Etsuko Yasunaga

Going with the flow

20/10/2022

On the road again, Etsuko Yasunaga enjoys unexpected encounters and a moving reminder of this fragile, precious life.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

AFTER two long years of hiatus due to Covid, we finally hit the road with our caravan in late June. Although we enjoyed many short caravan trips in Victoria in 2021, I felt we were out of practice. I thought the best way to get back into caravan travelling was to go with the flow.Unlike other years we had no set itinerary, plan or destinations. The main focus was to escape the cold winter in Victoria and enjoy the sunshine in relaxed and simple caravan living for a couple of months. We upgraded our camper to a pop top caravan in April. With some trepidation we headed north again in search of the warmth and a carefree nomadic life.

We were heading from Lake Cargelligo to Cobar following Google maps. About half way in, we were stuck on the dirt road, couldn’t drive forward any more because the water was running on the road. It had rained heavily the day before and the edges of the road were too loose and slippery to turn around.

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Let there be delight

16/6/2022

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Photo: Rob Kenyon

By Etsuko Yasunaga

IT WAS a very cold night at the end of May. The concert took place at Meeniyan Town Hall. The Australian Youth Orchestra Momentum Ensemble was performing ‘Belonging’, conducted by Ariel Zuckermann. It was a 70-minute music performance through a series of short atmospheric works inspired by landscape. The Momentum Ensemble is a group of dynamic orchestral performers, all graduates of the Australian Youth Orchestra. I saw an ad and asked Robert to join me. Since we moved to Inverloch in 2013 we have tended to grab any opportunity to listen to a live performance. This was one of those spontaneous decisions we made, and we are so glad we attended this outstanding performance by young musicians who are future leaders of the music world.

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The space between

21/4/2022

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Watching a great modern film in her mother tongue, Etsuko Yasunaga
revels in familiar words - and in silence.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

RECENTLY I had an opportunity to sit quietly in the cinema and watch a lengthy Japanese movie. The three-hour masterpiece Drive My Car was the first Japanese film to be nominated for best picture in the 94-year history of the Oscars. It was also nominated for best director, best adapted screenplay, and best international film.

Initially I was a little hesitant. Viewing a daunting three-hour long movie when I’m usually out exercising seemed an extravagant use of time. Was it worth spending my time on a precious Sunday morning?

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Time and motion

24/2/2022

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Etsuko: fear of deep water gives way to the
exhilaration of gliding over sparkling water.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

DAILY walks provide me with plenty of opportunities – time to think and reflect, feel the change of the weather and the season and notice a subtle difference in the air. I’m often delighted with stumbling upon koalas, echidnas and kangaroos on my path. I’m usually alone but sometimes I walk with a friend for a catch up. Another friend’s dog occasionally accompanies our walk, too. At times, I listen to music or a podcast and consolidate choreography learning for my gym class.

While running bestows on me focused energy to move forward to either the final destination or intended distance, the energy is more expansive when I walk. I often let my mind drift and observe what pops up in my mind with curiosity but without judging. Those thoughts sometimes surprise me and a tiny seed for my writing is often planted during my walks. I have more time to look up the sky, talk to a stranger or take pictures if I fancy.

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Dreams take flight

16/12/2021

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Eastern curlews migrate from the northern hemisphere to Western Port. Photo: David Adam

By Etsuko Yasunaga

IT WAS June, around the winter solstice. Like so many things that happened in the last two years, I can’t exactly recall which phases of the lockdowns we were in at that time. Regional Victoria may have had relative freedom but our annual holiday to the Far North wasn’t going to happen yet again. I was walking alone on the beach under the cloudy sky. The air on my face was bitterly cold. I strode against the headwind with my head down, as if I needed more hardship to prove my resilience. Then I caught a swift movement in my peripheral vision. I looked up the sky, and here it was – a migratory bird of some sort. It wasn’t a big bird but her flight was strong. I could sense the determination of this little creature to reach her destination somewhere far away. Suddenly the image of me flying away as a bird was conjured in my mind, and the theme of my first French poem was set firmly.

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A stitch in time

4/11/2021

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An afternoon spent hand sewing transports Etsuko Yasunaga
to her childhood.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

I DISLIKE waste of any kind - food, things, precious resources and time, mine and other people’s. In our household any leftover food is reused for lunch or repurposed into a different meal by adding extra ingredients. I compost all food scraps for gardening. I strive to be punctual so that I don’t waste others’ time.

In recent years, textile and clothing waste has become a huge problem across the globe. Those excess clothes can take decades to break down in landfill if they are thrown away as rubbish. Even when they are sent overseas as second hand clothes, the sheer volume of them is choking those developing countries.

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We have lift off!

