Monthly Archive for April, 2007Page 2 of 3

Waltz for Debby

Published
by
admin
on April 15, 2007
in Bars and Music
. 0 Comments

Last night, I went to the soul music bar “Small Town Talk” but Kageyama-san wasn’t playing soul, he was playing jazz, specifically; Horace Silver. And I was listening to it and thinking “Hmm, I could get into this.” So I stuck around a while and chatted and left and moved onto “Rock Bar Tsurugi” and do you know Ueno-san wasn’t playing rock, he was playing jazz, specifically; Horace Silver. And I thought, “Hello, this must be a sign”.

“Could I have a look at the CD, please” says I (only in Japanese of course) and I had a look and it was a compilation, and track number two was Bill Evans’s “Waltz for Debby” (a musical portrait of his niece you know) and I said:

“Could you play track number two for me, please?”

And Ueno-san kindly played it and I listened and said:

“Could I hear that again?”

“Certainly,” says Ueno-san (a very kind and patient man) and I listened again and said: “Could I borrow that CD, please?” and I took it home and I’ve been listening to it over and over again and I’m listening to it now and I have to tell you, Bill Evans’s “Waltz for Debby” has to be one of the prettiest tunes you will ever hear. See and hear for yourself:

Florent Maussion

Published
by
admin
on April 14, 2007
in Art
. 0 Comments

I popped by Florent Maussion’s exhibition at the Yamaso Art Gallery in Higashiyama today. Wow! He’s really good. I’m not sure what impressed me more, the paintings or the prices! Florent is an artist who spends half his time in France and half in Kyoto. I’d like to say he’s a friend but we don’t really have a common language. However, if drinking with mutual friends and grinning stupidly at each other makes you friends then that’s what we are. Anyway, his art is fantastic. It really captures the spirit of this place. Unfortunately, the exhibition only lasts till tomorrow and as Florent wasn’t there today, I wasn’t able to ask his permission to take pictures… HOWEVER!!! If you click here: Exhibition - you can see them on his site. Not quite the same as seeing his huge canvasses up front but it gives you an idea. Just click on the little Union Jack in the top left and you get English.

That Friday (the 13th) Feeling…

Published
by
admin
on April 13, 2007
in Music and cherry blossom
. 0 Comments

Walking by 哲学の道 (The Path of Philiosophy) yesterday, the cherry blossom was falling like a snow-storm, and not a real snow-storm mind you, but how you’d imagine being inside one of those glass paperweights after it’s been given a good shake would be like. I was mesmerised. Beautiful and at the same time heart-wrenching because every one of those petals is waving goodbye… Meanwhile back at Chez Lambe,I’m finally getting down to my “big japanese poetry project” and I’ve had a very productive couple of days, reading and translating. Productive for me that is, but I’ll have to pick up the pace over the coming weeks and months if I really want to get anywhere with it. In theory, the more I do the easier it will get but I’ll keep you posted on that. I’m guessing I’ll be ready to start the new poetry site by mid-summer. Maybe. Perhaps…

As I reported previously, Malcolm Phelps set up a website for ex staff and teachers of the recently deceased Lado International College. I joined it through a feeling of solidarity and am now getting more emails daily than I’ve ever had in my life. What gets me is that sinking the company through a mixture of deceit and mismanagement and robbing people of seven weeks pay not being enough, they (head-office management)are still shafting good people now by not getting them the documentation they need to get on with their life. Until people get this documentation they can’t claim benefits or even get a new job. Some people have other work to fall back on, and others will get by somehow, but those with families are pretty stressed right now. I guess there’s a lesson in there somewhere. Always have a back-up plan maybe. Or, don’t have children. Or maybe it’s time for that global socialist revolution. Whatever, my prayers go out to my ex-companeros.

Here’s a couple of articles that amused me lately. Here’s one from County Durham that I shouldn’t find amusing, but being evil, I do: The Dangers of MySpace

And here’s one about some pioneering technology in my hometown of Middlesbrough, that’s being used (well I never!) to tackle crime: NEW SHOUTY CCTV!

If you click on the video links you can hear some lovely north-eastern accents too.

I’m off out to The Gael tonight for Guinness, Irish music and a possible encounter with DESTINY.

And in that spirit here’s some traditional Irish music from The Pogues (and - ahem - Joe Strummer):

Tyger

Published
by
admin
on April 11, 2007
in Poetry
. 0 Comments

Bajo la luna
el tigre de oro y sombras
mira sus garras.
No sabe que en el alba
han destrozado un hombre.

~Tigres de Oro by Jorge Luis Borges

Under the moon
the tiger of gold and shadows
looks at his claws.
It doesn’t know that in the dawn
a man was destroyed.

