Frontier Spirit! Clearing of Land!

I greet everyone with love and joy!

It has been more than two weeks since I started working on our land while trying to settle down on the house I am renting. Two weeks, and yet I feel like I have been here for a year! I met amazing people of the community, and a few from a nearby community. Everyone was kind and helpful and I cannot ask any more goodness from the universe.

While trying to settle down on the new house, I focused a big part of my time in clearing the land before the weeds become out of control. I realized the power of summer when I saw how fast the shrubs grew after leaving them for only a week! They already grew beyond my height!

 I can't even reach the top leaves!

With a grass cutter, I started cutting the grass in a certain pattern so that I can gather the grass easier to use it as mulch later. I certainly thought I could finish almost a hectare of field in a few days but I am oh so mistaken! If they the grass is less than a meter in length, I may have finished earlier but with shrubs this high, I had a hard time cutting the thick stems. On the bright side, as I was cutting shrubs, I was able to find new and interesting stuff coming out of the grass.

An egg of a wild bird, probably a pheasant

After a total of backbreaking five days, I am mostly done with clearing the shrubs and grasses! Next step is to gather grass! All by hand, by myself and oh my, oh my, I only did one third and it took me almost a day to gather them into a pile!

Perfect mulching material!

This grass pile will be an excellent mulch and fertilizer! Nothing beats a slowly composted grass and shrub. Since their roots are strong and deep, and their natural life force, they are able to absorb nutrients efficiently and bring the unavailable minerals to the upper portion of the soil. If I mix this with leaf litter under the forest, I can make compost that is incomparable to compost made from cow dung.

I decided to gather first the cuttings from the upper field, and then I moved on to rototilling the soil with a small tractor. The soil was naturally clayey but with the power of the weeds, the organic matter of the soil is good enough to make the soil friable enough. I learned a certain technique to make the decomposition faster. I first set the rototiller to about five centimeters to cut the remaining stubbles of weeds then rototilled again for another 15 centimeters. If I did this every season or at every new planting, the soil will eventually have a hard pan underneath that will result to poor drainage. So, I am only doing this ONCE. Just so that I can build permanent beds easier and plant cover crops.

Like a canvas with infinite possibilities of creativity!

Two days of continuous rototilling on the upper field produced a very nice crumby textured soil!

Look at that crumby goodness!

I will soon make permanent raised beds so a lot of planning is needed before I actually make them. Everyday there is something new. Everyday there is a moment of paradise.

Mt. Komagatake with Onuma Lake

"With Love, this space is going to be splendid like a place no other. With Joy, this space is going to gather my ancestors. Through Co-creation, this space will continue on to the next generations."

Weeds in our hearts

Weeds. Not the one that makes you feel strangely happy but the ones considered by farmers as nuisance or enemies. They grow everywhere! Even on asphalted roads, they find their way through the cracks and still grow happily.

There are numerous ways to consider different things or situations such as the way we perceive weeds. It's like a rainy weather. For the farmers who hope for rain to water the parched lands, rain is a blessing. As for the people who were supposed to have a picnic outside, the rain is a bother. It is all about how we perceive things. Whether things are good or bad, it solely depends on us, in fact, only us humans classify things as good or bad, increasing or decreasing, democratic or republic, rich or poor, we simply love to dichotomize everything! But for nature, everything simply is. Everything and anything simply occurs as it is how it is supposed to occur. There is no enemy nor win or lose, everything is part of one universal whole.

This brings me as to how I perceive the weeds. When I was in college, we were always taught that weeds are something to get rid of. Anything that is not the crop you want to grow, or any undesirable plant is considered a weed. I remembered this definition from my class then I smiled and laughed. I thought "Well, if I consider every plant in my land as desirable then my weed problem is gone!" I looked at "weeds" as something beyond their current state. Each plant has their own purpose to fulfil, thus, none being undesirable. I am seeing the flower, the vegetables, the fruits, within the "weeds".  The previously arduous and draining job of weeding or cutting grass has become a fascinating job as I saw that these will soon transform into another form. 

These so called "weeds" also produce very beautiful flowers.

With these in mind and heart, I continued on my job in clearing the land. The plants were already my height and they were about as thick as a pinky finger. Clearing almost a hectare of land by hand by myself is very difficult so I used a grass cutter. Oh how happy I felt as I cut the plants. It's as if I was correcting the misuse or negligence of the previous owner!

Before cutting the plants

After cutting for about 7 hours

I can already see vegetables, berries, and some grains growing around!

