The Bach Collegium, wow moments, some of the kindest people on the planet and life

Hi you complete gems and wow people 

It has now been 3 months since I returned from Japan and I absolutely loved it and fell in love with the people after 12 hours. They must be one of  the kindest people I have ever met in all my 35 years of travelling and they totally won my heart. More of that in a moment. As I had never been to Rome I stopped off on route to Japan, but on the way to Rome ATALIA ran out of wine on the plane! I kid you not. It felt like a joke but no REALLY! I did cheekily remind the Lord about water to wine but .... I loved walking round Rome, got prayed for and prayed with two nuns, had wow hot chocolate and pastry for a song £3.50 for both in the middle of Rome and then took the flight to Japan. 

Everyone knows the trains are awesome and all in all I travelled for 25 hours over 2. 5 weeks and EVERY train was to the minute on time.  Absolutely awesome, no mobiles, no pushing and shoving. Bliss. I stayed in Tokyo for 2 nights and had the great pleasure of meeting a young friend from Burma who I had not seen for 8 years who was married to a Burmese guy who is training to be a pastor in the Philippines. We had dinner together and that was awesome as I had no idea she was in Tokyo as thought she was miles away in another part of Japan. 

I also travelled to Kyoto, Hiroshima and Kurasaiki which I loved and the latter place had been given to me by Daniel on Trip Advisor who is a star in telling me about train times, places etc. Hiroshima had an incredible peace on it and I met some great people in Kurasaiki and even got a room for £4 as they missed off the 0 and it should have been £40 but they honoured it. What a wow room it was too. One of the highlights was a month before I had met Robin Blaze the counter tenor in London and had said to him that next time we meet I would be at the same concert as wanted to hear the Bach Collegium and to have him singing too was amazing. Sure enough on the last night after a fab glass of SB in the Park Hyatt, I had the fantastic opportunity of meeting Robin with Maasaki Suzuki the conductor of the Bach Collegium. Both were amazingly gracious considering they had been working so hard to finish the recordings in Kobe. Amazingly it has taken Maasaki S 20 years to record the Bach Cantatas and I was there on almost the last one. I gave them each a card in my best handwriting as they have truly enriched our lives beyond measure by the divine music.  DO GO and listen to Mr Suzuki's Bach on Radio 4 and listen to the Bach C and Robin Blaze on YOU TUBE as it is  AWESOME and the concert ( where I changed my ticket to get a front row seat) was a TOUCH OF HEAVEN. I then flew back to London that night and arrived in school the next day to teach my year 10's two hours after arriving in London! Wherever I went people helped me and one lady was an angel and came all the way across Tokyo to get me to the meeting of the above after I took the wrong train ( the only time I did). I cannot find her email but hope to. Obviously I am going back and it is all sorted. 

I have been celebrating my 54th birthday with fantastic and much loved friends - Val and Malcolm in St Albans, friends came over for a bring and share and Fliss was relatively calm ( sorry to those who could not make it) the Ritz friends and I had a great time in London last Saturday and this week I have been in 3 times to Hampstead, Dorchester ( wow service ) and freebies with a friend elsewhere who was celebrating her 50th.  Confusingly this is me at Ho C Minh's final resting place from Vietnam last year! Below of course is Aung San Su Kyi in London who I did not see but chatted to her son outside the Foreign Office and then went to a pub where we met one of the 1988 generation who is no longer allowed in Burma! We still must pray for the tensions there in this amazing land which I miss so much and will go back in His timing. 

However now I have run out of energy and no energy to do things that should be done but all will be well. I must sort out information for my trip in the summer but it will all work out. The flight and rooms are sorted but I am stuck on which area to go in one of the countries I am going to. More on the next blog. 

I have discovered Marcia Willet whose books I love and have read bout 8 so far. I am not sure if my photos will add on as they have changed the format and way it is done which drives me mad. Why can't they leave it as it was!  I am also reading Battlefield of the Mind which is also challenging. 

Life is amazing and I remain totally blessed with the much loved friends I have, meeting  new people,travelling the world,  divine appointments including one with a pretty famous scientist from Italy who happened to be standing with me on Tokyo station. On her site she is wearing a purple top too. Feel sure we will stay in contact and meet again in Japan, London or Italy. We will see. 

I love my home and everyday give thanks for it as it is me to a tee even to the PURPLE tree in the house behind and I have a green one in mine. The previous owners even had a passion flower and purple stones put in the garden. How amazing. 
Lots of love everyone. May you be blessed in all you are doing and those of you who I know are having very difficult times may you experience  peace, comfort and strength. 
Fliss xx