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Diary: by Tjerk Ridder (theatre)

Sunday 30th September 2001

"This will be a long journey" ran through my head when I looked to myself in the toilet mirror on the Frankfurter airport. I just had a short 'power nap' (about 15 minutes) crunched myself on a tiny chair on gate A63. And though I left Amsterdam 6 hours ago,I realized that Hirado was still not in sight. Merlijn and me were excited by all the japanese tourists on the gate. We were the only two european travellers. Yes! It's true, 'we are really going to Japan!' Our airplane had a delay for about two hours so we were waiting all together for the take off. A japanese lady asked us if we would join them for a Kodak-moment and so there we were standing surrounded by all those giggling nice looking ladies....flash! The first picture. We left Frankfurt in a big Boeing 747. Merlijn had a window seat next to a beautiful english speaking handsome and friendly japanese girl, and after a few seconds it seemed like they were having a good time. I had a seat in the middle of the plane. In front the middle wall,at my right a very shy young japanese male, who only stared at the ground, at my left two older german businessmen.Clear!? Lucky Merlijn! The both persons next to me don't looked like they felt like starting a conversation so I put on my mini disc player, (Hey it's a Sony!). Tell me..why doesn't fit those stupid earplugs and why do they always fall out of my ears? So there I sat, flying over Moscow, hands on my earplugs listening to Mark Murphy's voice. How sensitive and beautifully he sang touched my soul....'and the riverbank talks of the waters of march....." Slowly light stripes different colors of blue changed for dark..., the night was falling...My mind was filled with all different kinds of melancholic thoughts, what it is to say goodbye, to have a home,..faces and special moments with friends and people I do care for were flying along....Tomorrow I'll arrive in 'the land of the rising sun' What will be there for me.......?

Monday 1st October 2001

After a view hours sleep curled once to the old german businessman, once to the japanese male (Strange, to share such a intimidate moment as sleeping with persons you are not knowing, and are just there because you are sitting next to each other in a plane) We arrived at 9.40 hr (japanese time, what is 7 hrs later compare to Holland) at Kansai airport, Osaka, Japan. Both Merlijn and me were both very excited, so this is Japan!!!!
We had to wait 4 hours in this airport for the transit-flight to Fukuoka, so we used it to discover. We bought a bottle of water and hey, in all the food-stores they show in the windows the complete plates with food (for sure of plastic, but really tasty) so it is easy, you can see what you like for your meal. That's cool! We watched the warehouses were we are not able to read anything.. Hey..there is 'Patrick Kluivert' and hey.. there is 'Nijntje' who is called here 'Nimphy'...groups of school classes dressed in uniforms, boys separated from the girls...time flies, and at 15:00 we had the take off to Fukuoka. No drinks or food aboard but a great overview of Japan incl. at the tv-screen a shot from the outside camera of the plane, beautiful sunny weather, and a clear sky. And yep, this time I had a window seat!
After an one hour-flight and a wild 'touchdown' at Fukuoka, we met Junko and Wil from the 12xHolland holland organization incl. a 12xholland banner in the hall of the airport. flash!.. again a photo ....Great to see some familiar faces and to speak dutch!!! Together we travelled in their rented van further. Every time it is a little bit scary to drive left, but I will get used to it and Wil is an excellent driver. We drove along cities and villages, volcanos, forests, Merlijn and me in the back drinking cold green tea watching to get all those images, everything new. After 2,5 hours we met Marieke and Jac to say hello and also goodbye, because they were leaving after their month. A big surprise that we could met each other just before they left. There was no time to exchange experiences because Merlijn and me had to jump on a special '12 x holland boat' leaving for Hirado port. Waving to Wil, Junko, Jac, and Marieke, who made a beautiful 'saying goodbye dancing turn' on the dock, we left the port. The evening was falling, and with a great speed, smelling the salty japanese sea we pointed to Hirado. I was thinking of why this all is happening to me, but couldn't find the answer because on the dock of Hirado a group of 50 people were standing, giving applause, saying 'konnichiwa', photo's were taken..flash..flash.. saying 'komba wa'..live music..Whoo a 'surprise welcome party- japanese style'!!!! We met our hosts, for me is that Machida-san and his great family...we met Jeroen a dutch guy working for three years on the local city hall and many other locals and press, flash, flash..there was a welcome speech, so I had to improvise mine in english and luckily translated by Jeroen. A toast on our stay in Hirado..CHEERS..KAMPAI..!! Delicious sushi and other japanese specialties were served...I felt like a movie star! Amazing.. Machida- san, my host and Wil took me after the party with them for a traditional japanese bath where you could see, hear and smell the water of the sea from the hot bath. Fish swimming, it is the season of the flying fish, and in the dark the full moon rising. This was exactly what I needed after this long trip. I slept at my host 's place for that night, , completely tired on a futon on the tatami , with a pillow of cherry pits,....ojesuminasai!

Tuesday 2nd October 2001

I woke up at 9.30 hrs, where am I? Standing in the sun on the balcony watching over Hirado, I checked if it was true.mmmm..It looks like... During a delicious breakfast prepared by Noriko-san, Machida-san's wife I got my japanese language lessons, me with pen and paper, Noriko-san with a translating machine. Sitting on my knees on the floor next to the floor table, of course my shoes off...japanese style...eggs..rice..green tea..bread..vegetables..again green tea..directly afterwards with my bags and stuff with Okasan, the grandmother, walking to my apartment, amazing..sorry but it will continue all those 'amazings'...all those stories ...so different...and I can't read anything! lot's of colors..komba wa..komba wa (good morning) My apartment is in the middle of Hirado in the shopping street 3rd floor above a magazine store.. shoes off..after you enter...2 rooms without any furniture only a bed, low ceilings everywhere and in the kitchen a table and a fridge..on the floor also tatami (traditional on the floor) a bathroom with shower and a toilet, that looks like a french one. On top a terrace with overview of the city. This was the apartment of Marieke so she left me some cheese, confiture, milk, and instant food...this Marieke!! After I put my stuff in there, we left for a meeting with Jeroen and Machida -san to talk about my schedule plan. I will go to some different primary - and high schools in Hirado to give workshops about theater. And after friday, the last examination day, I will a group of young people to create a performance for the Hirado culture festival on the 3 rd of november. The work will combine theater as also english courses. I will work with the group twice a week for a view hours along improvisations round the theme 'unforfilled longing'! I'm really excited how it will work out! I don't know nothing about the group yet. But I got the feeling that theater is not really common here. So it promises a lot... I also met my Nichibu dancing teacher, Kitani-Sensei, she is great, dressed in traditional clothes, beautiful black hair! I will learn about traditional japanese movement...and study on two different dances. I'll start on friday. During this month I can follow the rehearsals of Kagura ceremonies. What sounds like very interesting rituals of the Shinto religion with dance and music. I also told them about my interests in Karate and Aikido.I hope I can train somewhere in the local dojo. Afterwards the meeting I went to my apartment to 'check in'....and made it a little bit mine..with flyers of ' mid-summer night dream' from the Paardenkathedraal ( come and see in November till April 2002 in Holland and Belgium) as posters on the wall, fresh flowers, clothes in the wardrobe, a screen where I can work with paint on, everything out of the suitcase. I little bit dizzy, a little sleep. Together with Wil, Junko and Merlijn we had dinner in front of the China store. Flying fish with rice....ooshi!!! Very special... Later back home.... is it very quiet...alone..all those impressions..it is a lot..!! really... thinking of home, friends, family, beautiful moments... mmmm.. mellon collie again.....the moon shining full again...sounds of the night.. Okay, it is one o clock at night now, in Holland it's ...is it six? yes....mmm...what will they do over there????....mmm..it is better to go to bed!!! Sweet dreams.... thinking of you...dreaming of you...good night!