~Translation by Manuel Kei in his article Tanka & Duende.

I found this short film by Guilherme Marcondes on Neil Gaiman’s journal. Using the cityscape of Sao Paulo for it’s background, it is full of inspirational contrasts, light and dark, wonder and terror, the destructive and the transformative, the city and the jungle… all bound up with a wonderful soundtrack. There’s a better quality video and more information about it up here: Tyger

And here’s the poem that inspired it, in all its magnificent spell-like intensity:

TYGER, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water’d heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tyger, tyger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

~The Tyger by William Blake

It’s the Weekend!

Published
by
admin
on April 11, 2007
in Friends and Teaching
. 0 Comments

I have a four day weekend starting from now - AHAHAHAHAHAHA! The new term continued today in pretty much the same mode as yesterday. Students are still full of spring-time enchantment, the sap is rising and nobody has annoyed me yet. Wandering over to the University canteen for lunch, a couple of last year’s 3rd Years (now 1st year University students) ran up to me, saying: “Michael! Do you remember me?”. “Of course!” I bluffed. They’re quite hard to remember when they’ve got some wacky new hairstyle and are wearing civvies… Nice of them to remember me though.

Here are some pictures I didn’t get a chance to post last week, first of Chiara’s all too brief visit:

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

And then of Taga-san, myself and Hyon Ju wandering round a shrine after eating to much sushi. Wouldn’t it be nice he said, if the three of us could meet again. Indeed. Indeed.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

New Term!

Published
by
admin
on April 10, 2007
in Friends and cherry blossom
. 0 Comments

So a new term has started and all the students and teachers seem hopeful, excited and full of anticipation… I wonder how long that will last. Here are some pictures from last Sunday’s wonderful hanami party. It’s been a few years since I’v been to a proper hanami party. I think this one was probably the best. I was there at 7 in the morning to guard the place. The first beer was cracked open at 10 and I somehow didn’t manage to get to bed till 3 a.m. the next day.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

And here are some pictures of Hyon Ju’s last night at Tsurugi.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Hyon Ju flew back to Korea today. She will be missed. (泣く)

Published
by
admin
on April 8, 2007
in Friends
. 0 Comments

I used to work with these guys…

By the way I just had the most fantastic day of my LIFE. But I’ll have to tell you about it later. Because now I’m weary. And I need rest. Happy Easter and all that.

Whale Watching

Published
by
admin
on April 5, 2007
in Whales
. 0 Comments

Malcolm Phelps has set up a group site for ex-Lado teachers and staff here: LADOTEACHERSANDSTAFF

Here is the final episode of Whale Love Wagon; quite a nice one today.

Lado Bankruptcy Shock!

Published
by
admin
on April 4, 2007
in Random
. 0 Comments

Talking with Tony Dani on Messenger yesterday I heard the sad news that Lado International College of Japan is no more. Apparently people turned up for work and the place was closed. The creditors have moved in and (hearsay has it) the company president has done a runner (allegedly). People aren’t sure if they will get their final salary or not but it doesn’t look good. It’s a great shame because a lot of people had been there for years and some of them have families. It’s also a shame because (although we all complained while we were there) Lado was actually a very good school. They had good materials, a good teacher-training method, they generally hired sound people and the school had a good and friendly atmosphere going on. They made their teachers happy with a decent wage, reasonable schedules etc… The theory was this would be reflected in the working performance. And it worked. Happy teachers made happy students. However, Lado was a small school focussed on quality and inevitably it has been crushed by faceless corporate giants like Nova. I worked there for almost 4 years myself and have many happy memories of the place and am still in touch with the various friends I made there.

Imagine! No more Lado Christmas party! No more Lado teacher’s band! Daniel Moran will have to get a proper job! It is truly the end of an era.

All things must pass. (sigh)

Here’s another spooky thing. Every place I have ever worked at ceases to exist some time after I leave. Until now, Lado was the happy exception to the rule. Kyoto Berlitz… beware.

Kinosaki and Genbudo

Published
by
admin
on April 3, 2007
in Travel
. 0 Comments

Ok, as promised here are the pictures from the second day of our trip to Kinosaki onsen resort. We also took a short trip to the seaside and (from Kinosaki but a short taxi-ride away) went to Genbudo. Genbudo has some very interesting volcanic rock formations and a museum with a very cool rock collection and extremely cool fossils. Anyway, here are some clickable pictures for you to peruse.

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

And this is Hyon Ju’s artistic impression of what happened when we got to the station and realised our train was not at 4.18 but at 4.13 and had just left:
A very nice likeness, I think.