Have You Met Gamarjobat?

Have you ever met Gamarjobat? Stages of the Japanese duo is called Silent Comedy and they are rather popular in Europe than in Japan.

Though it was my first time to see their stage performance, they were...just great! I really love their mimes and physical comedy... so moving without a single word!

In addition to their standard performance -- a magic suitcase in the air -- I was really impressed by their new version "M&D" (a dream dance by world's two greatest artists) and 55-minute silent comedy "Boxer."

So...Have you ever seen any stage performances of Gamarjobat?

If you haven't yet, I would say, YOU SHOULD!

Trip to Izumo Shrine & Iwami Silver Mine

As our first trip of the year 2010, Maki-chan and I visited to Izumo Shrine and Iwami Silver Mine, both in Shimane Prefecture, about 1.5-hour flight from Tokyo.

Because we left Tokyo early in the morning, we were able to arrived in Izumo Airport at around 9:00am. We rent a car (Toyota Vitz) and headed toward the Izumo Shrine, known as the God for Romance and also the top of Japan's 8 million gods and deities. In Japan, it is believed that 8 million gods and deities gather in Izumo to hold a month-long general annual meeting in November at the Izumo Shrine.

Izumo means in Japanese -- the place where clouds are from. And as a matter of fact, we witnessed many clouds were really from right behind the main building of the shrine. Though the elevation was not really high there -- maybe at most 50 meters or so -- the scene was really something mysterious.

Making our wish at the mysterious site, we hope that the God of Izumo will bring us good-luck and Romance!

On the following day, we visited the World Heritage Iwami Silver Mine. About 2-hour drive from Izumo City brought us to the snowy mountain site and we really enjoyed walking the old mining trail and tunnels.

At the World Heritage Center, about 3 km away from the silver mine where we parked our car, there was a museum and a small photo studio with old miners' costumes. We had a plenty of time and there was nobody around us... So, Why Not? Shooting Time!!

Maki-chan and I put the costume (actually they were for children...) like an old miner, and we really enjoyed shooting...as you can see.

We hope this Izumo Trip will be a good start of the year 2010 filled with love and precious memories.

Cal wins Big Game 34-28!!

This year, I had a chance to view the Big Game at the U.S. embassy in Akasaka, Tokyo. Thanks to the liberal and gentle Ambassador to Japan John Roos from Stanford, we the Cal alumni were also invited to his official resident to share the moment when the Golden bears beat the Cardinal.

And Yes!! We surely did it!! Cal, finishing the game by 34-28 by spoiling poor Stanford's hopes, won the coveted Axe for 7 times in 8 years. Wheeee!!!

I also had great opportunities to see Ambassador Roos, who is such a nice person besides he studied at a school in Palo Alto, and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who was also studied in the south Bay for some reason. He brought his wife Miyuki, a well-know extraordinary Japan's first lady who insists that she has been to Venus by UFO before and was a good friend of Tom Cruz in the previous life.

Anyway, they are all good people by hosting & feeding us very nicely. We took pictures together though PM Hatoyama left the venue before he witnessed the historical moment when Cal won the Axe again.

In the end, the bear-throated roar echoed across the Akasaka area as we cried of triumph in front of the robust gate of the official resident of the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.

Go, Go Bears!!!

Ritsuko's Departure

Today I took a day off to give Ritsuko a ride to Narita Airport. She is leaving Japan for Tunis, Tunisia for work alone...no, with her cat Miko.

I picked her up at her place at 14:20 and arrived at the airport at 16:45. Did it take 2 hours? Yap, but not because of an enormous traffic jam in Tokyo, but we took 30 min. break at the Shisui Service Area, which is about 10 km to the airport, for the poor kitty who had been under lots of stress in my car. No wonder she is not really used to driving.

Leaves at the service area turned into red. Fall has come already and I was glad to share the beautiful moment with Ritsuko (and Miko kitty).

Though the flight to Paris departs at 21:55, we had to be at the airport by 17:00 for Miko. As soon as I dropped Ritsuko at the departure floor, she went to the animal quarantine office with her cat. I caught up with them after finding a parking lot at the airport.

Ritsuko moved so busily at the airport from the quarantine office to luggage service counter to pick up Miko's traveling cage (quite big!) which had been sent a day before. Ritsuko stopped by bank counters to exchange money from yen to dollar and to transfer fees to an international cargo service company...

Finally, we went to a restaurant to have dinner, Ritsuko's last supper of the year in Japan. Though she said she felt like TENDON (Tempura over rice), but soon Ritsuko changed her mind when she found a Chinese restaurant. We had hot-spicy noodle with Mabo-rice and Gyoza pot stickers.

After the meal we had a cup of coffee and talked for a while. I really miss her because we spent almost every weekend together for Salsa lessens, movies and to enjoy gourmet dinner!

About 2 hours before the departure, Ritsuko moved to the check-in counter to check her luggage and her cat. We then went to the departure gate to say good-bye.

Ritsuko was about to cry... and I was, too. Being left in an empty airport -- because Ritsuko's flight was the last one of the day -- I really wish her health and good-luck to the new position in Tunisia.

