Ukishima Diary
2001
page 10
Feb. 2001
 |
Sean squeezing lemons for my latest attempt to get rid of the cold so that I do not keep having to take my working mask off just to blow my nose. (KT) |
|
|||
| Sean was not so keen on skiing, and I have a real stinker of a cold, so Emily and Kata went off on their own to try out another of the local ski slopes. Shimokura is appparently much more family orientated than Appi, with gentler slopes and a system of paying for the number of ski lift rides you make, not the expensive passes you have to get at Appi. When I asked Emily how the skiing went she told me that the ramen (noodle soup) there was good! Then Sean helped Kata cook supper while I was working. (KT) |
|
|||
| Kata went off to the opening at Yorozu Museum, and out partying with Kazue, Momose, Hirasawa, Katsura, etc.. afterwards. Most of them stayed the night in Towa town, and explored the area the next morning. Why do Yorozu have to have their openings on Friday afternoons while the children are still at school so we can not all go?! (KT) |
 |
It is really cold out there, but my 600 yen ski wear from the re-cycle shop makes it possible. Good to be working on my own sculpture again after acting as the support team for Katas 3 very tight schedule sculpture commisions this year! (KT) |
 |
Kata has pinned on the kitchen wall the list of high and low colesterol foods the dietician at the hospital gave him today - trying to provide meals that satisfied all three of my brood has been challenging enough for the last few years, now I have to keep to a strict diet for Kata too!! (KT) |
|
 |
||
| Emily and Sean helped put out all the beautiful dolls we inherited from Kata`s family for the first time this year (last year we were in Scotland - see March 3rd 2000 page for the Scottish improvisation of this Japanese festival, and all the years before that I did the preparations myself as the children were too little to handle the delicate laquered wooden dolls). They both loved all the tiny props, the fiddly hats that have to be tied on individually, minute musical instruments, tea ceremony set, etc.. | Kata showing Emily the Emperor doll`s katana which comes out of its scabbard to reveal his shame - it is all buckled from him seizing it and pretending to be a samurai knight when he was about the same age as Emily is now! Proved a very good way of explaining to Emily and Sean that these dolls are designed to be looked at not played with. (KT) |
||
 |
Emily and Sean discovered that even with both of them together they are not big enough to fill Kata`s pyjamas. (KT) |
|
I went down hill skiing for the first time in more than 20 years with Emily, Sean and Kata at Appi ski slope. It was good to go with the children as I could not admit to them how scared I was to get on the lift the first time or how terrified I was when I looked down the hill from the top (having finally managed to get up again after falling while dismounting from the lift). With the result that my brave face fooled even me, and after the first fearful stagger down I actually really enjoyed the rest of the day! Appi is expensive, but a very good course for more professional skiers, and snow boarders who get value for money from multiple ski lift rides on the passes. (KT) |
||
|
Emily and I doing our Kanji homework. (KT) |
 |
Kata giving a lecture on his sculpture, followed by a panel discussion which I had to join. (KT) |
 |
Kata`s sculpture looking good at XEX, La Fuente, Daikanyama. Kata and I looking surprisingly good having driven through the night to get it there on time. Many thanks to Yagi who came to help set it (the idea was to have atleast one sculptor who had had some sleep to make sure there were no slips - but he had been up all night playing mahjong!) While we were packing up the tools after setting the sculpture 2 of the same friends we had such fun with last time we were in Tokyo walked past, Tokyo is a pretty small place. Then we bumped into them again when we arrived at Caroline and Gaels place. Perfect hosts again - we had a lovely time at Caroline and Gael`s joint birthday party in the evening. 25 party guests, plus 2 friends from France as well as us staying. Caroline and Gael are complete heros and have made all our rushed working trips to Tokyo extremely comfortable and enourmously enjoyable. THANK YOU BOTH (KT) |
|
