Osakatomebaby

Ah! The coming of fall...it's just the end of August but already the dragonflies are in full bloom. The gentle hum of the shortening days fills my head. Children shed their summer skins and return to school decked out in their mother's finest linens. Fathers phosphoresce gently on the evening train. I drank scotch for the first time yesterday.

So I'm a little under the weather, but on the mend. Forgot that I have to work tomorrow. Whoops. But still heading out the door. Kyoto beconeth. But here's the cincher to make sure I have a good time: I heard that there is *another* typhoon on the way. This one, they say, is big. This one, they tell me, is one of the big ones. Should arrive tomorrow or the next day. Slow moving and powerful.

So what do I do? Come home and iron my rain shirt and unthinkingly put it on. Now I know it will rain. Should I take a raincoat to avoid the red indian dye dying my whole self red again or has it been through enough tropical storms yet? Cyclone on the motorcycle in India, the time I went to USJ, the day I took off to go to the film festival and didn't know if I would have to leave early to avoid another typhoon (but of course didn't). Oh and the time I tried to break the curse by taking it to the site of reversible destiny, where it rained...till I changed shirts.

Now I know the typhoon was already on the way...I know. It's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Ideally what will happen is the typhoon will come early and we can work next weekend instead...but that won't stop me from exerting some *moderation* this evening. Ah what it would be, to be in never-never land...

Well I wrote a lovely overdue blog entry about Jim and how fabulous he is. I even pretended to be Harry Chapin for a bit. I wrote about yakuza. I delved into the mysteries of life really. Talked about love, passion. Used made-up words that sounded artistic. Made references to Keats actually, though they were vague and shadowy at best. I changed the music for inspiration and imagined myself in my alternate reality of fiddle-playing rockabilly queen. I made allusions to lovers past present and future and referred to myself as a harpy (as opposed to the usual "tart"). I posted an image. Yeah I guess I got off-topic and back into ego central, but what can I do, with all this material???

This was the image:


This is the crux of the thing. Jim darling sent it and I...I...failed to blog about it till today. Four whole days later. I am going to blogger hell. In justification, I was working on my uncle's website, I think I have a cold, and I have spent all week telling people I am leaving my school to become an assistant trainer (the power of the dark side is great within me).

My new objective in life is to actually *see* said film, and I use the word loosely. See I have to make sure I can watch a region 1 and am rather concerned it will use up one of my laptops 8 remaining lives (being currently used to watch Japanese DVD's). Perhaps when I see Lovely Marie this weekend we can try out her machine (which she says will survive the assault).

Anyway, the entry ended with, or should have, a big sloppy wet one for Jim. God willing he his horrified by this.

SMooCH, darling.

If you feel so inclined, this looks interesting. I just got it, or rather will have it in a week or two. Will let you know how 'tis.

Ah, as usual I have miscommunicated or been otherwise "clear as mud" as Brother Bernadine would have said. For those who looked at the pictures below detailing the recent road trip taken with a one Paul of Ikoma mountain, previously of London, you may have noticed some tongue-in-cheek commentary on Paul smiling. Indeed he does smile, charmingly and often. Only not in pictures. Particularly because I have a rather trying habit of taking them.

Moreover and further disclaimers, it was not he who queried whether such commentary was aspersion. Indeed he chooses not to read this site because he'd rather not know. Smart boy that.

So long story lengthened, edited, retracted, reneged and restated, it was a rather wonderful drive through Japan, mostly because of the company. I feel like I've got some friends here, even if they do all run away and leave me. I'm not really thinking 'bout that.

I haven't even told you about all the other lovely little parties that rounded out the holiday or the smashing evening Marie and I had on Monday to wrap it up (a school night...ah the joy of regret unheeded). So if I don't blog, be glad, I'm sparing you. I'll blog more when I'm feeling morose again.

Victorians are odd. Oh and the title of the article lest you are uninterested at this particular moment is "Spanking the Monkey". Hit mongering...well, I clicked anyway.

