In Buddhism, now are the days of remembering our ancestors and the deceased. This time is called “Obon”. I, too, from Vienna give lots of thought towards my ancestors with my hands folded together saying “Namu Amida Butsu”.
I think of my ancestors as far back as I can remember, like my grandfather and grandmothers and also those ancestors I never got to meet in person. Especially strong is my memory of my mother, she always was such a positive influence on me and she was my idol and aspiration. How much I love her! I think as a child that was very fortunate. There are also those people without contact to their mothers or having a bad relationship with them. Sadly my mother passed away in 2011 but my memories of her are still so clear and present.
It is so interesting, recently I am surprised how similar my talkníng voice is to my mother’s. Not always but sometimes I really think that way. Also when I am at home in Japan picking up the phone, sometimes the callers were surprised saying “Is that really you, Yuka? Your voice is so similar to your mother’s and I thought she might be alive again”. I also noticed that my cough is similar to hers. Genetics is interesting.
Every day here in Vienna it is hot. The picture above shows one exit at Westbahnhof Vienna (West station Vienna). Some years ago this square was renovated into some kind of Piazza and people like to rest here. By the way I believe those cats are not stray cats. I presume the owner is the city of Vienna. They used to be in another location on Mariahilferstrasse but because of Subway construction (U2) they were forced to relocate. Besides cats on Mariahilferstrasse there are also rabbit and frog figures. They are cute decorations on the street and people can even sit on them. Especially children enoy them. I think it is a popular and good idea.
Here in Vienna it is quite hot every day, daytime maximums are above 30 degrees Celsius almost every day. When it is that hot, people like to eat something cold. That is why I decided to go to an ice cream shop near my place. It is a small shop selling interesting selfmade creations. Unfortunately this year I have noticed many prices of ice cream going up and this shop is no exception. However due to the uniqueness of those creations it serves as a delicacy to be enjoyed rarely and that makes it even more precious. At this shop I found a never before seen beautiful red colour type. It was the rare type Weichsel (Sour cherry/Vistula). I instantly decided to get this flavour.
In my house’s garden in Kochi,Japan there is an old sour cherry tree. It is very old and thin now but a long time ago it was gorgeous and during rainy season bore many beautful fruits. Ever since I was a small child, I witnessed this tree’s growth. My sour cherry tree does not grow tall but stays rather low with widespread branches. Every year I crawled under it and picked many fruits. Those fruits were such beautiful red, glittered almost like jewels to my eyes and it was almost a shame to eat them. Those fruits however could not be described fully as “tastes good” because they had a bitter aftertaste. After sweet pleasure one felt the mouth contracting and had to overcome that sensation. My mother also said one should not eat too many because it may not be good for digestion. Nevertheless for us that tree was very special and positive, because my grandfather (mother’s side) had bought it.
My grandfather (mother’s side) died when I was about three years old and so unfortunately I have almost no memories with him. I heard many stories about him from my mother. According to her I understood he was a great romantic, art lover and especially loved his family. Being entirely self-taught he could play piano, violin, flute and Japanese flute! He also wrote many poems (Haiku) in Japanese style. My mother told me about so many memories how much he had loved me. Sadly I cannot remember exactly but vaguely warmly I still feel that love.
I heard the sour cherry tree in my garden in Kochi was originally brought by my grandfather and so “Weichsel” (sour cherry) is special. When I see or eat “Weichsel” I always feel my soul being filled with consolation and I feel my grandfather’s aura. That “Weichsel” sorbet was so delicious with a natural taste. Its sweet and sour cold was a wonderful refreshment to me being out of breath because of the heat. I felt my grandfather happily watching me with a smile on his face.
Since a few days ago it has gotten quite hot again in Vienna. Daytime maximums are constantly above 30 degrees Celsius. I thought that if it is so hot, I should enjoy it and so I dared to go for a walk.
Now is cherry season in Austria. Please look at the picture abvove. Are they not gorgeous? Those are cherries from Styria, one of the southern provinces of Austria. At a supermarket in Vienna
, they are sold in a large plastic bag and the customer has to put them on the scales to know the exact weight and price. These have a weight of 1162 grams and cost 6.96 Euro. Fortunately I had a 25% discount coupon and so I could buy them at a much cheaper price. For Japanese people this weight and price is extremely astounding. At home I immediately tasted a few, they are firm, juicy and sweet! I can savour this delicacy for many days in a row.
Here in Vienna, the recent heatwave lasting some days is over now and suddenly it has become a little cool. During daytime as well one needs some sleeved clothes. Flowers and trees in the city that were breathless because of the recent heat now sway in the cool breeze.
Here in Vienna it is very hot every day. Daytime maximums are above 30 degrees Celsius. When I think back on the time I started living in Vienna, I remember it not being like this. I have a feeling that it gets hotter every year. It really is true that global warming exists.
Despite that thanks to a rather dry climate usually residences have no airconditioner. Of course it is very hot inside my apartment but it is bearable. However if it stays this hot for an extended period of time, shopping at locations with airconditioning calms me down. Especially as in the picture above, looking at vegetables and fruits at a cool supermarket also cools me down as well. I think watermelons are from Asia. Recently they can be seen much more often at supermarkets here in Vienna as well. In Japan watermelon is one typical example of summer fruits. I remember my childhood when I joyfully ate chilled watermelon with my family. That seems so familiar to me.
Starting a few days ago, it has been quite hot in Vienna. The highest estimated temperature will be over 30 degrees Celsius and very dry. Out on the street it feels like being in an oven. It is said that the middle of the week will see the highest temperatures of this heatwave. Mist in the streets provides coolness. Many people enjoy to cool down passing by under those poles.
Today is the public holiday “Fronleichnam” (Feast of body of Christ). Almost all the shops are closed and very few people are out on the streets. I went for a short walk but what a heat! Early evening some short showers came down and then it cooled down a little. I feel Summer’s approaching aura already.
You must be logged in to post a comment.