While the marble for my light sculpture commission is being cut to size at the factory (Kanezawa san is going to start his just painted machine up again just for me despite being nervous that the freezing water supply will chip all the new paint off again), I am spending these freezing days hand polishing Kata`s sculpture, why do we always end up working with water at the coldest time of year? (KT) |
|
Kata machine polishing his sculpture. Emily giving her Daddy a much needed massage after he pled exhaustion in defence against proposals of playing tag. Little did he realise he was going to have to pay the masseuse with a game of dodge ball! (KT) |
|
|
|
Kata working til late at night, and the sculpture is shaping up fast! (KT) |
|
The usual round of skipping, spinning tops, gymnastics, dancing; Sean managed a perfect landing after jumping the 'horse'. Then an excruciatingly patronising lecture on childcare which I could understand all too well. So I snuck out to watch the children having their lunch - with everyone assuming that I could not follow the Japanese. Lunchtime was hilarious with all the children improvising a pun quiz. (KT) |
 |
Kata has less than 10 days to make the sculpture for Daikan Yama, so he managed to persuade Kanezawa san to start his machines at the stone yard again to cut his block of black granite to size. The weather is so cold at the moment and even running water is freezing up so the factory has shut down all the machines and are stripping them all down for repainting (when I asked how often they do this he said this is the first time ever). (KT) |
|
Emily trying to teach ojii-san how to play shoji (Japanese chess) on the computer. (KT) |
Shiomi san told us that getting the pizza oven made nearly killed him, with happenings like the specialist pizza oven mason flown out from Sicilly turning up at the airport with the comment "Oh - I need a passport?", then when asked for a plan to show the fire officer the mason just drew a chalk line on the floor saying the oven would be "this big". But it was all perfect in the end, and the pizza is fantastic |
Friday night stayed with the ever wonderful Caroline and Gael to go with them to a gorgeous dinner party chez Martine and Andre, just wish I could remember more of my school French as their friends were all great fun, but thankfully they all spoke perfect English and/or Japanese for Kata`s benefit, so I was not completely lost. We all met up again on Saturday morning to go to the Izzi Miyake sales - shopping with Andre (who is the French Cultural Attache), Martine, Caroline, Dominique and friends was one of the best culture shocks I have ever had. I was very keen to go on to another designer sale with them all for more entertainment, but Kata & I had to go to meet Shiomi san to discuss the sculpture for the entrance to XEX, La Fuente, Daikanyama (see opp.). Shiomi san was then more than 2 hours late which gave me plenty of time to embarass myself again, this time in Italian; and also the rare opportunity for a relaxed and delicious lunch - Kata and I have not had so much time to talk to eachother for years! Popped in to the office Shiomi san shares with our architect friends Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein, at Deluxe to download photographs of the sculpture proposal from Kata`s digital camera onto Shiomi`s computer, and to see the exhibition by the nutty Dutch installation artist (see links for Deluxe`s really trendy web site.) Then just made it to catch the train out to Garry and Charlotte`s place in Narita thanks to Caroline`s French driving style - don`t know if Tokyo taxi drivers who dare to dawdle in front of her survive the experience! Met Garry and Charlotte`s beautiful new baby Megan, and spent a lovely evening catching up with their 3 year old Eldon`s news, and even managed to talk to Garry and Charlotte. Their new place "The Town Cryer" is doing well (TO GET THERE: take the subway to Otemachi station and go out of EXIT E1 for 6th floor, OTEMACHI SANKEI PLAZA The next day Garry and Charlotte took us out for lunch, and then on for a drink and a game of pool at the "Barge Inn" bar they designed - well worth a visit if you are ever in Narita city (one stop on the train from Narita airport) and home to rescue Obaachan from our children. (KT) |
|
Kata spent a frustrating day searching Morioka for ink ribbons for our printers, they are apparently out of production! Ah the joys of the competitive consumer market, where the customer ends up being stuck with mortgages for obsolete equipment. But our friends at Alps Electric factory nearby came to the rescue with a supply of ribbons and assured us that we can still get them through the internet, for a few months anyway! (KT) |
