LifeSurfing - Hiromi Matsubara rides a wave to my balcony

As I get to know Hiromi better, this idea takes hold that the cure for most problems of the world is Surfing.

Balcony lunch with Hiromi Matsubara, Japanese Surfer & Community Designer

As a former multi-national corporate, then co-founder of Greenz, and now a yoga-teaching, PDC holding Permaculturist, Hiromi stands out as a positive and powerful culture-changer of Japan. 

Hiromi managed to spend her last day of a 3-month travel/study extravaganza at my Sydney harbour side house, riding the the monster wave of my awkwardly-shaped day with glory.
I skidded into Sydney airport from my own Melbourne trip at Midnight. She arranged to be in the car picking me up, helped me overcome being dumped by lost bags and forgotten alarm codes, and helped get us both safely to bed. 

The next morning some exciting phone call popped up, requiring my presence at the laptop till lunchtime, or a lovely work chance would evaporate.
No time for shopping, and there was guest on her way.  Hiromi put on her 'I can make something of this' mindset, reached into my Mother Hubbard Cupboard, and soon all these savory fragrances were wafting from the Kitchen. 
Cool! Surfer vision for unseen opportunities. Flexibility and strength in pulling us through to lunchtime.

Nadine immersed in kitchen sink yoga

And perfect timing, because as soon as it was ready, Hiromi's guest Nadine arrived. The house-surfing, life-surfing trio was complete (two surfers, one floater)

What a gift Hiromi has home-delivered to me. 
Nadine is also a yoga-teaching, linguistically-blessed, witty gardening girl,  with the look of a 
Mills-and-Boon heroine, tumbling dark hair and deep green eyes.

I forgot to restrain my socializing excitement that I burnt up all my energy. After Nadine went home, I needed a nap.
Hiromi, with surfer balance and endurance, continued working away at her tasks, packing her luggage, sening emails for her upcoming new job. Starting this week, she leads a Surfing NGO, monitoring the radioactivity of beaches.

That evening we went out - there was still no food, and the garden here is not edible, not yet.  Unfamiliar with Sydney's capricious roads, I get lost and flustered.   'I'm not good at navigating' I whine.

"Don't worry. I'm good at navigating" says Hiromi.
Those words struck me as so lovely compared to my helpless, hapless ones.

Hiromi departed for Tokyo, way before dusk. Visiting her now-empty, perfectly tidy room, I feel loss.

I go upstairs and get out my study materials. Road map, pens, Google Maps.
"I'm good at navigating", I say. 
Then do what it takes to make that true.

I'm going to surf these roads from now, not let them toss me around.
It just takes preparing beforehand, reviewing where you have been afterwards, deciding to pay attention as a passenger. As a final back-up, like an ankle-strap for a surfboard, always having internet access.

Hiromi's one day stay has changed my world.

Can you see why I love Japan, and the Japanese?