Being a steward of the land is similar to how we use our minds. If we allow "weed" seeds to grow and flourish without control, our land will soon be devoured by it. Our mind is like the soil that carries millions of weed seeds. We can choose to decide not to nurture these "weed" seeds and let them control our thoughts. We can never be without weed seeds in our mind, but it is up to us whether we cultivate it or not. The harder we try to remove these negative thoughts, the more difficult it will become. Let us accept that inside us, we do have these seeds of negative thoughts within us and we have the choice to water it or not.

Happy gardening everybody!

Few learnings from the visit to Philippines

This post is not directly related to the how to's of building a family homestead but I feel this will be helpful to one's thinking or mindset while building one.

After spending more than a year in Japan, I visited Philippines again to attend a very important wedding of my cousin. Initially, I thought that it was going to be a rather simple trip- meeting relatives, meeting friends, eating lots of mangoes, and drowning myself in coconut juice- but it  turned out to be a significant part of my journey of awakening.

The moment I stepped out of NAIA Terminal 1, instead of my relatives, the first one to greet me was a small girl asking me for alms. Since I was born and raised in the Metro Manila, this was a common encounter but after having lived in Japan for a year, experiencing this again had a deeper effect to me. I thought I was prepared to experience life in Manila again but I was gravely mistaken. Traffic, worsened. Population, increased. Street children, still present. Cars, increasing in number. Noise and Air Pollution, uncontrolled. 

It seems I am painting a bad picture of the Philippines, but I am only speaking about my experience in Manila. I contemplated deeply as to how I can accept this environment after living a relatively peaceful life in Japan for a year. As I rode the car to our house, I looked around, looked deeply into the faces and eyes of the people walking, standing, passengers, and children. Observing the surface, most of them seemed tired and grumpy but as I looked longer and deeply there is a strong sense of happiness and "in the present moment" satisfaction. There is suffering, no doubt, on the physical level because of the weather, pollution, hard work, and work stress. Many people here live day by day. After paying for food for their family, costs for transportation, and other living expenses, they are only left with very little. While struggling with these needs, they have to survive the harsh environment of the concrete jungle. As the day ends, many are simply grateful and happy that they survived the day. The circumstances helped them realise the happiness of the moment- simply existing is bliss in itself. 

Living for more than a year in Japan, I have noticed that many become accustomed to the safety of the environment and exactness of schedule such that I hear complains from very simple matters such as late trains, rainy weather, and honking of car horns. I even sometimes catch myself say some of these simple complains. Due to the privileges and conveniences of living in Japan, people become more concerned of "work" instead of "living".

I can't exactly remember what this saying is but it goes something like this-

"You may find the path to enlightenment faster while living in the city than secluding yourself in the mountains."

If you find your peace within despite being surrounded by chaos and madness, then wherever you go,  this peace will remain with you. 

Ironically, I found peace as I visited a mall in Manila with my relatives. I was surrounded by crowds of people, noise machines, dashing cars, wifi signals, and boosted bass music. Within these, I suddenly felt at peace. Rather, I felt that there is peace within all of these. Within the spaces of the sounds, the visions, and the sensations, there is silence. I felt as if I was simply observing all of these happenings around me without being identified or attached to the surroundings. I knew that this will have a tremendous effect on me as to how I experience life. The feeling quickly faded away as I get engulfed again by the chaos around me. I was happy knowing that there is indeed this state of consciousness where you feel at peace with your surrounding and that it was possible no matter the situation.

As I return to Japan to continue building the family homestead, I now carry this experience and I am confident that even if suffering or hardships come knocking on life's doorsteps, there is peace. This peace is not hidden within, as most will mislead us, but laid in front of us like the cosmos. As we look above, we immediately notice and place our focus on the stars but not the spaces between the stars. Without the space these stars will not exist. Such is finding peace in every moment. We instantly notice the problem, the noise, the image, the feeling and not the silence in the moment. These are based on the teachings of Eckhart Tolle.

I am grateful that before being fully immersed with my activities I had the opportunity to be back in an environment where peace seemed impossible to find. Finding the needle in the haystack seemed futile but as long I am the magnet that attracts the needle, I can find it. A simple law of attraction.

I apologize for the random ramblings!

Next post will be more on the practical side.

Clouds climbing the slopes of Mt. Banahaw (Lucban, Quezon)

"Ainu neonan Ainu"

(Ainu language, Human who is Human)

Synchronicity and its workings in our lives

As we traverse through our daily lives, we encounter people, experience events, and observe our surrounding. These may simply occur without any significance for us as we get used in the dryness of our everyday routine. But as we place more effort to be aware at some level of our surroundings and our encounters, a simple coincidence will turn to synchronized events.

