Thursday January 25
Went to the bank to deposit my first and last month's rent into the landlady's account. Sheesh. what a lot of money. Most of my costs have been in rent and hotels. Also what a pain to go to the bank. I had to wait for a while but then the bank provides a large tv to watch while you are waiting. I then went to I-House with my Powerbook; Chris said he would be there to help me get signed on to email. He didn't show up. I am beginning to think he's a real flake; he kept Bruce Chao waiting for two hours a few weeks ago. And he always manages to make it sound like it is your misunderstanding, not his. It's not a big deal because I was in the area to do the bank thing but I hate dragging this heavy powerbook around.
So anyways to cheer myself up I bought ¥15800 worth of woodworking tools at a place that Professor Onishi recommended. I thought the prices were very reasonable and I bought several carving tools and a plane. I'm glad I went here-I had priced tools at another place and it was way more expensive and the tools at Tokyu Hands were not of the quality of these tools. I may go back and buy a few more things. The old man that worked there knew more English than I expected and he was very helpful. I managed to tell him what I was looking for by drawing pictures of the tools.
I just got in from yet another concert, this was very different, it was a combination of traditional and jazz music. It also included voice and dancing in what I understand to be the traditional Okinawan dance. The dress is very distinct - I remember seeing pictures of Okinawa kimonos and dance garb and there is a very folk-art quality to it. The singing was mixed; there were ten of them, five men and five women. The traditional part was interesting because they would whisper and then they would change the sounds of their voices by beating on their chests or stomachs or cover their mouths and move their hands away and towards their mouths as they were singing. Other times, it was too westernized, sort of reminded me of the Young Americans (bleah) The dancing was really great to watch and the traditional music was great; they had at one time five kotos going at once. The modern music was okay - sort of weird to see two guys really going at it; burning rifts a la Jimi Hendrix style, on their shamisens. Also the women on the kotos had quite a workout; those instruments are long, so they are constantly moving side to side to reach certain strings....Nevertheless, I got a big kick out of it because it was so different than yesterday's concert.
Going home on the subway tonite, I realized that I spend a good hour or so a day on the subway and am getting a feel for the subway culture. Late at night, it's mostly men, all in grey or beige trench coats, all alike, all older guys, beer soaked, and heading for home. Lots of manga,that strange comic book culture; read mostly by pimply adolescents but also by young and older women, as well as businessmen in suits, hmmm maybe the love of comics is a Japanese thing; I love comics at home, and do miss Doonesbury and Calvin and Hobbes.
So anyways to cheer myself up I bought ¥15800 worth of woodworking tools at a place that Professor Onishi recommended. I thought the prices were very reasonable and I bought several carving tools and a plane. I'm glad I went here-I had priced tools at another place and it was way more expensive and the tools at Tokyu Hands were not of the quality of these tools. I may go back and buy a few more things. The old man that worked there knew more English than I expected and he was very helpful. I managed to tell him what I was looking for by drawing pictures of the tools.
I just got in from yet another concert, this was very different, it was a combination of traditional and jazz music. It also included voice and dancing in what I understand to be the traditional Okinawan dance. The dress is very distinct - I remember seeing pictures of Okinawa kimonos and dance garb and there is a very folk-art quality to it. The singing was mixed; there were ten of them, five men and five women. The traditional part was interesting because they would whisper and then they would change the sounds of their voices by beating on their chests or stomachs or cover their mouths and move their hands away and towards their mouths as they were singing. Other times, it was too westernized, sort of reminded me of the Young Americans (bleah) The dancing was really great to watch and the traditional music was great; they had at one time five kotos going at once. The modern music was okay - sort of weird to see two guys really going at it; burning rifts a la Jimi Hendrix style, on their shamisens. Also the women on the kotos had quite a workout; those instruments are long, so they are constantly moving side to side to reach certain strings....Nevertheless, I got a big kick out of it because it was so different than yesterday's concert.
Going home on the subway tonite, I realized that I spend a good hour or so a day on the subway and am getting a feel for the subway culture. Late at night, it's mostly men, all in grey or beige trench coats, all alike, all older guys, beer soaked, and heading for home. Lots of manga,that strange comic book culture; read mostly by pimply adolescents but also by young and older women, as well as businessmen in suits, hmmm maybe the love of comics is a Japanese thing; I love comics at home, and do miss Doonesbury and Calvin and Hobbes.
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