Something In The Mail by Kiyasu Oka, matcha latte with honey

 As I went to my mailbox for a happy surprise, taking out envelopes of warm white with freshly postmarked stamps in my hand, I thought about how today—like any other day—is gonna be my happy day.

 

            But then I received this piece of nothing as I opened my supposed-to-be-filled variety joy basket. Many bits of white envelopes tucked in, though.

 

            Opening each one and reading the nothing, I thought, 'Man, that sure is nuthin'!' These blank nothings were all there was in the mail.

 

            But with professionally printed card stock, that sure is the finest nothing to have ever existed.

 

NOTE: This is a story about nothing.  Remember to commemorate National Nothing Day, folks!

About the author 

 Kiyasu Oka is a professional psychic investigator and advisor from Taiwan who is also an illustrator and designer. She offers various services for illustration, proofreading, editing, computer games, and more. Check out her Web site at www.kiyasugreen.com and her shop at https://kiyasu.etsy.com Her Fiverr profile is https://www.fiverr.com/kiyasu 

 

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A New Recipe

 

by Kiyasu Oka

Matcha Latte with Honey

As the window opened, she brewed her favorite cup of thoughts. 

“Good morning,” the blue sky greeted the lass. 

The cup filled with the warmth of the sun, as she smiled and said, “Today, I will add a new ingredient.”

“What is it?” said the sky.

“My heart’s warmth for a new day.”

KIYASU OKA is a Taiwanese professional illustrator and entrepreneur, whose title can be referred to as a professional color magician. She is the “Magician of Color” from Taiwan. Her most well-known writing work is a personal love letter called “Taiwan is my Country,” published on her Web site since April of 2016. Kiyasu Oka’s Web site is at www.kiyasugreen.com.

(Un)Limited Poison

 

by Kiyasu Oka

matcha latte with honey

 

I sat behind my friend. His back had an unlimited symbol. He likes doing… unusual things.

Including mixing poisonous liquids in math class.

We were solving limit equations today.

“x squared minus three. Hmm… over x minus four,” I mumbled.

Suddenly, he turned around.

“Hey Sally, you should pretend minus three and minus four never existed. That would be fun! Let’s change the homework problems, yahoo!”

“You can’t just edit our math problems!!!”

“Ha, of course you can. If me, the oh-so-great-ish Dr. Almighty Poison King with (Mad Scientist) Glasses says so, then you can. But really, I have so many flasks of liquids at my house… it’s crazzzzy, dude!”

“Whoa there, poisonous? That’s pretty scary!”

“Nah, it’s my hobby! You know, anything to do with poissssson, snake style!”

“Huh…?”

“But I have so many flasks that if you broke into my house and stole some, I would still be in Happy Happy Poisssssonous Flasks Wonder Land!”

“Why would I want to steal flasks from you?”

“Well, why wouldn’t you? I mean, it’s my passsssion!”

“I have passion in math, not poisonous liquids and flasks.”

“Can you feel my passion, though?”

“Uh… I guess…”

“I have sooooo many flasks that it is as if!! As if!!!!!!!!!”

“… Yes…?”

“As if!! Me, keep doing same passion, every day. A billion years later, still SO many flasks left. Wow!”

“… Huh…”

“Like, there are SO many flasks!! An unlimited supply for more than eternity! An UNlimited supply of poisssssion for me!”

“…So…?”

“If you steal three or four, it is as if nothing had happened, dude!”

“So, whether or not there is a minus three or minus four, it feels the same?”

“Now THAT is what we call abundance, man! Wow! And yes!!!!!!”

“…Oh…?”

“Because when x is so infinitely large, like a billion times fifty more, does it make any difference as to whether minus three or minus four exists? They are, like, trivial, dude!”

“…Oh…”

“And this is an infinitely abundant universe, with an unlimited supply of beauty! That’s why it’s probably not a good idea to get carried away with the minus threes or minus fours. You might inadvertently make your life harder, by blocking the riches of life in this moment, when it is not necessary. Non non, dude!”

”……”

“You see, dude, you might think this world is limited in resources and has a, you know, lack of things. You have ten dollars, someone steals three, and you only have seven left because the three is gone. This lack thing.”

“……?”

“But!!!!!!!!!! With excessive exclamation marks!!!!! What if, within the limited-ness, you can somehow discover the UN-limited-ness of things? And passsssion might help!”

“Huh…?”

