Day 259 - 16th of May

10:46pm　セミナーハウス

天気：晴れ

Feeling very tired now; today was fun, but draining. At least it was a nice, sunny day; maybe a little too warm. I was so worried we weren’t going to make it the concert today, but everything turned out fine, eventually… I got up at 9 (a little late), and hurriedly readied myself for the day. I let Maarika know I’d meet her at seminar house 1 at 10, so went over there and waited; and waited. I waited until about 10 past, and then decided to just go; I was already keeping Carly waiting. I went to the bus stop, and found that the bus wouldn’t be coming for the next 10 minutes. I got so anxious just standing there that I walked to the next stop, and still had to wait. I didn’t end up getting down to the station until about a quarter to 11; Carly was still waiting patiently bless her. So now all we had to do was get to Nipponbashi; easy enough right? Well, stupid me lead us to the wrong station; we talked with Maureen and Tori, who were going to Eigamura, for a little while. It wasn’t until we got on the train and started moving did I realise we were going in the wrong direction; towards Kyoto. So, we had to get off at Kuzuha, and wait for the next express to take us back the other way; the waiting nearly killed me. We got on the train at about 10 past 11 and, knowing the concert started at 12, I was freaking out.

We took the limited express to Kitahama, and then rushed over to the Sakai-suji subway line. There was finally a bit of luck when we managed to get to the platform just as the train was coming in. We had less than 10 minutes left, but thankfully Nipponbashi was only three stations down. As soon as we got off the train we rushed toward exit 7, emerging into the sunlight to find that the theatre ~ the 国立文楽劇場 (kokuritsu bunraku gekijou – National Japanese Puppet Theatre ~ was just up the road; we had made it just in time. We were soon seated in a beautiful theatre, delicate lanterns lining the walls, and huge curtain in front of us, adorned with pine trees and water. We had come in just after the MC had started talking, so didn’t miss any of the music. The next 3 hours (yes, it was a lot longer than I had expected), were filled with some of the most beautiful music I had ever heard; I was blown away. The orchestra (if that is the right term for it) played 8 pieces, splitting up into various groups for each. It took me a while, but during the first piece I finally noticed Sensei in a sky blue kimono playing the shamisen; she looked so calm and confident. In fact, almost everyone looked to be at absolute peace, and I was transfixed watching each section move in almost perfect unison; the graceful and precise movements reflected the magnificence of the music.

Most of the pieces included both shamisen and koto sections, as well as a solo shakuhachi. One included the 琵琶 (biwa – Japanese lute), and a few included the 17-stringed koto; it’s deep notes resounding. If I had a chance to play koto again, I would love to give the 17-string a go; I’ve always had a thing for bass instruments. They presented a wonderful balance of traditional and contemporary pieces, which I was very pleased about; it really showed off the versatility of the instruments. I actually found myself drawn more towards the contemporary pieces. Of course, the traditional pieces were all amazing, stepped in the aesthetics of Japan, but the contemporary pieces really touched my soul. One piece in particular, called 硝子の星座 (garasu no seiza – “Constellation of glass”) sent shivers down my spine; I was completely swept up in it. I desperately want to hear it again now, as it was just breathtaking; maybe I’ll be able to find it somewhere one day. The last piece played almost had a Middle Eastern flair to it, which again showed off the diverse range of music these instruments can perform; it certainly helps when they can all be tuned to whatever you want. I was thoroughly impressed, and hope I get the opportunity to see something of such a standard again one day.

Upon exiting, we bumped into Maarika; I was glad she had made it. She never got my message, so actually came over to Seminar House 2 to find me; I had already left by that time. Oh well, it all worked out. We found Sensei in the lobby, and congratulated her when she came rushing over to thank us. Then, feeling very hungry, we went in search of a convenience store, and soon found a Family Mart; I got an onigiri and a yummy strawberry donut thing. We made our way back to Makino, this time not in a rush, and then walked home from there; stopping at Sanko on the way; I got some cheap bananas. I was so surprised to find that it was already 5 by the time we were home; the whole day had gone. Still, I managed to get about 4 hours study in; Carly helped by quizzing me on kanji and vocabulary. We had a break for dinner in between, and sat in the lounge reading in the newspaper that they had found that modern man’s genome contains traces of Neanderthal DNA; it was quite fascinating. After that, more study and then donuts, and then Carly left. I’d better get some sleep now. My exam is at 10, but I want to try to get up early to study a bit more. I’m really glad I got to go out today, but it has put a bit of a strain on things…

