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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: October 1st - 15th

October 1st 2001
Today, Marieke and Jac are leaving Hirado and we can look back on a most energetic and fantastic month, with an overwhelming amount of their activities. Also the assistant of Jac, Kaoru Nishiyama who is living in Fukuoka, leaves Hirado and everybody is very happy with her contributions. In the afternoon, many Hirado citizens gather in the Hirado harbour, when the participators leave Hirado by boat. In the mean time, the organizers Junko and Wil drive to the Fukuoka airport to pick up the new 12xHolland participators: Tjerk Ridder (actor) and Merlijn Twaalfhoven (composer). Together, they drive to Tabira, where the boat from Hirado with Jac and Marieke arrives. After a short meeting between the four participators. Tjerk and Merlijn jump on the boat heading for Hirado. When they arrive in Hirado harbour, an enthusiastic welcome-party starts with Wind Ago members playing. The first night, Tjerk and Merlijn sleep at the home of their hosts, respectively Machida Toyoko-san and Jô-san. Marieke will fly back to Holland tomorrow, after a night in Fukuoka. Jac will first visit Fukuoka and Tokyo for about a week before returning to Holland.

October 2nd 2001
Today, both Tjerk and Merlijn have several meetings to prepare their schedule. They move into the apartments, where before Jac and Marieke have been living. Organizer Aki Oseki-san shows Merlijn around at the local supermarket.

October 3rd 2001
Today Tjerk and Merlijn are making a sight-seeing tour around the island with their hosts Machida Toyoko-san and Jô-san. They also visit the neighboring island Ikitsuki.

October 4th 2001
This morning, like all new 12xHolland participators in the beginning of their stay, Merlijn and Tjerk meet with the Hirado major, mr. Shirahama. After they have a first interview with the Nagasaki Shinbun newspaper. The media visit the 12xHolland activities with great frequency and they are reviewing 12xHolland with great interest. These days, there are several meetings, among others of the 12xHolland Hirado executive committee. At night Merlijn has his first workshop with the Jagatara chorus of Hirado. He works with them on a kind of instant-composing piece. Tjerk is making his first visit to the dôjô and joins the karate workshop of teacher mr. Kazuyuki Matsumoto. In between has Merlijn a spontaneous shamisen lesson by Machida Toyoko-san (the host of Tjerk).

October 5th 2001
Merlijn and Tjerk get up early to join with Jô-san to go fishing. They return our lunchtime with about 100 fishes! After a lunch - with obviously lots of sashimi - Merlijn is studying his viola. Tjerk has his first nichibu lesson with Kitani-sensei. He is dressed up in an extra long jukata and studies his first Japanese dancing movements. At night, Tjerk has a meeting with a local theatre group called Hiradoshi-man, directed by Yoshihara Daisuke-san.

October 6th 2001
Merlijn today presents his first violin lessons in Hirado. Various beginning violin students have gathered at the Hirado Music School by Matsuguchi Yôko-san. At night Merlijn visits the Fumon-ji temple in Himosashi in the middle of the island of Hirado, where he will do a concert on October 13th. Tjerk visits the rehearsal of the Dragon Dance.

October 7th 2001
Tjerk did catch a cold and is obliged to stay in bed. Merlijn is participating the Hirado Marathon over 5 km. At night he does a first music workshop with the Hirado ensemble Wind Ago followed by the shakuhachi group Chikuyû-kai with Jô-san and Kadoya-san (the shakuhachi teacher of Marjolijn last year).

October 8th 2001
Tjerk is still sick and stays in bed another day. In the morning Merlijn is invited to join the Ground Golf Tournament (kind of mini-golf) in the Hirado Sports Park, organised by the Chamber of Youth Commerce, Hirado.

October 9th 2001
Tjerk meets in the morning with teachers of the Houki elementary school together with host Machida Toyoko-san and Yamada Yukari-san as interpreter. At 14:00 follows a second nichibu dance lesson with Kitani-sensei and at night a karate lesson with the group of Matsumoto-san. Merlijn studies the shakuhachi composition Oiwake-Gensô-Kyoku and is writing a transcription for his viola. At night he visit a music rehearsal (shakuhachi-koto-shamisen) at the house of Machida-san.

October 10th 2001
Tjerk present this morning a theatre workshop at the Houki elementary school, where he also presents his 'Gorilla' solo-performance. 'At night he has a rehearsal with the theatre group Hiradoshi-man. Merlijn continues his transcribtion of Oiwake-Gensô-Kyoku and works on new compositions. At 16:00 he has a meeting at the city hall with teachers of the Nakatsura elementary school in preparations for the October 22nd workshop.

October 11th 2001
Merlijn works on his compositions. In the afternoon, together with Tjerk he has a meeting at the Hirado elementary school concerning their workshops on October 18th and 19th. In the evening Merlijn visits rehearsals of the shakuhachi ensemble Chikuyû-kai and the Jagatara chorus, while Tjerk has another karate lesson.

October 12th 2001
Merlijn, in the afternoon, has a recording session (interview and viola solo) for the TV-company KTN for the live-broadcasting of Terebi Myûde. Tjerk has his nichibu dance lesson with Kitani-sensei.

October 13th 2001
Today there are two concerts: at first, in the afternoon, an ensemble of koto and shakuhachi performs at the Matsura Historical Museum. Merlijn joins as a guest musician. In the evening, Merlijn has his first viola concert at the Fumonji temple in Himosashi. Guest musicians are the shakuhachi player Kadoya-san and koto player Gôno-san. On the program are works by Bach, Glazounov, Merlijn's composition and improvisation and Japanese music.

October 14th 2001
Merlijn meets with Fukuda-san, a pianist. She will accompany him in his concerts on October 23rd, 26th and 27th. At night there is an improvisation workshop with the ensemble Wind-Ago. Tjerk is taking preparations for his upcoming workshops.

October 15th 2001
Tjerk does a theatre workshop at the Houki elementary school with 34 students in the age between six and nine. In the evening, he is cooking European food at his apartment for the Machida-family and Merlijn.