“The magic of life, sir. It might then reveal its truth to you, and whoa!!! You realize that you DO have plenty. All along. Wow! But it wasn’t, like, see-able with your previous eyesight depths, mentally and emotionally. That’s why you couldn’t see it before and no magic, dude.”

“Huh…”

“Like, when we focus on lack, like whether someone would steal three or four, we limit our mental and emotional eyesight depths, dude! We see a fragmented-ish world and universe. But!!!! This universe we live in is so vast, and maybe our eyesight depths should, too. Or else!!!!!!! Whoa, we might unconsciously make our lives hard to live. Especially with that money thing.”

“…Oh…”

“Mr. Kind Sir, even though you are Sally, but anyway! People are usually uncomfortable with this money thing. At least unconsciously. And with themselves, too. You know, there is not enough to go around, I am not good enough, I can’t afford this, etc. This is this fear thing, which is caused by lack.”

“…Oh…!”

“But anyway, that’s why I don’t mind you stealing my flasks and I don’t count the numbers in the dollars when it comes to money. Because if I do, I might limit the un-limited-ness of my sight, and then unconsciously block out the riches that are just around the corner, or maybe even right in front of me!”

“……”

“Oh, whoops! Looks like it is time to go home! Yay, Flasks Wonder Land, here I come! Super dash!!! And good luck on your h-o-m-e-w-o-r-k~~~~~”

His voice started to echo away as he distanced, but I smiled and said, “Thanks for all the help, Ken! You might look crazy and creepy, but you have a rich heart, and I am so glad to realize this today.”

We waved goodbye as we parted our ways, lengthening the distance even more, but this moment felt like the closest moment of my life.

“Mr. Ken Dokutai, now known as Doctor Poisson to me, made a special place in my heart, I guess,” I thought as I walked home. “Thanks to his passion for poission, I guess. Both with only two Ss, of course!” I chuckled along the journey there. “And his love…” I blushed as I thought about how I would be thinking about him tonight as I fell asleep for the night.

This one math equation became so much easier to solve, and along the way, I learned to live as infinitely as I could, every day.

Maybe that is what the unlimited symbol on his back means… to live with a rich eyesight, and a rich heart. And then maybe all the other riches will flow along the way, along the next journey.

With plenty more to come.

About the Author:

KIYASU OKA is a Taiwanese professional illustrator and entrepreneur, whose title can be referred to as a professional color magician. She is the “Magician of Color” from Taiwan. Her most well-known writing work is a personal love letter called “Taiwan is my Country,” published on her Web site since April of 2016. Kiyasu Oka’s Web site is at www.kiyasugreen.com.

Chelsea’s Seeds

by Kiyasu Oka

Matcha latte with honey

Chelsea planted a seed. She wanted to grow flowers, cacti, and blueberries. She recently broke up with her boyfriend, lost all her friends, and have a bad reputation. She has basically no human friends.

Fights, conflicts, and being hated.

Alone. Lonely. Ostracized.

So she planted some seeds.

Gardening became her hobby.

“The Earth has so many seeds that can be planted,” she thought.

“This will keep me company.”

Flowers, cacti, and blueberries grew.

One of the seeds blossomed… a different flower.

A rose…

For her heart.

She was surprised.

The rose was so beautiful and stunning, as she gazed into it.

She went to bed that night thinking, “That was one of the most beautiful things I have seen in some time.”

She had a dream that night. A dream where she met the inner workings of her heart drawing a picture that read:

Please cherish yourself, and love yourself. Love yourself. Love life… again. Please.

Then her inner heart gave her a hug, and the dream-world her started to cry.

That dream reached her heart, and tears emerged as she slept.

The next day she woke up and decided: “Today is the day I fall in love with myself.”

“I can survive,” she said as she finds a mystery note near her rose that read:

The best is yet to come. It will all pass, and you can survive.

And so she did survive.

Ever since that fateful day, that fateful dream, from her own heart.

Thanks to the rose inside her heart, that she never knew existed.

And the love letter from her rose that taught her how to love herself.

Ever since the day she decided to love and cherish herself, on her own.

And ever since she fell in love.

About the author 

KIYASU OKA is a Taiwanese professional illustrator and entrepreneur, whose title can be referred to as a professional color magician. She is the “Magician of Color” from Taiwan. Her most well-known writing work is a personal love letter called “Taiwan is my Country,” published on her Web site since April of 2016. Kiyasu Oka’s Web site is at www.kiyasugreen.com.

