Galing Bulacan brings out cooking talent of the province's students and potential professional chefs

By Nancy T. Lu

Sons and daughters of Bulacan aspiring to pursue a culinary career stepped forward to be counted at the Galing Bulacan Cooking Contest in front of the Bulacan Provincial Capitol Gym in Malolos last January 29. The late Teresita "Mama Sita" Reyes, a Malolena and an icon when it comes to flavorful mixes and sauces in authentic Philippine cuisine, must have smiled with approval from above on seeing a promising younger generation show flair and talent for cooking.

Fourteen teams of would-be chefs, all students with ages ranging from 14 to 18, came from different places in Bulacan, including Bustos, Baliuag, Calumpit, Plaridel, San Rafael, Pulilan, Bulakan, Paombong and Malolos, to compete and to learn from the critiques and evaluations of the very experienced and professional chef judges.The Mama Sita Foundation and the Bulacan Provincial Government through the PHACTO Tourism Division made the project possible.

The contestants and their all-out supporters were privileged to hear in what seemed like an open-air cooking school some truly useful pointers and meaningful advice directly from chefs like Sau del Rosario, Richard Ramos, and Nancy Reyes Lumen.

Despite the not-too-ideal setup of the cooking area, the well-prepared contestants carried out their tasks smoothly within sight of their coaches, thereby earning positive remarks from  the judges for their culinary performance.One team was thrilled to be finally told that they were, in fact, worth hiring for a restaurant.

The contestants' chosen ingredients were the first to call attention that beautiful morning. The interesting display of a potted basil plant on one table prompted though a judge to express hope that leaves would not just be plucked and introduced on a dish without washing. Meanwhile fresh aratiles fruits required by one recipe fanned nostalgic memories of childhood days spent playing in a backyard dominated by a fruit-bearing tree.LGBT awareness even in cooking was noted in the entry of Team Bulacan State University - Inipit na Baklang Alimango sa Caramba ni Mama.The crustacean's gender was said to see to the preferable consistency, taste and texture of the aligue.

Sau del Rosario, a French-trained celebrity chef who is the culinary director of The Cravings Group,  openly said that he would like to see the contestants wow him with their use of the Mama Sita products. A surprise to him was the inclusion of a dessert recipe using Mama Sita distilled cane vinegar in the competition.  This Triple Coated Kesong Puti dish (top photo) whipped up by the team from Bustos went on to emerge the grand champion. All other included recipes like the runner-up entries of Beef with Banana Bud and Waterleaf in Oyster Sauce - a  pasta dish - of Team Baliuag  University and Stuffed Prawn with Mama Sita's Oyster and Barbecue Sauces with Quinoa of Team Centro Escolar University of Malolos were main courses.

Richard Ramos, whose years of working with Eurest in California, USA, taught him to be passionate and innovative about food, shared his culinary expectations. This scion of the family behind Eurobake - famous for inipit and ensaymada - sought to find balance in the food presentation. He pointed out a lack of carbohydrate on a plate sometimes. He also wanted to see color in the food presentation to satisfy a need to visually whet appetite. He likewise had an eye for height in the food on a plate.

The stories which the contestants told for the day often highlighted the influence of mothers who were traditional homemakers known to cook lovingly for their families. The judges naturally hoped to discover Bulacan's culinary heritage through the contest participants  and to find out how old recipes had evolved in modern times.

The judges, including this writer, followed the visual feasting on the food with actual tasting. Taste, texture and aroma were given 40 percent  in the judging. Preparation and cooking skills took 25 percent while presentation and appetite appeal got another 25 percent. Ten percent went to overall impact.

Sau del Rosario urged all the teams to promptly present the food - each dish a labor of love and a work of art - when newly cooked in order to earn higher points in the judges' score sheets.

Nancy Reyes Lumen, famous food researcher and chef with the reputation of Adobo Queen, remarked that the joy in the eyes of a cook somehow got carried over to the dish he or she worked on. Her random suggestions worthy of note included letting achuete do the special coloring of the rice to go with Team Plaridel's Milkfish Longanisa. She questioned the presence of a whole pitcher of aligue sauce when a small serving already there sufficed in Team Bulakan's entry of Crab Stuffed Prawn in Aligue Sauce.



