Poem by Hiro Kota

 

[New Caledonia: the Island of calm winds]

 

 

 

-------Contents---------------

 

1. [The first day of my arrival]

 

2. [Tropical wind]

 

3. [Stone grill]

 

4. [In the cafeteria]

 

5. [Morning lesson]

 

6. [Aquarium]

 

7. [Dancing with winds]

 

8. [Market]

 

9. [Farewell to]

 

10. [Crepe time]

 

11. [School training]

 

12. [Natural spring]

 

13. [Blanch invitation]

 

14. [Natural balance]

 

15. [Kagu]

 

16. [Riviere Bleue]

 

17. [Captino]

 

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Story of this tropical heaven

 

Begins when one realizes the value of

 

The time

 

countless natural benefits

 

existing and conserved

 

By those who love

 

The gifted natural resources

 

So many years

 

And more importantly

 

For indefinite future

 

for all mankinds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The first day of my arrival]

 

With sleepy eye

 

I changed money to local currency

 

There was no rent a car available for automatic drive

 

So I took a public bus heading to Numea

 

 

Weather is like summer of my country

 

Overlooking from the window of a bulgy bus

 

Difference is along the costal side

 

no tetrapod and no artificial construction

 

One road is divided with no central partition

 

Opposite to ours is right hand drive

 

Infrastructure seems to be well developed

 

Not much trash on the road

 

After one hour drive

 

I found myself in the hotel lobby

 

Four hours before check- in- time

 

gave me a chance to take a walk

 

Along the ocean side

 

people are relaxing

 

under peacefull atmosphere

 

 

 

 

 

[Tropical wind]

 

This is a best location for wind surfers

 

Afternoon winds from one side

 

collected by the large wing

 

stiffly held by them

 

As soon as jumping on the surfboard

 

Winds brings them

 

to other side of beach so promptly

 

 

 

A number of people are bringing

 

their own board

 

Enjoying with children

 

After such parental training

 

kids may become

 

like their father soon

 

Ocean knows that will be true

 

 

 

 

　

 

 

 

[Stone grill]

 

At the day of my arrival to New Caledonia

 

I realized that this is a part of France

 

I walked along the streets

 

where several open restaurants

 

waiting for the guests for dinner

 

Smelling of barbeque like taste

 

I was invited to a seat of this restaurant

 

and ordered 250 grams of stake and green salad

 

Cooling down with sea breeze from the oceans

 

I started with a mix of white wine and Pellegrino

 

my favorite Vienna style drink in summer

 

Waitress brought me law meat

 

on the hot bricks

 

I found that this is not ion block but stone grill

 

Turning the meat to other side

 

so that both side can be grilled evenly

 

Chopping with knife

 

sliced meat are mixed with cheese dip

 

A large bowl of fresh salad also served

 

People looking for the menu of this restaurant

 

Eager to see how I am eating

 

Upon the full of my stomach with meats

 

Today’s work seems to be over

 

 

 

 

　

 

 

 

[In the cafeteria]

 

 

 

In the morning

 

After walking along

 

the beach side

 

Wet shoes left

 

the foot prints on the floor

 

Cafeteria is vacantly quiet

 

Taking Cappuccino

 

to wake up myself

 

as a starter of this morning

 

baked potato, tropical juice

 

and toasts with apricot jam

 

Scramble eggs and fresh tomato

 

All these will be

 

source of today’s energy

 

　

 

 

 

[Morning lesson]

 

Looking through

 

large transparent windows

 

from cafeteria

 

Ladies got together

 

to enjoy their morning lesson

 

of water aerobics

 

Instructor with yellow T-shirts

 

loudly speaking the action

 

to ladies in the swimming pool

 

Those who come late

 

promptly jumped into the group

 

Floating aids

 

helping their weight

 

Many of them may need such aids

 

 

At the end of lesson

 

Children came together

 

with their mother　seem to be feeling

 

relaxed for going home

 

At the end

 

Winds of tropics comfortably blew off

 

all noises　in the swimming pool

 

　

 

 

 

[Aquarium]

 

This tiny aquarium prompted me knowing

 

Such precious creature in the ocean

 

They may appeared in ocean so many years

 

before our origin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical ocean caused bio-diversification

 

upon colors, shapes

 

and inhabitant nature

 

of living organism

 

Amazing coloration and mobile nature of

 

creatures are showing off

 

their existence

 

in artificially surrounded environment

 

a symbol of the nature conservation

 

[

 

 

　

 

 

 

 

 

[Dancing with winds]

 

Rysm and sounds calmly brings

 

Tourists staying hotel

 

for a brief moment of relaxation

 

Peoples are getting together

 

from all over the world

 

watching local dance and music

 

Look like Tahitian or Hawaiian whatever it is

 

Calm wind blows from the ocean side

 

All of sudden　drum sounds and echoing

 

in the hotel building　making sound so loudly

 

Winds synchronizing　all joining to dancers

 

making more excitements　in this pool side

 

dancers and guests are　communicating

 

with spiritual atmosphere

 

tropical winds add more value

 