9/9/2021

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Photo: Pauline Wilkinson

By Etsuko Yasunaga

IT WAS a warm summer day in January. The doom and gloom of 2020 lockdowns were behind us, and we were somehow optimistic, enjoying the return of the normality of life. A good friend Peter from Melbourne visited and stayed with us for a couple of days for a long-awaited reunion.

One morning a lady with a little bundle in her hands greeted us, walking through our carport and the side of the house then on to our back garden. She was a volunteer from the wildlife rescue in Tarwin Lower, and she was carrying a young magpie called Maggie. Apparently Maggie was found injured at the top of our street a few weeks ago. A few of the air sacs in her lung were damaged; hence her respiratory system was badly affected.

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A light bulb moment

17/6/2021

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Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak

By Etsuko Yasunaga

WE WERE warned. This storm would be one of the most severe and damaging ones in the recent years. I saw many flood and gust damage warnings issued around Gippsland on the forecast a few days prior. I thought I’d better squeeze in a few more kilometres on my bike and walking before the storm hit, otherwise I may not be able to exercise for a while. I was resigned to a few quiet days with a good book at home.

Luckily the predicted heavy rainfall didn’t eventuate in Inverloch on Wednesday. I managed to exercise in between the showers, and it was invigorating to go out in the wild weather. However the horrendous wind got to me in the end. I don’t like wind. Harrowing wind unsettles and disturbs me. I feel my mind can’t focus adequately. It gets agitated easily and goes wild like a fallen leaf trembling.

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Lost and found

7/4/2021

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By Etsuko Yasunaga

I USUALLY walk to and from my French class in the town centre. Heavy rain was forecast on the day. I also slept in. A return trip from my house to the café by foot is around 6 km. There was no choice but to drive to be on time for the start of the class. After the class I drove to the rotunda, and decided to head east to one of my favourite walks in Inverloch: Screw Creek-Townsend Bluff Estuary Walk.

In spite of the heavy rain warning, the sky hadn’t opened by mid-morning. The walk was exceptionally calm and pleasant in the moist and humid air. How many times have I walked this path since I moved to Inverloch? I have lost count.

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The best of company

11/2/2021

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After our year of hibernation, Etsuko Yasunaga savours the special pleasure of sharing an experience with good friends.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

DURING January we enjoyed our friends’ visits from Melbourne. Especially after the year we had, it was high time to appreciate good company. We rejoiced with each opportunity to rekindle and deepen our friendships. Summer was at its height and the sea breeze was gentle on our skins. After months of lockdowns, particularly for Melbournians, finally our spirits were free to explore and take on new adventures.

Pip told me she was visiting Inverloch for a weekend in early January. She had a catch up dinner with her school friends as well as meetings with her clients. She could easily have stayed with one of her friends but texted me asking whether it was ok for her to stay with us on Saturday night. I was delighted. It had been a long time since we caught up properly. Nowadays there is less opportunity for me to visit Melbourne simply because I’m reluctant to be in the big smoke. I rang her back straight away to say ‘Yes’ and we planned to spend time together on Sunday morning.

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Flying high

12/11/2020

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Close encounters ... the injured swallow

By Etsuko Yasunaga

I WAS only few hundred metres from home on my daily walk. Two birds flew across my eyes swiftly. It felt like an arrow. They were so fast, but I managed to identify that a wattle bird was chasing an eastern rosella. I was in awe of their speed and admiring their nimble flying ability.

Next second I heard a heavy thud. The eastern rosella hit the wall of a house and with a dull sound fell to the ground near the rainwater tank. It didn’t move for a good few minutes. It was hard to tell from the distance but one of its wings seemed damaged.

Satisfied with the chase, the wattle bird was long gone, had flown away from the scene. Here I was hopelessly left alone with the possibly injured bird, with no clue what to do to save this tiny creature. One thing was clear. I couldn’t keep on walking as if I hadn’t witnessed anything. I had to do something, but I didn’t know what. I felt an urge at least to tell someone to offload my laden chest. Witnessing the fallen bird was simply too weighty for me to carry. Luckily Rob was home, working on our front garden so I returned home to tell him what I had just witnessed. I realised I was quite upset when I was telling him about the poor bird.

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A spring in her step

17/9/2020

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Etsuko Yasunaga: "Never question when you are intrigued about something. Follow your intuition ..."

By Etsuko Yasunaga

OUR camper stayed under cover for most of this winter. We had a few short trips in between lockdowns, but our annual winter escape journey to the north didn’t happen. The only way I could travel was virtually. When I joined Run Down Under in January this year, little did I know this unique concept would keep me going during challenging times. Each month RDU provided monthly competitions to keep us motivated. August was the Points Challenge.