Paulo Coelho, one my favorite authors, wrote in his book "The Alchemist"

"when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it"

In my experience this is particularly true when the "want" is in accord with the holistic good workings in this world. Despite knowing and truly wanting to achieve this goal in life, failures, setbacks, and detours inevitably happened along the way. I got frustrated, depressed and almost gave up on this search for the land.  I always thought that having a "good" or "decent" goal in life is sufficient to have some sense of existence. I realized that this "help" or "guidance" coming from the universe or from anybody may not always be positive in our experience. You may have forgotten to bring your homework and then went back home to get it and as you go to school, an accident has already occurred just minutes before. If you had not forgotten that homework, you may have been part of the accident. There are many cases similar to this occurring to many people. We always interpret these negative experiences as a way of nature to antagonize us but this is not so.

Looking back to our search for the land and trying to start a family homestead, there were many instances when I had to start from scratch again.  I spent at least 9 months looking for land in the southern part of Hokkaido. Assabu, Nanae, Kami-no-Kuni, Mori, Shikabe, Hakodate- these are just some of the towns I looked into. There is a vast difference among towns as to how the local folks relate to outsiders. Some were very kind and welcoming while most are suspicious of outsiders. There was this one  old guy who was very helpful and he was excited that there was this new young guy trying to look for land in their area. He guided through all the lands that he thought was for sale and we actually almost decided on one. It was quite strange that whenever we almost come to a decision on a land, there was always something that stops us from buying the land. Usually, there is a problem with the owner of the land, the land is mortgaged at a high interest rate, the owner passed away without properly passing down the land, the owner is missing, and the list goes on and on. 

An abandoned land in Assabu area due to unpaid loans

Another abandoned land in Kami-no-Kuni due to unpaid loans

As I was going through all the rejections and failures, I thought that maybe this is not where I should be looking into. So, I went East, to Tokachi area. I was again met with disappointment as the feeling of the area did not fit with what I envision. I went farther north to the Kamikawa Area. The scenery was beautiful with the rolling grassed hills and the Tokachi Mountains peeking through the hills- it was stunning. I again almost decided on a piece of land in that area. As we were about to finalize the deal, a neighboring farmer passed by and talked to us. He mentioned about the widespread heavy pesticide use in that area and I did NOT want to raise my future family in that kind of area. So, again, I am back to zero. 

Previous prospective land in Kami-furano with a great view of the Tokachi mountains but surrounding farmers use heavy dosage of chemicals

Previous prospective land in Northern Hokkaido but the surrounding farms use heavy dosage of chemicals

I contemplated again and decided to look again in Southern Hokkaido. I heard somewhere before that only the wisest turn the same stone twice but in this case it seemed foolish, for the search ended in failure. At this point, instead of considering the place, I was already thinking that what I am doing may be wrong. This may not be the purpose that I must do in life. I was slowly letting go of the ropes and give up and that was when my father flipped his laptop then searched again. He then told me to look in this land for sale just posted two weeks ago. The land is near the city but just far away enough in the quiet mountains, a river flowing beside it, just right size of the area, tractor and excavator included, and just EXACTLY within our budget! The farmer has not tilled the land for quite a while and decided to sell the land this year.

We went immediately to the area and I fell in love instantly with the land. It was just how I imagined it to be and it came with all the goodies that a single person needs to start growing food. At this point everything went very smoothly. The land had a clean title, the owner gave us a hefty discount, and there were no hiccups during the exchange of title.

I am still now in a state of amazement as to how things unfolded in front of me subtly at first then suddenly boldly revealing how everything came to this point. All those disappointments, failures, depressions, and frustrations were simply reminders or as how "The Alchemist" say "omens." I almost mistook these obstacles as a warning to stop pursuing what I need to pursue when in reality, I was being led to a better path. Each disappointments and failures were essential to meld together all events to reach this present state. Everything was synchronized as we try to find our land for our family homestead. If only I had been more alert and conscious of the reminders or omens being laid upon me, I would have avoided the frustrations and negative emotions but I cannot be thankful enough that the guidance remained even with my initial negligence.

To put icing on the cake, the community nearby called Miruto, has an active community that tries to attract more people to come to their town. I met a few of the townsfolk and they were just lovely and happy. A community welcome to changes and new innovations is a rare find in the countryside.

