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check out the diary on
September 1-15 | September 16-30 | October 1-15 | October 16th - November 4th
read the personal diary by:
Tjerk | Merlijn

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Diary: September 1st - 15th

August 31st 2001
Today is the start of the second edition of 12xHolland. The first two participators of 12xHolland edition 2001 depart from Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam: Marieke van Uden (modern dance) and Jac Gijzen (painting). At the airport, they say bye-bye to Studio E (Junko Ueda and Wil Offermans) and Marieke's mother and they start the 24-hour travel to Hirado.

September 1st 2001
After a long trip from Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, via Vienna and Kansai Airport (Osaka) Jac and Marieke - the first two 12xHolland-participators for this year's project - arrive at Fukuoka Airport. There Oseki-san (organisation) and Inoue-san (host of Marieke) welcome them both. Together they make the 3-hour ride to the island of Hirado. In Hirado, they are surprised with a welcome party, a dance performance and an enthusiastic crowd. They are introduced to their hosts: Inoue-san and the Fujin-shachu-Junior dance group will be host for Marieke; the Hirado aquarel club directed by Kasuya-san and Mori-san will be host for Jac. After the party they move into their new appartments in 'downtown' Hirado.

September 2nd 2001
On their first day in Hirado Marieke and Jac have various meetings and introductions. Marieke has a meeting at the Café Carillon in the harbour. Jac examines his atelier (an old shop building in the centre of Hirado with a beautiful old-style garden) and he starts organizing the interior and his materials.

September 3rd 2001
Jac visits the Shinwa Bank (here he will have his exposition "Made in Nepal" later this month) and the Hirado elementary school (here he will present various painting workshops in the gymnastic hall). It was Marieke desire to get some nichibu-lessons (Japanse dance) and this afternoon she has her first lesson with the charmfull Kitani-sensei. She can borrow a kimono for dancing from Yumi-san. Later, Marieke enjoys a sushi-party at her appartment together with Yumi-san, Shinko-san and Marina-san (a Spanish woman, living in Hirado for more then 20 years). At night the first flying 'ago' fish could be seen in the harbour of Hirado. Also Jac and Marieke join this spectaculair event.

September 4th 2001
Marieke and Jac have a meeting with the major of Hirado, mr.Shirahama. NHK-TV is making some shooting of this meeting.
In the evening, Jac presented a first painting workshop for the Nambu painting class with their teacher mr. Shoji Ito. Usually, this workshop takes place every Tuesday at 19:00 o'clock at the Nambu community building in Tsujoshi in the south of Hirado island. Today, there were 12 participators. Ms. Mihiro Araki (teacher at the Nambu junior highschool) was assisting Jac for the interpreting.

September 5th 2001
For the first time after arriving in Hirado, Marieke has some time in the morning to do dance training herself. From now on, she can come to a studio in the Culture Centre Hirado every day to do her training. Next, she does a first dance workshop with 11 children. Today, Jac is preparing at the Shinwa bank for his upcoming exposition.

September 6th 2001
This morning Marieke does here daily morning training. Jac has the opening of his first exposition: at the Shinwa Bank in Hirado part of his painting series "Made In Nepal" can be seen from today. Next, he travels to the Japan Healing Centre in southern Hirado to open a second exposition on "Made In Nepal". In the evening both Marieke and Jac take a shodo-lesson with the shodo master Riichiro Tateishi-sensei.

September 7th 2001
After her daily morning exercises Marieke has her second nichibu lesson on Japanese dance with the dance master Kitani-sensei. Next she has a meeting concerning the Haiya dance festival on September 23rd and the 12xHolland-presentation on September 29th. Marieke has a strong desire to do this presentation on a beach. Oseki-san, who knows all secret spots in Hirado, proposes to examine the so-called 'private beach', which Marieke likes very much. During the day Jac works in his atelier, where now the running water is wroking. Also he has a meeting with Matsura-san of the Japan Healing Centre. In the evening the Dutch ex-international soccer player, and now a soccer trainer, Wim Rijsbergen arrives in Hirado with a youth soccer team from Leiden, The Netherlands. They will stay in Hirado to play several soccer games and to exchange with the local sports youth. Marieke and Jac join the opening party to welcome the Dutch delegation.

September 8th 2001
Jac presents a painting workshop for the Hirado high school. With great enthusiasm and impressive gestures the students paint the huge paper with exciting colours.

September 9th 2001
Today, all of the Hirado city can be found at the soccer field to whatch the soccer game between the youth teams of Hirado and Leiden (coachedbij ex-international Wim Rijsbergen). Also Jac and Marieke whatch the game.

September 10th 2001
After her morning training Marieke has her third nichibu dance lesson with Kitani-sensei in the afternoon. At night she presents a dance workshop for adults at the Commercio Building in Hirado. The exposition "Made In Nepal" by Jac is extended to the Hirado City Hall from today, which completes the exposition to a total of three location with the same theme.vandaag ook in het stadhuis van Hirado, zodat er nu drie exposities van hem te zien zijn rondom dit thema.

September 11th 2001
Today the disasterous tragedy at the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington shakes the world and bring feelings of despair and unbelieve.

Together with Eiko-san Marieke brings a visit to the neighbouring city Sasebo, about one hour by car from Hirado. In the evening she has a dinner with Inoue-san. Jac does a second painting workshop at the Nambu community building in Tsujoshi souther Hirado island.

September 12th 2001
Marieke presents her third dance workshop for adults at Commercio, Hirado. The number of participators has increased to six. Jac has tow other painting workshop: at first at the Hokubu Kôminkan Hirado community centre with the aquarel club (directed by mr.Yamashita-san) and at night, just across the Hirado Bridge with the Tabira painting club.

13 september 2001
Marieke haar tweede shodoles bij Tateishi-sensei en schrijft "oorsprong" ("Minamoto"). Kuwahara Rinako-san was meegegaan om te vertalen. Jac werkt vandaag in zijn atelier aan zijn nieuwe "mantra" schilderijen.

14 september 2001
Marieke geeft een enthousiaste dansworkshop op de Hirado basisschool voor ongeveer 100 leerlingen. Daarna gaat ze weer naar Kitani-sensei voor haar nichibu-dansles en in de avond geeft ze haar dansworkshop voor kinderen, weer in het Cultuur Centrum Hirado. Jac geeft een schildersworkshop op de Nakatsura basisschool en in de avond een schildersworkshop voor opnieuw de Hirado aquarelclub (o.l.v. Yamashita-san) in het Hokubu Kôminkan Hirado.

15 september 2001
Marieke bezoekt de open dag op de Yukokan middelbare school en beluistert de indrukwekkende Taiko slagwerkpresentatie van de studenten. 's Middags, in haar vierde kinderworkshop werkt ze aan het stuk voor de eindpresentatie, dat de voorlopige titel "Zwaartekracht" heeft gekregen. In de avond heeft ze een derde shodo-les bij Riichiro Tateishi-sensei. Ze maakt in deze aflsuitende les een steenstempel met het karakter voor toekomst en signeert daarmee haar eigen shodo werkstukken. Jac heeft een ontmoeting met Akira Tanzawa, voorzitter van HIRA (Hirado International Relations Association), die hem regelmatig als vertaler zal gaan begeleiden. Daarna werkt Jac in zijn atelier en hangt zijn eerste mantra werkstuk op in het bijzijn van zijn host Kasuya-san, diens vrouw, de theemeesteres Horita-san en zijn assistente Kaoru-san.