August 19, 2009
The end (of summer) nears
Well, it’s just a little over a week (8 days, in fact) until the end of summer, officially signaled by the Music Department orientation meeting and reception. On one hand I’d like a little more time, given that I did a bunch of traveling that wasn’t really vacationing, but on the other hand I’m ready to get back to work. I don’t do “nothing” very well. Granted, I’m able to easily fill my time with video games, movies, and the like, but that becomes monotonous rather quickly. When I have something to do, on the other hand, time passes quickly, and I feel some sense of accomplishment. And I certainly have a lot to do in the upcoming months.
Not that I haven’t already gotten some stuff done. Little by little, I’ve been getting back into the swing of things, editing dissertation outlines, summer activities reports for grants, and the like. Plus, there’s a possible taiko-related project on the horizon that I may be able to talk about in the near future. Stay tuned for that.
Plus, I’ve also been busy injuring myself. Woke up last Friday with pain in my left shoulder, pain that didn’t go away and seemed to be getting worse. So, I went to the Pitt Student Health Center yesterday. The doctor there (who, in an odd coincidence, was the father of one of my brother’s classmates all throughout elementary, middle, and high school – go figure) did some preliminary tests and while he didn’t seem to think that it was too bad – just a minor strain – he recommended I see the orthopedic doctor that comes to the clinic every Wednesday. But, before that, I had to get some x-rays done, as that’s what the ortho likes to see. Not only did I get a doctor’s visit, my first in quite a while (at least a year, probably longer), but I got to go to the hospital too! And get an x-ray done, as a bonus! Joy!
Today rolled around, and I went to see the ortho. After some pushing and prodding (along with lifting, pulling, and the like), he diagnosed me with having “subacromial impingement” and “rotator cuff strain” in my left shoulder. He prescribed physical therapy, along with taking ibuprofen. Thus, beginning on Friday I’ll be doing physical therapy at UPMC. Luckily, my health insurance through Pitt covers it 100%, with no need for a copay or anything. It’s going to be a bit of an annoyance, but as long as I get better I’m not going to complain. After all, a healthy shoulder will be quite useful for playing taiko (and won’t hurt regarding other things, too, like washing my hair or putting on my shoes).
So, lots to look forward to in the next few months. School, taiko, physical therapy… the fun never stops!
July 22, 2009
A Midsummer Night's Update
I know, I know. Almost three weeks, and NOTHING. I’d give you a line about recovering from jet lag (including a fun bout with sickness), then moving, etc. etc. etc., but beyond those excuses the reality is that I’ve just been lazy. Can’t guarantee that this post will be a step towards fixing that (after all, it IS summer), but at the very least it’s something.
Now that the craziness is over, I’ve been doing some thinking about my dissertation – which, after all, is the all-mighty goal of this thing called graduate studies. My experiences in June did much to push me towards some more solid directions, but not necessarily what I had anticipated. Before I set out, I had the idea in my head that I’d be spending a year or so in Japan, watching performances, talking to people, and the like. Now, I’m not so sure.
The more I think about it, the more I’m interested in taiko around the world. Obviously, taiko isn’t just performed in Japan and the US; there are groups on almost every continent. At one point in time, discovernikkei.org had a rather comprehensive list, but it’s down at the moment, so I can’t really give any numbers. You’ll just have to trust me when I say it’s played in quite a lot of places, many of which would surprise you.
As I look at it now, I may spend my year+ of research in a manner much like what took place this past June – traveling to various places, learning from people and talking to people about taiko – only on a much larger scale. It may come to pass that I”ll spend some time in Japan, on the West Coast of the US (and Hawaii), in Canada, and maybe even the UK and Australia. I think that’s the only way I can truly investigate taiko as an international art form.
At the moment, I’m formulating ideas about how and what to study when dealing with international taiko. There’s a few things I have in mind, but I’ll save them for another time, once they’re more formulated. So, stay tuned for that.
In two weeks, I’ll be heading out to LA for the North American Taiko Conference. To say I’m excited is probably a little bit of an understatement. Three and a half days (if you include the Thursday afternoon/evening get together) of nothing but taiko and taiko-related talks, surrounded by hundreds of people who are just as into taiko as I am. I signed up to volunteer, which should be a great way to meet people and have some experiences that I might not have had anyways.