Day 186 - 4th of March

10:43pm　セミナーハウス
天気：風が吹いて
Just tried to download a Yoshida Brothers album off iTunes, but unfortunately, it’s only found in the American store, and of course, I’m not allowed to buy off that one; so stupid. The Yoshida Brothers, are two brothers (obviously) who play the 三味線 (shamisen – the 3-stringed, guitar-like instrument), in both traditional and non-traditional genres. Saigo sensei showed us one of their performances today, and it was amazing; their hands moved so fast. So yeah, tonight I thought I’d try to download some of their music, but no; obviously Australia hasn’t heard of them yet. Well, I guess I might be able to find their CD’s somewhere. Anyway, today… rainy in the morning, and windy in the afternoon! Since I didn’t have class till 12, I got some reading done this morning, and ate lunch before getting to uni; it was still raining. Speaking class was a lot of fun today. Apart from seeing the Yoshida Brothers, we had a lot of laughs, practicing new grammar. In the last couple of minutes we had to talk about how to make things i.e. how to prepare things like meat, tofu, etc. As in – you add salt, and fry in it oil; that kind of thing.

The last question was one where you had to use your imagination; we have to do this a lot. Saigo sensei told as that one of the students from his class last semester (he does this a lot too), made the question, “How do you make a baby”, and then proceeded to ask me. Using my quick wit, and the grammar at my disposal I said, 「男の人を女の人に乗せます」 (You place a man on top of a woman); a bout of laughter ensued. Saigo sensei was in tears; it was great. I went down to the lounge and talked with Rachel, Rachael, and Simon for a bit, before I had to go to Religion. We had a discussion about the interviews today, and it was really interesting. There was a great mix of religions, new and old. Mostly though, the interviewees said they weren’t religious, even though they visit shrines, buy Omamori, believe in ancestors and the like; this is not “religion”, just the way things are. After that, I followed Ash and Peter around for a little while, and then went to Fresco and Kirindo for groceries. The wind was so strong this afternoon that, when I came out of Fresco, all the bikes had toppled over; I had to rescue mine from under another. I was very glad to get home, and unpacked my groceries before going back to my room. Hugo was there, and I decided I should start practicing koto.

Otousan understood straight away, and eagerly past it on to me, saying it was fine for me to practice in my room; awesome. Hugo enjoyed listening for a while, and then had to leave for class. I continued just playing around for a little while. I really don’t know what I should do for the performance. Maybe I should see if I can find some sheet music on the internet; I wonder how hard that will be. After I finished, I took it back to Otousan, who encouraged me to use it every day, at any time. After that I talked with Simon in the computer room for a while. He talked about all the foods he missed from home, and asked my advice as to what he should ask his Mum to send him. I honestly can’t say that I’m terribly craving anything from back home; and that’s not to say I don’t like anything from Australia. I’m just content with what I have here; it’s really fine. It’s just stuff that I know I can live without, and be perfectly okay. After completing Plants vs. Zombies on my iPod (yay me), and listening to the music video a couple of times (it is epic), I went up to make dinner; it was about 6:30 by this point. It was pretty quiet at this point, which was nice; I made yakisoba. Pretty soon though, people started trickling in. Pokemon was on TV, but I was preoccupied watching Julie cooking her Chijimi.

It’s Korean cuisine, and resembles okonomiyaki; her friend showed her how to make it. She used takoyaki flour and an egg, to create the pancake, and then just added vegetables; you can also add seafood. I was her guinea pig, and got to try a heap of it, and it was amazing; and so simple too. I really want to try and make it. I had already finished eating my own dinner and washed up by the time the group had assembled. Then we proceeded with our usual “2 and a half hour” chat session. During that time, Rachel needed some TCL (issues with friends back in America), and I gave her a big hug; that made her feel a heap better. I made me feel good too; I miss hugs. Lol, the first thing she said when I hugged her was, “you’re skinny”; yep, that I am. We also organised what we’re going to be doing tomorrow. Since I’ll be going with Rachel into Hirakata to get her alien registration sorted, we’re going to pick up New Delhi food for everyone (excluding me – in an effort to save money I’m just going to have my leftover yakisoba), on the way back. Then we’re all going to sit around the TV and watch some more episodes of Firefly; can’t wait. Got back down here at about 10, and then had my plight with iTunes. Well, better get ready for bed now; one more day before weekend once more…

Day 165 - 11th of February

天気：雨天
Today was filled with a lot of “unexpected”, but everything turned out for the best… I got up pretty late, relishing the sleep in. It wasn’t until 10:30, when my stomach was hurting me that I finally went up to have some breakfast. While in the kitchen, Asami told me she was sick, and wasn’t up to coming with; a shame, but can’t be helped. Soon after, Jacinthe told me all her other plans had fallen through, and she’d like to join me; I had told her about it before. Then, after I had gotten ready (all dressed up), I decided to go to the computer room to check my email; just in case the time to get there had changed. I was shortly visited by Katie, saying that (for reasons unknown), she was going to come today; okay. So, in the end, it was just Jacinthe and I; I was grateful that I had at least one person. We left for Makino station soon after, and took the local train several stops, till we finally got to 守口市 (Moriguchishi); just before the meeting time. I had no idea where we were meeting them however, but opted for the closest exit; the west exit. We stood near a Makkas for a while, and Maarika, her friend Rose, and Natalie (a prospective new member to our club), suddenly showed up. Maarika didn’t know where we were meeting the girls either, so we wandered around like lost little lambs for a while, until we were found, and promptly united with the rest of the group, at the east exit.

