Ohayo,
The weeks need to stop passing so quickly. I talked more about my feelings in my last weekly post and I still have the same worries then as I do now.
This week honestly was difficult for me. Finding a balance between doing school work and taking advantage of my time in Hiroshima has been a challenge. I had my progress report due earlier this week, I had to make some serious progress on the book cataloging, finish my weekly blog, and I had to do some preparation for August 6th. It began as a busy week for me.
August 6th was the anniversary of the A-bomb. We were able to attend the peace ceremony in Peace Memorial Park and I am very grateful for that experience. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Honestly, the whole day was so surreal that I did not even notice the heat.
The ceremony included a variety of speeches and call of action for nuclear abolition. I enjoyed the speeches from the school children. I appreciate when speeches are not given by politicians but rather individuals who know not much about politics, but know about love and kindness.
After the ceremony, I gave a presentation to the board members of WFC. I told them about my time in Hiroshima, what I had learned, my favorite parts, my research, etc. Right after, we went to a play titled “Grandchildren of Hiroshima”. It was in Japanese but I could still understand what was happening based on the visuals. After that, we attended a gathering of WFC members and read some poems in front of Barbara Reynolds monument. At the end of the night, we attended the lantern ceremony where they put laterns in the river to commemorate the victims of the A-bomb.
Thats the highlight of one my last weeks in Japan! It was such great experience and I loved intereacting with poeple involved with WFC throughout the day.
Mata later,
Zoe