Hopefully, there won’t be another long lull. I actually have the next post in mind, but will wait until another day to put it together. Until then!
July 3, 2009
Summer Travels – Final Thoughts
Well, I’ve returned back to the States safe and sound (though a bit under the weather, but that always seems to happen after long plane rides.) No new pictures, obviously, but I thought I’d offer a few final thoughts to round out everything.
Taiko
Really, I’m not sure where to start regards my taiko adventures over the past few weeks. I learned so much in such a brief period of time. It was tiring, but in a good way. Just being able to play for 4-6 hours a day, every day, made me understand just how much I want to play taiko. Now, to figure out a way to do it in Pittsburgh…
At the same time, I got to meet so many great people through my taiko travels. People who, like me, enjoy taiko – again, something that’s not really found in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, we’ll keep in touch – beyond the typical Facebook-ing, that is. Perhaps we’ll run into each other at NATC, some random taiko show, or maybe even next year at the same workshops (I know I’m already trying to figure out a way to make it out to Hawaii and Japan again next summer).
Music-wise, it was fascinating to be introduced to the wide variety of styles and performance lineages that I had the opportunity to be taught this summer. Whether it was Edo-bayashi, kabuki-bayashi, or buchi-awase daiko, I know that I was taught some unique things that are hard to come by in the States. From a pure performance perspective, it was great, and it also started me looking at taiko performance in a slightly different light (which I’ll probably talk about in a later post).
So, where do I go from here? The question is, where DON’T I go? I see a bunch of paths opening up before me; my task is to figure out the correct one for the current moment. The rest, I’ll store away for later. 😛
Travels
If you’ve been following this blog, and have been diligent enough to check out my gallery through the link I’ve posted, you’ve seen what I’ve seen (to an extent). Obviously, I went to a lot of great places and saw a lot of stuff. Here are some brief thoughts about each:
Hawaii
This just confirmed my thoughts that I’m really a warm-weather person. Who, somehow, seems to have grown up in Pittsburgh and is still there…. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was beautiful – even the sky at night was beautiful (I’m not sure I’ve ever seen as many stars as I could at nights after leaving the Chapel).
Meanwhile, Waikiki is great and all that, but hopefully next time I return I’ll be able to check out the rest of the island, moving away from the more touristy spots. Not to say there’s not stuff to see around Honolulu – I just know there’s so much more out there.
California
My time here was too short, but it seemed pretty enough. Hopefully next time I’m on the West Coast, I’ll actually be able to say I VISITED CA (versus merely stopping by).
Japan
Of course, there’s Tokyo. Despite always thinking I didn’t like big cities, Tokyo feels quite comfortable to me for some reason. I seem to be able to easily match the city’s pace. Plus there’s always something new, even if I visit places I’ve many many times before. I wonder if I’ll ever lose that feeling…
Achi, on the other hand, was a completely different world. In a good way, of course. From the mountains to the rivers to the people, it just had a completely different feeling. I can’t say enough good things about the Toyama’s, who run Misaka Ryokan. If you’re ever at the Hirugami Onsen resort, and are looking for a place to stay, I heartily recommending looking them up. They don’t really speak English, but they’re great people who run a great ryokan.
—
While it’s not a full summary of what happened, it is a brief summary of some thoughts I’ve had, two days after having returned to the States. Where does the blog go from here? Who know. It’ll probably be a mix of interesting links, my musings on various subjects, etc. – you know, typical blog stuff. You’ll just have to stay tuned and find out!
June 19, 2009
Summer Travels, Pictures Update – June 19 edition
As promised, I have uploaded pictures from the past few days. Click on the below pictures to access the albums.
June 18 - Pictures from a quick tour of Tokyo
June 19 - Scenes from a Shinkansen/Nagoya Hotel
Summer Travels – Random Thoughts, June 19 Edition
- It seems the only way I’ll ever get to see the lotus blossoms in bloom in Ueno Park is to come in early June. I always seem to arrive just after they’ve bloomed.
- Speaking of Ueno Park, did anyone else know they didn’t sell ice cream there during the weekend – only during weekends? I was a bit disappointed; every time I went to Ueno last summer, I got ice cream. Of course, I only went on the weekends, I realized…
- It’s kinda hard to take pictures while on the shinkansen, what with the fast speed, the tunnels, the barriers that appear often, etc. That being said, I still tried.
