How many mugs do you really need?

After cleaning up my apartment last week, we decided to get rid of mugs and plates. Having a full cardboard-box of mugs is obviously too much.　Almost all was from the former roommate actually.　We chose as much as we needed, and I brought the rest to a second hand shop in the afternoon.　I was expecting that they pay me a bit, but in fact, they didn't.　Well, instead of money, we got a space in our cupboard.

Then I visited a friend of mine. We talked about the difference between things you want to do　and things someone expects you to do, and making music as job or hobby.

I believe that the best way to create something is just doing what you believe the best.　As media is dramatically changing and the way of listening is diversifying in general, it will become easier to find one's own favorite music. So, "Do it as you like" is the most effective attitude to create, I think.　Then if you are good enough to work as a professional, people wouldn't miss you and you might become a professional.　Otherwise you are not made for that. That's all.

Haruki Murakami made the speech when he got the Jerusalem Prize, "I will always stand on the side of the egg."　I support this as an artist. I regard egg as pride, amour-propre in French. And Bernard Stiegler addressed the importance of self-affirmation　in his lecture. ("To love, to love me, to love us: from September 11 to April 21")　At a period of anxiety, we ought to love ourselves more.

Additionally, the more you know history and what others are doing, the more possibilities you might be able to work as a professional would come up. These information or knowledge, in time and space axis, are a sort of map for life. 　And you would be able to have confidence in yourself with this map.　Having a broad perspective makes you modest. It never ends up underestimation. Make it simple just as you like.


SERORI (celery) by Masayoshi Yamazaki

Cunningham

Following the passing of Pina Baush, founder of Tanztheater on 30th of June, Merce Cunningham, innovator of modern dance, has died on 26th July.

It was the video piece by Nam June Paik when I saw him dancing for the first time. I'm not sure that was at Yokohama Museum of Art or The Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, though. After reading a book by RoseLee Goldberg freshman year in the university (so at least after 2002), I had just known his activity from concept rather than watching his works. He refused to interpret music and abandoned conventional storytelling. Instead, he used chance, working with John Cage, an influential composer.

As I receive the news, I'm Very belatedly watching some pieces on YouTube during the past few days. He was always looking for something new. To keep changing is not easy, but that is for artists the most important matter, being free.

Rest in peace, the Dance Giant.
Or, do you want to dance still there?

[Articles]
Merce Cunningham remembered
http://bit.ly/c2Fbi
Pina Bausch dies at 68; innovative German choreographer
http://bit.ly/ym9Ht

[Movies]
Merce Cunningham: Talking Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGjzL75eVa8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXp7r96UTQ4
An Interview with Merce Cunningham and John Cage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNGpjXZovgk

"café muller" Pina Bausch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtqrqjERhkQ
"Le Sacre du Printemps" Pina Bausch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXVuVQuMvgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDDbudx5OHA

Asian to Europe

I was working for the documentation of our project, LIFE AREA in the afternoon. We made a draft in Japanese few weeks ago. Now we are writing it in English. In this paper, we explain how we made sound for this installation from concept to realization.

I think this way is better than just starting with English. First, it's easier to output in Japanese for us. Second, when we translate, we have to be logical more than thinking in Japanese. So the sentences will get sophisticated. Yes, I know that we need someone to check grammar, though.

I ate dinner with my roommate tonight. We cooked chicken and vegetables with boemboe, Indonesia liquid herb-and-spice mixes. After let it all simmer, we served it with Mie, Indonesian noodle. It was tasty. We will do this again.

I'm going out to work at the Asian restaurant. Today is the first day. I'll wash all dishes in the kitchen. It is hard to survive especially for non-Dutch speaker. But life is FUN!

Meal in the Garden

Having a meal with Jack and Laura.

Since last June, I've been involved in the educational project, Watch That Sound (WTS), to arrange it into Japanese. We have already done a try out at the Rotterdam Japanese School on 25th June with children studying there.
http://www.watchthatsound.nl/

We are addressing to expand this activity toward Japan and Germany now. The leader, Jacques and sound technician, Jasper made a working visit to Tokyo mainly for the first workshop in Yokohama on 18th July. After a successful trip, Jack got back to Rotterdam and invited me to his house on last Wednesday.

Showing pictures on iPod, he told me almost everything which he had in Japan. A show by d.v.d, "meal ticket method" and of course the workshop at Piccolino Kindergarten. They met a lot of interesting people such as educator, musician, producer of film festival just in a ten days. They are hard workers. Good news is they have chosen Kôji to make the movie for the Dutch children. The workshop worked out well, so they have reached quite some goals.

We talked about strategy for the future. Idea with dancers, foundation, Camera Japan and story board for the new film. Then I explained about music education in Japan and Japanese traditional instruments etc. It was a pretty good evening.

***

Today I got started with designing the website for Company N. First, I wrote the site map down. Then I made a sample of banner and sent it to the manager. I hope they like it.

Just to Live

I watched a Japanese TV program on YouTube.
deaf-blind Satoshi Fukushima return to his elementary school
to give a special lecture. This is must-see if you understand Jp.
“All I want to tell them is just to live”Fukushima said.

NHK TV program "Tell Us about Your Life"
(Kagaijugyo - Yokoso Senpai) (in Japanese)


This program won the grand prix Japan Prize 2008

You can read an article about him at
TIME Magazine asia

Picnic to Westbroekpark

I'll start teaching the Piano. We will have the first lesson at her place tomorrow.
So today, I went to the library, Bibliotheek Den Haag to borrow some scores.
I've chosen 4 books in jazz style, 1 duet style, and classics by Schumann, Debussy and Satie.
Actually, this is the first time for me to borrow a book from them.
I hope we can find a good way to study.

In the evening, I went to the Westbroekpark with my friends. Yes, picnic!
We talked about food, culture, family and lovers.
Since we started to feel cold, we left as soon as finish eating.
Although it's July now, but climate is like autumn's one.
I hope we have more warm weather.

New facts:
"KAERU-no Uta" (Frogs' song) was German song originally,
which J told me on the way back to home. I didn't know.