14 May 2010
23 March 2010
Edinburgh dates set with Venue!
Very exciting news! The Other Side Theatre Company's production of "Hang Up The Moon"- the new title of the show- has dates set for the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
August 27th, 28th, 29th The Argyle
If you are going to be anywhere near there, or know someone, or are looking for a place to vacation this summer... come out and see the show!
More information to follow.
In other news...I am in Korea! My Dad and I took a super fast ferry today from Japan. Tomorrow we are taking a train to Seoul. It's strange, I have gotten used to being in Japan, and I now have a bit of a different kind of culture shock...more on that later.
Keep in touch,
Melanie
August 27th, 28th, 29th The Argyle
If you are going to be anywhere near there, or know someone, or are looking for a place to vacation this summer... come out and see the show!
More information to follow.
In other news...I am in Korea! My Dad and I took a super fast ferry today from Japan. Tomorrow we are taking a train to Seoul. It's strange, I have gotten used to being in Japan, and I now have a bit of a different kind of culture shock...more on that later.
Keep in touch,
Melanie
21 March 2010
Hiroshima
(excerpt from journal after visiting Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park- 21 March,
the first day of Spring...)
What does the word Peace mean...
Hiroshima Peace Park- memorial to devastation, an eerie feeling fills the air...trying to ask the world for peace in a way that doesn't present a way... I dont know I can't think I am just feeling...why do humans destroy each other why did Americans have to destroy- my feelings about war and what inspired PeaceStreet came back, my sadness that I used to feel at Emerson when the war started, visiting Dachau...
(and when I had those feelings back then, I felt the need to somehow make people understand and feel and NOT DESTROY yes I know it is a very simple idea, and the world/human beings/politics are much more complicated than that, but I just cant help but feel like I need to be useful, DO something about this overpowering feeling inside me when I see hate and destruction...)
How is The Other Side a solution, I can't say yet, but I believe that education and cultural understanding is the first very small step. I had so many other thoughts before at the park- now I cant think. There were people giving free hugs. And what about people taking photos, smiling...
This place, the city- its so new because the old one is destroyed. It's just an eerie place, and the energy is that of a once dead nature- it has been burned, melted, destroyed. It's sense of LAND or place, or history is literally NOTHING. Can a place loose it's culture if it doesn't have a history? Or with a destroyed history?
A strange spectrum of cities:
Tokyo- a bustling metropolis of life, a sense of EVERYTHING
Kyoto- incredibly preserved history, tradition, sense of "oldness"
Hiroshima- a completely destroyed "oldness", but now with a new history of a destroyed place
It was- oh sad is such a useless word- there was a powerful negative energy, but the monuments themselves didn't make it so. It was just the awareness, the whole point of a city based on remembering destruction.
All of the monuments today kept asking viewers and visitors for "Peace." Now I have a question for you, and if you respond by emailing or facebooking me, then I know who is really reading my blog (and if you don't respond because you dont have time or you are reading this months later, I will still always love you:)
What is Peace to you?
love, and peace, (whose meaning I am searching for,
Melanie
the first day of Spring...)
What does the word Peace mean...
Hiroshima Peace Park- memorial to devastation, an eerie feeling fills the air...trying to ask the world for peace in a way that doesn't present a way... I dont know I can't think I am just feeling...why do humans destroy each other why did Americans have to destroy- my feelings about war and what inspired PeaceStreet came back, my sadness that I used to feel at Emerson when the war started, visiting Dachau...
(and when I had those feelings back then, I felt the need to somehow make people understand and feel and NOT DESTROY yes I know it is a very simple idea, and the world/human beings/politics are much more complicated than that, but I just cant help but feel like I need to be useful, DO something about this overpowering feeling inside me when I see hate and destruction...)
How is The Other Side a solution, I can't say yet, but I believe that education and cultural understanding is the first very small step. I had so many other thoughts before at the park- now I cant think. There were people giving free hugs. And what about people taking photos, smiling...
This place, the city- its so new because the old one is destroyed. It's just an eerie place, and the energy is that of a once dead nature- it has been burned, melted, destroyed. It's sense of LAND or place, or history is literally NOTHING. Can a place loose it's culture if it doesn't have a history? Or with a destroyed history?
A strange spectrum of cities:
Tokyo- a bustling metropolis of life, a sense of EVERYTHING
Kyoto- incredibly preserved history, tradition, sense of "oldness"
Hiroshima- a completely destroyed "oldness", but now with a new history of a destroyed place
It was- oh sad is such a useless word- there was a powerful negative energy, but the monuments themselves didn't make it so. It was just the awareness, the whole point of a city based on remembering destruction.
