An exception

Something might be happening. What's going on me? I did a seasonal change of clothing today. Winter has come.

I went to a department store to look for a bag for job. I needed a bag which I can enter A3 papers. Because there are bags of all sizes and shapes at the bag corner in the department store, I seemed to be able to find one. Though some of bags for men were large enough to contain A3 papers, I couldn't find one in them for women.
And I also needed a blouse to wear under a jacket of suits. I looked for a blouse for ceremony or important meetings which I can button up the collar. But there isn't a regular form like white shirts for men, I had to choose one suitable for business from many kinds of blouses at each shop.

Men who wear white shirts called women who wear uniforms "girls" in the organization I work in now. I don't know why people called "girls" don't go out on business.
"girls" seems a name of a kind of job. Do "girls" like the name?

If the name is OK, can I call you guys "men"? I asked them. If it's not good, how about calling name? I think we have names, don't you think? I proposed. But they told me.
You don't belong to "girls". So you need not to be worried about it. OK. I know. I know. I' m not a girl. But I also don't belong to "men" . What group should I belong to?

I get used to a word " rare". Sometimes people said to me. But whenever I notice that people around me think I'm an exception and there isn't any rule for people like me, it takes away my motivation. If there're many people like me, I will leave for another organization anytime. The situation which I need not to explain about myself must be good. But there seem little difference anywhere in Japan. I'm always an exception here and feel alienated. I belong to nowhere.
I must have been born here but sometimes I feel like I'm a stranger or an alien.

But I have to say I'm lucky. Because at least I wasn't born in north great nation where the secret police is still active or north small nation where the stupid king is still alive. Here is not comfortable but I will not be killed even if I say what I want to say.

Light Blue

I'm exhausted. Though yesterday was a national holiday, I worked.
I went two parties this week. That's why I can't finish my job.
One of them was a really enjoyable party. A Japanese furniture maker held a party to present their new productions to their customers. I didn't have a client who looks for furniture But because I thought that it was a chance to see the party place, International House of Japan, http://www.i-house.or.jp/jp/, I went there.
We could sit down on chairs and sofas drinking a glass of champagne in a relaxed mood.
The maker gave us free drinks and foods! I wondered whether they could recover their investment. But I won't object to the maker's business policy.
And another party was a drinking party with my colleagues. It was a...kind of job rather than an enjoyable event.

When I saw heavy clouds yesterday morning, I hit on a good idea not to spend gloomy afternoon. A week ago, I had used up my perfume. Now this month's payday came, I decided to buy a new perfume on my way home. I'm going to give me one in reward for a labor on a holiday. It seemed that the idea helped the progress of my work.
Since I found a perfume discount shop near the office, I've been interested in them. There are many kind of perfume and really cheap.
From my experience, I found that if I spent too much time in choosing one, I would likely lose consciousness. So I trust my intuition. I think that choosing a perfume is like a translation of my feelings. Not only its fragrance but also its vial design and name are important for me. I hope all of them make me relax. I smelled some of them.
After a while, a natural color caught my eyes. It was a box of perfume and the material of it looked like velvet. Its refreshing fragrance smelled like bracing atmosphere. I imagined a clear sky and a wide extent of sea and soft breezes. The name was simple. It must be the right word for my feeling. And the vial was plain. I liked its unaffected design. When its contents are the genuine, it doesn't need a decorative dress. I know.

A Jazzy night

She is cool, isn't she? She is an alto sax player. I went to Roppongi to listen to jazz with my friend on last Wednesday. Her performance was exciting. I thought that only tough person can play the musical instrument. She also played the flute well. And I know she can play the piano too. She taught English in a high school. I thought that English is necessary to understand jazz. Yeah! She was born to be a jazz woman.
She played her original music. It was a jazzy night.

The beauty of her job is its simplicity. The tool which she needs for the job is only a sax.
It seemed that she can play without music score.
Jazz players can perform everywhere and express themselves before an audience. She doesn't need even an electrical power source. Cool.
I took some pictures of her. She wore a wine-colored velvet dress in a Gothic taste. I thought it was chic and suitable for autumn season. She made it for herself!
My mother wants to perform on a Noh stage and my cousin earns her living by playing the sax. They want to stand a stage. I think almost all people want to stand a stage.
We want to express ourselves by costume, writing blog, singing, playing the music instrument, the Noh performance, in my case, it's buildings. I think this desire is one of human instincts.

After Japanese culture "the Noh" was wonderful Chinese food. After a sesame dumpling was American culture "jazz". I had spaghetti for lunch today. And I'm going to a Korean restaurant with my friend at an early date. Japan is a rich nation, don't you think?

Yesterday I got an e-mail from the Jazz player, Miwako. Imformation!
You will be fascinated with her music.

