Another World

My kitty is calm and sitting quietly in my lap. Unfortunately, I seem to be unable to write. Perhaps it is because it is Saturday (I should be at work, but I got the day off for a concert rehearsal), I'm still in my pajamas and I haven't eaten. Someone stole all the food in the fridge and replaced it with two cans of lemon Can-Chu-Hi.

Speaking on writing, I always check out Miss Snark's blog. She's an anonymous literary agent who gives lots of blunt advice. Therefore, I was delighted when I read a recent post on when to give up on writing:

"Never.

Publication may be nice but it's not the only reward.

The very act of writing is its own reward. It teaches you (if you pay attention) how to see the world through different eyes; how to wield language skilfully; how to organize a persuasive presentation.

You recognize that writing is a creative art and brings you joy."

Now read the rest here.

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I feel like another pointless poll.

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And now I'm off to the rehearsal, I swear!

The Noh Theatre was located in a really upscale part of Omotesandou, opposite Prada. When I first entered the stage area, all the lights were off and it seemed really intimate and mystical. I couldn't believe I was going to be on that stage. I can't begin to describe what I felt at looking at that stage. I want to perform again. I used to be involved in amateur dramatics back home and I really want to do that again! When I described my feelings to some of the other women there -- including, yes, the word "mystical" -- everyone nodded solemnly and agreed.

We watched the first rehearsal, which was the performance of a father and son team. They looked pretty good! There were a lot of other performances before we got on stage. The first one I'm doing is called 'Suehirogari' and I'm the only foreign singer in it (everyone else is on shamisen). I'm also in two other sung pieces and three shinobue pieces.

(I want to be in a band (again)! But everyone I know is definitely a singer. I suppose I might be able to manage to learn bass guitar after shamisen training, but Britpop has taught me that the role of the bass player is to be the cute drunk. And while I can manage 'drunk', it'll be a long time before I can manage 'cute'.)

We went drinking afterwards in a random place on Takeshita Doori in Harajuku. The drinks were so cheap, although not particularly nice. I had umeshu rock (my usual!) and it was not nearly as good as it is normally. One of my friends got a cassis grapefruit cocktail and they brought out the cassis in a glass followed by two grapefruit halves and a juicer. That did look good!

It was really fun just talking about things that weren't work. I remember slightly raised voices on the topic of Princess Masako, although things were fairly pleasant on the matter of the American presidential election in 2008. Who'd have thought I'd miss debating politics? (Oh, and they told me about some Drama I'd missed. You can't have a concert like this without it!)

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According to the previous poll, almost everyone -- regardless of country -- has experienced candy cigarettes. That says something interesting about the world, but I'm not sure that it's good.

The question was partially prompted by the realisation that no one in my school knew anything about pink foam sugar shrimps that we used to get as kids. I think they cost about a penny each and elderly relatives used to hand them out to us.

The other reason was that I've started to miss Cadbury's Creme Eggs. I even went to Sony Plaza in Ginza after work yesterday in an effort to find them. Despite what I'd been told about the glories of Sony Plaza, there was nothing particularly special there. I might as well have looked in my local international supermarket. The search is still on.