AMAZINGgrace
Appreciating the Koi Fish would always come home refreshed, energized and not an annoying nag to my family (hehehe!).
by Mae Grace Parks and gardens are some of life’s most important inventions. It is not a coincidence that life started out in a Garden. We are meant to live in nature and to appreciate all of creation in this wonderful setting. Presently, what we have though are just glimpses of the original Eden. Nonetheless, these places are where we go for fresh air, to unwind, to go back to our most pure and unaffected nature, and to quiet down and ease the heart and mind. When I came to Japan, I have developed this habit of passing by parks after work just to sit at a bench and quiet my mind. I discovered that admiring flowers also have left me saturated with happy hormones that I
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Recently, on one of my visits to a nearby park, I noticed a huge fish tank, surrounded by ornamental plants, shrubs and small trees behind an old and traditional sweets shop that I often visit. Funny that I never noticed it here before. Coming closer, I was in for a surprise. Koi fish!!! Huge Koi fish in varied and amazing colors! It was a breathtaking scenery that left me in awe, as I just stood there quietly watching them swim so peacefully in their clean and pure habitat. I was probably so enthralled by them and their quiet, peaceful
demeanor, that I spent a long time just gazing at them and feeling my emotions and body totally relax. Koi in the Japanese psyche is often associated with strength of character, perseverance, accomplishment and success. They also symbolize good fortune and probably because of their long life span are also associated with longevity. Now I understand why Koi would often be the common subject among tattoo enthusiasts young and old because of what they represent. A Japanese garden wouldn’t be complete without a Koi pond. There are Koi breeders all over the world but nothing compares to the best breeders found in Japan, especially in the Niigata area where Koi breeding is taken very seriously. What makes Koi so special is their coloring and lineage. Did you know that an average Koi fish sells from $10 dollars to more than a hundred dollars? That a Koi colored white with large red patches would cost $3,000 while a
July - August 2021
