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Monday, February 17, 2003
Monday 17th february
I have just got in, it's 10pm and I'm knackered. I'm just having my dinner, watching Bush on TV, and the anti war protests from around the world. My Japanese is not good enough for me to know what the Japanese stance is on it all. I can't believe Blair is following this man, I'm scared to know what is to come next.
Walk
After yesterday's winter, spring is back with bright sunshine. I walked half of the way to Muse this morning to make the most of the sun.
There is so much to do for the exhibition - editing, panorama making, subtitling, building the space as well as helping muse coordinate and design their part of the exhibition. All I can just do is imagine it will all be done and ready in time.
Walk
Yuko-san and I visited a computer resource centre today to meet the man who ran the facilities to tell him about Muse Company's work, Home-maker and the possibility of future collaboration.
Back to Muse and more editing and exhibition planning. Tomorrow I will be interviewed by someone from the Asahi Times after I film Emi-san again. Oh my god, it never stops.
Atsakara samadeshita!
What you say after a day at work - It means I'm tired from working hard for the day, or something like that.
ashta mata - see you tomorrow. x
Sunday 16th February
It's raining cats and dogs, and keeps trying to snow. It is so cold here! I ventured out for filming, umbrellas in hand - everyone, and I mean eveyone has an umbrella. I bought mine at the convenience store for the bargain price of 340 Yen - �1.70 The whole umbrella thing has really been thought through; as soon as it starts raining most shops either put out plastic umbrella covers or have umbrella stands, or in galleries, lockable umbrella stands. Only in Japan.
Mangi-san
Today Mikari-san came to translate and we spent 4 hours interviewing Mangi-san. He has a lot of interests and loves to talk so it was quite hard to be brief or concise! He is definetly going to be the hardest to edit. He talked about his love of animals - they never lie, his house, his mug and cap collections and his mother who died when he was 13.
Quiche plate
After filming it was back to Quiche and tart with Mikari-san for a quiche plate.
When I got in I watched the funniest, quite serious programme - top 100 househould tips, It was like Viz top tips brought to life. I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be so funny but I loved it.
So a Japanese bath and an early night with my �1 book from the cheap book shop near the station in Notts.
Japanese bath is extra hot, tall and deep, you shower before you get in the bath and then sit with the water up to your chin. The bath is for relaxation not bathing (which is why you get clean first). In the ryokan last year there was a communal bath which was filled at 5 and the (same) water was kept hot until 11pm. I really liked it but Steven said it was filled with gai-jin pubes and put me off the whole experience.
Saturday 15th February
An early start and off to mangi-san's house tor photograph him for the panorama. His house is really unusual, he built it 10 years ago and is massive for tokyo. Today's sunshine provided good light in the room and I think will look good.
We finished early so I had a half day off. Instead of staying home like someone sensible I decided to go to the ntt icc digital arts gallery. It took me hours, I hadn't figured on shinjuku being just so busy on a saturday.
Shinjuku - Night
TheICCis on a new mini railway line Hatsudai station which is very confusing as it's not on all the tube maps.
Tokyo opera city
I got to the Opera house, which is an amazing new building housing the opera, Tokyo Opera city art gallery (great large scale contemporary art) and the ICC. The ICC is kind of like Fact in the Uk, set up by Nippon Telecommunications 5 years ago to display digital and technology based work based on the theme of communication. Unfortunately my Timeout Tokyo guide had said the gallery shut at 9, it's actually 6 so I wasn't able to get in to see the show.
hand activation - Web of life
What I did see though was a piece in the foyer - Web of Life which was a piece from ZKM, Kahlsrehe in Germany, a hand activated interactive projection pice. I wanted to put the see-through plasma screen in my bag as a wee souvenir.
Web of life
After my failed trip to ICC I had a more succesful trip to department store - called (fantastically) Oh my lord, where I bought a new bag, a girl can never have too many bags or shoes, I have learned! I also found a great comic book which has cartoon versions of 200 films, including one of my favourites beneath the valley of the dolls
Beneath the valley of the dolls
Back home again and Jacko is on tv, again. Japan has bought the Bashir documentary so will be here soon. The Beckham Almond ads started tonight as well, ah Beckham, you just want to put him in your pocket and save him for later.
All over the news like a rash
posted by Jeanie Monday, February 17, 2003