Clara Lapus, president of the Mama Sita Foundation, shared her advocacy in protecting the environment at the cooking event. She reminded the students not to pollute the river so as to preserve the natural food bounty there and to keep the shrimps used in a delicious dish, for example, safe for the dining table..

12 Chinese zodiac animals inspire creation of New Year prints by Taiwanese artists

鄭翔 Cheng Xiang

鼠大吉 Auspicious Mouse

Woodcut 2008 (ForYear of the Rat)

Size: 53.5 x 38.5 centimeters

The Rat, which is the first of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, carries with it suggestions of peace, auspiciousness, reunion, abundance, and wealth plus social prestige. There are 12 mice in the print and they refer to the 12 months. The overall rat jumps with joy to catch the big fruit representing all that is truly auspicious and summing up the wishes for the whole year.

田文筆 Tien Wen-pi

圓滿 Fullness and Satisfaction

Linocut 2009 (For Year of the Ox)

Size: 43 x 29 centimeters

The idea of “blooming flowers under the full moon” is associated with reunion with the family, whereas the oxen in the picture tie in with the festive mood for the New Year. The Chinese symbols for luck, happiness, longevity and festivity in the print sum up the people’s wishes for a life full of happiness.

鄭善禧Cheng Shan-hsi

虎風振發百業興壯圖大展迎庚寅

Winds of Change: The Ferocious Tiger 
Sparks Ambition and Stimulates Prosperity

Silkscreen 2010 (For Year of the Tiger)

Size: 53 x 40.5 centimeters

The tiger is a symbol of beauty, courage and power. The Year of the Gengyin Tiger has bold brush strokes outlining a muscular and vigorous body. The tiger turns to face the viewer, flashing spirited eyes and baring sharp teeth. Brownish-yellow fur with distinctive black and white stripes and upturned tail is set against a gold background, creating an atmosphere of overflowing prosperity. Year of the Tiger “2010” is written across the top of print and the theme along with “The 99^th Year of the Republic” are written at the bottom. The folk art style used in the print combines traditional feel and modern flair. Since 2001, Cheng has been creating a New Year print annually for the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

陳喬郁 Cheng Ciao-yu

萬兔瑞福迎百年    Two Three Four

Happy Centenary Anniversary

Linocut 2011 (For Year of the Rabbit)

Size: 43 x 34 centimeters

Central to this piece created by an artist from Taiwan is the auspicious rabbit signifying long-lasting prosperity, The birthday gifts symbolize good fortune, longevity, wealth and prosperity. The Chinese plum flowers on the four corners of the print are an important symbol of a nation.

陳雅芳 Chen Ya-fang

祥龍報喜 Auspicious Dragon 
Announces Good News

Silkscreen 2000 (For Year of the Dragon)

Size: 41.5 x 32 centimeters

An auspicious dragon, an icon identified with the emperor in ancient China, is a bringer of good tidings. The inverted Chinese character for “spring” tells of the arrival of the first season of the year. It also is a Taiwanese homonym for “surplus,” thereby heralding a year of abundance. Peonies all around carry message of wealth and social status.

高若蘭 Gao Ruo-lan

團聚 Family Reunion

Woodblock Print 2000 (For Year of the Snake)

Size: 45 x 30.5 centimeters

A colored snake coiling the length of its body around the other animals of the Chinese horoscope or zodiac lends itself to a peaceful and jubilant atmosphere. The joy of getting together is beyond description. Work is simple and unadorned yet rich in creativity. Artist expresses wish for world peace and social harmony. The print has a complete and unique composition. Its rich content carries the lingering charm of calligraphy.

陳朝猛Chen Chao-meng

駿馬迎春A Fine HorseUshers In Spring

2002 (For Year of the Horse)

Size: 31.5 x 45 centimeters.

Print focuses on a robust and neighing horse. In ancient times, a horse with vigor and vitality found a parallel in the spirited dragon. Hence, the auspicious dragon gets superimposed on the black stallion. The shadow of another horse is introduced to signify a breakthrough in bidding farewell to economic difficulties. The pattern resembling latticework or even Chinese papercut in the background carries auspicious expressions like “Good fortune as you wish,” “Good luck and good fortune,” “Wealth and good fortune,” and “Happy New Year.” Wishes are for a wonderful year ahead.