Wednesday 3rd October 2001 ( sunny, 30 Celsius)

Woke up at 8.00 hrs because of my mobile rang. I use it here as wake-up call-phone, `cause I don`t have any connection with it, completely other telephone network. On my little bike with front bucket (don`t forget to drive left...oeps dangerous Tjerk...!!) to the bakery store in the main street, the same where Niek worked last year. `Komba wa`(good morning) and hey they still sell Dutch `Niek` bread called ` de Liefde`.... so I bought it together with some milk and juice..how Dutch! On the way back I noticed a lot of `12xHolland holland-posters` behind front windows..... hey that`s me??.... that `s cool! At 9.00 hrs Joh-san, Jeroen and Merlijn picked me up in a big white Volvo, what `s very special here because they drive a lot of Suzuki and other japanese cars, for a tourist-trip along the island. We started to visit the place were once the dutch build the Dutch Trading house 400 years ago..nowadays only a little wall is left..Willem Alexander our dutch crown prince should visit this place, they totally cleaned up the park, but he did not come because of that he preferred to see Maxima...so the story goes...visit the Matsura museum on the hill, heard from Jeroen everything `bout samurai fighters, trading, and emperors... in the back garden hidden behind shining trees and giant butterflies is a traditional wooden tea house. Later during this trip Jeroen will invite us for a tea ceremony, I`m looking forward to it. During our visit at the Hirado castle we met a lot of school classes. Jeroen tried to avoid them, but Merlijn and me liked the feeling of being a movie star... and so Jeroen and Joh-san standing with 20 photo camera`s , flash..flash...Merlijn and me surrounded by all those boys and girls... flash-flash..and when they told them that we are an dutch actor and composer they sounded like a choir... oooooohhhhhh!!! (Listen to the soundtrack by Merlijn... hihi..). After the lunch at Joh-san`s house (rice, soup, fish, vegetables, green tea of course eating with chopsticks) we went to the other island, Ikitsuki, over the big big big bridge.... although we were warned for all the jellyfish we couldn`t resist the ocean, barefoot facing the branding in the sunlight is breath taking.....rice fields...bamboo... Later, high on the rocks next to the lighthouse, a great overview of the japanese sea, watching breaking the waves down there in all those different white and blue colours, smelling freshness and salt, in the last sunbeams of that day, made me feel like.... `God exists`!... Clear???..mmmm???
At night I woke up from a strange sound... somewhere in the corner on the tatami..oh no at the door...who.. under the bed!..who made that sound..? God? A old japanese ghost? who!I was a bit scared...listening, straight up in my bed trying to discover were it came from..light on...no sound...walking through the room...back in bed..light off..again!...light on...there!...a big big black insect with 6 feet and wings was creeping around....mmm..with the help of a bowl and my agenda I put the thing outside...alive and kicking...sleep well!!

Thursday 4th October 2001 ( cloudy/some rain 22 Celsius)

An early rise this morning because we had an appointment with the mayor of Hirado, mr. Makoto Shirahama. Well dressed I arrived at the city hall were I met the members of the 12xHolland organisation and all together we went up to the official room of the major. In my right hand 'een blauwe koektrommel gevuld met knapperige roomboterstroopwafels'..as a real dutch present. We got a traditional dressing screen back with prints of foreign visitors of Hirado. We talked about our stay, our projects down here and as real dutch ambassadors, about Holland. Mr Shirahama told us that he had heard that Holland got lot's of biking tracks...correctly! (Nothing about windmills..hoera!) Okaa-san (the great great mother of Machida-san) told her experiences of Holland, 'bout the dutch public transport and that's easily to travel for free 'cause there aren't any gates in front of the tracks...right! (NS?) and about the loads of senior citizens on the streets compare to Japan.. (vergrijsing?) After the meeting Merlijn and me had an interview for a newspaper. Afterwards I went on my bike (a special thing; you don't have to lock your bike here). First days I was checking my bike every second, and in the morning I was really surprised that it was still there. now I got used to it.. goes quickly..) to Machida-san's house. I made together with the help of Junko a japanese word list I'll use in the workshops so that, in the heat of the moment, I can shout some support from the front without any translation. After the lunch (rice, fish, vegetables, soup and green tea of course eating with chop sticks) I started working in the Machida-san's office to answer my email * Thanks for all the mail! * and wrote my diary till I couldn't see any computer anymore. (very frustrating when you are all alone and the computer turns itself (?) to japanese language in the middle of a message..and you can't read how to get back to english..) I got home at the end of the afternoon. and missed my 'sweet black Takemine'... a pity I didn't bring her..but maybe I can ask Machida-san where I can borrow a guitar. In the evening Okaa- san picked me up in her little red Daihatsu to bring me to the local Dojo for my first Karate lesson since I was sixteen. I met mr Kazuyuki Matsumoto, the Sensei and I had to show him some kicks..(mmm..not bad after such a long time) and I watched a children's lesson. Sitting on my knees on the tatami, a few 6 yrs old boys sat next to me... staring.. looking.. smiling ... laughing.... and suddenly one of them started to touch softly my little blond hair on my arm... my hair on my head... pointing on his hair he told me.. Black.. pointing on his eyes... Brown... Me, blue eyes... I jointed the next lesson together with Marc and Rosalva, two americans who are giving english courses on the local high school for three years. In Rosalva's english class are some girls who love to write stories and plays in english. Tuesday I will meet them and my challenge is to make them also enthusiasm for performing on stage.. I 'm looking forward to it! It was great to do some karate training again, and I'm invited to join them every Tuesday and Thursday..please! At 22.00 I found Junko and Wil in a local restaurant dinning with some friends and there I met a girl who studied pharmacy and worked for one year in London. We had a pleasant and open talk about Europe, Japan and more...

Friday 5th October 2001 ( sunny 22 c)