Henry Green:

Unlike the wilds of Texas, there is very little violence over here. A bit of child-killing of course, but no straight-shootin'. After fifty, one ceases to digest; as someone once said: 'I just ferment my food now.' Most of us walk crabwise to meals and everything else. The oblique approach in middle-age is the safest thing. The unusual at this period is to get anywhere at all. God damn!

It seems that a Japanese filmmaker who adapted this story has just won the Special Jury Prize at the 57th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. Not that I'll get to see it...but maybe. What a sad story anyway, I'm not sure I'd actually want to.

Too tired to tell you all the million adventures of the past five days, but you can see the slideshow. Slow it down and scroll down for comments.

How we could meander around yet go so far and do so much in five days is a mystery. How we managed to find unbooked accomodations at the height of travel season is another.

Long story short, it was a damn good trip.

Happy Birthday to Daniel (8/7) and Colin (8/10). Have good'ns!

Bye-eee

I should just stop. I can't do all this. Evidently the Svankmajer 2004 festival starts in two weeks at that theater in Kujo.

Eight, count them eight programs. All of which I can probably make at one time or the other except of course *the one* I would kill to which is Faust. So easily thrilled and damned. At least I can probably check the Faust out and it's not like the technical quality is that great that it wouldn't look fine on tv. But Faust makes me burst with glee. Ah well, not like spending every other spare moment trekking to and from this deal won't wear me out.

Oh dear. I wish I'd stop finding stuff like this.

Oh no, I take it back.

There is no plan for the road trip which is to commence Sunday (not soon enough), but there is a highly detailed map of possibilities. We'll probably be in Gifu prefecture. Probably, because I have the maps and I put all the interesting stuff from a variety of sources in this one place. It's almst overwhelming, I wonder if I should have done it at all. This constant urge to summarize, simplify, organize. Lot of planning and no commitments. Read a few scores and then play it by ear.

Oh one thing I am quite excited about (blogged about previously) is this place (new link). As they say "Within the Zone of the Clearest Confusion, always try to be more body and less person." I can do that.

That and we want to see the ukai (commorant fishing) in which tethered birds with rings about the neck are sent to catch fish in the river. The rings prevent the birds from swallowing the fish so they urp them up and we feast! Gruesome? Cruel? Delicious? We shall see. Charlie Chaplin was into it, does that make it better?

I've asked my students and no one has really toured Gifu except to go to Takayama (well they've heard of it, they've never been) and Shirakawa (hot springs) where they say the roads are rather treacherous. So we know very little. Better that way, I'm going to stop doing so much reasearch, and so-- away-ay-ay we go! Soon. In a minute. Any minute. Sunday.

Sunnnnnday.

I do not understand this, but I'm going to figure it out by gum. And I'm certainly going to go there. How could I not?

Probably have to log in because it's NY Times. Wonder if I'll get to see this...it's shot in Osaka but will it show here?

Mr. Ratanaruang, who manages to be simultaneously diffident and sly in conversation, says of his first American release: "If you don't like the film, I think you're O.K. But if you do like it, I think you have problems. Because the people who seem to like the film, they have broken hearts, they're very lonely. They all have problems."

Okay, that's a little over the top but it actually does sound pretty good from the article.

**Apologies in advance, yelling and cursing ahead**

What a day. You know how just when everything seems calm and normal I find some *thing* to go nuts about like a play in Tokyo I have to see or Lost in Translation or seeing Shonen Knife (which was great fun though I failed to blog about it...I don't blog about eve-ry-thing). This one is kind of on par with the play in Tokyo.

There I was, minding my own business, eating curry rice for lunch and for a change instead of doing my usual re-read a textbook gig I decided to be edgy and read the Kansai Time Out at work. So reading through music listings, pop and rock first. Nada. Nearly skipped Jazz because, well, usually too expensive and don't know the names. I never got into that...ah...who is it? Nora Jones. Probably good but I don't know.

So whattahell. I'm eating. Read through. Who is coming to Osaka?HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN?!?!? From Austin though I sadly sadly sadly have never seen them play. Have heard on KUT (live and on many shows) but sadly sadly do not own CD's. I am so unworthy. But one thing I know, they are a big western swing band and they like Bob Wills, and may I add I was raised on the song "Roly Poly" played on an old victrola? The bassist is a Tulsa boy. Where was he when I was in Tulsa I ask you? And the fiddle player, this girl, she's from Kansas and she went to North India to study Indian violin after college. How could I not be smitten?

