A mute day by the Suma sea

---

He poked a tube down my nose and throat. The screen in front of me displayed some moving respiratory system images. Realizing those were from my own body, and with the itchy feeling caused by the tube, I refrained myself from sneezing or puking in front of the doctor, nurses, and my JTE.

I felt sick on Wednesday, and had completely lost my voice on the second day. So here I was in a clinic in Japan doing endoscopy. "See? Your nasal cavity is intact, but your vocal cord is very red. Try to say 'yeah'", the doctor said. So I tried, the two flaps of my vocal folds vibrated, but refused to close. Air leaking through. I could hardly make a sound.

I went home that day with a pile of medicine and the helplessness knowing that I won't be able to talk for days. "Try not to speak for three days." The doctor said.

Canceled my trip to Fukui, decided to spend my weekend alone on a beach. Saturday I took the train out to Suma beach in Kobe.

And I just chilled. I thought of Maya Angelou, and her poem "Phenomenal Woman".

It goes,

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

For all the phenomenal women out there. Namaste.

---

Photos

Suma
The air is different everywhere I travel.

Gotta love them
Yes,
I always have this major crush on young street musicians...helpless though.

Comments

[Toshi]

hope you get better soon!
Hey sandra! You forget you have the best guide here in Kobe. Next time you come to Kobe, just let me know. I will show you around. Hope you can get your voice back quickly! Take care and keep in touch.