An early rise again because this morning I had a fishing-trip with Joh san. Five minutes to eight ..hurry.. hurry.. three minutes by bike (eating my bread with cheese-slices) to the apartment of Merlijn... whooo.. in time! Joh- san drove us in his white van (In the back his sweet bear-looking dog ) first to his house for a surprise breakfast (rice, vegetables, green tea) and later, armed with a big hat against the sun and a little towel in our neck against the wind (thanks of the loving care of Joh -san's wife) to the dock. In his motorboat to the bay close to the bridge. Merlijn (a vegetarian) and me, more fond of the sea than on fishing got a big 'werphengel' (?) Help, we are really going to fish! Loaded it with some dead small fish out of the bucket and a line loaded with six 'haakjes' . threw the line out in the sea ..and ...after a view seconds....we had 4 fish...whooo!! and ....3 fish ....and ...4 fish..etc..all kind of different fish...last time I fished was when I was five, I had to wait for hours for any fish and endlessly I broke my brother's 'bamboo hengel', but this was different.....the most special and beautiful ones we threw back in the sea (There were fish who looked and sounded like frogs and golden ones..) in a hour we had fished a complete aquarium. Back in the house we helped cleaning the fish (chopchop.. the heads of...) and after we watched some tv... (Always a lot of food and cooking on japanese tv) we had a great very big lunch. During the tea I got my traditional dancing shoes. Very funny ones, they look like some white balletshoes but with two separate parts for the toes..one for the big toe, one for the others. Just like goatfeet. At Kitani Sensei's place (My Nichibu dancing teacher) I got my blue Kimono incl white underwear....(Calvin Klein?) I learned the beginning of a Samurai dance with instead of a sword a purple fan. . The dance got very precise gestures (like my thumb inside of my hand) and the moves are most of the time very slow. ... suddenly quick.... and back to slow.The music comes from of a big sony installation with big boxes a big contrast compare to the traditional almost empty room ..or not? is this Japan? In the evening I visited a rehearsel/ meeting of the Hiradoshiman group. They are together since last year. They play ‘ Powerhero shows‘, something new for me but I saw the show on video (visit also; www.hiradoshiman.com). In the end of october they’ll have two shows in Fukuoka and I offered my directions for the show. Later that evening I worked on my diary, at the end losing my file .... (Zwaar balen!!!) I’ am not that handy with computers.. I decided to go to bed, it was a long day! An early rise again because this morning I had a fishing-trip with Joh san. Five minutes to eight ..hurry.. hurry.. three minutes by bike (eating my bread with cheese-slices) to the apartment of Merlijn... whooo.. in time! Joh- san drove us in his white van (In the back his sweet bear-looking dog ) first to his house for a surprise breakfast (rice, vegetables, green tea) and later, armed with a big hat against the sun and a little towel in our neck against the wind (thanks of the loving care of Joh -san's wife) to the dock. In his motorboat to the bay close to the bridge. Merlijn (a vegetarian) and me, more fond of the sea than on fishing got a big 'werphengel' (?) Help, we are really going to fish! Loaded it with some dead small fish out of the bucket and a line loaded with six 'haakjes' . threw the line out in the sea ..and ...after a view seconds....we had 4 fish...whooo!! and ....3 fish ....and ...4 fish..etc..all kind of different fish...last time I fished was when I was five, I had to wait for hours for any fish and endlessly I broke my brother's 'bamboohengel', but this was different.....the most special and beautiful ones we threw back in the sea (There were fish who looked and sounded like frogs and golden ones..) in a hour we had fished a complete aquarium. Back in the house we helped cleaning the fish (chopchop.. the heads of...) and after we watched some tv... (Always a lot of food and cooking on japanese tv) we had a great very big lunch. During the tea I got my traditional dancing shoes. Very funny ones, they look like some white balletshoes but with two separate parts for the toes..one for the big toe, one for the others. Just like goatfeet. At Kitani Sensei's place (My Nichibu dancing teacher) I got my blue Kimono incl white underwear....(Calvin Klein?) I learned the beginning of a Samurai dance with instead of a sword a purple fan. . The dance got very precise gestures (like my thumb inside of my hand) and the moves are most of the time very slow. ... suddenly quick.... and back to slow.The music comes from of a big sony installation with big boxes a big contrast compare to the traditional almost empty room ..or not? is this Japan? In the evening I visited a rehearsel/ meeting of the Hiradoshiman group. They are together since last year. They play ‘ Powerhero shows‘, something new for me but I saw the show on video (visit also; www.hiradoshiman.com). In the end of october they’ll have two shows in Fukuoka and I offered my directions for the show. Later that evening I worked on my diary, at the end losing my file .... (Zwaar balen!!!) I’ am not that handy with computers.. I decided to go to bed, it was a long day!

Saturday 6 th October 2001 (Sunny/ windy 21celsius)

This morning I cleaned the apartment while Lauren Hill's voice sounded out loud of the loudspeakers ( I borrowed the speakers from Machida san) I did some physical-exercises and I walked in circles for some time on the roof to refresh my ideas about the theater group and workshops. I got a call on my japanese mobile from one of the guys of the Hirado-shi-man group. He told me that they are looking forward to work with me. Great! Coming wednesday evening we made our first rehearsal appointment. Maybe they will join the theater group on the culture festival but first we'll have to see how it will work out. In the afternoon I got a schedule meeting with Machida-san and Okaa-san followed by diary writing. Whooo ...the writing took a lot of time and almost drived me crazy! After dinner I visited the first Dragon dance rehearsal. It's a kind of ceremony dance with a 20 meter long colourfull scary dragon carried by ten men.Really heavy!
Maybe part of the tough sea wind and part of all new experiences here I got a little flu this evening. My throat and voice ran out. I stayed the night at Machida-san's house with the special care of Noriko-san.

Sunday 7th October 2001 ( Sunny/ windy 20 celsius)

After a bad night of sleeping filled with fever dreams I decided to skip the 5 km run for today and stayed in bed till the afternoon. I took an easy day. Together with the beautiful and powerful music of Aretha Franklin I started writing my ideas down.

Monday October 8th 2001 ( Cloudy/some rain 20 celsius)

"..It takes a leap of faith to get things going...,
it takes a leap of faith, you got to show some guts...,
it takes a leap of faith to get things going, in your heart that you must trust..."
After a lot of sleep, dreams and staring at the bamboo forests and birds in the sky, I found out; it's difficult for me to receive.... like all those care I got during I was laying on my futon on the second floor of Machida san's house. Any time Noriko-san or Emiri-san (16 yrs old daughter) brought me some fresh water, japanese spicy food, a cold towel for on my forehead, something sweet for my throat, hot tea with honey and citron, just a smile, a 'goodnight'....
and, the need to re-balance action with some time to relax.....breathing....
"....just another roll of the dice.."

Tuesday October 9th, 2001 (rain, 23 celsius)

This morning I visited the Houkie elementry school for a meeting. Together with Okaa-san ( she's a tough driver) and Yukari-san for the translation we drove for half an hour and whoo.. it was raining cats and dogs. The school is beautifully located at the middle of the island surrounded by hills and got fifty-eight children. Tomorrow I will have my 'kick off' workshop with twenty-two children of the two highest classes (ten/eleven yrs old). Next week I'll got the others. I got a tour along the classes, they also have a room for learning how to cook and one to work with computers, but when I arrived at the music room I couldn't resist playing the instruments. During I was beating the drums children came, surprised by the music, to watch who was there...A lot of funny hello's followed...a lot of wonderful energy!!! This will be fun tomorrow...... At 14.00 hrs I got my second nichibu lesson. I learned half of one dance now. Don't get me wrong...I mean the basics...all gestures are so precise, I have to practice a lot. Luckely Jeroen was there to explain in dutch about the images. The purple van is a purple van,.. but sometimes a sharp sword.. suddenly a nap of sake ( Whoops I have to get drunk) or a wooden arrow. I got a cassette to practice at home.
Directly afterwards we I went to the local highschool for a meeting with some students. Sitting on the floor round a table with some teachers, students,Okaa-san, Jeroen and me appeared a strange atmosphere. At first there were only three students later five ( about 16 and 17 yrs). They were so shy! It was hard to reach them,.. and they will only dare to join a theatergroup if there is no performance at all.What a difference compare to the children of the elementryschool. I will give an introduction workshop for them next Friday at the highschool and I asked them to bring their favourite music and as much friends as they have... I have to found out how I will reach them...
At 20.00 hrs my second karate lesson. Great! I found my energy back, sweating it all out! Later that evening I watched a musically meeting at Machida-san's house. Joh-san and his wife and others were playing koto and flute while Merlijn joined them on the violin. It is always great to see how people love to make music. Music rules! During late night green tea Merlijn, Emiri (daughter of Machida-san) and me had a funny chat about highschools and students in Japan and Europe. We watched pictures out of a Japanese tourist guide of Holland.. flowers.. Amsterdam.. and other images.. sorry, I didn't have done this before but, I kissed the picture of Utrecht.....