Kiyasu OKA
ILLUSTRATOR | WRITER | DESIGNER | ENTREPRENEUR

The Skyscraper's Wonder

The Skyscraper’s Wonder

by  Kiyasu Oka

Matcha Latte with Honey

TAIPEI 101 (508 meters or 1,667 feet with 101 floors)

In the heart of Asia lies a multi-island country called Taiwan. Even though the main island of the country is so small, it features some of the world’s most fascinating achievements.

One of its stunning world achievements is the skyscraper known as TAIPEI 101.

Once held the title of the #1 tallest building in the world since its completion in 2004, TAIPEI 101 still illuminates its beauty today. A financial center mixed with shopping malls and restaurants and more, there are many tales to be told. The completion of the Burj Khalifa in 2010 (828 meters with 163 floors) made TAIPEI 101 the second tallest building in the world, but even so, its tales of wonder remain just as strong.

Here is a story for you:

“I would like to purchase two tickets for the observatory.”

“Here you go and enjoy the night!”

“All right, the tickets are here and let’s look around a bit before we wait in line,” I said to my friend as we looked forward to the night.

Gorgeous architectural design, lovely gift shop souvenirs, luxurious tea, and so much more – and not to mention the world’s time zone clock on the floor! So international, so beautiful, and so dazzling, inside and out!

Then, my friend and I looked around the fascinating stores nearby until it is about time. We posed for a photo taken by the machine when waiting in the observatory queue.

“Taiwan is so interesting. I am enjoying my trip here very much. Thank you for all of the delicious food.”

“You are welcome. I feel so lucky to be living in Taiwan! The cheap, but high-quality food, as well as other things … then there is the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). Transportation and food is so convenient!”

As the line moved forward, the excitement fills up inside me: “This is the elevator that will take us to the observatory!”

We walked in the elevator, and as the doors closes, the entire lighting changed.

Suddenly, we were on a trip so beautiful and inspiring, in wonder and awe, until we reached the 89^th floor.

“Wow! What was… this? We are already… here?”

“Yes, we were on the world’s fastest elevator! High-class technology manufactured by Toshiba, that was 37 seconds from the 5^th floor to the 89^th floor!”

“Amazing! It didn’t feel like an elevator trip at all! I felt like we were in some profound, starry journey into the skies… a very sweet, dazzling journey!”

I smiled as we continued on.

We bought the photos of us taken during the waiting line earlier, as we ordered some drinks and chatting in this lovely, sweet atmosphere.

Then we visited the world’s biggest and heaviest wind damper. “Weighing 660 tons and 5.5 meters (18 feet) in diameter, this unique round object counteracts oscillation during earthquakes and typhoons!”

“Wow, the mini-damper character is so cute!!!,” I said as we had our photo taken.

We wrote postcards at the area where the world’s tallest mailboxes are and visited the outdoor observatory.

“Wow… look, those binoculars! The city view! So… beautiful…!”

Indeed, the beautiful view of the city of Taipei, right in front of our eyes, from the 91^st floor of TAIPEI 101.

Stunningly beautiful.

Suddenly, my friend started to speak.

“You know, this entire journey from the elevator, all the way to this time… I felt my heart glowing with feelings.”

“This atmosphere is so sweet and romantic, isn’t it?”

Suddenly, without saying anything, he gently held my hand and gave me a hug.

“Thanks for bringing me here,” he said as he gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek.

I felt my heart pounding. It felt so… sweet.

We spent the night gazing into the beautiful night sky as a shooting star shimmered in the night.

Then we continued to spend time in the observatory floors, but hand in hand all this time.

The beautiful atmosphere continues to bring our hearts alive, as our bond with each other deepens in this lovely experience.

Then, I said to my friend, “Thanks for visiting Taiwan and choosing me as your guide.”

“You are welcome,” he said as we gazed into each other for quite some time.

Then, we kissed under the beautiful night sky.

The next day he had to return to his country, and I wanted to visit him at the airport so badly.

When he was about to leave for boarding, I hugged him tightly and cried happily.

He petted my head and touched my hair gently. Then he said, “Dear, thanks for the lovely time in Taiwan. I hope to see you again someday,” as he gave me a kiss.

“I am so happy to have met you in person for the first time. I feel like this is one of the most profound experiences with a friend… and I will always remember this day in my heart.”

We hugged one more time before we said goodbye.

I returned home tonight feeling this sense of finally meeting my friend in person for the first time, feeling so grateful that we could cross paths in this lifetime.

“Thank you so much for today, sweetheart,” I said to myself as I fell asleep, with my hand in my heart, dreaming of him.

