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 peaceful  l 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fs 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fs 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fs 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fre 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

overlooking  lagoon

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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