Friday, January 26
I had my class with Professor Onishi; sometimes he is late (I have been warned about this by both Sha Sha and Naoko) but once he is in there, he gives quality instruction). I really enjoyed the class today, he showed me how to prepare the brush for urushi, its a very unusual brush, made of human hair, and ONLY Asian hair. It has to be thick and strong. Very bizaare. Evidently the hair is very long and is laid out in straight lines, and encased in a mixture of rice paste and kinurushi - it looks like black wax or tar. The sticks of hair are then covered in thin (1/8") pieces of wood for the handle. So when you pick one of these up, they look like sticks of wood and you have to use a Nushiya to cut and taper the ends to expose the hair. Anyway I used the brush today to apply the first coat of urushi, a sealer coat.
I just love this class because the process is like none other that I have ever done, so every step of the way is a new thing. He is such a cool guy, very patient and encouraging. He said he wants to invite me to his studio sometime, I hope so.
On the way to school, I saw an elderly stooped-over lady in traditional farmer clothing with a large basket strapped to her back. She had to be in her late 70's and evidently she had just unpacked her wares to sell on the street, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, etc. I was really amazed and impressed. In fact I have seen MANY elderly women on the streets, most in their kimonos, walking fairly briskly at times, some with difficulty but totally without assistance. My attitude towards older Japanese women have been based until now totally on Bachan, which is not a very strong image at all.
After that I had to rush home to drop off my school supplies and put on warmer clothes (It was FREEZING ASS COLD today, about 25 degrees and windy, which made it even colder) and then rush back out again to catch the film festival at International House. The director of the films being shown at this festival is Yasujiro Ozu, and the first film tonite was called Late Spring.It was sort of slow moving but very intriguing and thoughtfully done. Being that it was such an old movie (1949), about arranged marriages and such, it seemed "a bit" dated, even by Japanese standards. Dad would have fidgeted through this one, but Mom would have loved it. But now that I am in Japan, I have a different perspective than I did before. I recognize the names of towns now, and seeing the street scenes in Tokyo, it was interesting to see how different it was then, and why it has become the city that it is now. Tokyo had to completely rebuild after the war decimated much of the city...sort of like a phoenix rising from the ashes, literally.
I admit the crowds are starting to get to me, its hard to keep walking when people are constantly cutting in front or slowing down, or changing direction, etc. Also its aggravating when you are the only one walking one direction and there are three walking together the other direction, I always have to be the one that moves out of the way; I find that if I don't look at them they tend to move first. So I just look away and if I crash into them tough luck, they should have moved.
I might stay in tomorrow and maybe read, study a bit of Japanese... anything to keep from spending more money. I am budgeting a certain amount a week and I have already spent my weekly allowance.
I just love this class because the process is like none other that I have ever done, so every step of the way is a new thing. He is such a cool guy, very patient and encouraging. He said he wants to invite me to his studio sometime, I hope so.
On the way to school, I saw an elderly stooped-over lady in traditional farmer clothing with a large basket strapped to her back. She had to be in her late 70's and evidently she had just unpacked her wares to sell on the street, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, etc. I was really amazed and impressed. In fact I have seen MANY elderly women on the streets, most in their kimonos, walking fairly briskly at times, some with difficulty but totally without assistance. My attitude towards older Japanese women have been based until now totally on Bachan, which is not a very strong image at all.
After that I had to rush home to drop off my school supplies and put on warmer clothes (It was FREEZING ASS COLD today, about 25 degrees and windy, which made it even colder) and then rush back out again to catch the film festival at International House. The director of the films being shown at this festival is Yasujiro Ozu, and the first film tonite was called Late Spring.It was sort of slow moving but very intriguing and thoughtfully done. Being that it was such an old movie (1949), about arranged marriages and such, it seemed "a bit" dated, even by Japanese standards. Dad would have fidgeted through this one, but Mom would have loved it. But now that I am in Japan, I have a different perspective than I did before. I recognize the names of towns now, and seeing the street scenes in Tokyo, it was interesting to see how different it was then, and why it has become the city that it is now. Tokyo had to completely rebuild after the war decimated much of the city...sort of like a phoenix rising from the ashes, literally.
I admit the crowds are starting to get to me, its hard to keep walking when people are constantly cutting in front or slowing down, or changing direction, etc. Also its aggravating when you are the only one walking one direction and there are three walking together the other direction, I always have to be the one that moves out of the way; I find that if I don't look at them they tend to move first. So I just look away and if I crash into them tough luck, they should have moved.
I might stay in tomorrow and maybe read, study a bit of Japanese... anything to keep from spending more money. I am budgeting a certain amount a week and I have already spent my weekly allowance.
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