Dancing and A Harp Concert

Ok, so I’ve fallen behind again in posting. This time however has been the worst by far. Here it is Thursday and I haven’t updated what I’ve done since Saturday. Sorry guys. I’ve figured out a way so that this doesn’t happen again. I’ll write up my blog in Word first and then post from there. That way I don’t have to worry about devoted lots of time to sitting in front of my blog at one time catching up on days. But anyway, let’s begin shall we.

So here is Saturday’s update. Since I had gotten in a little late from having dinner with our new friends at Kunitachi College and Casey the night before, not to mention hopping on the computer for a little, I was tired Saturday morning. I got up a little late after enjoying sleeping in a bit. I didn’t have a lesson on Saturday but instead a samai class. Samai is the dance that is performed with a lot of gagaku music. Also, after that I was planning on going to the concert featuring the Irish harp player I had met the night before.

After checking some directions and train times out online I came back to my room to get ready for the day. As I had been doing with all my classes so far I arrived early, mostly because I didn’t want to be late to my first lesson at each new place. Also, I seem to have gained the role as official goaisatsu person which requires me to arrive early with a box of chocolate. Let me explain briefly what I’m talking about.

So back when we had the orientation meeting Terumi-san had left a large bag of boxes of chocolate from Columbia in my care. It is a custom in Japan, similar to other places, to bring a gift the first time you go somewhere. In our case especially since we are being taught by not only famous musicians but members of the Imperial Court group we have to bring chocolates the first time we go somewhere or the first time we are being taught by a new sensei.

The term goaisatsu basically means that I introduce myself humbly and kinda grovel a little saying please regard me kindly and all that jazz. So since I had received this bag of chocolate whenever we go somewhere as a group I have ended up bringing the chocolate and arriving early to perform the goaisatsu. Either that or if the group of shos need chocolate I have needed to make sure they got it before they leave for their lesson. So far I have given it to Casey to take, mainly because Todd isn’t staying with us and Michael is too aloof, damn Germans.

So anyways, I arrived early and Terumi-san showed up slightly after me. We goaisatsu-ed and then as we were going to go to the classroom to wait for the others seeing as how this was a group class of all four of us plus others, the three sho players arrived with our sensei. Class was nice. It was interesting and some of the moves reminded me of either ballet or bharata natyam (the Indian dance I did in college). Class was scheduled to end at 5pm but I think they went a bit over. I don’t really know since I had to leave right at 5pm in order to make it to the concert on time.

As soon as I got on the train, however, I noticed I had left my camera in the classroom, I had been taking pictures of the others in the class dancing. I ended up getting an express train and actually got to the station near the concert hall about 45 minutes early. I got in touch with Terumi-san and she told me she had given the camera to Michael. I wasn’t happy about that, but whatever. Since I was hungry I used one of my McDonald’s coupons and had a cheap set meal before I went over to the concert. I was worried that I might have trouble finding the place, but the directions that the guy gave me ended up being just about right and I found the hall with no problem.

Before the concert I even got to go and talk to the harpist a little more. I gave her my business card. (Terumi-san got cards made for all of us, we got them at the orientation meeting. It’s customary to give a meshi (business card) when introducing yourself formally or otherwise and I’ve actually found them to be useful.) She even gave me a copy of her latest CD before the concert, I was really happy. The concert itself was wonderful. It started at 6:30pm and ended at about 9pm with only a 20 minute intermission. I’ve always found Irish music moving but with Japanese singing with it I was truly touched. It was really so cool.

After the concert I got to talk to her some more and hopefully I’ll get to see her again later this summer or early fall when she’ll be in Princeton, NJ for another concert. I said bye to her and hopped on the train to come back, knowing it would take over an hour to get back. I was indeed tired when I got back and so I just wanted to get my camera and go to bed, but Michael was asleep and apparently he sleeps like the dead because I knocked on three separate occasions and he didn’t answer.

I knocked on Casey’s door too and then I went upstairs to see if I could find her. Sure enough there she was on the computer, why she couldn’t answer her phone though I don’t know. Anyway, I found out from her that we didn’t have the Shoga class Sunday and so I didn’t have to worry about being up early and I had a free day, Yay! I ended up online for a little and made plans to have dinner with Yuka on Monday night at 7:30pm.

And so, on to Sunday!