楊振華Yang Chen-hua

吉羊添財好運來 Lucky Sheep for a Prosperous Year

Linocut and Silkscreen 2002 (For Year of the Goat)

Size: 45.5 x 32.5 centimeters

The subject matter of an “ingot vehicle” in the shape of a white sheep symbolizes good fortune and increased wealth. Four lucky objects around include: carp or fish (“yu”) for abundance, ru-yi scepter meaning “as you wish,” vase or bottle pronounced “ping” for peace and peach for longevity.

彭彥棋 Peng Yen-chi

三猴開泰 Three Monkeys Celebrate the New Year

Digital Print 2004 (For the Year of the Monkey)

Size: 44.5 x 29.5 centimeters

Festive layout and joyous colors lend themselves to this contemporary New Year print. The male, female and young monkeys depict family togetherness. They are happily welcoming the New Year. The two trees filled with loving hearts match the simian subjects in cuteness. This digital print, which is very likely to bring smiles to faces, seeks to convey a wish for peace and good health in the coming year. Spring is returning to the earth, auguring a good Year of the Monkey.

French-style sex education for the young

By Nancy T. Lu

Have you ever tried discussing sex with your children? Many fathers and mothers, if they can, shy away from such a situation. Very often, the mere mention of sex is enough to raise eyebrows or to make people blush.

To talk openly about sex was, I remember, almost taboo even in the highly permissive French society years ago. French toddlers grew up using toilet-related coined words such as pipi (to go to the toilet) and caca (to do the other toilet job). Likewise, the exact biological terms in French for the male and female sex organs were strictly kept out of the children’s vocabulary. Boys and girls learned at a tender age to speak vaguely – in whispers, too – of the zizi.

In typically repressed style, candid questions raised by the kids received evasive replies from adults. If American parents told their little ones about the birds and the bees, their French counterparts dwelled on the tale of the seed.

But I still recall the winds of change arriving at the Theatre Present near the Porte Pantin subway station in Paris years ago. The vehicle for sex education then was an avant-garde kiddie play entitled Defense d’en Parler (literally translated “It is Forbidden to Talk About It”).

The children’s play treated sex candidly and frankly. The subject ceased to be veiled in sometimes confusing figures of speech.

I entered the theater at curtain time one day to be greeted musically thus: “Ici, ici meme, tout est permis; ici, ici rien n’est interdit. (Here everything is allowed; nothing is forbidden.)”

From the beginning, the air was cleared of any hint of repression. The aforementioned lively refrain set the mood and drove home the message.

Bernard Betremieux, the man behind the French stage production, had observed the kids’ tendency to giggle or guffaw at the mere mention of pipi and caca. It was obvious that children derive certain pleasure in talking about “forbidden subjects and things.” Theater enthusiast Betremieux decided to give children the means to express themselves.

Before the production finally materialized, Betremieux had to deal with the problem of drawing up the vital questions to be incorporated into the script. He took special precaution in formulating the sentences so as not to unduly provoke his very young and impressionable audience. He also did not want to risk the introduction of images likely to create an undesirable impact. After consulting parents and psychologists, he finalized the script of Defense d’en Parler. Nothing was left to chance.

Young spectators accompanied to Theatre Present by their fathers, mothers or aunts arrived to a warm reception by the entire cast of Defense d’en Parler. The name of each child was sung lustily to the accompaniment of a chord on the piano.

The extroverts were soon singing enthusiastically with the cast while the introverts watched quietly and smiled. At the outset, however, the general impression was that nobody aged 6 to 12 would be allowed to warm his or her seat in the gallery. Showtime was also time for play and fun.

The scenario called for the atmosphere of a children’s party. There was no dull moment. The clowning antics of the cast kept the boys and girls entertained.

Sylvie Feit and Jean-Gabriel Granet appeared before the children. But there was a reversal of roles. Sylvie was dressed like a man and Jean-Gabriel wore a feminine getup.

