ご縁

ご縁, pronounced the same way as 5 Japanese yen, Go E N...
The first time I learnt this Japanese word was in my third year Japanese class at the University of Michigan. Although I had known this Kanji character all my life as we used the same character in Chinese, I didn't know that because of its smilarity to the pronounciation of 5 Japanese yen, Japanese sometimes gave out 5 yen to people they met to symbolize "fate or destiny", or "it is fate that brought us together".

I don't think the English translation of this word is accurate. However, I still have not found a better way to translate.. there is something missing when you say fate and destiny, not quite ご縁...

For those who are the creative type, you will notice the symbol resembles two ropes being tied together, sort of like tying the knots...

In Chinese, we say 縁分, two characters. Sometimes, two people might just have 縁, but not 分. By that, we meant, their paths cross because they are destined to meet... however, if they don't have 分, they won't have the chance to share their lives together or stay together...

http://rapidshare.de/files/4269480/04_FINDING_EACH_OTHER.m4a.html

FINDING EACH OTHER BY KAWAI NAOKO

look at me about to fall
for a perfect stranger
what is this that's happening to me

suddenly i am not alone
I am with a perfect stranger
somehow I feel it meant to be

heaven knows
something i don't know
maybe we'll find out together

*if there's an end to this
let's not get into this
finding each other
and if it's not paradise
do we have time to change our mind
'cause we're falling together
or not at all*

something's coming over me
i'm not sure i can handle
maybe i'm just losing my mind

it takes time for love to grow
from nothing to forever
i think that's what you are feeling
so am i

all alone how can i be sure
we'll have to find out together


*~* repeat