I have so many regrets. Why didn't I see them? Why didn't I buy their CD's? But wait, perhaps they are coming on a day I work. Eh? Eh? NO! Not a day I work. Least not at that time. A Saturday evening (my schedule will be changing...more on that soon). So I can go. So can Marie. I have just called her and frantically tried to explain my zeal. She is into it. God bless Marie.

Oh in Austin I wouldn't go berzerk like I am now. Wouldn't have a heart attack, but you don't know what it's LIKE here. No fiddles. Can't just stroll into Broken Spoke or Continental any old night of the week. Actually my secondary goal for vacation next week is to go to the one or two "country" bars here. I will be hard pressed to find bluegrass or rockabilly. But Western Swing? Unheard of. Hence the current heart attack. The addiction never dies. Didn't know I needed it till they held it out before me. I must, I must make it a rule to explore one livehouse a week once I move to the big O proper (as opposed to these 'burbs).

Not homesick. Not homesick. But this kind of thing and I get a little...excited. Just a little.

Funny too because the following week, six days later they are playing at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa and I am forcing Colin to go to it. If he doesn't I will consider him a lost cause. He will go.

A good co-op friend I hung out with and who is another crazy architect builder carpenter is best friends with a fellow who played fiddle on tour with them a couple of years ago. I haven't heard them but I have heard him (that friend of a friend). He burned Artz's Rib House up. Lord.

Is this a plot from my friends and family to drag me home? Let it be so. I will come if the Hot Club of Cowtown asks me to. Will I speak to them? Will I buy them beer?

This is better than the Asylum Street Spankers coming unless of course it was the original Asylum Street Spankers. Though probably I would still have a heart attack if the current incarnation came as well.

Here it comes...cornbread. Need cornbread and Shiner. Or Tecate, I don't care. Seriously, someone at home please send me my boots. Both pairs. Where I am going to put them I don't know. You can send my hat if you can find it too. Oh and for the love of god please send my boot jack as well, or if you can't find it they cost about $5 at Cavendish's or Sheppler's. Someone, in the name of all that can be swung, waltzed or two-stepped, please, SEND DON WALSER, NOW!

Have I ever mentioned my next-door neighbor plays shamisen every night? I turn off the music and listen through the walls.

I didn't go to the live show...there's another one soon. Built the website. Waiting for the hosting/DNS stuff now. Studying and scavenging food rather than go to conbini...cold water, chocolate, shamisen and kanji. Just wanted to share...

It's nice to start the day with one's parents being adorable. Mum and Dum are on the road, taking perhaps their first real vacation of the century. Much as they'd like to travel more, it just never works out. Too hard working I guess. So they called from Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans (as per Colin's much appreciated recommendation) to tell me precisely the contents of their evidently amazing dinner, not to mention an array of spirits. I am truly my parents child, it's all about the gastronomic pleasures in life.

So the whole fam is on the road, 'cept me. Sister's off in a Dakota somewhere visiting family and evidently sorting flower seeds in a barn and riding atvs. Brothers teaching hiking in Montana or somewhere thereabouts. Can never keep up with him. Folks driving across the gulf coast.

Tell you what, a century ago that would have been a long way. Now, as it is, I toy with the idea of learning French or Czech next, or maybe off to India. But not till after a few more years in Japan. Maybe next golden week in China. Maybe go work in Australia, take a vacation to South Africa. Also some probably less than wise desire to see Israel.

Just like a Rolling Stone...the film festival didn't help. Then again you're mad if you think I'm going back to it today as originally planned. I'm gonna sit right here in my house and build a website for my uncle who needed it a month ago (sorry David) and study Japanese for a change. Funny, this was the day I had the most "options" on my keitai, thought about going to the beach, film festival, maybe this little live concert tonight (who knows, may do that but prolly not). So I kind of knew I wasn't going to do any of them. Rolling stones's gotta take a breather and take in the scenery in my head today.