Wednesday October 10th 2001 (Sunny 26 celsius)
(zaagmans)

Every morning, so also this morning I talk to my shower. There is a little digital machine at the shower wall that speaks if you put up the temperature. So when I push the button to 41 celsius, a friendly lady is saying something in japanese. I can't understand (Maybe something like, watch out, don't burn!) but I always react with a friendly "Thanks!" During the trip to the Houkie elementry school our car broke down but a friend of Yukari-san, a reporter and his wife, brought us in time to the school. First I played my solo performance for them. It's about a gorilla who finds a new face...mmm.. Hi Japan! and afterwards I started the workshop. I did some excercises for the body and some about rhythm and communication. I finished with a game were they had to express some strong images. Yes, my first japanese school workshop worked out fine!! I felt really proud. A good experience that I didn’t need that much words to made myself clear.
That evening I had a rehearsal with the Hiradoshi-man group. There also were some really enthusiastic young new members. They were students of the local highschool. Totally different than the ones I met yesterday. Whooow I need them for the performance at the culture festival. We worked on the rhythm of the show and the movements. We have to make it really precise and together. We also have to work on the difference of the hero characters.
They invited me for a drink in a local bar somewhere in the harbor after the rehearsal. Sitting on my knees without shoes I enjoyed the lovely food and drinks. It feels good to make some new japanese friends!

Thursday, October 11th 2001 ( Sunny 26 celsius)

This morning I went for a walk along the shoppingstreet, just hopping in almost every store, to see what they sell in all those open and colourfull shops... great to shop like this..a lot konnichiwa and sainara's.. friendly people.. I walked the hill to see the buddhist temples and found some schoolclasses (about 14 yrs) and their teachers painting the green christian church.. so it turned out in a promotion tour complete with a lot of picture taking, giving my visitcards, and telling about my stay and workshops. When I arrived at Machida-san's for lunch I got the newspaper of that day complete with picture and writing about my yesterday' s workshop, cool!
I had an appointment with Merlijn at the carillon's ( the little europian snackhouse in the harbor, the only place in town selling europian food and office of 12xHolland organisation) sharing idea's for giving some workshops together, before we went to the Hirado elementry school for a meeting. Compare to the Houkie school, the Hirado school is very big. About 600 students in the age of 6 till 12 years. Coming weeks I'll give six workshops for about 200 children at their gym.
Merlijn and me got invited for a surprise dinner at Joh-san's house. It is incredible how his wife can create such a dinner, real magic and very tasty! Thursday evening- Karate evening and later..late- night (love-)story sharing at Merlijn ‘s apartment. That night, the stars shone bright over Hirado.....

Friday, October 12th 2001 ( Sunny, 26 celsius)

Strange, but being at an other part of the world gives me also an other view on europe, on the world. If I see the news on japanese tv, the actions against terrorisme, the VS bombed places in Afghanistan, the problems with airplanes, the BSE disease, it all gets a different colour out here!
Today's nichibu lesson was tough. During Jeroen was giving all those directions I almost got grazy, .. right hand more up, ..turn your other hand, keep your body low, ..nono, not that way.. ..I don't no where to focus, ..and the music kept on running, ...aahh!! Still Kitani Sensei was happy with today's progress, so okay! It is not usual in Japan as a student, to reflect your own lesson but because I'm a foreigner it will be accepted...
In the evening I was invited by Machida-san's wife, Noriko-san for a drink in a local coffeebar. After the interview; what did you knew about Japan before you came here? ( Daihutsu, Yamaha and other brands, judo and karate,No and Butoh theater,the japanese emperor who visited Holland this year, sushi, sake and other food and drinks,the japanese soccer player who will join a dutch soccer club, the well known japanese tourist style to visit whole of europe in one week..etc.) it was my turn.. what did they know about Holland? Of course, cheese, windmills, van Gogh, flowers, Amsterdam, wooden shoes, but also Nijntje ( rectification; who is called Miffy), Patrick Kluivert and our soccerteam, Pieter v/d Hoogenband and guess who.. our own Candy Dulfer!!!( if I want sax I call...) I enjoyed the nice tea...

Saturday, October 13th 2001 ( Sunny, 25 celsius)

During a walk to the bamboo forest I saw a lot of big spiders hanging in enormous webs in trees. Black with yellow and as big as the palm of your hand. Although they are not dangerous I kept on a ‘save'distance,.. imagine what's like to have one of these falling by accident in your hair... There are also snakes in the forest. They are little and dangerous because of their poison. It should be nice to see one of these.. The bamboo is high and together with the wind it produces a mysterious sound. I tried to imagine how it should be to see a black with white Panda bear in the bamboo... wake up Tjerk.. that's in China.
In the afternoon I listened to a Shakuhachi (wooden flute) concert. Afterwards I went in Aki-san's jeep (Camel trophy) to an old buddhist temple on the middle of the island for Merlijn's viola concert. The night was falling.. we walked the beautiful garden, lot of water streaming, stones, great great old trees. Such a silence in there... During the concert in the temple I enjoyed the J.S. Bach pieces and also Merlijn's own compositions. For some listeners it was the first time hearing live viola. Sitting on the red pillow of the monk I joined Merlijn during his last piece. Merlijn playing his viola, I played the ‘tibetaanse klankschalen'. Great! During the after party some people asked about a dutch word they still use here, ‘ransel' ...a kind of a bag. mmmm.. very old fashioned, ransel (pukkel, knapzak)? Funny! And another one, ‘ontembare' . they use it for strong women. De ‘ontembare vrouw' in Japan .... there you go....

Sunday, October 14th 2001 ( Sunny, 26 celsius)

During my preparation for the workshop of tomorrow I did my cloth-washing. I found out how the very very old (more than 30 yrs) green plastic washing machine in my apartment works. Really special; 1,You fill the machine with your clothes... 2,turn the tap (you only use cold water in Japan) 3, odd the soap.. 4, not the machine but the water turns for only 9 minutes.... sorry, this is really boring .. next time I will take a picture of the machine for the real enthusiastics at home... right?! ...Bonne nuit!