All of the monuments today kept asking viewers and visitors for "Peace." Now I have a question for you, and if you respond by emailing or facebooking me, then I know who is really reading my blog (and if you don't respond because you dont have time or you are reading this months later, I will still always love you:)
What is Peace to you?
love, and peace, (whose meaning I am searching for,
Melanie
11 March 2010
Edgy Japan
EDGY JAPAN is a new website created by my new friend in Tokyo, Hiroki Hosoda Yanagisawa. It is a site created especially for travelers to discover parts of Japan that one might not find in a Lonely Planet guide. "Edgy Japan features edgy talents, products, and locations from Japan." How lucky was I to find Hiroki!
Hiroki offered to take me around Tokyo and show me some of these Edgy places. I will list the places we went to with brief descriptions, and then reflect on the day, why it's Edgy, why I love it.
1. North Kameido- tiny little old shops, very real, all in Kanji, no tourists
2. Renior coffee shop by the train station. Typical Japanese cafe, "Blend" coffee, "morning" set menus with sandwhiches. Nice atmosphere, empty second floor, very smokey-businessmen-reading-their-morning-paper kind of place.
3. Asakusa-bashi- wholesale district. floors and floors of office supplies, art materials, wholesale materials for restaurants and establishments, colorful, fun, inspired me to want to buy random things in different colors and have groups create something out of it based on a theme. A lesson plan! Anyone remember that old catalogue Oriental Trading? It was like an entire shopping district of...that.
4. Lunch at Hanamaru- good Udon and Tempura
5. Iriya Plus- very cute atmospheric old cafe, owned by an artist who has lived in New York City and Korea. They are known for their pancakes, which we sampled with green tea ice cream and red beans (it sounds weird to a western taste-bud, but its really very delicious!) Hiroki himself goes to this particular cafe to sit for hours writing and thinking with his laptop.
6. Tokyo International Forum- A huge structure that almost feels like an upside down boat, clear glass and open space. Theres a great train-spotting window, and walkways that wind down the whole structure. Very open, design/engineer-tastic, a peaceful quiet space in the middle of the Tokyo rush.
7. Arch-Design exhibit- this was not a part of Hiroki's tour, but a random bonus that we stumbled upon while searching for an atm. We had been discussing architecture and modern design, and here we come upon a free exhibit in the lobby of a building with models of every famous structure in the world.
8. Nakano- crazy intense overstimulating shopping, funky bars, little winding streets.
9. Kichijo-ji- We went to the British Pub chain in Japan called "Hub" for a beer. I find the fact that there is a British Pub chain in Japan highly amusing.
10.The last place we went was a great restaurant in an open, warehouse, almost Williamsburg-y environment. The food was delicious and the atmosphere warm, but we were so exhausted from our adventurous day, and so hungry, that I ate too much too fast and felt a bit sick. hehe.
Some train of thought musings on the day: (an excerpt from my journal)
Each place we went had a different vibe. It varied in size, energy, noise levels, people. Some places were full of energy, people, sound, technology, on-the-go-ness. Some were quiet, peaceful places where one could really think- like the Iriya Plus. The experience was also enhanced by the great conversations Hiroki and I had about art, architecture, cultural behaviors and perspectives. Observations.
At the end of the day, Hiroki asked me which places stick out in my mind, and the two places I liked best were the two very quiet places- the cafe and the big empty building. I dont know if thats just where Im at right now, or in the day, but although I am very much a city person, I am always drawn to places that are the eye of the storm. In a city like Tokyo, there is only always Storm, and you must have a storm in order to find the eye and appreciate the eye. I am very grateful that Hiroki could show me (and not just show me, but experience with me) those eyes.
Another thing that makes the experience unique and Edgy- the places he took me are not places where you feel like you have to see it, take a photo and then you're done- and you better hurry because other people are waiting in line! These are places you can EXPERIENCE, feel, touch, taste, live in, walk around, be a part of, feel like you live in Tokyo, as opposed to just visiting and checking it off the list. When I travel, I like to experience what it is like for someone who lives in the country/city, not what it is like to be a visitor. Edgy Japan offers that perspective.
If you get a chance to check out the website, I would highly recommend it. If you or anyone you know is traveling in Japan, please refer to Edgy Japan! You wont be disappointed.
Edgy Japan. Not Boring Tourist Japan.
http://www.edgyjapan.jp/
(copy and paste, or click on the EDGY JAPAN link in the links section of my blog)
Hiroki offered to take me around Tokyo and show me some of these Edgy places. I will list the places we went to with brief descriptions, and then reflect on the day, why it's Edgy, why I love it.