So what's going to happen from now on our land? Exciting stuff. Lots of exciting stuff.

"Whatever you seek, pilgrim, you are already carrying with you. You keep losing it with every step you take, and are finding nothing new."

 -Parable of Two Brothers, Anastasia

The search for the land continues...and soon comes to an end.

Looking for land, just like any other ventures, takes time, effort, strength, lots of thinking and consideration, and most importantly PATIENCE. As we searched for land, we encountered many stories of different farmers in Japan. According to the farmers we have talked with, generally in Japan, farmers are retiring from their job as a farmer mainly because of old age and no new people are willing to take over the farm. This is true to some extent but in my opinion there are other few big reasons as to why lots of land are being abandoned and no new farmers are taking over. I'm going to share this issue in another post.

We have found a nice spot in a relatively secluded area in Hokkaido. The climate in that area has cool summers but very cold winter. Surprisingly, even with the harsh winter, farmers can still grow very good rice and harvest quite a vast variety of fruits. The piece of land we have found is settled within the mountains in the Sorachi Area of Hokkaido. The good thing about the place is that it's not too far away from the city that marketing would be difficult and it's not too close that wildlife is still rich and alive.

Our Land in Moyo Town in Iwamizawa City

You must make some sort of guideline or a list of the characteristics that you want to see in your land. Here are some things listed;

Water Source- This is a must. No matter how beautiful or cheap the land is, if there is no source of water, then it's almost impossible to live on that land. That's the reason why early civilisations lived near rivers or water sources.

Sun-hours/Shading- If you're planning to grow good vegetables you must have good amount of sun-hours. North facing slopes and land surrounded by nearby hills or mountains generally receive less sunlight. If you're planning to grow mushrooms, shading is not a problem. This will depend on what you envision for the land. I even encountered lands where the slope is north facing with a mountain on the south but has one of the best soils.

Accessibility- The land must have a road. In tropical countries where there is no winter to think about, in my experience, you can do away temporarily with lands without road but in countries like Japan and specifically in Hokkaido where snow depth reaches a total of 13 meters road becomes essential. 

Manageable slope- This makes gardening, building houses, and other tasks a lot easier than going up and down steep slopes. Depending on what you want to grow slope sometimes does not matter. There are shiitake mushroom farmers who place the mushroom logs on steep slopes. 

Safety- In Japan this is not as important as other points but in countries where security is a concern the safety of the surroundings must be considered. In my experience in Philippines, safety is an issue wherever you go. This is the reality. In Hokkaido, as you go to the mountains, the chances of encountering bears becomes higher. Better struggle with nature than the evils of man

Land area- This largely depends on how many people you would like to feed with your land and how spacious you want to live on. It would also be nice if there is a possibility of expansion around your area if you plan to have a larger family.

It is essential that you do not steer too far away from your list for there will definitely be times when the things you envisioned will be tested. It is always good to be flexible but never compromise your principles. There is never a need to hurry or forcefully push to buy the land. In my experience, all things will go smooth as long as what you are doing is for what you truly desire and aligned with the universal nature of humans. Definitely, there will be numerous times where you have to start over again and look for a different place. Just be happy that another door has opened for you to explore.

In the end you will be happy that you encountered all these places so that when you settle in your domain, you will have no doubts, questions, or worries about your choice.

Another form of seeking the truth is by eliminating all that is not. Same with the search of land. Relax, flow as the river. No matter how far you travel, you will only end up to the sea as with everyone.

Good luck with the search! You are not the only one seeking and you will be definitely another one who will find it. Trust your guts. Seek help from your ancestors. 

Eliminate that which is not. Let the wind lift the fog and see that the horizon is clear and endless.

Azalea flowers in Hakodate City, Hokkaido

The New Beginning

As one event ends, another begins.

Such is the flow of nature.

Failure may be the end of one attempt but as long as the fire is burning within, another attempt will begin.

My dream is to build a homestead where our family can live and continue on to another generation. We attempted to build one on the country where my mother was born but did not really work out. Several reasons can be said but mainly the safety of the family was the biggest concern.

I shan't blame anybody for this failure because the circumstances of the people in that area brought them to do those actions. In the end, we decided to move out of the country and start a new journey in Hokkaido, may father's hometown in Japan.

The fire within is still burning. Probably less intense as before, but that, I trust is a good thing.

I trust more an ember that burns slowly but constantly than a fire burning intensely but dies out quickly.

The dream still lives on and surely, in time, it will be a reality. Good shall prevail!