■スタジオK Presents スペシャルクリスマスコンサート
日時: 12月24日(日） 開場　14:30 開演　15:00　
出演：スミ☆アヤコ(vocal)、 miwako (alto saxophone)、川久保典彦 (piano)、アラングリース (b)、 久保田徹(d)、
スペシャルゲスト：小林紀輔（尺八）
場所：スタジオK（高円寺）
住所：杉並区高円寺南4-39-17（高円寺南口を出て高架橋沿いを環七を目指して6分ほど歩きま す。環七に出ると右手にセブンイレブンがあります。その2階です。）
HP：http://hw001.gate01.com/norisuke/studio-k/　
TEL : 03-3311-6635 　 チケット：4500円　当日チケット：5000円　1ドリンク　おつまみつき　（おつまみの提供は東新宿　オステリア　イル・ピッチョーネさんのおいしいイタリアンです。）チケットのご予約はお手数ですがご一報下さいませ。sax_miwako@yahoo.co.jp

しっとりとギターデュオでやらせていただきます。とっても癒されますよ。ぜひお越し下さいませ。
■ Jazz Duo at 大磯
日時：12月9日(土)　19:30～出演：miwako(as) 栗林緒(gt)
場所： すとれんじふるうつ(大磯）
ホームページ：http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~strange/sf.htm
住所：神奈川県中郡大磯町東小磯１５１
電話：0463-61-7338 寒くなってきましたね。どうぞお体大事になさって下さい。またお会いしましょうね。
miwako Keep smilin'&swingin'http://www.geocities.jp/sax_miwako/index.html
☆携帯サイト：http://ip.tosp.co.jp/i.asp?i=sax_miwako

A man of iron (2)

When I was going to get on the train in Shinjuku station, I saw the man iron on the outer wall of the train. I thought that this was a perfect train for me. As you know, it was an advertisement of Tokyo Electric Power Company. He wore yellow clothes and was smiling. I arrived at the Noh theater before the closing of the recital. The new theater was not too large and comfortable. But I wondered why sound-absorbing material was placed on the ceiling. A performer told me that it was difficult to listen to her voice during her performance, because her and other’s voice couldn't reflect.

When I saw hors d'oeuvres, my stomach informed me that it had been in bad but now it completely restored activity. OK. Here we go!

There wasn't menu. So we guessed the ingredients what were in the dishes. It was a fun. The combinations of ingredients were beyond our imagination.
Squid and yuba which looks like a kind of paper and made of soy beans.
Roasted pork fillet with small pieces melon.
Shark’s fin soup with pumpkin sauce.
Shrimps and chestnuts and beans and asparagus in cream soup.
Amazing!

Of course, some dishes were general Sichuan cooking.They were hot and spicy and taste was not simple but deep. Needless to say, the dishes were DELICIOUS and BEAUTIFUL. We enjoyed the dinner and brought the dessert "a sesame dumpling" home because we wanted not to end the happy time. We were touched.

http://www.ceruleantower-hotel.com/restaurant/chen.html

A man of iron

Many Japanese join clubs to take lessons in traditional Japanese cultures.
They're the tea ceremony, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, haiku and so on. And many groups and clubs hold their recitals or exhibitions in autumn in Japan. I was invited to a recital. The recital will be held at the Noh theater. It is in the new hotel near the Shibuya station. Though I was interested in it, I was going to refuse the invitation.

I've been to this kind of recitals before. Countless.
Usually, a Noh play isn't presented in this kind of recitals.
Some pupils recite an utai that is a chanting of a Noh drama text and some pupils performed shimai which is a Noh dance performed out of costume and accompanied only by the chorus. They are not whole stories but highlights of the stories.
Probably, people who are experts in Noh can enjoy them but I cannot. Shimai is a sort of dance. So I can endure because watching a person who is moving is not boring. But in case of utai, if the performer is unskillful, I have no choice but sleep.
I like Noh costumes. They are gorgeous and really suit for each Noh story. I can see Japanese original color in them and the combination is fantastic. I can also enjoy beautiful colors in pupils' kimono. But it cannot be the reason to go there for me.
That's why I was going to refuse the invitation. But when I heard about the dinner party after the recital, I changed my mind.

The party will be held at the Chinese restaurant. Its chef is 陳健一, called "a man of iron" in Japan. Wow!
And my mother said to me,
"If you want to join us, I will ask our master. Because there are many pupils in our club, you will be inconspicuous. No problem."
I decided to go the recital.
( To be continued.)

Nightmare

I recovered of a bad cold today. I haven't caught a cold once in the last six months. But I was ill in bed all day yesterday. To be exact, I cannot remember when I last had a cold.
When I looked my report of absence, I couldn't find words of absence from ill. I was surprised. Why? Actually, I didn't have much time to have a cold. I was really busy.

When I have a fever, I'm always troubled by same nightmare. It is like a jigsaw puzzle
Its small pieces are black and white. I become one of small pieces and I am fitted into place. I'm always a black one. And I don't know why, but the puzzle trembles. The nightmare isn't three-dimensional but two-dimensional. I cannot get away from the place where I am fitted and have to tremble eternally… It's terrible sight, isn't it?
Fortunately, I didn't have this nightmare last night. It proved that the fever was not so high. If I look the jigsaw puzzle, I am in serious condition.　

I saw another nightmare last Saturday. I joined a parade of monsters. They were cute, funny and brave. Because I had been to the party last year, I was not surprised this time. Probably as I get used to the party, it will become more difficult to have a shock. Crazy costume competition is right path in Halloween. But I want to go another way next time. I will take a memo about it for next year.
A disguise people cannot understand and will be worried about he/her and cannot decide whether to laugh or not.

What is your costume?
Honey. Am I sweet?

Who are you?
I'm jealousy. Was melancholy much better match for me than it ?

What is your disguise?
A yawn.

I don't know what costume are suit for them. But I have enough time to think about it.