Then came the poser: How do you tell a man from a woman?

The warming up exercise was very natural and effective. Another leading question was raised: Have you ever seen naked men and women? “Yes, in the museum,” came one candid reply.

The amused children refused to be deceived by superficial trappings. Properly motivated, they rushed to undress Sylvie to reveal her true sex.

Stripped down to her leotard, the actress admitted to being a female. Another cast member confirmed it by drawing on her two breasts and the female sex organ.

Meanwhile Jean-Gabriel with his effeminate posturing came under “attack” by the children. Off went his hat and dress. The moment of truth arrived. “She” turned out to be a he.

Words like zizi, faucet, knife, little bird, piece of wood and even Eiffel Tower emanated from the lips of innocent children. Take note: nobody used the precise word to refer to the male sex organ.

The play continued. More questions were asked: What do you do to have a baby? Can you have a baby without getting married?

Candid replies sometimes sent shock waves across the adult audience. One girl explained that the man must plant a seed in the woman to bring about fertilization. Another child innocently put it this way: “The baby comes from the zizi of the monsieur (man) who puts it in the zizi of the femme (woman).” But listen to a young romantic: “It happens when a man and a woman make love.”

Then came the lesson in biology. Movable screens parted to reveal a huge rag doll measuring 2.5 meters in height and 1.5 meters in width. The prop was designed and made to have the female attributes on one side and the male characteristics on the reverse side. Care was taken not to give it the familiar form likely to constitute physical provocation. There was no room for erotic suggestion here.

The belly on the side showing female anatomy had a flap which could be opened at will. Inside were balloons and tubes representing the uterus, the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Ovules came in the form of Easter eggs, which were distributed on the spot among the delighted children.

The story of fertilization got described like a moving love story but in biological terms. The boys and girls danced out the meeting of the ovule and the sperm.

With the completion of the sex act, the uterus now held a fetus that slowly developed and grew, finally becoming an infant.

The flap on the belly was put back. Six months passed. The baby in the tummy began to move. Another three months later, the little one asked to see the light of day. The suspense-filled moment came. A baby acted out by an adult was born. After being slapped by one of the children, she cried.

How do you stop a baby from crying? A precocious little one suggested: “Breastfeed her!”

After sucking a bit, she cried some more. “Try the other breast,” said another observant girl.

When confronted by sons and daughters regarding sexuality, adults often have difficulty explaining the facts of life. The educational play answered many questions familiar to parents with children.

Very often, children dare not direct nagging questions on sex at their fathers and mothers. But the bliss of innocence is a thing of the past in cities where present-day realities include adult sex programs on cable television, porno shops, and red light districts, The younger generation demands to be enlightened somehow.

Chinese poets in Philippines hold poetry reading to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

When the moon is at its fullest or roundest, modern-day Chinese poets, including local talents in Chinese verse writing, like to meet for exchanges in poetic musings and emotional outpourings in a manner reminiscent of the moonlit night practice of the ancient Chinese literati.

Much-admired classic Chinese verses, quatrains and stanzas on the August moon like the often-quoted Li Bai’s “Quiet Night Thought” and Yu Guangzhong’s “Nostalgia” gave way to original local Chinese modern poetry at the advanced Mid-Autumn Festival reunion of local old hands as well as fresh young talents in Chinese poetry writing at the Century Park Hotel last September 18.

The Manila event complete with poetry reading and singing as well as artistic exhibit of selected poems proved particularly meaningful because the Thousand Island Poetry Association, the most active group of Chinese-language poets in the Philippines, marked a 30^th year milestone on this occasion. 

Ten outstanding writers of the older generation including the fondly remembered Philippine-born poet Bartolome Chua – better known as Yue Qu Liao (pen name means “moon in a waxing or waning crescent stage”) in the Chinese literati circle – founded the Thousand Island Poetry Association on Valentine’s Day in 1985. 

 

Philip Tan, the new president who formally joined the association back in 1988, warmly welcomed a number of young poets as new members at the Eighth Induction Ceremony this year.

The association, a virtual cradle of Chinese modern poetry development in the Philippines, has 54 active members who are all Philippine residents. A number are alumni of local schools like the Chiang Kai-shek College and the Philippine Cultural College. Their selected poems are published in a whole page section of the local Chinese-language daily newspaper World News once a month.