- The area around Nagoya Station is a little different from that around Shibuya Station and Shinjuku Station – it’s a bit hard to find good cheap places to eat, not to mention convenience stores…
- Thank goodness for station department store food floors – today was Takashimaya, tomorrow may be Tokyu Hands.
I’ll try to get pictures loaded later today – I’ll certainly have time, as I don’t feel like going out anymore (after approx. 6 hours of travel today, the simple act of staying in one place for a while is very appealing), and the TV here doesn’t have Fuji TV or TBS (thus depriving me of the chance to watch some variety shows).
June 15, 2009
Summer Travels, June 15 update
I’ve arrived in San Francisco, having successfully made it from Hawaii to San Jose. Yesterday’s San Jose Taiko workshop was interesting – I didn’t really know anything about the SJT style of playing, so it was a great introduction to that. It’s a bit different from how I was taught, and the style that Kenny Endo teaches. I’m not really sure which style I like more – I’m partial to Kenny Endo’s style, but I think that may be due to the fact that I’m used to it. I talked about it with a friend who also came to the workshop (and who lent me a couch to sleep on last night – thanks!), and she talked about how she was the same way: learning one way, then getting introduced to SJT’s style. She prefers SJT’s style, so perhaps it’s just a matter of become used to one or another. Of course, I’m going to be going and learning from Art Lee next week, which I’m sure will be a different style, so I’ll have plenty of options to choose from. -_-;
I was going to go to San Francisco Taiko Dojo’s store this morning, but I found out they didn’t open until noon. I could have waited around for a few hours in Japantown, but instead I decided to go to the hotel. There was laundry to do, I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic, etc. etc. In the end, it was probably a wise decision, seeing how going to the store would mean I would spend money – money that may be better spent in Japan. After all, I’m going to be visiting many taiko stores over there – might as well get it from the original source. So, today I’ll be taking it easy. I had McDonald’s for lunch; it’s nice to have totally greasy food like that every once and a while, as long as one doesn’t make a habit of it. I’ll probably balance it out with a nice salad or something. Of course, there’s a See’s Candies place right across the street, which’ll probably be a place to visit once I get my laundry done (I’m still not sure it’s better than Sarris’s, continuing a long-standing debate I have with a friend, but it is quite good). That’ll sorta ruin the whole “healthy eating” thing, won’t it.
Oh well, I’m on vacation.
Tomorrow, I head off to Tokyo. Hooray for 11 hour plane rides.
June 12, 2009
Summer Travels, Day… whatever – an Update of Sorts
You know, it’s kinda hard to keep track of what day it is in regards to my travels, so I’m going to stop putting it in the title.
Anyways, a lot has gone on in the past few days – mainly, me being quite busy with the taiko workshops. They’ve been great. I’ve learned a lot, and I’ve also seen just how little I truly know. But I guess that’s the point of learning, right? Either way, it gives me motivation.
Just one more day of workshops, and then I’m off to San Jose. On one hand, I would love to stay here a little longer and see stuff, but on the other hand there’s so much to do ahead of me that I can’t really stop to think about it. Just gotta keep going forward, I guess. Either way, I’m already trying to think of ways to come back and participate in the Summer Taiko Intensives next year. Since there’s not a group in Pittsburgh, I know once this month is up I’m going to lose a lot of what I’ll be learning this month. Practicing by yourself is one thing, and I’ll hopefully be able to improve my stance, form, technique, etc. when doing so, but kumidaiko is a group performance activity. Not a solo one. So, it’ll probably be next summer until I can play with other people again. A little annoying and depressing, especially when one comes to such a realization when not even a week of my travels have passed, but that’s the reality of the situation. At the very least, it means that I’ll just have to treasure these next few weeks even more.
Not really sure when I’ll next update. Travel days aren’t particularly interesting, so perhaps next Monday or so, after I’ve participated in another workshop. In the meanwhile, I’ve uploaded some pictures that I’ve taken over the past few days to the gallery. Among them are pictures from a trip to Manoa Falls. Unfortunately, the falls weren’t that great (down to a trickle due to a lack of rain recently), but it was a nice short hike through a rain forest-y area.
View from within the Manoa Falls Trail - click for more pictures
Enjoy the pics, and I’ll see you back on the continent!