 

 

 

　

 

 

 

 

 

[Market]

 

 

Tropical fruits, a number of daily products,

 

fresh seafood, local or imported meats

 

from nearby counties

 

Australia and New Zealand

 

Food is available from all over the world

 

Things ready to eat

 

is convenient item for visitors

 

What they call here

 

supermarket is like this

 

Only troublesome for those who like

 

alcohol beverages should know

 

the rule prohibiting selling such on holiday

 

Alternative is go to the cafe

 

on the street

 

Number one beer is waiting for you

 

　

 

 

 

[Farewell to]

 

A number of flowerers are jamming

 

in the cemetery

 

At close-up-look

 

never dead flowers

 

Over past hundred’s years

 

Decedents of early settlers and native flaks

 

sleeping eternally in this place

 

As time goes

 

memories of ancestors are fading away

 

Saturday morning is happen to be one funeral

 

In the church

 

 

Quite few flaks follow the car

 

carrying the deceased

 

Clear sky and clean air takes

 

her or his soul to the heaven

 

Leaving the body under the ground

 

Soon engraves on the stone may tell

 

What about this person

 

When borne

 

When died

 

　

 

 

 

[Crepe time]

 

Along the beach street

 

Quite few cafe open

 

For visitors and locals

 

Taking a bit of time for Saturday afternoon

 

just before sunset

 

 

Number-one-beer sticks my empty stomach

 

never been taken for a long time

 

Today after swimming in the beach side

 

looking for coral reef

 

I feel like to take a beer

 

This prompted me to cafe near hotel

 

Sinking sun and wild breeze from the land side

 

makes things more or less neutral

 

People of all age taking a rest

 

with coffee or large glass of cooling aid

 

After a small amount of beer

 

I ordered the crepe with vanilla ice cream

 

same one as a couple of seniors

 

next to me are enjoining

 

This made me feeling

 

that I am in France in tropics

 

 

　

 

　

 

[School training]

 

At this age kids start to practice golf

 

Not too amazing that they must be pro soon

 

After sudden rain lesson restarted

 

Instructors are busy showing the banker shots

 

Green managements

 

approach shots and tee shots

 

all are essential item of playing golf

 

all can be taught at this age

 

a little wild rough and several bumps

 

in the green makes the play a bit technical

 

sky is now clear with burning sunshine

 

It may be harsh for kids practicing all day

 

For their future pro debut

 

[

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Natural spring]

 

Gigantic moutains attracting

 

people from the town

 

All brings a bunch of empty bootles

 

for collecting spring water

 

run through the soil of

 

the mountains years and years

 

Water is cool enough to satisfy dry throught

 

for drivers heading for a long ditance deastination

 

 

 

 

 

[Blanch invitation]

 

At the edge of the peninsula

 

Driving near the park site

 

few people are enjoying their family union

 

Taking advantage of large branches of trees

 

they’re making over-coverage-tent with ropes

 

for protection of their elders and children

 

from sudden rain

 

I was unexpectedly invited for blanch

 

from one of groups

 

Enjoying barbeque pork and chicken with coal sloe salad

 

After half one hour or so

 

I left the group with deep appreciation

 

All of sudden rain attacked group

 

 

 

 

 

[Natural balance]

 

In lagoon of the ocean side

 

Mangrobes are just proliferating under the clear sky

 

Wheather here are constantly warm all year around

 

Current of ocean and river bring a pelnty of nurtrients

 

for sustainable growth of salt adapted plants

 

This is a good location for other organisms for hidingT

 

themselves from enymies

 

The natural balance of survival

 

telling what things all about

 

 

 

 

 

[Kagu]

 

Why you are not flying the sky

 

Why you are balking like dogs

 

What are you eating every day

 

Questions arising every points of this creature

 

in this island

 

overlookinglagoon

 

on maddy and unpaved road by a small car

 

Suddenly he crossed the road

 

Oh good chance of looking native bird

 

Soon he desappered into bush

 

Knowing danger to encounter any other animals

 

driving through tiny villages

 

dogs are attaching my car repeatedly

 

that is why the bird disappeard so quickly

 

 

 

 

 

[Riviere Bleue]

 

At the Jerasic time

 

Things like Arucarea grows taller than now

 

Birds seem like only walking on the ground

 

No one knows the real history

 

of creatures in this hidden place

 

Reality is genes conserved here for billion years

 

Theory of evolution may be changed if

 

New finding overthrown the old discovery

 

Soil colored red

 

Not too much nurrient for plants surviving

 

Here

 

Relity tells biodiversification and conservation of species

 

Along the river side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Captino]

 

Sitting on the chair

 

in the restaurant near the harbor

 

Ordering Captinno for brief breake of this morning

 

Milky bubblle of crem on the top of coffee

 

Looks like petite snow mountain

 

With salsa music in Monday morning

 

 

 

 

a cup of coffee made me feel good

 

Sparrows collecting something

 

to eat from the grasses

 

Only moving creature

 

I can see today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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