“Thank you for the lovely experience in Taiwan, love,” he said to himself as he fell asleep that night, after he returned home and prepared to fall asleep.

Every day, I feel a deep sweet feeling in my heart as I move through this world, and I believe he does too. Maybe this bond is telepathic, and more. Every day, this feeling makes me come alive.

This is the story of two friends who loved each other so deeply, as their international friendship lives on…

… as their hearts for each other continued to live on, beyond time and space…

… forever and ever.

About the author 

KIYASU OKA is a Taiwanese professional illustrator and entrepreneur, whose title can be referred to as a professional color magician. She is the “Magician of Color” from Taiwan. Her most well-known writing work is a personal love letter called “Taiwan is my Country,” published on her Web site since April of 2016. Kiyasu Oka’s Web site is at www.kiyasugreen.com.

Kitty, Where Are You? Our Memories….

by Kiyasu Oka 

Matcha Latte with Honey

I once had a cat whose name is “Kitty.”

But I didn’t own her like “every other” cat owners do.

But still, she is the most important cat to me in the world, and she trusted me like a real owner… and I trusted her back. I still think it is the most beautiful cat-and-human relationship I ever had.

How did this story unfold? Let me tell you… our story.

The house I used to live in had a yard with a swimming pool.

During the night, wild cats would visit. And I do mean wild unfriendly cats.

When I moved in here the first day, our landlord had a dog. When that dog was there, no wild cats will come close to our swimming pool, but they might still quickly pass through the wider grass area of our yard.

One day a wild cat came walking into our yard.

Usually wild cats are unfriendly and when you “meow” at them, they might stare at you or become cautious around you (and then run away).

However, this cat was different.

I “meowed” at it, and it meowed back… wiggling its tail a bit. The instant I “meowed” at it, it comes running close to me.

I started to pet it, and it “purred” and enjoys my accompany. It came close to me and rubbed its fur along my skin.

It was so friendly… even though it was only a wild cat.

Ever since that day, the cat has slept here overnight, and on the days that it doesn’t stay, I *know* he or she will come back soon.

A wild cat became our pet, and we feed it food every day. While it stayed in our yard and never entered the house, it was still a real pet. Even though we never took it to the vet or anything “real” cat owners do except for feeding it food, it was still in every way a real pet.

I wondered on numerous occasions, though, why is this cat so friendly, even though it is wild?

Did it have a previous owner who abandoned her? A previous owner whom she trusted and yet abandoned her in the end? It makes me feel all sorts of feelings when I think about whether this could be the case.

Yet, this cat is still so loyal and trusting of humans like me, if the case of such a previous owner is true. I would think about this kind of thing.

I had a turtle when I was in elementary school, whom I “killed.” I put the turtle on my desk, and it walked to the edge and falls down. This happened quite a few times. Then, one day, the turtle died. It felt it was my “fault” that I “killed” in elementary school.

Then I had a fish around middle school, whom I received from an event at school as a prize. One day it suddenly started to act strange and would NOT eat any of the food we gave it. It would constantly jump outside of its water “cup” and we would find it on the floor many times. Then we would put the fish back into its water “cup.” It was starting to be abnormal so much…

One day when we finally decided to set this fish into a river.  The moment we set it free, I saw something so fascinating: the instant it started to enter the river water, it was almost as if its body starts to change completely! Then it started to swim normally… it was almost as if all of that jumping outside of its water “cup” onto our living room floor and NOT eating ANY food was a kind of “suicide act” – perhaps also it did not want to trust humans.

With pet stories like these, as well as the times I would murder ants in elementary, it reaches my heart to know that this wild cat, that maybe another “trustworthy” human abandoned and “betrayed” in the end, would trust me like nothing has ever happened with other humans in the past.

I loved my cat so much.

It is “small” things like these that help me realize the beauty of never giving up on trusting another person, even if you don’t know them at all.

It is the ONE time in my yard when we accidentally bumped into this gigantic spider web with a large yellow and black spider in the middle… too.

At that time I was “naïve” and didn’t think about whether it could be deadly poisonous or not, so we tried to use a wooden stick to “tackle” its web and take a photo of a “special-looking spider.” During all of this time of being near its web and “destroying” it and making the spider go on the stick and then we “toss” it into the wall areas near the way back of our yard, it did not do anything.

I sometimes look back at this and wonder whether it could have spat out some kind of poison.

Yet, it didn’t.

… almost as if it simply trusted me, a human who has “murdered” past pets before.

This cat and that spider, still remain somewhere deep inside my heart, a treasure of memory that I grew up with.

