected to each other’s. I also felt motivated to have an occasion of appreciating foods with my fellows also in Japan while the lunch we had had in Bint-Jibeil permanently remained in my heart as a beautiful memory. I felt grateful to their warm heart. I prayed that people should never be deprived of happiness by any outer forces.