We made our way over to the Moriguchi culture centre, a short walk away, and proceeded to descend the stairwell into the basement, where the washitsu (Japanese-style room) was located. Upon arrival, we took our shoes off, and joined sensei and a number of her other students. We got there at about 1:30, but the concert wasn’t due to start until 2:30; I don’t know why we just didn’t meet at 2, like we had planned in the first place. Anyway, this gave us time to go have some lunch. And guess where we went; Makkas. Well, it was just Jacinthe and I, and Mori-sempai and Natalie; the rest went to Mister Donut. Jacinthe and I tried the New York burger. It was really tasty (patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mustard), but I still liked the Texas burger more. We were a little rushed at the end (the time just escaped us), so we briskly made our way back, and got there just in time. The audience sat on white cushions on the tatami mats, and the performance took place on a red mat, in the adjoining room; the sliding doors had been taken out. Expecting to play shortly, I gave my video camera to Jacinthe, to get her to film for me; she was in a good position to record. It turned out though, that our club wasn’t even on the program; I personally felt a little left out.

But anyway, it was great to see all the other performances. The sensei played both the koto, and shamisen, accompanying her husband on shakuhachi, and also her students. Her youngest student, a cute little girl of 8, played hanagoromo (sensei accompanying). This annoyed me too; Maarika and I could have played with her. But no; oh well. So yeah, the “official” concert went on for about an hour, and Jacinthe managed to get it all on tape; can’t wait to watch it again. Then, disappointingly, many of the audience members left. Sensei’s son, and grandkids, and two other girls were all that remained; and Rose and Jacinthe of course. It was finally our club’s turn to perform, and the girls did such a good job; it was a shame they didn’t get the support they deserved. After they had finished their pieces, Maarika and I were up. Since my video camera was just about full, Jacinthe recorded us on her camera; she wasn’t able to get the others, but she too only had a few minutes left of recording. We played with the shakuhachi, and I was really pleased with myself; I got every note out. I feel I have mastered hanagoromo now, and am more than ready to move onto sandan, and get that really good.

So, all in all, it was a great performance. After us, we packed up the room, and got treats from the sensei, before she, and the remaining audience, left. We set up low tables on the tatami, and sat around and ate together. Pretty soon, the lights were out, and we were telling ghost stories. I didn’t really have anything to contribute, but thoroughly enjoyed listen to the stories, recited in both English, and Japanese. It wasn’t until after 7 that we finally packed up and left the building; out into the rain. Jacinthe had lost her gloves, and thought she might have left them in Makkas. So, we said our goodbyes, and made our way back over there. We didn’t find her gloves unfortunately, but I managed to break my umbrella; another unexpected. This and the fact that I didn’t have a beanie justified in my mind that taking the bus home from Hirakata would be a good idea. Jacinthe had no objections, so that’s what we did once we got back. I had cleaning duties again tonight, and made dinner (gyudon) just in time. Everyone showed up to cleaning, and we got it done in no time. Soon after, Biancha returned from the military base, laden with food; a whole suitcase full. To my sadness, she wasn’t able to find rolled oats; I will have to rethink what I’m going to cook.

Remembering Rachael, and saying that I’d watch Advent Children Complete with her, I hastily made my way down to the lounge. She was ready and rearing to go, the movie set up on her blu-ray drive in her new laptop. And oh wow, was it good; it made me fall in love with FFVII all over again. The quality was superb (it was so pretty), and there was at least 20 minutes on extra footage. This really made the difference, and the movie suddenly made so much more sense, the plot so much more solid. Denzel got a back story, Geostigma posed a real threat and was really scary, and all the fight scenes were elongated, becoming even more epic. Cloud’s character was also much improved; he was smiling more, and showed a real caring for Denzel and Marlene. And, it showed blood, and damage; scratches on Cloud’s bike for example. Little things here and there, made it seem a lot more realistic. So, apart from a few little things, like the weird time jumps, I was most impressed. I read Rachael’s review of it afterwards, admittedly very humorous thought not very professional, and that ended my day. A day full of the unexpected…