The memories of  my cat, even though it is wild, have a deep place in my heart.

The story of a possibly abandoned cat still being so friendly to humans, even though it may have been living a wild cat’s life for years. WHY is this cat still so friendly to me and other humans? Did it not think about its lonely life as a wild cat for possibly years?

I spent about one and a half years with this cat, until the news came: our family had to leave the location and immigrate to another country.

That was when it is time to… abandon… this cat. To suddenly disappear one day. To suddenly… “betray” my cat.

And maybe the landlord will move back in with his dog, and therefore this cat may never have its home again.

This happened around the earlier 2000s. It is now 2020. I wondered what the life of our cat became after the day he loyally comes to visit our yard, expecting me to come and pet, but find that I am nowhere to be seen again. No more food. No more sleeping space. And maybe the landlord’s dog shooed it away.

Maybe it might be a nightmare for that cat to “return home” to the… news.

I wonder what Kitty thought that day. I wonder what Kitty felt that day. I wonder whether Kitty might have decided that I betrayed her, I abandoned her, I [insert more possibilities here]. I wonder whether Kitty might have thought I passed away. (Do cats think or feel these things?!) Could that day my landlord’s dog decide to take over again be one of the most traumatic days of my cat’s life? That I suddenly disappeared and left it with no home again? Could Kitty even have possibly died soon after that? Who knows…?

So many thoughts and feelings in my head…. so many worries, so many “I wonder whether I should have”s, so much sadness.

Would other humans be as “thoughtful” to have given a wild cat a home? It didn’t look like it had a home for so long… this wild, brave cat, who was possibly abandoned for years, came to respond to my “meow” and become my friend.

It came, it stayed, it slept, it got fed, and it spent hours with me – being touched and rubbing against my skin.

It trusted me so much. It made my yard her home, with only one gesture of “meow” from me!

How many wild cats would do that?

Fast forward to 2010, there was a wild cat who was also very friendly and LOOKED like the cat I “owned.” It would respond similarly to humans. I heard news that it was once an owned cat but later abandoned. It would stay near the residence area and I heard that a woman nearby took care of these wild cats… sort of.

Fast forward a year after that…. I saw this cat have a kind of cut-off ear and a portion of his tail. What happened to it?

It was still friendly to humans, but, really, what happened?

I was worried about this wild cat, and it certainly reminded me of Kitty. They both looked very similar. I don’t know the name of the kind of cat, but they do look alike. But Kitty was in the United States and this one is in Taiwan…

I just wondered whether this cat got into an industrial accident, thus explaining its sort-of cut-off tail and ear. Yet it is still so friendly to humans.

I… don’t know… but I hope Kitty is all right. I hope this other cat is all right. I wonder how these wild cats are doing. Kitty was “owned” by me but this other one was only a friendly wild cat that “nobody” really “truly” owns but shows up in the area, even though I heard some woman takes care of some wild cats in the area.

Kitty, where are you? Are you alive? What did you think of me after I “betrayed” you?

Wherever you are, whatever happened, I hope you still like me.

I hope you still remember me.

I cherish our times together. You have always been a real pet to me (even though I don’t do anything except only feed you food and pet you). And I hope you cherish it, too.

But mostly importantly: I hope you…. remember me, whether you are still alive or not.

I hope you still think about me from time to time. I hope my existence still has a place inside you.

Thanks for all of our memories, and for the friendliness you showed me. Thanks for trusting me all along, and I am sorry I could not stay any longer and maybe “betrayed” you like your previous owner did, if you were abandoned. I am sorry for the nightmare day of the dog taking over… and for you having to experience not being able to sleep at our place any more, or have any more free food.

I hope you lived well after… though… I am… sorry.

Wherever you are, I still think of you fondly, and I still remember you.

And I hope you remember me, too.

Thanks for all the beautiful lessons and experiences you showed me, Kitty.

Even though you were a wild cat who stayed at my place like a real pet, you are the most important pet I had during those years of my life. One of my most important friends, too.

Wherever you are, Kitty, I hope you remember our memories, our love, and our friendship.

Thank you for inspiring a human like me on how to trust others. I couldn’t be more grateful.

About the author

KIYASU OKA is a Taiwanese professional illustrator and entrepreneur, whose title can be referred to as a professional color magician. She is the “Magician of Color” from Taiwan. Her most well-known writing work is a love letter called “Taiwan is my Country” (2016). Kiyasu Oka’s Web site is at www.kiyasugreen.com.