Back in 2009, the Unyon ng Mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) or the Writers Union of the Philippines headed by Virgilio Almario honored Bartolome Chua with the very prestigious Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas award, citing his lifetime advancement and propagation of modern Chinese poetry in the Philippines as well as his substantial influence on the country’s young writers in the Chinese language. Chua’s Chinese poetry collections, some of which have been beautifully translated into Pilipino by Joaquin Sy, are highly regarded and greatly appreciated here and abroad.

After Chua passed away in 2011, his very active essayist wife Rosalinda Ong Chua decided to carry on his dreams and ideals through a foundation bearing his Chinese nom de plume Yue Qu Liao. The foundation’s Chinese poetry writing competition for young poets, which is organized in cooperation with the Thousand Island Poetry Association once every two years, has succeeded in attracting a bumper harvest of entries from budding poets.

Lecture series have likewise been sponsored by the foundation to help improve the young poets’ way with words. Prominent writers and critics from China and Taiwan have been invited from time to time to give lectures. Renowned Taiwanese poet Hsu Wen-wei opened this year’s Modern Poetry Lecture Series during the August Moon Festival gathering.

During his tenure as third president of the association years ago, Bartolome Chua initiated the First Philippine Chinese Modern Poetry Exhibition. The creative presentation of the much-appreciated poems of famous members of the association was held for the second time this year.

Chua penned about 13 Chinese love poems when he was courting his wife many years ago. These romantic works, however, were all sadly destroyed in a fire. Chua’s “Love (Pag-ibig)” written after marriage became his personal favorite composition. He even painstakingly reproduced the original Chinese version for decorative display at his home. William Chua, his cardiologist and artist brother, created a sculpture showing the poet as calligrapher working on this love poem for this year’s exhibit.

The Thousand Island members proudly brought out their published volumes and compilations of poetry in the exhibit on a very memorable night that probably made the Chinese writers’ Tang Dynasty poet idol Li Bai smile with approval from above.

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Flashbacks on "Lord of the Rings" Canadian composer Howard Shore

By Nancy T. Lu

The name Howard Shore came up for recognition in two categories at the Grammy Awards 12 years ago: best score soundtrack album for a motion picture for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and best song written for a motion picture for "Into the West," track from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

When Shore, the Academy Award-winning Canadian composer of the music for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was writing the score, he found the J.R.R. Tolkien classic "very inspiring." 
 

The winner of an Oscar for best original music elaborated during his Taipei visit in 2003: "I had the book on my desk all the time. As I was writing a theme, I read it over and over again. I kept an old copy of the book in front of me and I carried it around for three years." 
 

But to this music man's knowledge, some people have read the classic every year for 50 years. According to him, Tolkien took 14 years to write the classic fantasy trilogy.

Peter Jackson, the director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, looked all over the world for a collaborator in the music area for his big movie project. When he found Shore, the Toronto-born but then New York-based composer had already written music for 60 films, including "The Fly," "Big," "Mrs. Doubtfire" "Silence of the Lamb," and "Ed Wood." At that time, the former sax player of a rock group called Lighthouse was known for his early and long collaboration with David Cronenberg. 
 

The then 57-year-old Shore revealed while in Taiwan that he worked on the complex music consisting of 30 to 40 thematic pieces for "Lord of the Rings" for three years. He spent only a few months writing music for other movie projects.

Of filmmaker Jackson, Shore said: "We worked very closely together on the music. We did it theme by theme. He was with me in the recording studio. He was incredibly helpful. We struck up a good friendship."

Shore presented the "Lord of the Rings" Symphony in Taipei a few days before the Taiwan premiere of "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in December 2003.

The multi-media concert, heard and seen only in New Zealand before Taiwan, put more than 200 persons, including lyric soprano Jenny Wollerman, mezzo-soprano Sarah McOnie, a boy soprano from New Zealand, 100 musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra in Taipei, the 100-voice National Experimental Chorus, and the 30-member Kuting Elementary School Chorus, on the stage at the Taipei International Convention Center. 
 