Monday, October 15th 2001 ( Sunny, 28 celsius)

This morning I gave my second workshop at the Houkie elementry school. One of the teachers picked me up by car at my apartment and we drove, I tried to speak japanese as best as well, half an hour to the school. This time I got 34 children (6-9 yrs old) but there was no english translation available, so again, using the japanese words I knew as also body language... I played my performance and they were really reacting on the gorilla.. When he offered to share a banana with one of the girls they started to laugh. I did some excersises and dancing with them, and I finished with an animal play. All of the children got one animal to play, a Dog-Cat-Mouse-Rabbit-Monkey-Tiger or an Elephant. Those 7 animals together became one group. Every group did a performance on stage. During the performances I was supporting from the front.. "Yeah big!"... "now the Rabbit".. "nono THE RAB-BIT!" .. "yeah.. IIDES!!" .."GOOD!" I tried to construct a story out of the japanese words I knew, like to make clear that it became night; Oyasuminasai! (goodnight) and for sun rise; Ohayo gozaimasu! (good morning) , Itadakimas! (have a good meal) than they started eating each other..(hihi) and more.... It was fun! It was really an experience.
Another experience of that day,also about eating; "ordering your own meal, alone at the sushi restaurant". Watching a funny tv show during my sushi and noodlesoup.. delious meal. Afterwards, because of the lovely weather, I went on my little bike to the north of the island. Whooo "mountain etappe,tour de France" sometimes upwards walking but the environment is really incredible!! Stone picking at the rocky beach ( You pick them up, you click, to the right.. oh that's another story.. ) the different colours of the ocean.. green and rocky hills, .... such a silence and power in one! During my trip back I lost track.. so I asked a woman.. Me (pointing at my nose) .. Hirado-city?.. ( pointing at the different kind of directions) than lifting my shoulders up like,"I don't know.." "Help? You know..?" nothing but a wondering face.. I tried again.. and again..whaa no reaction.. Okay "Thanks, Arigato gozaimasu..Bye" after half an hour, hill up and down, I found the way to Hirado-city... Hoera! Luckely because I invited the Machida- family en Merlijn at my apartment that night for a mixed Italian - French dinner party. Pasta, all different kind of vegetables, fruit, french wine and other drinks..we had a toast on "mixed cultures" and for dessert; ice-cream... Okaa-san told me that, for the first time, she had eaten dinner made by an europian, ..what a great honor..!

Tuesday, October 16th 2001 ( Cloudy /rain, 23 celsius)

Machida-san and Joh-san brought me today over the big red bridge (it looks like the Golden gate bridge) for visiting a traditional tea ceremony. During we could here the rain falling through the open windows,four ladies in kimono were doing the tea rituals in the almost empty room. First drinking a bowl of soft green tea. Everything along specific gestures. Later we got a very thick and strong one, as green as a kiwi, but of course a total! other taste.. we only were allowed to drink one nip of the strong one. On our health... Of course I tell you about the drinking of the tea but the real art of the ceremony is about how you make the tea.. it's all about the way to.. the moment.. The whole ceremony took two hours. This year I was visiting Maroc for an 'Art in Rhythm' seminar and overthere the locals played a traditional Marocian song.. 'Make the tea, drink the tea.. ' It's special to me to find out those similarities of different cultures.
Today's nichibu lesson went perfectly well.. I learned the whole dance now, so I got some lessons left to make it more perfect, before I have to perform it on november 3th on the Hirado Culture festival. And I think I also have to show it to the people of'de Paardenkathedraal'on my next'Midsummer Nights Dream' rehearsal when I'll be back in Holland. Are you sure, Dirk!? hihi..
During the karate training I tried to find the balance between defense and attack.. just being open,. reacting on my sparring partner.. attack,HAI!
I finished this night in a small coffeebar. Some talks, and behind the counter a lady who looks like the japanese version of Tina Turner.., yeah for sure.. I got one point..

Wednesday, October 17th 2001 ( Windy /cloudy /rain, 19 celsius)

This month there will be Kagura ceremonies all over Japan. Kagura is a dance and music ritual,thanking the gods for the harvest of that year, according to the japanese Shinto religion. This morning I visited such a ceremony together with Noriko-san. When we arrived in the little Shinto temple (just somewhere out in the fields) they just started to have lunch.Twelve men were sitting round a floor table.The four Shinto priests were dressed in white kimonos. We joined this wild lunch.. yes wild, because of the beer, sake, fish, rice and meat... I felt a bit weird, so sudden, sitting next to all these men.. During the ceremony three priests played flute and drums, one was dancing with a red mask with blond hair or with some other things like sticks or plates. The other men were there only to watch this ritual.The 26th of this month there will be a big Kagura event in Hirado. Than lot's of people will do ceremonies all day... very interesting!
At 14..00 hrs I had an appointment with a view ladies. They asked me to be the 'special guest' on the corrugated card-board event of the Hirado elementry school this saturday. ..mmm..okay! Children and their parents are going to make all kind of things out of card-board during this event. I will be there to open the event, while this I will wear a robot suite out of card-board, whoo..!? I will join the creating proces, and I will play a performance at the end of the afternoon. So I will go out there and see..
Later that afternoon, hurry, hurry.. to be in time for my first zen lesson at the zen buddhism monastery. The monk we met is really a special personality. He looked really balanced, powerfull and silent in one. First, during the tea, he asked us about our interesses in religion and zen.. He was very interested in our stories. He explained that during the first year of zen-training people will only practice the meditation. About preparing of the body, the breathing, the position of the body, focusing on your centre called Hara,.. First you need experiences of body and mind. After one year of practicing the meditation, monks'll also start with zen's philosophy. We went to the temple for our first zen meditation. Sitting, in the well known position, for 25 minutes without any movement except of breathing is both confronting as a great experience. During the meditation I went through a lot of thoughts and realities. Later this month we will go back for another zen meditation.
During the evening I had a rehearsal with the Hirado-shiman group. We worked on their show and because they have to perform it twice this weekend in Fukuoka we decided to plan a last rehearsal for this friday.

Thursday, October 18th 2001 ( windy /cloudy, 19 celsius)

Very windy last night because of a tyfoon was passing the south of Japan, but this morning was okay so I went by bike to the Hirado elementry school for a theater workshop with 34 children in the age of eleven. After my performance they sang a welcome song for me. How touching when 34 children start singing specially for you. After the workshop I got from every child a selfmade origami Colourfull planes (don't crash!) to fish, to birds..how wonderfull! I got invited to join them for lunch and a very shy but lovely girl took me by the hand guiding me to the classroom. So there I sat behind a schooldesk eating rice,fish and bread. All of the children were watching how a 'dutch guy' is eating lunch. A very funny but strange situation.I enjoyed..
During the afternoon I visited the Yukokan highschool with Merlijn and together with more than thousand students (all dressed in blue uniforms) we watched a japanese comedy performance. Before the performance started the students had to stand up for a kind of highschool disipline excercise. All together while a teacher gave some signals; standing up, hands forwards, hands down, hands forwards, hands down and then they were allowed to sit down on the ground again. Whooo try this in Holland.. no way!!
Merlijn and me were asked to sit on chairs next to the teachers but we prefered to sit next to the students on the ground. The show was sometimes funny even though I couldn't understand one word of it..
I felt like a famous moviestar afterwards when highschool girls got very excited for a picture with me. AMAZING! 'you sign.., you sign..!' 'Photo., photo!' Really amazing, but I played my moviestar role very well!
Rosalva, the american teacher asked us for a small workshop in her english course that afternoon. Merlijn played his viola for them. It was really nice to talk about music with some highschool students. For some students it was difficult to tell what their favourite music is like.. It was not because of the english language I think, but more about sharing what you like.., what brought in the difficulty.
In the evening I had my 6th karate lesson, followed by a talk with mr. Matsumoto (the sensei) and Rosalva about karate's philosophy in a nice bar.

