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30th May
22nd International Space Technology Symposium (held in Morioka this year).
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Our friend Kyohei Kondo, Professor of Engineering at Tokyo University invited us to visit the ISTS.
Many incredible developments in space technology and a wonderful chance to meet the people who have developed them, like Dr Modi, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Columbia (also an olympic runner, award winning photographer,...).
Next to these stars I felt extremely earth bound, but enthused. (My legs are stiff after yesterday, my brain was stretched today). (KT) |
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Prof. Kondo (The ISTS Programme Chairman) gave the 4 of us the star treatment including a fascinating tour of the exhibition and introducing us to some amazing people.
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Sean`s reaction to it all.
NB: ISTS Homepage: http://www.ists.or.jp
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I was particularly interested in the environmental studies, the efforts to solve the space debris problem, the space plane and reclyclable develoments. (KT)
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29th May, Ukishima Primary School SPORTS DAY
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| Emily and her friends preparing for the traditional dance |
Emily (in the red cap) in the relay race |
Sean (in the red jersey) off to a flying start in the pre-school Sweetie dash |
lunchtime |
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I was well and truly beaten having kept up quite well til the fish paste straw.
The things they make us do in support of our children... |
| Kata celebrating victory for the red team in the PTA relay race (he pipped the Headmaster to the post by about 50 meters!) |
Tug of War |
PTA race - me bent double competing with the Sports teacher, sucking a glass of beer through a tube of mashed fish paste after running 100m, before the final dash to the finish line! |
I`m afraid Emily`s red team lost to the white team by a small enough margin that, had I done better, we might have won the day! |
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27th May
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Kikuchi san, our local quarry owner posing next to the only stone left uncovered in his quarry He has closed this quarry and actually fulfilled his commitment to reinstate the landscape.. The end of an era for us - most of the Himegami Grey granite we have used over the last nine years came from here - but other quarries in the same mountain are still productive. (KT) |
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26th May
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Cutting the grass around the 200 trees we planted last Autumn as a Millenium project for Ukishima. (When I complained that Kata had not taken any photographs of me working hard at this task over the last 3 days he very generously posed for me to take a photograph of him! but to be fair, he kept going) (KT) |
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25th.May
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After having had to buy new gymn shoes for all of us for Emily`s sports Day this Sunday, I was inspired to save money in the future by actually polishing all our other shoes. (KT) |
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24th.May
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It has suddenly jumped from a late spring to an early summer, hot enough to eat supper outside.
Not so pleasant for all our neighbours who are frantically trying to catch up with rice planting; and keep up with the tobacco crops which are following pace with the sudden change of season. (KT) |
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22nd.May
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Our first ever `formal` family portrait taken for `shichi-go-san` (7-5-3 years old`s festival) (KT) |
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21st.May, WHAT ARE THEY DOING!?
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A truly artistic family - inspired by the aquisition of the Star Wars video, they are making collages out of the glossy pictures intended to seduce us into buying more. (KT) |
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15th.May
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Finally spring seems to have started, Emily and Kata celebrated by planting out the flowers a mystery visitor had left on our doorstep last week. (We later discovered they were a present from a local friend Abe san, many thanks to her). (KT) |
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13th.May
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Kata went to Tokyo to buy 3mx1.5m Japanese paper for large commissioned drawings. He stayed the night with our old landscape architect friend Kamikado, his wife Kazuko, daughter Sarina, and cat Tom! (KT) |
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11th.May
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(left) Sean helping Kata tidy up after filming was finished.
(right) Aiyako san, one of the set staff saying goodbye after clearing the film debris. Before leaving the three set design staff treated us to a slap up surprise barbecue lunch (off camera). (KT) |
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9th. May
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Filming started again. Cinnamon was now one of the most important actress in the film (right).