John Mauceri, a name associated with musicals as well as pop and modern music, conducted the symphony in Taipei. He performs regularly at the Hollywood Bowl.

The spectacular production of the Columbia Artists Management Inc. featured 100 illustrated images from the three-part "Lord of the Rings," namely "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" and "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."

The symphony with six movements, not to be mistaken for the soundtrack of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, saw Shore bring together with creativity some elements of the opera, symphony, choral music and even folk music. 

 

In trying to realize world music, Shore visited Taipei before the world premiere of the symphony. He wanted to explore the possibility of including traditional Chinese musical instruments during the Taiwan premiere of his symphony.

"He decided during his visit that he wanted three taiko drums, a yangchin (a plucked string instrument), an erhu (a two-string Chinese fiddle) and a Chinese flute," pointed out Wong Chi-ping, the director of the Taipei Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra. "We, therefore, fielded six of our finest musicians to the Taipei concert event."

"The symphony has been based on the film music and it takes listeners through the emotional world of the three movies," Shore explained. "If you know the book and the film, the music takes you right back."

Of the music heard in the Taipei concert years ago, described as "a classical symphony where not one of the 100 players or instrumentalists and 100 singers was dispensable,” Shore said: "I wanted the music to feel old. The primary focus of the music is the 19th century. But a lot of the 20th century has been put into it, too."

He remarked that the choral section of the symphony with six movements is "in the tradition of the grand opera of the 19th century." But "it is also modern," he added.

Although the London Philharmonic Orchestra has recorded his music, noted Shore, "it has a new freedom to it if played away from a recording studio and in a concert."

Hiroshima – city of sad and painful reminders in war-prone world

By Nancy T. Lu

Mention Hiroshima and memories of the bombing of the city by the United States on August 6, 1945, are revived. Another bombing just days after, this time of Nagasaki, brought Japan to its knees during the final days of World War II. The country’s unforgettable wartime atrocities and defeat forced it to face postwar constraints imposed by the American Army.

Yet today, the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is arguing for the expansion of its military role by going to the extent of reinterpreting Japan’s Constitution. Many – Japanese and non-Japanese included – find such controversial shift in his politics unacceptable. Japanese high school students very recently were at the center of a loud protest against alarming Japanese policy of militarization under the leadership of Abe. Abe on the occasion marking the 70th anniversary of Japanese surrender on August 15, 1945 expressed "profound grief" but avoided outright apology over atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War.  Abe, too, has been pushing for the Japanese Diet's passing of security bills to alter the pacifist Constitution, resulting in strong protests by the Japanese people fearing their country's being dragged by the U.S. into fighting wars abroad that do not directly involve them in the future.

 

Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima. This was the city over which burst the first atom bomb on August 6, 1945. Here was raised the curtain of the tragedy of mankind’s entry into the nuclear age.

Like other Japanese cities, Hiroshima – meaning “wide island” – is full of modern buildings. Its hardworking inhabitants have succeeded in rebuilding it from the ashes of the last world war.

To enter Hiroshima is to discover that the road leads directly to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The bombed-out dome draws visitors to it with full magnetic force.

The lush foliage of the trees in the famous park strangely says little of the city’s traumatic history. But the haunting sadness in the air is almost palpable.

Some 13,000 square kilometers of Hiroshima was destroyed 69 years ago. Some 200,000 people who made up half of Hiroshima’s population died as a result of the bombing of this seat of Japanese military forces.

At the time of my visit, there were still card-bearing survivors of the grim experience. Akihiro Takahashi, the director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, was one of them.

To meet Takahashi was to be challenged to probe an inscrutable Japanese face. He was only 17 years old when the city he called home had its rendezvous with Fate. The quiet fellow who never married had a deformed left ear. When he rolled up one sleeve of his shirt, there were tell-tale scars of his horrifying experience. He had undergone surgeries to remove shrapnels and fragments imbedded in his skin. The keloids which bothered bomb survivors were his problem, too. His nails were likewise affected permanently.

Takahashi personally guided visitors around the eerie museum which reverberated with the anguish of the atomic bomb victims. Photographic blow-ups of the mushroom cloud which formed immediately after the atomic explosion were particularly horrifying to see in the gallery with graphic glimpses of a city in shambles in the aftermath of the bombing.