1. North Kameido- tiny little old shops, very real, all in Kanji, no tourists
2. Renior coffee shop by the train station. Typical Japanese cafe, "Blend" coffee, "morning" set menus with sandwhiches. Nice atmosphere, empty second floor, very smokey-businessmen-reading-their-morning-paper kind of place.
3. Asakusa-bashi- wholesale district. floors and floors of office supplies, art materials, wholesale materials for restaurants and establishments, colorful, fun, inspired me to want to buy random things in different colors and have groups create something out of it based on a theme. A lesson plan! Anyone remember that old catalogue Oriental Trading? It was like an entire shopping district of...that.
4. Lunch at Hanamaru- good Udon and Tempura
5. Iriya Plus- very cute atmospheric old cafe, owned by an artist who has lived in New York City and Korea. They are known for their pancakes, which we sampled with green tea ice cream and red beans (it sounds weird to a western taste-bud, but its really very delicious!) Hiroki himself goes to this particular cafe to sit for hours writing and thinking with his laptop.
6. Tokyo International Forum- A huge structure that almost feels like an upside down boat, clear glass and open space. Theres a great train-spotting window, and walkways that wind down the whole structure. Very open, design/engineer-tastic, a peaceful quiet space in the middle of the Tokyo rush.
7. Arch-Design exhibit- this was not a part of Hiroki's tour, but a random bonus that we stumbled upon while searching for an atm. We had been discussing architecture and modern design, and here we come upon a free exhibit in the lobby of a building with models of every famous structure in the world.
8. Nakano- crazy intense overstimulating shopping, funky bars, little winding streets.
9. Kichijo-ji- We went to the British Pub chain in Japan called "Hub" for a beer. I find the fact that there is a British Pub chain in Japan highly amusing.
10.The last place we went was a great restaurant in an open, warehouse, almost Williamsburg-y environment. The food was delicious and the atmosphere warm, but we were so exhausted from our adventurous day, and so hungry, that I ate too much too fast and felt a bit sick. hehe.
Some train of thought musings on the day: (an excerpt from my journal)
Each place we went had a different vibe. It varied in size, energy, noise levels, people. Some places were full of energy, people, sound, technology, on-the-go-ness. Some were quiet, peaceful places where one could really think- like the Iriya Plus. The experience was also enhanced by the great conversations Hiroki and I had about art, architecture, cultural behaviors and perspectives. Observations.
At the end of the day, Hiroki asked me which places stick out in my mind, and the two places I liked best were the two very quiet places- the cafe and the big empty building. I dont know if thats just where Im at right now, or in the day, but although I am very much a city person, I am always drawn to places that are the eye of the storm. In a city like Tokyo, there is only always Storm, and you must have a storm in order to find the eye and appreciate the eye. I am very grateful that Hiroki could show me (and not just show me, but experience with me) those eyes.
Another thing that makes the experience unique and Edgy- the places he took me are not places where you feel like you have to see it, take a photo and then you're done- and you better hurry because other people are waiting in line! These are places you can EXPERIENCE, feel, touch, taste, live in, walk around, be a part of, feel like you live in Tokyo, as opposed to just visiting and checking it off the list. When I travel, I like to experience what it is like for someone who lives in the country/city, not what it is like to be a visitor. Edgy Japan offers that perspective.
If you get a chance to check out the website, I would highly recommend it. If you or anyone you know is traveling in Japan, please refer to Edgy Japan! You wont be disappointed.
Edgy Japan. Not Boring Tourist Japan.
http://www.edgyjapan.jp/
(copy and paste, or click on the EDGY JAPAN link in the links section of my blog)
10 March 2010
Japan
I have been in the Tokyo area for 2 1/2 weeks now, and although the experience of being in an asian country as a westerner continues to blow my mind, in a certain way, I feel very much a part of it all. As opposed to feeling like a tourist along with all the others, I have had the fortunate experience of living with people that live here all the time- both Japanese and Foreigners.
My first week was spent with Chris and Koichi- friends of a friend of mine. I did go off in the day and see all the things one should see when they visit Tokyo- the crowded markets of Ueno, Akihabara- the electronic area, the busy and hip areas of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. But what really kept my mind occupied, (besides repeating the phrase, "Oh my god, Im in Japan!") was what fun and delicious thing i would be doing with Chris, Koichi, and their friends when they got home from work. And it would always be amazing Japanese cuisine for dinner, or some drinking place with a great atmosphere, or my personal favorite: Karaoke! Tokyo is a great city- but it really comes alive at night, and Chris and Koichi have given me some memorable night time experiences. Thanks guys :)
Phase II of Tokyo was staying with my friend Terrie- an awesome Japanese girl I had met 3 years ago on my European tour. Thanks to the powers of facebook, we have kept in touch.
