My favorite wind instrument is the Japanese shakuhachi, but the instrument that holds the most youthful memories for me is the harmonica. The harmonica, along with the castanet, used to be a part of every Japanese schoolchild's tool kit-- and I assume it still is. But mostly, the harmonica takes me back to my high school years, when I was one of a group of TCK* teenagers who would volunteer to work for a part of each summer at a handful of dairy farms struggling to make ends meet in impoverished western Hokkaido.
After a day of backbreaking labor, we would sometimes unwind in the evening by forming an impromptu jug band, making vaguely musical noises out of anything that was close at hand. Someone would always bring out a harmonica and manage to pull all those noises together into something to jiggle and clap and hum along with. To this day, it is one of my fondest memories.
*TCK= third culture kid (kids who grow up outside of their parents' home culture, often in countries of which they are not citizens)
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Hi,Debbie,
ReplyDeleteVery lovely etegami, the quote is nice. The post reminds me of Non English Speakers second or third generations in Australia... Thank you very much for sharing your story.
Kind regards,Sadami
Love it - you always seem to come up with the perfect image for each text!
ReplyDeleteYou are so poetic. That is the perfect text and a wonderful image. It's true, music is such a messanger.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post. Do you play the harmonica today? Nice visual and neat etegami my friend. Margie
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful message and "messanger"
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for the New Year!
its always nice when illustrations come with a message :)
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Simple and strong image and message.
ReplyDelete