Friday, October 19th 2001 ( Windy /Sunny, 23 celsius)

Again a theater workshop at the Hirado elementry school. Same age, same amount but different childeren. Little by little I change the workshop's programme. It's exciting to find out what is really working out well! This group also sang a song for me and part of this workshop we did outside in the sun. Afterwards a few girls stayed and asked me (of course translated in english) very open questions. They were really interested in me, in Holland and in languages.I stayed for lunch, again just like yesterday, but okay I can tell you this situation of having lunch together with the kids becomes very normal after one time. During eating my rice I showed them a little game I learned from my grandmother. It looks like I cut my thumb of.... They really had to laugh, and they wanted to learn how I did this. Thank you, 'oma' Ridder!
Nichibu lesson went well but I still have to practice a lot, it's different kind of moving in a kimono.
At 16.00 hrs I gave my first theaterworkshop at the Yukokan highschool. I found a nice teacher who could help to translate and I started with a group of ten girls about 16 yrs old working on stage of the gym, while other students were playing basketball. Luckely I could close the big curtain in front.(I have to tell you, all students are doing sports or schoolclubs six days a week after highschool. it's amazing, sometimes they go home at 19.00 hrs and than they have to study the whole evening, do they still have any time to relax?) I started easily,on the advise of Rosalva, with a little talk about acting. Again difficult to get some answers from them. During the fysical warming up and some dancing they started to express more fun ( soul music rules!). I did some excercises about playing with differences of status. I used the black with red cover of the grand piano as a big mantle to let them feel how it's like to walk like a king or queen. Later the five,new young members of the Hirado-shiman group came in to join but left immediately the stage when I wanted to introduce them. Whooooo!?! Only one guy stayed, how brave. The others were too scared to show up in another highschool I found out later that day..
I finished the workshop with some other excercises and I think the group enjoyed it very well. I hope they will show up next friday. They said so.. Is it possible to get them to a performance on the Hirado culture festival? I really have to try....!
In the evening the last rehearsal with the Hirado-shiman group. 'Hey',the guys who ran away this afternoon came back.. luckely! I was a bit scared that I ruined it for today with them. We played the show through twice, fully dressed this time. They wear yellow boots, cat suites in different colours with helmets.(See the pictures!) very funny!
Toi, toi, toi for tomorrow's show in Fukuoka! Whoo it was a long day... so tired, but content and proud!

Saturday, October 20th 2001 (Sunny, 26 celsius)

Machida-san woke me up by mobile to tell me that he arranged me a shiatsu massage this morning so without eating any breakfast Okaa-san brought me in her red Daihatsu over the red bridge to a very friendly old man.He was busy with ceramics but he stopped for my massage. This was what I needed. YES! After one hour I was sitting,totally relaxed, next to him and his wife, enjoying green tea with some fruit. Later I left with a bag full of delious cakes and sweets.. Why is this all happening to me?
At 13.00 o clock the corrugated card board event on the Hirado elementry school started.I entered, dressed in a card board robot suite the hall. And when the master of ceremony asked me where I came from I answered in my best japanese; I'am from Holland! When the children guessed who the robot was ( 'Tjerk-san, Tjerk-san..!') I put off the robot suite. Strange to be introduced as the special guest. They made all kind of beautiful creatures out of the card board. Houses, fish, labyrinths, robots and of course, action heroes! There is a cartoon of a hero called 'Draemon', very famous in Japan, but new for me. At the end we made a trip through the hall along all of the works. Last piece was a big cage.. for who? For a performing gorilla! Then a big card board 'Godzilla' came to destroy all the works.(?) a pity? Maybe there was not enough space to keep all the works?
I was surprised by how everybody helped cleaning the space afterwards.
For the evening we organised a jam session in a painters restaurant called 'Haretari- Kumotari' (sometimes sunshine, sometimes cloudy). It was special and funny combination of instruments. I played drums and some percussion, Merlijn his viola, Emiri played koto, Machida-san flute, Tasao Kadoya joined on his Shakuhachi for some improvisations. It worked out fine together! It was a pleasure that my new japanese friends like Rosalva, Yukari, mr.Matsumoto, the Mayumi-family, Aki-san came to listen. During we were playing ,the chief of the kitchen sometimes catched some fresh fish out of the big aquarium to prepare for sashimi.Whooo.. this place is a mixture of a japanese restaurant and a saloon! Kampai!

Sunday, October 21st 2001 (Cloudy / rain, 21 celsius)

For today, an outside flea market was planned at the Carillon's. During this event I'd play my performance. It was raining cats and dogs so the whole event got canceled. I started writing my dairy, because of this last busy week I got to write 4 days, and I can tell you, it takes a lot of time! As a break, I visited together with Noriko-san and Merlijn a welfare day at the bunka center. Merlijn and me got challenged to smash rice in a bowl of stone with a big wooden hammer. A special preperation of sweet rice cookies. We did some pottery, and saw more kind of traditional kind of art work. Normally in Holland I guess, this kind of events are very boring to me but because of this was a japanese culture event it was fun to walk around to got some taste of Japan. For example,I bought a very nice new blue tea set for a 'Bilthovense tea party'!
A total other thing I got to tell you; Do you know that all the people in Japan peel a mandarin in one piece in the same way? When I peel a mandarin a got many pieces of orange skin all over but overhere everybody got the skin just like a star in one piece. Isn't it funny?
During the night I started writing my dairy again.In machida-san's house are four computers. Merlijn always writes upstairs. Machida-san, Noriko-san, and me in the office downstairs. Often we are using the computers together at the same time, mostly during the evening or night. Noriko-san calls this; Computer party! It's really a big thing here; the Computerparty!! When I'am writing I'am into the screen.I like to write the diary but I have to concentrate on the story so while writing I'am not very cheerful. Just ask Merlijn! hihi...
When I got at my apartment at 1.45 hrs I had to run for putting my burnable garbage (in a special white bag,than they know you payed taxes) down to the street. I was just in time.. They picking up the garbage during nighttime. Merlijn and me did some late night green tea with Kitkat (the only chocolatebars I could find here! but,aaahh, nice! ..some chocolate!) Whoops.. tomorrow's wake up call at 7.00 hrs!
Oyasuminasai, Sleep tight everybody out there..!

Monday, October 22nd 2001 (Cloudy / rain, 21 celsius)

Early rise for today's workshops at the Hirado elementry school. Eiko-san was there for the english- japanese translation. This time three seperated groups of 34 children in the age of six. The difference in age became clear during my performances. When the gorilla came more close to them some children started crying and once all children ran out to the door. Screaming 'iiihh iiiihhh....'! Whoooo what a reaction! Very funny for me to see all those lovely kids running, screaming.. Luckely they were not totally shocked because all of the workshops went pretty well.. They enjoyed playing the animals..(Dog, cat, mouse, elephant..etc.) and actually they liked the gorilla too, so they said afterwards. Again, it was an experience to me to see what was necessary at any moment during the work,to handle all those young energy. This time I had lunch with the teachers in the teachers room. It was a bit strange to sit there, and very different comparing to the children, but I had some jokes with Eiko-san.
About jokes... a new thing in my life, I'm discovering here; making jokes for myself, alone, nobody understands, but I don't care, I have to laugh and I'am having a good time by myself..,and maybe, someday some people will...
I ate my dinner outside in the harbor watching the fish swimming round the green light of the lightsign in the water.. and afterwards I visited Merlijn's place. Emiri, Noriko-san and Kaori(the very nice waitress of the restaurant we jammed saturdaynight) were waiting for leaving for a karaoke place. By car, always depending 'were are we going now', to a place along the road. Just like an american road motel. We got a small room, airconditioned, big big sony karaoke instalation, some chairs, a table with three very thick books with karaoke songs and some tv-monitors to the wall. Let's sing...! Whaaa this is COOL and FUN!! So I sang all kind of songs ('Proud Mary', 'The autumn leaves', Funny valentine, Celebration and more..) but the climax was during Merlijn and me were screaming out, Nirvana's 'Smells like a teen spirit'. The ladies were very' surprised' I guess, by this bulb of energy.. 'hands in their ears.....', "Hello...hello..hello... how low????"

