I think I may have stated explicitly before that I try to avoid making note of wacky specimens of English here. It’s too easy, and too many other people are doing it. Make no mistake–I adore “Engrish,” and never tire of seeing it. But I’ve chosen not to make it a feature of my Midorikai reporting. Sometimes, however, something’s too good not to mention. Read the rest of this entry »
Fine weather and high spirits. Favorable circumstances under which to have mizuya-chō responsibilities, which I discharged without incident or undue stress. Read the rest of this entry »
A proper sleep reenergized me, and a late lecture start time permitted me a leisurely morning. Kamatsuka-sensei, whom we met now for the first time, talked about kōgō–incense boxes–and passed around half a dozen pretty choice specimens. Read the rest of this entry »
I woke up unrested from a long, vivid dream in which I’d been sentenced–I’m pretty sure not because of anything I’d done–to death, and I was to be my own executioner. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve started running my air conditioner. Not much, for now–just a half-hour in the morning while I get dressed. I’ve found that getting my kimono on more or less properly is a much easier and less stressful task if I do it while cool and comfortable. That I’ll start sweating into it the second I walk out the door is a given, but I don’t mind as much, as long as the thing isn’t sticking to me while I fiddle with it in front of the mirror. Read the rest of this entry »
Emotional status: restabilized. Unexpected result of blogging about last week’s trials and tribulations: phone call from parents getting to know more about their son through his writing, and making sure he knows that his weaknesses run in the family. Read the rest of this entry »
I did almost nothing at all, and I’m choosing to call it therapy. Read the rest of this entry »
A cool, rainy morning and a chu-hi fog on the brain made for a slow and reluctant start to the day. Read the rest of this entry »
Shame on me and my pessimism. I actually had a very nice morning with Matsunami-sensei. That’s because it was light on the Zen and heavy on touring the Daitokuji temple complex, a huge, ancient, and fascinating place. Read the rest of this entry »
I woke from a deep and refreshing sleep and enjoyed a slow morning before a very late class on dōgu; Tachibana-sensei reviewed the bamboo utensils, all of which must be made with a specific orientation to the way the bamboo originally grew, and then elaborated for us the seven traditional varieties of futaoki and the seven traditional varieties of kensui. Read the rest of this entry »