世の中は
地獄の上の
花見かな
Yono naka wa
Jigoku no ue no
Hanami kana
In a world of suffering, even cherry blossoms bloom
-Matsuo Basho
Hi everyone,
Japan is awash in sakura. Blossoming cherry trees line streams, streets, yards, and hillsides. Cherry blossoms infuse sakura-flavored cream puffs, mochi, and ice cream.
I’ve briefly stopped fretting about visas, vaccines, public health, and democracy. Our program is humming, and the Rising Chiefs are building next year’s schedule.
This weekend, we’re in Kanazawa. Since coming to Japan, we’ve seen kabuki in Tokyo and geiko in Kyoto. We cheered the Hanshin Tigers for two innings before a monsoon washed the game away. We visited the Ghibli museum and the Chion-in, Otagi Nenbutu-ji, and Ginkaku-ji temples. We’ve strolled through markets and gardens and along the Tetsukaku No Michi (Philosopher’s Walk). We’ve savored omakase and kaiseki and sipped matcha and miso. As the days pass, the petals are starting to carpet the ground.
I’ll seize this moment to embrace spring and celebrate the beauty of our world, as it is and as we might make it.
Enjoy your Sunday, everyone, and a Happy Passover to all who celebrate.
Yours,
Mark
P.S. I dedicate this Program Director’s Note to my father, Raymond Siegel, who loved beautiful things, especially music. He was a paragon of decency and would have turned 100-years-old yesterday.
P.P.S. What I’m reading:
- Black Americans Are Not Surprised By Christina Greer
- Is This The End of Progress on H.I.V.? By Ruth Madievsky
- The Return of the Great American Stomachache By Deborah Blum
- Animals That Feel the Slice of the Knife By Nicholas Kristof
- The Cost of the Government’s Attack on Columbia By Christopher L. Eisgruber