June 8, 2009
Summer Travels, Day 1 – Honolulu
The adventure has begun! Today was mostly a travel day, but there were still surprises to be had.
I woke up at 4, and left for the airport around 5. The first leg of my trip – Pittsburgh to Phoenix – was pretty uneventful. I slept the majority of the 4 hour flight, so it passed rather quickly. The Phoenix to Honolulu leg, on the other hand, was a typical 5-6 hour flight. A few videos games were played, some movies were watched, some sleep was attempted – the latter attempt failed, however. Oh well.
Nevertheless, I arrived in Honolulu, got my rental car, and made my way to the hotel. Once I was settled in to some extent, I set of for food and to explore the Waikiki area (where I’m staying). I had read about a supposedly-good Japanese noodle restaurant on the Lonely Planet website, and was looking forward to eating there. However, the place no longer exists… I probably should have been alerted to the fact that something was off when the reviews on the Lonely PLanet and others stop around 2007, but by this point I had been in the air for 10 hours and was just wanting something to eat.
Not letting that get me down, I decided to walk around Waikiki Beach for a while. Took some pictures – including a few of myself, which is rare. Beyond the fact that a friend asked to me, I figured that perhaps I should have some photo proof that I’ve been everywhere I say I’m going. They didn’t turn out that great, due to lighting and the fact that I was taking them myself (self-photos rarely turn out well, do they), but regardless there are pictures.
It turns out that today was the last day of the Honolulu Pan-Pacific Festival, so I got to see the ending parade after I finally got some food. It seems like the festival is a cross-cultural celebration between Japan and Honolulu, primarily. There were taiko groups, Japanese dance groups, and hula groups (including groups from Japan dancing the hula). There were also a few Chinese, Taiwanese, and Korean groups, but the focus seemed to be on Japan. All in all, it was a pleasant surprise, and a nice way to spend a few hours.
I’ve uploaded all the pictures fI took today to my gallery, along with a few videos I took during the parade. Click on the below picture to check them out.
Tomorrow, the taiko workshops begin!
Waikiki Beach
June 6, 2009
Summer Travels: Prologue
In about seven hours, I’ll be leaving for the airport. I have about ten hours of travel time ahead of me, but it’s not that bad – it’s split between two different flights, with an hour and a half in between. Not bad at all, especially when compared to the eleven hour flights that await me to and from Tokyo. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get some sleep, do some reading, etc… Maybe there’ll even be an interesting movie to watch (typically not my luck, but one can hope).
My plan is to take lots of pictures, post them on the gallery, and then update this blog accordingly. Some days, it’ll probably just be a post informing you that there are new pictures, while other days I’ll give an update on what’s happened, where I’m going, etc. I’m going to have internet access in all the hotels I’ll be staying in, but I’m not so sure about the ryokan I’ll be at in Nagano prefecture. So, worst case scenario, there’ll be a lack of updates the last full week of June. Hopefully not, though. If it happens, however, that’ll just mean the next update after I return to Tokyo will be HUGE. (Hey, gotta look at the bright side of things, right?)
Well then, look forward to pictures, musings, and other things that I hope will be somewhat interesting.
May 14, 2009
On JPop
Since there are still a few weeks until my travels start, I realized that I need some ways to fill this place until then. I could do the regular ol’ stream-of-thought blog posting (which’ll probably come at some point), but for today at least I thought I’d spend time introducing you the reader to various parts of my psyche. In an effort to have you get to know a little bit about me (otherwise, why do you care what I’m blogging, right?), I figured I’d talk about various likes/dislikes of mine.
Today, I’m going to discuss some of my favorite Japanese pop music acts. How much this really tells you something about me, I dunno. There’s probably a connection between the type of music one listens and the person themselves, but I’m not going to think about that – you can judge for yourself. Also, it’ll be a bit of an introduction to Japanese popular music, for those of you who might not know much about it. I have some eclectic tastes, I’ve discovered.
This’ll be a multimedia experience of sorts. Along with my brief musings, I’m also going to post a YouTube video for each artist. Lately, I rarely listen to the radio – YouTube is how I tend to find out about new artists (apart from recommendations from friends and family, of course). So, I’m going to pass on the experience to you.
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The Road Goes Ever On and On... 