Heavy Heart

It's been almost a week since Japan was hit by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded.  Followed by the tsunami.  And now the uncertain nuclear situation.  Of course it is snowing, to compound the misery of the rescue workers and all the people without power, food, and any kind of comfort.  And throughout it all the Japanese people remain calm, kind, dignified.

I feel like we were just there experiencing the kindness and hospitality of the people of Japan.  And since we've returned, when I think of vacations, I can only think of going back to Japan. It hurts my heart to see all the devastating photos and footage that have come out in the past 6 days.

Something that helps is to see how ordinary people rally to try and help.  For instance go to etsy.com and type in the word Japan, and you will get a list that if you dig you will find people donating a portion of their sales to Japan relief.  These are not huge conglomerates, just small business owners doing what they can.

I bought this from such a person from her shop on etsy:

The picture is called Thinking of Home, and the artist Naoko Stoop is originally from Tokyo, Japan now living in Brooklyn, NY.  There is something so sweet and wistful about the picture, it reminds me of being homesick when I lived in England.  The picture is $20 with $10 going to the Red Cross Japan.  While there browse her other pictures, all will take you back to being a kid and the wonderful ways you would fill the hours of the day.

Japan, I can't stop thinking about you.  Thank you for teaching the world a lesson about grace in the face of disaster.

I wish this was MY name.....

MACKIE MAKAPANPAN.

OMG I can't stop saying it.  I think it's spelled with a C but I have deliberately misspelled it so that if he/she googles him/herself, it won't lead him/her to my blog, and thereby leading me to be fired, as I came across this person's name in the line of work last week.  Not that I should be fired for loving a name so much.  I just worry that this post may be construed as sarcastic and that said person might think that by saying I LOVE his/her name, I am actually saying I DO NOT love it.  But I DO love it.  Man I wish it were my name.

If it were my name, I could name my blog MackieMakapanpan.com and start a Mackie Makapanpan Empire.  I don't know what that empire would consist of, but it would be awesome.

But since it's too late for me,  after work that day I asked Dave if we ever have a kid if we could name him/her Mackie Makapanpan Mun.  He said no.  So then I asked how about just Mackie Mun.  He said WHAT THE...NO.  I said but it's my DREAM to name my kid Mackie Makapanpan Mun, and he said how can it be your dream, you never even heard of that name until today.  

Well, guess what smarty-pants.  If we have a kid I get a year off for maternity leave.  SO, you might think your kid's name is Dave or Ashley or whatever "normal" name you come up with.  But all day long while you're at work, I'm going to be calling our kid by his/her SECRET REAL name--Mackie Makapanpan (Mun).  And you'll be wondering why he/she never turns around when you call him/her by what you THINK is his/her name.

I win (again).