(left) Ms.Yokoyama acting an expert YUNBO (JCB) driver. She told me next day that she deffinately wants to get the driving licence even though she had a nightmare after driving it ! (HK) |
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8th.May
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Moped-Riding is now the one of Sean & Emily`s most favourite things to do. The mopeds were on set at Ukishima, not sure if they were ever used in the film. (HK)
We also had a police car parked next to the studio for over a week, despite the temptation (the keys were in the ignition) we did not play with that prop! (KT) |
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7th.May
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A quiet Sunday, we played badminton.(HK)
Meanwhile Cinnamon was working hard acting a dog being taken for a walk, ON A LEAD, a new and perhaps difficult role for her, but the Director said that she did very well. (KT) |
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| 6th.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET |
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| Me teaching Michino Yokoyama how to use a grinder for her scene as a sculptor. (KT) |
Said scene being filmed at our studio. (KT) |
While on call to operate the lighting boom Mr Endo the driver of the 45 ton crane we usually work with to move stone, helping Kata to restrain Cinnamon from her new found desire to be an actress. (KT) |
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| Cinnamon sucking up to the Producer Mr Isozaki, and the Sound Operator Mr Suzuki hoping to scrounge a part, or atleast some of the crumbs from under their table. They all fell for her charm and she has in fact ended up starring in the film, even going for a walk with the stars as a newly scripted part of the story!! (KT) |
The Director Mr Kuriyama discussing the scene of dumping Grandpa on the doorstep with his stars Shigeru Koyama and Mai Kitajima. (KT) |
The Cameraman Mr Sasakibara was one of the few people allowed to wear suitable clothing for the freezing fog which eventually stopped filming on 5th May, but he still looked pretty cold up there. (KT) |
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| 5th.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET |
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Filming the concert on the deck. The story is set in summer but Iwate decided to produce the coldest May we can remember. I don`t know how we all survived hanging around outside til 3am! (KT) |
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| Filming finally started after being rained off yesterday. (KT) |
The film`s chickens were put out for their starring role and Cinnamon thought it was Christmas; keeping Cinnamon, Emily & Sean quiet and out of shot was the greatest challenge. (KT) |
Miki Sakai, one of the main stars, playing with Emily and Sean while waiting for her scene. (KT) |
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5th.May, 'CHILDREN`S DAY!'
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The Saito family arrived with a picnic lunch for all of us, bless them, creating a sense of a normal Children`s Day party in the midst of the last minute chaos preparing for filming going on all around us. We were later decamped from this room to the foot of the stairs to make way for lighting rigs. While the film stars camped out in our office. (KT) |
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3rd.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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With the last of the daylight on the last day of preparations the designer asked Kata to carve the name of the old people`s home of the film story "OBANDEGANSU" (local dialect for Good evening) onto a new gate stone.(KT) |
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3rd.May
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`HOME SWEET HOME` SET
Instant house extension, but only 2 cm thick, hope the wind doesn't blow it over. The rain stopped long enough for all the staff to have coffee break outside. (KT) |
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3rd.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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Not sure if the film director wants our Koi Nobori (giant golden carp windsocks to celebrate Boy's Day) as a main feature of the set, but when the crew heard that this is the first year since Sean was born that we have not been able to put them up they decided to help, and even provided the pole. (KT) |
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3rd.May
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`HOME SWEET HOME` SET
Emily and Sean trying to help dig drainage ditches after the rain had spent all day re landscaping the 'vegetable patch'. However the rain did not wash out the strong smell of the 5 chickens hidden in the studio to keep them safe from predators (mainly Cinamon) long enough to star in the film. (KT) |
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2nd.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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"Planting" the real ready to eat vegetables in the fake 'vegetable patch'.
(from right) Mr.Isomi, and Mr.Odashima & his man. (KT)
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1st.May, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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I'm making a staircase down to the vegetable garden.(HK)
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30th.April
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Sunday grand day out to the huge Nanakita park near my parents' house in Sendai. sliders, climbing objects, sculptures, and loads of fun!!
