What Do Deer, Buddha, and a Wooden Temple have in Common?

All three are located in the historic city of Nara, Japan and all three are tourist destinations.  Yes, even the deer.  The deer are considered sacred messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion so are found nearly everywhere in this sacred city, many waiting for a handout from willing tourists. 

The Sika deer roam the huge park which contains temples and museums aplenty as well as the largest wooden structure in the world, the Todaiji Temple.  The Temple first built in the early 700s was actually more grand then the existing Temple of 1709.  (The current building was finished in 1709, and although immense—57 m long and 50 m wide—it is actually 30% smaller than its predecessor. Nevertheless, the Daibutsuden is considered the largest building in the world made primarily of wood.)

As if the deer and the largest wooden structure in the world aren't enough, there's more.  The Todaiji Temple houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana!  This 52 foot high statue was completed in 751 AD after three years of casting work.  Documentation states that over 2,6000,000 people worked on the immense temple and Buddha, and that the project nearly bankrupted Japan's economy, consuming most of the available bronze of the time.

And those sacred Sika deer of Nara?

"On our way to the shrine, many deer appeared in the morning darkness. This is a sign from the gods and a good omen. People say that when one encounters deer, he or she should get out of the carriage and bow to them."

— From Gyokuyo by Kujo Kanezane of the 12th century

You Will See the Church

"Walk to the train station in Copenhagen; take the train to a town one hour west of the city; catch the bus to the village; get off at the F5 stop and you can see the church.  The sexton will meet you there."  No problem.  Trains and buses--the transportation of Europe.  Perfect!

The train ride from Copenhagen was uneventful.  We got off the train in a tiny station to catch the local bus.  The bus wound its way through the picturesque village and into the countryside.  Home became more sparse and the happily grazing cows more common.  When our stop, F5, was announced, we alighted at what appeared to be a crossroads of two local roads at best and two farm lanes at most.  "Get off the bus at stop F5 and you will see the church" were the directions.

We stepped off the bus, expecting a church building to have miraculously appeared at the crossroads'  however, there seemed to be no church in sight.  Was this the right stop?

Yes, there it was --a simple white-steepled church set in a lush pasture of gently waving grass a half mile or so away.  A narrow paved road wound its way past the contented cows to the perfectly quiet, perfectly serene, perfectly perfect little Danish church--unimposing in its welcome, unpretentious in its simple reflection of God's glory!

Raw Octopus or Zwiebel mit Speck

After concert parties and receptions are a time to relax and get to know fellow organists and music-lovers--a time to sample the culture--a time to suspend language barriers--a time to laugh and make lasting memories--and a time to share unique and unimaginable foods.

I recall my first taste of caviar in an Austrian town hall;  raw eggs, fish and even octopus (no, it did not stick to my tongue but it sure was hard to swallow) in Tokyo; zwiebel mit speck (intense onion and barely cooked bacon) in a Hungarian village;  dried fish blood curry (a Sri Lankan specialty);  tea, strong tea and even stronger tea (a given in Zimbabwe--or was that Sri Lanka or England or Australia or New Zealand).

I remember my first and probably the best chai ever at a resort in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, just after the boa constrictor and cobra show (were those snakes really crawling around under the chairs?);  cream, cream, and more cream (even the ice cream was covered in cream) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe;  Kobe beef (the specialty of a French restaurant) in Tokyo where choosing which fork to use and how to use it was a challenge for our Japanese hosts.

Music, friends, food--life!

The Indian Ocean and The Elephant

Walking the pristine beach near Galle, Sri Lanka one hot sunny afternoon, my friends and I happened upon a man and his "working" elephant.  We managed to communicate with various signs and a few words that if I would buy several bananas for his elephant, he would let me ride this magnificent creature.

Eagerly I bought a huge bunch of bananas, ensuring a long ride on this gigantic but somehow contented and kind looking animal.  The elephant's owner patiently showed me how to climb aboard his charge.

Awkwardly and not the least bit gracefully, this very white woman in a brightly colored swimsuit made her way to the heights of the gentle elephant.  Sitting directly behind its ears and hanging on for dear life, the elephant and I, with encouragement from his keeper began our adventure.  We made our way down the beach and out into the ocean and back to the beach, stopping only when the rough trunk reached back to remind me that he was in the rather embarrassing situation (of having a gangly-legged woman perched on his back) for only one reason--another tasty banana.  Up close and personal with "my" elephant!