Tuesday, October 23rd 2001 (Sunny, 26 celsius)

"..if you're lying on the beach with the transitor going, kick off the sand flies honey, the love is still flowing...
and if your head said; 'forget it', but your heart is still smoke'in, call me at the station, the lines are open..."
('You turn me on, I'm a radio' by Joni Mitchell)
While listening to music, standing in the open window, getting dry by a soft seawind after my morning shower, watching over a sunny Hirado....
My bike got stolen, (Dus toch!) but I got directly another one, a mountainbike this time, of Mayumi-san, how sweet, and she invited me for a car trip. We drove to a beautiful spot for a lunch at the seaside. We took some shots by her videocamara. I really like her accent in english (R-)Leally?
Nichibu went well but November 3th is only two lessons away.. I'm a little nervous for the show.
At karate lesson I hurt my left little toe in a wild kick...auw! Luckely it's not broken but still very painfull.. my poor little toe..
".. do you really feel it?
do you really laugh?
do you really care?
do you really smile, when you smile..?"

Wednesday, October 24th 2001 (Sunny, 25 celsius)

My last workshop at the Hirado elementry school, 34 children in the age of eleven again. I was impressed by the concentration and the way of listening of this class. Great atmosphere during the excercises and clear expressions.Afterwards I had lunch with them and I had to sign a LOT of pencases, bags, lunchbags and other stuff... 'Sensei, sensei..sign,sign'..mmm,I like to be called sensei...hihi.. I got beautiful paintings and drawings from the them.. For my house in Holland,'Dear mr. Tjerk, Thanks...' also a lot of japanese text, a teacher translated it for me..I'm happy with this personal presents. I was really touched by all this! At the cityhall Merlijn and me got a meeting with some teachers of another school for next wednesday's workshop. Together we will give a music/ theater workshop. During this morning, 60 children will create a performance and they will perform it for their parents. Every time, meetings are very exciting to me. How will I make a lot of things clear? Do they understand what I mean? I guess, this time it worked out fine..
Later that afternoon I had to check my kimono for the nichibu performance. I will wear a black one, made of silk. Over the kimono I will wear a Hakama, a kind of traditional japanese trousers. Little stripes white, gold and blue.... now I will look like a japanese nichibu dancer with the exception of my hair..?
Mr. Matsumoto organised a 'Tjerk- party' at his house. He got a big canadian wooden house, close to the bridge. All the people from karate were there.I brought my music and a 'van Gogh' painting as a present. Sushi, sashimi, vegetables, rice, lot of drinks.. 'and we danced till the evening....'

Thursday, October 25th 2001 (Sunny/ windy, 24 celsius)

Kunchi festival in Hirado. Once a year, two gods come down to Hirado to look around. And guess what, it was today! So there were a lot of activities down here. A big noisy and colourful parade through town during the day. Shinto priests on horses, Samurai fighters, beautiful dressed children, all kind of impressions. Firecrackers introduced the dragon. A twenty meter long dragon, carried by ten men, made a trip through the streets. Visited all stores if everthing was okay inthere, and sometimes it stopped to perform its dance. It looked very impressive and dangerous! Not only a dragon but also lions were dancing in the streets. Two men under a colourful cloth. The one in front played with the lion mask. During the dance sometimes his teeth made dangerous sounds... The one in the back took care of the tail.Sometimes the lion was down on the ground and only his tail was moving. The people of Hirado put during this day a big lantern outside their houses. I like to take such a latern to Holland. It says in japanese, 'Light of god', how wonderful to have this next to your bed...
That evening, my 8th Karate lesson, my toe is going well... Next Tuesday my last karate lesson already!
The last days went very quick, only ten days to go here in Hirado.....

Friday, October 26th 2001 (Sunny/ windy, 22 celsius)

We picked up a piano at Mayumi-san's house for tomorrow's concert before we went the watch the Kagura ceremony in the Kameoka Shinto temple, the most important one in town. Last week I watched also this kind of ceremony but all Shinto priests of the island gathered today for the final ceremony. They thanked the gods for this year's harvest. They danced and made music on wooden flutes and a big drum. As a climax I saw one priest dancing with three very sharp swords. Amazing! One in his mouth, two in his hands.
Nichibu lesson went well. For the first time in my life I have private dancing lessons I realised today, how special! During this lessons I'am always on stage with Kitani-sensei practicing the dance while Okaa-san, Tokowa-san and jeroen are watching and putting the music on, over and over again...('..Hey DJ.. Put a record on, I wanna dance with my baby..!') Today it was the first time that I felt more secure about the dance itself and less weird wearing my yukata (a kind of Kimono). Okay!
My second workshop at Yukokan high. Only two girls (but very enthusiatic) and Rosalva appeared on stage in the gym (next to volleyball this time). We did some games and dancing together and did some excercises about status. It was fun and they asked for more so next friday a third and last workshop at the Yukokan high. Again it was remarkable that all students got very full schedules. Every day beside their studies practicing sports, and other clubs..everybody, six days a week!
In the evening I visited the Hirado-shiman group and we watched Fukuoka show on videotape. They did a great job.I also asked them to join a performance for the Hirado culture festival. I will make a short (10-15 minutes) kind of 'Romeo and Juliet' Hirado-shiman story. 'Pink will fall in love with one of the blacks' and of course the both groups don't like.. I only have two rehearsal evenings next week so it is really a challenge both for me as for them.. Let's go for this ride.....

Saturday, October 27th 2001 (Cloudy/ some rain, 17 celsius)

Whooo it got cold today, I did some shopping (Still everywhere in town the 12x Holland posters), I met some locals and I visited a Hirado-shiman kind of television interview. I helped moving the piano for tonight's concert and did some diary writing. Merlijn got his big concert in the temple. During this I was filming some images on video..'Tjerk de Bont?' ..spotting people in the audience, making nice shots of that evening. I joined Merlijn on sound bowl at his improvisation but because of the distance between us it worked out less comparing to last concert. During the after party I met mr. and misses Matsura and we had a great talk. Nice meeting them because they are really special people. Yukari and Rinako were there too and I asked them to help me by making the new story for the Hirado-shiman. They luckely will, I really NEED them! I have to write some lines for the story, but it must be translated in Japanese.. Is it possible to create a performance and give directions if you don't speak the language...?

Sunday, October 28th 2001 (Cloudy/ some rain, 17 celsius)

An early rise because Jeroen and me left to watch the Kendo competition and left at 7.30 hrs. Jeroen also had to show some iaido katas overthere. Kendo? Iaido?.. Kendo is a kind of Budo (fightingsport) but they use a bamboo sword instead of a real one. At Iaido they do use a real sword.. so be carefull! I was impressed by all that energy and power at the competition. Let's get fysical! They also wear very nice suites, based on old Samurai ones. During the competition I could imagine how wars in early days looked like... No identity, only warriors, fighting for the country, no one gave about a single life.. just fighting..
We went to 'the Sea View Ranch' for some horseback-riding 'western style' Funny, American style on the island and really a beautiful view.. I enjoyed riding a horse after one year and I guess 'the cowboy' was impressed by my riding. Of course I ride brittish style, but I learned somethings about the western, about using only one hand, and one leg,...
Still one week to go in Japan,tomorrow I will visit Nagasaki. I really looking forward to see the peace monument...
When I arrived in Hirado the moon was full, in a few days the moon will be full again..,sometimes I really do miss my friends and family back home specially tonight when I watched the stars and the moon...
Love you,...