I was intrigued when I saw the promotion material for this challenge. First of all, the visual image of a lean athlete pushing herself powerfully forward with a big stride caught my eyes. It symbolised her intention, focus and purpose. It captured the beauty of strength so elegantly. I decided I would become an elite athlete on my own terms.

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Second time round

2/7/2020

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Etsuko, aged 1

By Etsuko Yasunaga

MAY is my birthday month. I like the month of May both in Japan and Australia. In Japan after the spectacular array of delicate pink cherry blossoms that seems to engross the entire nation, May is the season of fresh verdure. The sunshine is brighter and the wind is refreshing and pleasant in late spring. Here in Australia autumn deepens in May and we witness how beautifully leaves grow old, still full of colours on their last days, then they eventually decay. I adore the crisp air in the morning and the glorious sunny afternoons when I can spend many hours immersed in my garden.

It was a culturally significant birthday for me this year. Turning 60 years old is called kanreki in Japan. The characters in the word kanreki literally mean ‘return’ and ‘calendar’. The passage of each of the five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – combined with each of 12 zodiac animal sign years makes up the sexagenary cycle. The cycle of life returns to its beginning in 60 years in the lunar calendar.

I was born in 1960, the year of the metal rat, and the full 60-year cycle has come full circle this year in 2020. The 61st birthday (60th on a Western calendar) marks the beginning of an individual's second childhood. It is an important event for many Japanese families, often celebrated with a special family gathering. Traditionally, friends and relatives are invited for a large party or a celebratory feast. It is customary for the celebrant to be given a red hood and to wear a red vest. The colour of these clothes is associated with a Japanese word aka-chan, simply a little red one for babies, and thus symbolises the celebrant's return to one’s birth*.

7-5-3 Festival. Etsuko, aged three

For my birthday this year I toyed with the idea of a large gathering with my life-long friends with a few entertainments thrown in or an intimate dinner party with a small number of dearest friends. In the end the pull of the motherland was strong; I decided to celebrate my special birthday with Robert, my mum and sister in Japan. When we booked and purchased our tickets in early February coronavirus was already affecting China. I trekked across Nepal when SARS hit the world in 2003, so I was confident that we could still travel to Japan. I’d never imagined the COVID-19 situation would unfold in the way it did. Travelling home to Japan was only a 10-hour flight before. Now I feel Japan is so far away.

I was pleased to find out that mum wasn’t inconsolable as I expected, but was quite philosophical about the whole situation. She was certainly very disappointed that we couldn’t visit them in May to celebrate my birthday together, but she made her resolve to stay well and healthy until we could meet again. I regularly contact her via LINE, a communications app popular in Japan. She is often cheerful and her voice is usually filled with energy, which makes me happy.

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Gotta run

29/4/2020

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Photo: Etsuko Yasunaga

By Etsuko Yasunaga

“IT’S QUITE possible that you may have had a heart attack in the past.” My cardiologist said calmly. My mind was racing however, trying hard to absorb and comprehend what she had just said to me. It certainly wasn’t the sentence I expected to hear. It was the end of March. The world was already shrinking due to COVID 19, but this was when my whole world came crashing down on me. I felt heavy and suffocated.

A regular base ECG test at my GP a week prior revealed a few concerns for my heart, so I was referred to a specialist. Doctor’s orders were simple but painful – no more running until I get the all clear. Only three days before this, I participated in a fun run, and officially ran 10 km for the first time in my life. I trained hard and consistently for this event since January. It was a brilliant run, and I had a ball. I just had a taste of the exhilaration of distance running, then only to be taken away from me a few days later. Life was cruel.

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Memories of Hiroshi

20/2/2020

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A dogwood (Hanamizuki), a tree that Etsuko associates with Hiroshi.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

FEBRUARY comes. When I’m least guarded, after the celebration of festive seasons and an aspiration for the New Year, February comes relentlessly. Summer is at its height and the harvest is abundant. Yet February comes brutally, again and again.

After nine years February still brings a piercing ache to my heart. Though the pain from Hiroshi’s passing continues to heal slowly, a sudden burst of intense sadness engulfs me out of the blue. Still I do not wish to be defined by just one tragic event that took place in my past. As the anniversary of his departure draws near, I can’t help but feel a strong urge to better myself and better the world. This sense of urgency is very personal and only focused at Hiroshi - for him, in honour of him and in respect of his life which was cut short and he could not fulfil.

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Between the lines

11/12/2019

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Photo: Robert Kenyon

By Etsuko Yasunaga

IT ALL started like this. Miriam asked me one day “How is your writing going, Etsuko?” I can’t recall exactly when she asked this vital question. It must have been at least 18 months after my book launch back in November 2016. To be honest my writing wasn’t going anywhere. I wasn’t writing as much because I didn’t have readers to write for. I knew I would pick up my writing again soon, somehow. When the pivotal question was asked, however, I was on a sabbatical. “I’m not writing much lately.” At least I was honest with her.