(HK)
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29th. April
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We went to Miyagi childrens' Centre in Sendai to set a title plate for the small statue which Kate made last spring. Sean and Emily were off course the model for this pritty bronze figure! After that we had a OHANAMI picnic in the park attached. (HK)
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26th.April
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Emily had a fever last night(38.5C). She was fine this morning but was sent home from school early. It must be the buit-up tiredness since the last trip to Scotland and come back to Japanese school, etc... But, this afternoon she was fine just like the daffodils in our garden,which just bloo-o-o-omed yesterday!(HK)
Built up tiredness!? ....a good attempt to get out of having to do homework. Ah well maybe she will be a late bloomer too.(KT) |
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| 26th.April`HOME SWEET HOME` SET |
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More preparations for filming -repositioning the electricity poles behind the house(right). so that Mt. Iwate-san can be seen without a pole disecting him. (left; behind Kate). (HK) |
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25th.April
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Kate started working on (new) sculpture again from today.(HK) |
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25th.April, `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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While I was working on re-landscaping the vegetable garden (for the film), the Yunbo's (JCB) caterpillar broke. The service men who fixed it did not comment anything on how I drive! Nice guys!! (HK) |
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23rd.April
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Went to Hirosaki for the first time this year.
My piece(left or top?) looks alright, and the other pieces along the water feature have been succesfully completed (right or below?). (HK) |
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22nd April, HAPPY EASTER
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This year`s Egg rolling competition boasted Japanese, Korean, New Zealand, German, English, English/Japanese, Scottish/Japanese, and Scottish contestants. Despite a record roll all the way from the neighbours field nearly to the house it was a dead heat with Kyonmin and Emily`s beautifully decorated hard boiled eggs both still intact. Tsuyoshi, Taishi, Zara, Kyonmin, Emily and Sean succesfully raced the dog to a chocolate egg in the Easter Egg Hunt.
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19th. April `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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Work started on the sun deck set. Our house is being used as a location for the film "Home Sweet Home", and the script requires a sun deck!
Filming is going to be around 4~9th May. (HK) |
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18th.April
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Sean's day
Professional Driver or Architect?(HK) |
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16th. April
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After a weekend of playing with the Momoses Emily decided she wanted to adopt Ui has her big sister. Ui Momose and Kazue Sato trying to leave Ukishima while Emily tries to persaude them to stay. (KT)
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1st. April `HOME SWEET HOME` SET
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After removing the metal pre-hab that had been our home for 7 years the man we had given it to decided he also wanted to take the bathhouse Kata had built onto the back of it. We were all surprised to discover that it was strong enough to be winched wholesale onto the truck. (KT)
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22nd. March
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Kate receiving the "Best Artist of the Year in Iwate Award" from the Chairman of Iwate Prefecture Education Board. (HK)
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20th. March
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Cinnamon was pleased to see us back in Ukishima after we returned from 3 months in Scotland.(KT) |
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3rd. March
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Our daughter Emily (7) hosted a Girls' Day Dolls Tea Party. As we did not have the beautiful Japanese dolls of the Emperor, Emperess and their attendants, each child was invited to bring their favouriate doll to stand in for them. Everyone enjoyed trying on Japanese kimono, and all atleast tried traditional Japanese food. One child decided that she was the Emperess, resulting in a anarchic revolution led by the rest, but the dolls behaved beautifully and a good time was had by all. (KT) |
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14th. Feb.
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Valentine`s Day and Robyn's Birthday today. Our niece Robyn with Mary, and Liz with which of our twin nephews? Sam or Matt?!
No, Kate, Liz, and Mary are not triplets.
(HK) |
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29th January
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At the pub around the corner from the Edinburgh Printmakers, after a Non Toxic Etching class we decided it was safe to put some toxins into our systems.
Edinburgh Printmakers has pioneered non toxic printmaking techniques (see links)
from left: Kate, Brent and Alfons.(HK) |
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| January |
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Horse riding with Aunty Sheena.(HK) |
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10th. January
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Katagiri started working as Artist in Residence at Edinburgh School of Art. "The Sculpture Yard" would be better described as a wind tunnel, and is deffinately the coldest place in Edinburgh. Despite this 12 of the numerous students who were enthused by Katagiri's work braved the elements to carve along side him. (KT) |
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6th. Jan.
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Emily's first day of school in Scotland.(HK) |
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25th.Dec(1999)
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Santa and Reindeer!! (alias Emily and Sean)(HK) |
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