After browsing along Shinkyogoku, we walked along Nishiki.  I tried chocolate korokke for the first time ever.  What a strange korokke!  It was pretty tasty, though!  YAY

After that, we headed to Fukujuen to look at tea utensils.  Katie found a tea bowl that she liked and bought and afterwards we had lunch in the 2nd floor cafe which had an AMAZINGLY cheap lunch special…I felt so lucky!  We’re planning another trip to their Uji branch sometime in the future to handmake some of our own tea.  I’m looking forward to it!!!

Had a fantastic ryuteki lesson this week, though I still wish I had more time to practice ;___;  We finished 五常楽 (Goshouraku) and have moved on to 皇麞 (Oojyou).  I like playing the high D.  For some reason, though, I still have issues with seme B even though other seme notes come out much easier.  I suppose it’s just something that I need to practice a lot that will improve over time.

At the same time, a date has finally been set for my recital.  It will take place in the end of March in Kyoto, though the exact location is yet to be determined.  I’m currently considering a few different spaces though availability and cost will, of course, have to be taken into consideration.  The program is nearly decided.  One half will feature Robert Schumann’s “Frauenliebe und Leben.”  The other half will be a mix of new music and selected opera arias.  My partner in (musical) crime has already booked her ticket from Korea; I’m so excited to be performing with her again…such a lovely composer and pianist <3 <3 <3

Moonlight by the window
I half thought it was frost on the ground.
I raise my head and look at the moon;
Lower my head and think of home.
-Li Bo

窗前明月光
疑是地上霜
举头望明月
低头思古乡
-静夜思

After shopping, Katie and I stopped for a sundae at a huge sundae shop on Kawaramachi Avenue.  We’ve passed it so many times before but never stopped in.  They have a huge display of their sundaes and one of them looks to be about a metre in height and costs about  JPY５万 which is roughly USD 650.00!  Curiosity finally won out tonight and we stopped in.  We each tried one of their more unusual sundaes.  Mine was a Tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet) icecream sundae and Katie’s was a Black pepper and Cream Cheese icecream sundae.  I actually really enjoyed mine!  There were so many interesting sundaes on their menu.  I might have to be brave and try their natto sundae next time

Here’s a pic of my coat, gloves, and ear warmers from today!

winter ensemble

Opera New Year - photo courtesy of Katie Bechtold

新年明けましておめでとうございます！

I am so relieved for 2012 to finally be here.  I am looking forward to many things this year and hoping for a year full of happiness, kindness, and music!!  To start off the year properly, I will be giving a small recital with my dear friend Jiyoun in the end of March.  Programming details and date/venue are currently being decided, but I’m already beside myself with anticipation for it.

Also, in the music department, I’m looking forward to continuing my ryuteki practice and possibly starting to learn some Sa no Mai!?  So exciting ^___^

This also seems to be a year for reconnecting.  Even within these first 5 days of the year, I’ve already reconnected with some old friends with whom I hadn’t spoken in years!  I feel so blessed.

Finally, I hope that 2012 can be a year where my heart can blossom and I can find contentment for all my weary anxieties

A few New Years resolutions:

• Diet!!  I love Japanese bread TOO much! @__@;;  oh belly, oh thighs…help me!
• Save enough money to buy the ryuteki my teacher recommended to me
• Write more real letters home; especially to my grandmother
• Spend more time on Skype with my parents
• Local opera auditions
• Pass 2-kyuu JLPT exam
• Attend Spring dance recitals for all Hanamachi
• If I can find cheap airfare, visit Taiwan

There are a lot more things I should do…I’ve never made a New Year’s Resolution before, so I guess I made up for it with the several above…haha.  Good luck to me

smile

Care of my friend Katie, here are two more pictures of our kimono outing on Christmas Day.  I like the first picture a lot because it caught me on film with an authetic smile…so rare!  Thanks Katie!!!

The second picture is an in-progress shot of my hair being styled into Nihongami!!

nihongami

I just returned from my second visit to Koyasan.  I forgot my camera when I was packing…so sadly, I have no photographs to share *saaaad* ;____;  This time around, I stayed at the onsen shukubo Fukuchi-in.  It was impossible not to compare it with my last experience at Shojoshin-in, so here goes a list of pros and cons.

yummy food wins

Good things about Fukuchi-in:

• 24 hour onsen (both indoor and outdoor)
• warmer rooms (more insulation?  wall-mounted A/C unit)
• morning service involved many monks so the polyphony was more interesting
• food was more elaborate

Bad things about Fukuchi-in:

• guests were unbelievably noisy…maybe because it was an onsen temple and people who go there just want to party and bathe?
• rooms were warmer and clean, but not as aesthetically pleasing
• the temple felt a bit more commercial…it was gorgeous…but it was a little bit of a turn-off for me
• no water bottle in the futon…I mean, I guess it’s not necessary, but I missed it!

I suppose depending on where you want to visit might determine where you want to stay, too.  Although, I don’t feel that Koyasan is all that large really.  I could walk from one end to the other without much problem, so I’d make a decision on where to stay based on amenities and food rather than location.

This time around, got to view several places I hadn’t seen before, including the Dai Garan and Kobo Daishi Kukai’s place of Eternal Medetation.  Reihokan wasn’t open, so I’ll have to save that for a subsequent visit.

Me at Nishiki Jinja

My friends from University and I went to a kimono rental studio for the afternoon then had photographs taken of us.  We enjoyed walking around downtown Kyoto and having tea while dressed up  Here are a few pictures from the day.  I really enjoyed wearing the Nihongami (Japanese traditional hairstyle).  My bangs have been growing out for awhile, so I was able to have my own hair styled rather than wear a wig.  It took quite a while to style!!  Purple kimono with lavender haori, yellow-green obi and dark obijime with rose accessory.

Please enjoy these photos taken by friends!!

Nihongami from behind

Portrait

Nishiki omairi

K photographs me

3 friends

Leaves Torii

Today we walked around Fushimi Inari Taisha and ultimately through the winding neighborhoods to Tofukuji.    I posted 4 pictures from our walks through Inari today.  They’re at the bottom of :

京都府—>Fushimi Inari Taisha

The colors were beautiful, but it was hard to photograph them with the myriad of torii and wires.  Please enjoy them in spite of their shortcomings ^___^;;

Autumn Bridge

Today before attending an end-of-the year chakai at Urasenke’s Chado Kaikan, Wen-Hsin and I strolled around beautiful Shinsen-en.  I’ve gone to Shinsen-en countless times.  I really love it there, but this was my first time to see Autumn colors there.  I uploaded a few photographs from the gardens. They are at the bottom of this page:

京都市—>Shinsen-en

Please enjoy them