Sound and Shadows

The time has come, my little friend, for WHAT?
For sitting, sweating, feeling the underside of toes as they hit the ground.

People coming and going like the waves, many to Berlin it seems, or New York, Russia, Paris.

Meri Nikula leaves soon.

Saturday in a humid warehouse on the outskirts of northern Tokyo she gathered an array of performers for sound improvisations. LEAD Sister II - a man with self made instruments which bear a passing resembalance to characters from the robot pixar film and Tomomi Adachi - sound artist/poet accompanied a shaodow movements and light shows.  We also performed a shadow puppet theatre, a re-working of a piece from 10 years ago.

Adachi san`s  work is along the lines of Laurie Anderson, voice becomes fragmented and recombined sound but perhaps comparisons are like describing the taste of something. Until you try it you don`t really get it. His video work here.

Parks and Cardboard Tubes

The Aftermath of a busy project is my desire to sit under a tree, and not move. This was mildy interrupted by my friend Jo Tinsley`s suggestion that I attend the First Japanese Cardboard Tube Fighting League`s  event. Yoyogi on a gently cloudy day and about 30 people, some in fabulous carboard bunny ears and Samurai outfits gathered to fight with large cardboard tube in hand. The rules were simple, no hitting of the body and the first tube to break is out. My first (and only) opponent a Kendo master, I had no chance and I accidentally hit him so hard on the arm it gave him a big, red rash. Sorry about that. Usually based in SA worth checking out.

Mizumoto Park. You have a lake, you have wooded full of firs and redwoods. You have a large grassy area and this park is HUGE. Nearest station is Kanamachi on the JR Joban line. Take a no 7 bus and follow the old ladies with sun hats. I actually saw a topless man, an unusual site in the land of modest summer wear.

Being a now city girl I find myself living with inherant contradictions. A recent desire to wear high heels a lot, and my love of meadows, green in general. I tried to combine this during my recent sojourn to the Uk for the Bath Japanese Festival and my brother`s wedding, but it proved a little impractical, I am not quite Carrie Bradshaw yet.