See you Ritsuko in Tunis, maybe sometime next year before summer!

Birthday Month is Over!

June 17 is my birthday and thus June is my birthday month. Besides, more than few of my good friends are born in June, too. So why not we celebrate the special month?

June 1: Maki-chan and I held a Birthday party for Naomi-san, whose birthday is June 3, at a Sushi restaurant in Shibuya. As the restaurant, Shun-Ka-Shu-Toh, is not able to offer any special birthday treat, we move to L'occiditane Cafe after the dinner for tasty birthday cake and tea/coffee.

June 6: Pre-Birthday dinner(?) with Ritsuko at a French restaurant in Kagurazaka, Gus.

June 12: Joint Birthday dinner with Mika-san, who was born on June 7. Pastelaria Gojo in Ichigaya held nico-strings concert on that night and we enjoyed the beautiful music, dinner and my watercolors of Kagurazaka views on the wall!

June 15: Opening of the gourmet/art colaboration event with Italian chef Kazunari Yokoi and my watercolors from Italy at the Pastelaria Gojo. Naomi-san and Maki-chan held a birthday party for me and the chef offered special dishes for us! Mr. Yokokawa from the Defence Ministry sponsored! huge birthday cake for us and for others at the venue on the night! (How sweet of him!) Maki-chan and Naomi-san gave me a Penguin-shaped special cocktail shaker...WOW!!

June 17: My Birthday! Mika-san's father, Mr. Yano, sent me a HUGE flower basket. I took cab to go home, to bring the flowers. Late at night, my boyfriend, Jiro-san, took me a restaurant in Kagurazaka and gave me flowers.

June 21: My parents and I celebrated Father's day/Birthday. I brought specially arranged birthday cake, Dad's favorite strawberry short cake, and Mom gave me a beautiful blue beads necklace. Thanks Mama and Papa! Thanks to both of you, I'm here and loved by many people!! I love you, too!!

June 27: Oka-san visited to see my watercolors at the Pastelaria Gojo. Because her birthday was on the previous day, chef Secchan arranged a special birthday cake for her!

June 29: Mama and her friend Ikegaya-san came to see my watercolors at the Pastelaria Gojo. Ikegaya-san gave me a pretty cloisonne brooch.

====EXTRA====

July 1: Azusa-chan's birthday. I gave her aq good-luch charm and handkerchiefs. As she was struggling with her work until late at night, I somehow tried to help her... (I came back in my room at 27:30! or 3:30am of July 2.)

July 2: Kawamura-san and Ikeda-san came to see my watercolors at the Pastelaria Gojo during lunch time.

July 3: Mieko-san and Mutsuko-san came to see my watercolors at the Pastelaria Gojo. We enojoyed dinner and nice chat there.

July 4: A small treat for Azusa-chan's belated birthday at the Pastelaria Gojo with special birthday cake by Secchan. We enjoyed music concert of Masaharu Fukuyama at night at the Saitama Super Arena. Oh...he was such a gorgeous guy... As Azusa-chan was starving, we moved back to a Chinese restaurant in Ikebukuro for dinner and shared the REVERB of the beautiful moment with Fukuyama.

July 5: Birthday Dinner (Lunch) with Ritsuko, who just came back from Afghanistan, at an Italian restaurant in Hiroo, Aqua Pazza. We, of course, enjoyed their Aqua Pazza and enjoyed a stroll in the area after the dinner. Thank You Ricchan! My best friend!!

Le Petit Paris de Tokyo --> L'estate in Italia

The first half of my art show at a Tokyo cafe/restaurant Pastelaria Gojo was over on June 12. On the following day me and my boy friend went to change pictures at the venue to start the second half of the exhibition "L'estate in Italia" -- a month-long collaboration event with my watercolors and special Italian dishes & sweets -- from June 15 through July 18.

Though the restaurant was closed, some of my friends visited me to see watercolors. They were somehow lucky as they could see a total of 16 pieces of my works for the two exhibition at the same time.

Thanks to my boy friend, I could finish putting picutures well. The venue changed from Petit Paris to Italian cities in a instant.

I hope many people will come to see my art show and will enjoy special Italian treats.

Illustrator Debut!

A book by my French Friend Dora Tauzin "Petit Paris de Tokyo" has been published in May. As the book carries some illustration of mine... I was able to debut as an illustrator at last!

The book is about the charm of Tokyo's Kagurazaka district, one of the city's oldest dining area filled with Michelin Starred restaurants. Because of French schools, such as a high-school and language institute, the area has lots of French-speaking residents.

My friend and the author of the book describes Kagurazaka as "Little Paris in Tokyo, " and she asked me to paint her favorite scenery.

Because publishing company declined to print the book in full-colors, my colorful illustrations also came out in black/white... a sort of sad.

So, another friend of mine who runs a cafe in the area let me hold my art show at her place, Pastelaria GOJO in Ichigaya-tamachi, Shinjuku.

Although the exhibition will end on June 12, Friday, I will also have another exhibition at the same venue from June 15. On the opening day of the show, my friend and Pastelaria GOJO

will hold a special opening/birthday party for me!