“Why don’t you write for the Bass Coast Post? Introduce yourself to Catherine, the editor. Start from there.”

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New horizons

10/10/2019

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By Etsuko Yasunaga

HOME is a simple word that conjures so much sentiment. The ache for home resides in all of us. The privation we sometimes experience in our travels makes us appreciate the small things in life. I believe one of the most important reasons we travel is to gain a renewed appreciation for home on our return.

Since we moved to Inverloch, we have been fortunate enough to escape from the winter cold in our camper for a couple of months. We’ve travelled to NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory so far. We headed north again this year. It was our fourth trip to far north Queensland. There wasn’t much excitement as we knew most of the places we were visiting like the back of our hand. Just for a change, we decided to go up the coast. There were quite a few places on the NSW coast we wanted to explore.

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What remains

18/8/2019

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Photo: Sue Snell

By Etsuko Yasunaga

Empty poppy pod

It was in April, near Anzac Day. I dragged out a shoebox full of seeds, and searched for the poppy pods I had saved from the previous season.

Gardening Australia once had a segment on poppies. The presenter mentioned that if I were to sow the seeds around Anzac Day in April, there should be a wonderful display of poppy flowers in my garden around Remembrance Day in November. It was easy to remember the timing because of the two significant days.

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Born to run

12/6/2019

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By Etsuko Yasunaga

ON MAY 25, I reached the milestone of my 50th parkrun. It was the day before my first anniversary of joining the amazing Inverloch parkrun community.

My beginning was serendipitous. I didn’t plan, and only registered the night before after talking to my dear friend. Back then I didn’t know that planting this tiny seed would lead to such a significant achievement.

When I was young, I loved running, especially sprints. I liked the fact that I could push myself to the limit, then it was over in the blink of an eye. I didn’t mind longer distances, but it required me to be more disciplined. I am fit and healthy but running disappeared completely from my life as I grew older. I would have been content as a strong walker for the rest of my life, until parkrun reignited the joy of running.

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Checking out

17/4/2019

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Etsuko Yasunaga came from Japan to Australia with a suitcase, a little savings and a little English. These days she is happy to call Inverloch home.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

ADVANCED technology changed many aspects of our lives in the modern world. It brought many positives of convenience and effectiveness, perceived connection with others and a culture of sharing. The world is virtually right in front of us, just a click of the finger away. We can search pretty much anything and get answers instantly.

I can’t disagree with the positives that the technology has brought to our modern lives. However, I sometimes can’t deny the feeling of detachment, disconnectedness and shallow emptiness, especially in many social media sites. I feel its instantaneous nature encourages superficiality. I have several social media accounts, although reluctantly. The introverted nature of my personality is revealed strongly in those social networking sites. My accounts are often inactive as I don’t post much on those.

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Riding a wave of goodwill

21/2/2019

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Inverloch beach, February 9 2019. Photos: Robert Kenyon

The skies were black and the wind icy as Etsuko Yasunaga joined a team of volunteers on Inverloch beach to share the joys of surfing with those who usually miss out.

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A clean break

12/12/2018

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Etsuko Yasunaga came from Japan to Australia with a suitcase, a little savings and a little English. These days she is happy to call Inverloch home.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

MY YEAR 2018 started with an accident, a very painful one. It was January 4th, day one of our bike ride trip. We were nearing our destination for the day. A friend suddenly called out “SNAKE!”. I reacted, and squeezed the handbrakes as hard as I could, on the gravel road.

I skidded, and landed heavily on my right shoulder. The dust enveloped my body in a horizontal position. One moment ago, I was riding my bike strongly, and I was enjoying the sense of freedom. Next minute, I was helplessly lying on the ground. I was still in the state of the shock, and didn’t feel much pain. As soon as I started to move; however, the pain was piercing. Even breathing hurt. My collarbone was broken.

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A sense of belonging

31/10/2018

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Etsuko Yasunaga came from Japan to Australia with a suitcase, a little savings and a little English. These days she is happy to call Inverloch home.

By Etsuko Yasunaga

ON RETURN from our recent holiday in France and Italy, I was happy to be back in the spaciousness and quiet of Inverloch. Travelling is always an eye-opener for a curious mind. Different places, different languages and different foods stimulated me immensely. I embraced the whole experience of travelling. Although not everything was rosy, I tried to stay positive. We visited many incredible places, walked hilltop paths with superb views, and tasted delectable local produce. I was delighted when local people understood my tentative French.

In one way six weeks went like in the blink of an eye, yet six weeks were quite a long time to be away from home. When I saw the lush green hills of Gippsland, and the bright colour of the water from the window of the VLine bus, the feeling of homecoming was intense.

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