So Terrie and her boyfriend, Hiroki have shown me some amazing parts of Tokyo that one might call "Edgy". (see entry for "Edgy Japan")
Terrie had to do intensive training last week, so she has actually been staying with Hiroki, who lives closer to where she works. So I have had the apartment to myself! For two days I went sightseeing for the day as if it was my 9-5 job in Tokyo (although in TOkyo people work from 7:30am-8:30pm it seems) and came home, cooked dinner, journaled and read, wrote emails and bummed around on facebook. I sort of pretended I lived alone in Tokyo- it was fun, but got a bit lonely. Luckily, the rest of the week was filled with little dates with people; dinner/karaoke with Chris, Koichi and their Jet friends, an EDGY JAPAN day with Hiroki (I'll get to that) a lunch date with a girl named Yuki that I met on the plane, and an adventurous day with Jumpei- a guy I met lost on the New York City subway some 2 years ago.
Phase III- exploring the area. Yuki lives near Mt. Fuji, so we made plans tosee it together in a town called Kawaguchiko. After 3 hours and 4 trains, I finally found myself outside the hustle and bustle, durm and strang, crazy timely complexities of pollution and shopping that is Tokyo. Mountains. A lake. One main street. What I was not expecting- SNOW. Lots and lots of snow. Everything looked quite beautiful and magical covered in white powder- and I love the softening of sound effect that snow has- however, I never got to see Mt. Fuji.
I did have a great time with Yuki. We went up in a cable car to the top of a mountain, and had Houto- a brothy udon that the region is known for.
A down side; I now have a cold.
Please check out my next entry on Edgy Japan, which features the lovely day Hiroki gave me a tour of what he calls, "edgy Japan." He is starting up a website for travelers to find adventures you wont find in Lonely Planet Guides, and tested some of his spots on me.
Peace Love and Travel
My first week was spent with Chris and Koichi- friends of a friend of mine. I did go off in the day and see all the things one should see when they visit Tokyo- the crowded markets of Ueno, Akihabara- the electronic area, the busy and hip areas of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. But what really kept my mind occupied, (besides repeating the phrase, "Oh my god, Im in Japan!") was what fun and delicious thing i would be doing with Chris, Koichi, and their friends when they got home from work. And it would always be amazing Japanese cuisine for dinner, or some drinking place with a great atmosphere, or my personal favorite: Karaoke! Tokyo is a great city- but it really comes alive at night, and Chris and Koichi have given me some memorable night time experiences. Thanks guys :)
Phase II of Tokyo was staying with my friend Terrie- an awesome Japanese girl I had met 3 years ago on my European tour. Thanks to the powers of facebook, we have kept in touch.
So Terrie and her boyfriend, Hiroki have shown me some amazing parts of Tokyo that one might call "Edgy". (see entry for "Edgy Japan")
Terrie had to do intensive training last week, so she has actually been staying with Hiroki, who lives closer to where she works. So I have had the apartment to myself! For two days I went sightseeing for the day as if it was my 9-5 job in Tokyo (although in TOkyo people work from 7:30am-8:30pm it seems) and came home, cooked dinner, journaled and read, wrote emails and bummed around on facebook. I sort of pretended I lived alone in Tokyo- it was fun, but got a bit lonely. Luckily, the rest of the week was filled with little dates with people; dinner/karaoke with Chris, Koichi and their Jet friends, an EDGY JAPAN day with Hiroki (I'll get to that) a lunch date with a girl named Yuki that I met on the plane, and an adventurous day with Jumpei- a guy I met lost on the New York City subway some 2 years ago.
Phase III- exploring the area. Yuki lives near Mt. Fuji, so we made plans tosee it together in a town called Kawaguchiko. After 3 hours and 4 trains, I finally found myself outside the hustle and bustle, durm and strang, crazy timely complexities of pollution and shopping that is Tokyo. Mountains. A lake. One main street. What I was not expecting- SNOW. Lots and lots of snow. Everything looked quite beautiful and magical covered in white powder- and I love the softening of sound effect that snow has- however, I never got to see Mt. Fuji.
I did have a great time with Yuki. We went up in a cable car to the top of a mountain, and had Houto- a brothy udon that the region is known for.
A down side; I now have a cold.
Please check out my next entry on Edgy Japan, which features the lovely day Hiroki gave me a tour of what he calls, "edgy Japan." He is starting up a website for travelers to find adventures you wont find in Lonely Planet Guides, and tested some of his spots on me.
Peace Love and Travel
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