Bachata en fukuoka

WEEK 7

“Bachata en fukuoka” por Juan Luis Guerra

I am already very familiar with Juan Luis Guerra’s music and presence in the Latin community. In case you have not heard of him, he is a singer from the Dominican Republic who has been performing since 1984. He is actually one of the most internationally recognized artists in recent decades. Salsa, merengue, bachata and pop are his main genres but he does experiment with the bolero genre of Latin music and dance. I’m featuring him this week in my Musical Journey series because I was completely unaware of his 2010 album, A Son de Guerra. Also, I have never encountered a song in Spanish that mixes a little Japanese into the lyrics. It’s incredible that those two languages and cultures could be paired together in one song. There’s a first for everything I suppose!

An older Japanese lady who finds a paper with a drawing of a flower on the street is the main character in this video. As soon as she picks up the piece of paper, she is transformed back into her younger self  from many, many years ago. She suddenly takes off running – perhaps to find the owner of the drawing or to find her long lost love of the past. They do encounter each other on the beach where he stands in the middle of the same flower drawing, but instead it’s drawn in the sand. The two reconnect and begin to dance the bachata…while floating in the air. Sigh.

I’m not sure what the intended interpretation of this video is supposed to be, but I can’t help but think it’s about being young. I am by no means old, but I do have 23 years worth of life experiences under my belt – which is something. I know that I still have much to learn and experience in the next 23 years and beyond. However, being this young at this point in time is something I (and we all) need to cherish. If you are lucky enough, you will pass from youth to old age – and with that comes changes in your appearance, attitude and more. I know that I will eventually age but right now I am content with being and feeling young. I hope to age gracefully based on the wise choices I have made in my diet, exercise and hygiene habits as a young adult. I still might get those blasted laugh lines and crows feet, though. Argh.

We only get to be physically young once, but with a positive attitude, you can be youthful for the rest of your life. It is important, as many people have told me, though, to enjoy being young and to travel as much as I can. I take advantage of both things as much as I can (and when money permits) because I don’t want to have regrets. I can’t change some decisions I have made in my life but I can learn from them and make better ones in the future.

Not everyone will have the privilege of living beyond their 60s or 70s – this I know all too well. Still, while I am young I will choose to live my life and embrace each new experience (both good and bad). Who knows, one day in the future, time travel might finally be possible! 2015 is fast approaching you know. 😉 For now, though, I will be thankful for the time I have and leave the rest in God’s hands.