Keiko Yamanouchi, a Japanese friend, recalled during the visit to Hiroshima how her family was spared this tragedy because her father was posted in China at that time. With him in China then were his wife and children. But the ghosts of the bombing incident included some of her relatives. They sealed their destiny by rushing to the beleaguered city to look for their loved ones as soon as news of the attack broke out. They became victims of atomic radiation.

Supported by photographs, life-size displays in the museum depicted in detail the tragedy that visited a people. With the detonation of the bomb, a fireball developed in the air. The thermal radiation of ultraviolet rays gave rise to a burning fire. This led to the victims’ loss of eyesight and heat burns on their bodies.

Thermal radiation heat burns on exposed human skin were observed in individuals who were as far as 3.5 kilometers from the hypocenter, the area where the bomb hit the ground. Within a one-kilometer radius from the hypocenter, most of those who sustained fatal heat burns died either on the day of exposure or just a few days afterward. Their intestines and other internal organs were seriously ruptured, too.

Men, women and children within a certain radius of the hypocenter were seen stripped of their clothes or found half-naked after the attack. Their flesh melted like wax because of the heat. The frantic search for loved ones took place everywhere. But very often, relatives passed by each other without any sign of recognition.

As told in one picture, the blast left the shadow of a valve clearly burned and imprinted on a gas tank behind it. A human shadow was likewise found on the steps at the entrance to the Sumitomo Bank. Before they were destroyed, the leaves of a plant cast a permanent shadow on an electric post near the Meiji Bridge. Dark patterns of a kimono were transferred to the skin of the wearer as a result of the intense heat.

The city was taken totally by surprise. The most unfortunate were those who were caught in the path of direct thermal radiation. Being in the shadow of a concrete post at the time of the bombing meant being protected to some extent.

According to reports, granite stones within one kilometer of the hypocenter melted in the heat. Roof tiles within 600 meters of the hypocenter developed glass bubbles. Old and huge trees stood with their inside burned.

The blast blew people off the ground for several meters. Even those inside houses were carried away by the impact of the bombing.

Many who got trapped in buildings burned to death. Others were injured by deeply penetrating broken glass shards and fragments.

Wooden houses within a radius of 2.3 kilometers were almost totally razed to the ground. Concrete buildings around the hypocenter were suddenly without any ceiling. Doors and windows were blown away. Fires raged even inside edifices outside a radius of one kilometer. It was believed that 60 per cent of the deaths were caused by thermal radiation burns. A tour guide described how people jumped into the river to seek relief from the burns only to drown.

Residual contamination affected those who resided within the radioactive range. “Black rain” fell on the western part of the city. Thus, even in areas quite remote from the hypocenter, strong residual radioactivity was detected. Considerable damage was sustained.

That autumn and winter, the survivors showed various symptoms of acute sickness such as nausea, diarrhea, weakness and bloody discharge.

Aside from causing destruction and bodily harm, the unprecedented bombing brought about the breakup and separation of families and relatives. With the disintegration of neighboring community and society, the start of the rehabilitation of survivors proved very difficult.

For months, the blighted landscape raised doubts on the future of Hiroshima. Would plants ever grow again on the destroyed land? Many thought that no life would ever thrive again on this stretch of wasteland. However with the coming of spring the following year, tiny shoots brought hope once more to the scorched earth and the people there.

Perhaps more people should visit Hiroshima to be moved to help give peace a chance in this troubled world. Japanese schoolchildren, in fact, are awakened to the price of war and aggression during educational trips to Hiroshima.

Daily stories of nations fighting and of war zones being created on different continents not just with the involvement of militiamen but also with the intervention of world leaders engaged dangerously in global politics have been increasing. Despite crippling sanctions by the West, power figures of smaller countries like Iran and North Korea have not been stopped from going ahead in developing nuclear weapons that will bring the world closer to a holocaust.

Hawks are dramatically taking over the reins of governments. The doves are too weak to be heard. All told, let Hiroshima be a city of reminders in a war-prone world. Or is it asking too much?