Monday, October 29th 2001 (Sunny, 24 celsius)

Merlijn and me left by bike this morning, over the big red bridge to Tabira, the next town. We took the train to Sasebo (about 1 hour and a half). Beautiful landscape. Here it's autumn, but still all of the hills and trees are green. I have a great appetite,they have a beautiful saying here; 'Choku yoku no aki' what means, 'Hunger of the autumn'.I wondered about how the trees in Holland will look like at this moment. A colorful autumn? At Sasebo we changed trains for Nagasaki (about 2 hours). During this train trip I was surprised by a really familiar scene. Suddenly the 'Dom tower' of Utrecht appeared, and also the Amsterdam central station(???). We were passing 'Huis ten Bosch', a japanese-dutch amusement park with all kind of dutch buildings. How funny and weird to see so sudden this buildings here in the landscape. At Nagasaki central station we met Machida-san's 21 yrs old daughter, Yoriko-san. She's living in Nagasaki. How sweet of her that she took a day of holiday to guide us through the city. Nagasaki is a big city and funny to see that there's not that much difference with other big cities in Europe. We traveled by tram and they use a very good system of paying I think. No matter how long you stay in the tram, at the end of your trip you will always pay 100 yen (about 2 guilders). We visited the atomic bomb museum, and the peace monument. It was very impressive to me. I was really touched by all this. To walk on the spot were to bomb felt 56 years ago. On this spot is now a peace park. All kinds of countries dedicated a kind of sculpture to the park. It was a shock to me to discover how many ( much more strong) nuclear weapons and tests there still are on earth. How can humans be that stupid!!!!??? Incredible!
Later we went to a very old Buddhist temple. Surrounded by beautiful gardens. Bonsai trees and other trees, stones, lots of water.. Ho Do -san is the monk of this temple and a good friend of Wil and Junko. We were invited to stay the night. We did some karaoke again. ( from 'Born to run', to 'Wonderful world') and at a music shop I fell in love with a very beautiful 'Takemine' guitar. Made of good wood,it plays so easy and sounds very soft... mmmmm....! I played it for an hour in the shop. We had dinner with Ho do-san and his friends, but when I laid on my futon in the temple late that night I couldn't stop thinking of that sweet guitar...

Tuesday, October 30th 2001 (Sunny, 24 celsius)

Ho Do-san and his friend made a lovely breakfast for us and although I had less sleep I felt a lot of energy. After saying goodbye to them (There are so many great people) we went back to the music shop..., running to the first floor.. 'oohhh, there it is'.. Okay!.. I bought the guitar.. I couldn't resist.. and now I can play and sing a song on the culture festival this Saturday! We missed the train to Hirado but the sun was shining bright so when Merlijn was writing something down I was tuning and playing my brand new guitar. During the trip back we finished our story and plans for tomorrow's workshop together. Directly after our arrival I had Nichibu lesson and directly after that a meeting with some people of Hirado-shiman. During I was having my dinner they explained that they felt some difficulties by acting on stage according my ideas, they like to work with a story fixed on MD tape but at the end they turned. Whoo it's really difficult to get some people on stage here!!!
My last Karate lesson in Hirado! I thanked mr. Matsumoto and the other people for the great lessons and experiences! I will get a kind of official paper that says that I studied karate for this time in Hirado...Yes!
Again the stars shone bright, and tomorrow the moon will be full.. ,Ojasuminasai!

Wednesday, October 31st 2001 (Sunny, 22 celsius)

I almost over slept myself, luckily I heard my second wake up call. I was very sleepy in Joh-san's car driving to the elementary school but I woke up by seeing all those kids. First Merlijn organised 21 kids together as one orchestra and started to practice the music for the play. During this I was looking around in the school for some props. I found a big chair for the king, a small tea table, colorful clothing, and a wooden stand to create the prison. Exactly what I needed. I created the scene on stage in the gym. When the 41 children in the age of eleven came in, I started with some exercises to get them together. After we explained the story we divided the different kind of roles. Later Merlijn worked with the orchestra and the choir and I was focused on the actors and the story. The story was about a king who was very sad and bored (played by a very small great boy). So he invited some people to entertain him. First some baseball players. When the baseball players started, the orchestra started too. The choir got influenced by the orchestra. If the music was loud they became loud and the other way around. At the end of this scene, Merlijn was playing his viola to inspire the mood of the king. If the king had enjoyed the scene, the players got invited to drink tea at the tea table, if not, they had to go to prison. The next were a group of monks and they started some meditation. Whoops the mood of the king got bad, so the monks had to go to prison. Then some super heroes appeared. They were allowed to join the tea table. A teacher was next, and she told the king; 'I think children have to go to school 7 days a week', Okay.. clear, directly to prison! Then some super models, very beautiful ones but sorry also to prison. At last a lost princess appeared wearing beautiful colorful clothes. She took the hand of the king and invited him and everyone for a dance. The king was very touched by this and so it ended up in a big party! At 12.00 hrs we started the play watched by some parents, teachers and the other pupils of the school. Amazing to make a play in three hours, but it worked out fine! After the school lunch in a classroom, the principal asked us some advise about how to deal with expression. It was the first time in this school they experienced some drama, and the teachers were very touched by this!
In the afternoon I had a nap on the beach and later a Thai(?) dinner at Mayumi-san's house.
During the evening I had a rehearsal with the young Hirado shiman people, and also Rosalva, some other high school people, Yukari and Rinako joined. A nice mix of people. It started very easy and fine but when I pushed a little the love story it became too difficult for some of them. At the end of the evening I decided to skip the story. It will be too much to create this scene in only two rehearsals.
So I had to change my plans for this Saturday. After dancing my Nichibu and playing my solo performance I will give an open theater workshop on stage. Everyone is welcome on stage also the people from the audience. A great adventure for me and the people of Hirado!
Rinako, Yukari, Rosalva and me did a late night walk in the moonlight. Sitting on the dock, at 'the point of eternal light', watching the moonlight in the sea.... Mmmm, it will be difficult for me to leave Hirado this Sunday I guess....

Thursday, November 1st 2001 (Cloudy, 22 celsius)

This will be my last day of diary writing because I can't find some time to write this all down. This last days I have to do and finish so much. Today I had a full dressed Nichibu rehearsal in the Bunka (culture) centre on stage. From wearing a real black, beautiful, silk Kimono and Hakama I got a lot of faith. I always like to be on a very big stage standing in the spotlight (2000 seats), yeah, that's were I belong!! Funny to see also all the Nichibu ladies and their dances too. Weird if three people are always there to help you with your clothing, getting my stuff together and more, my name in Japanese on the dressing room door. Weird! I also find out that some things, I really have to do myself, maybe some kind of ritual to get myself together, otherwise I'll get a little out of control, whoops! (not that cheerful.. hihi..)
At dinner at Joh-san's house Merlijn and me got a lot of presents. Maybe I need an extra bag to bring all the presents I got to Holland!

It will be difficult to say goodbye to all my new friends here in Hirado. I'm deeply touched by all the love I received in the last five weeks! I experienced all kinds of new things, and over thought older ones. I guess this trip to Japan will be work out as a great input in my further life!
From my heart, I like to thank everyone who made this trip possible for me!!!
Love, Tjerk