Sorry about the delay in posts...

Sorry I have not updated this now for about two months.  When I see other people's blog I am envy at how they keep up.

Life ploughs on here.  Things are good.  Time is now quickly going by fast I find.  That is both a good and bad thing.  Time here has been great and has been nice to disconnect from my work back home.  Though as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, missing Yukon and, call me sick, but yes I miss work immensely.  Anyways, I am sure I shall be singing another tune once reality sets in when I am back in the child protection driving seat in September.

Anyways.  Taiga shall graduate pre-school and be going into Grade 1 in April, so am excited for that.  His English reading is coming along great and he is thriving having to use Japanese.

Will hopefully try to update this once big things happen.  Will try and put up Taiga's graduation photos when they happen.  Realistically, most of you all have Facebook so have seen the photos I am sure up until now.

Anyways, hope 2014 is going well on your end.  I would say keep coming back to see what's new with us, but don't hold your breath!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Merry Christmas everyone.  Hope everyone out there is able to spend the season with those they love and have the chance to slow down and recharge for 2014!

Haven't kept up on this blog for a bit.  But hopefully the New Year will kick me into gear to start posting again.  All the best and shall try my best to stay in touch with you all!

Traditional Japan

This was a week filled with tradition.

It may or may not be fair to equate Hideki Togi with Kenny G, but during Wednesday's concert in the neighbouring town of Naie there was a flair of Mr.G that came through.  Here's a clip of Hideki Togi:

But before you go away thinking initially the same as I did, Togi is definitely not your run of the mill guy you'd see playing at your local mall selling his muzak versions of the Beatles or Engelbert Humperdninck.  Togi basically brought "Gagaku" back to the modern lexicon of Japanese Music and put it back on the map by using the ancient Gagaku instruments in a modern way.  Gagaku is basically the oldest style of Japanese music which was played in the 7th century.  Togi is trained in this tradition and was a musician in the Imperial Palace; the guy definitely has talent, that is for sure - and I would say he showed it off some of it at Wednesday's concert.  However, he mostly ventured into his maudlin versions of western  pop hits with synthesize background music (note: he plays the synthesizer as well and a multitude of other interments).

Here's a clip of Togi again doing his thing.  As well as a clip of what traditional Gagaku sounds like:

 

Togi looking a little more traditional

Traditional Gagaku Ensemble

Also this week we went to the town of Shinkapu where a local traditional theatre group, as well as a professional guest group from Akitaka Hiroshima, put on a variety of Kagura plays.  Kagura theatre is connected to Shintoism and the stories are based on stories about angry gods going ape shit, greedy army generals getting their just desserts, or men being lured by beautiful women who are well not women but actually angry gods - you get the picture mainly stories about lust, power, violence and death.  It was pretty amazing watching the actors and musicians go non-stop for the four plays they presented with each going on in excess of 45-minute - there was a definitely a marathon of talent happening all at once.  There are times when I am in Japan and I think to myself this is why Japan is such a special and cool place and watching the Kagura plays made me feel that way.  Taiga was definitely into it, especially when the snakes and the fox came right up to his face to say hello and frighten him!!  Here's some videos I found of the same stories that were presented at the festival we attended:

"Big Snakes"

A play about a god who was banished from the heavens back to earth who 

eventually helps save a young maiden from a group of overgrown snakes.

"Evil Fox Lady"

An evil fox who presents herself as a beautifully lady lures a unsuspecting monk back to his quarters, where she transforms herself back to her beastly self.

Go 1/3 of the way into the clip to see the "foxy lady!"

Taiga's A Star!

Quickly wanted to post a link to our town's website which has some pics of Taiga performing at his pre-school play:

http://www.town.kamisunagawa.hokkaido.jp/topicpage13_11.html#top

Taiga sang in Japanese, danced, and also acted in a Japanese rendition of Cinderella - way to go Taiga, you're on your way to Hollywood.

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Playing the Piano

Last week we took in another concert in the "big city" of Sapporo; we had the luck to get tickets to see Ryuichi Sakamoto.  Not sure if many outside of Japan will know his name, but he is a bonafide international music star in his own right.  He has worked alongside many international artists, though probably for the casual music listener the one chance you may know him from is a movie he did with David Bowie entitled "Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence".

Here's the movie trailer if you wanted to jog your memory:

Not only did Sakamoto act alongside Bowie, but he also did the main soundtrack for the film and the title track is probably his most famous piece.  There's an instrumental version and also a version released as a single with lyrics sung by David Sylvian (another famous singer who most people should know, but don't!) entitled Forbidden Colours.

The music video may be dated and the acting in the movie itself a bit stilted, the piece ranks up there as one of my favourites.

The concert itself was good, but I think the first 15 minutes may have caught some listeners by surprised as Sakamoto spent the time banging his piano with mallets and various other things making noises that you usually wouldn't make with a piano.  Although I am open to mostly anything, have to admit it was too "artsy" for my liking; thankfully he spent the remainder of the concert playing more traditional pieces in a traditional way!  Anyways, it was good to see another concert and to see an artist who I have been listening to for some time.

As an aside, Sakamoto is probably one of the more vocal and famous Japanese celebrities who is part of the anti-nuclear movement here.  He has frequently attended rallies and spoke at them.  This month TEPCO, the company who is in charge of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, is scheduled to start removing used nuclear fuel which is located in the used fuel pool at Number 4 - here's hoping it goes off without a hitch.  It has been garnering a lot of international attention, even from famous Japanese-Canadian David Suzuki has rang in:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/04/david-suzuki-fukushima-warning_n_4213061.html

For those who know me, you already know some of my stance on the issue.  I won't go into it right now.  I am surprised that my work peers have yet to mentioned anything about the nuclear issue - I guess life goes on.  Here's hoping it does!!!!

Happy Halloween from Hokkaido

This past weekend we celebrated Halloween in Japanese style.  The neighbouring town of Sunagawa is known for its farming and they grow many North American pumpkins.  The town annually puts on a Halloween event where they decorate pumpkins and put them around town.  The local foreign English teachers also participate and interact with the children and have fun.  The event tried to recreate "real" North American Halloween by having local stores give out candy; all the kids had the opportunity to make their own costume and walk around town and get treats.  Taiga bought his costume ahead a time; this year he decide to be his favourite superhero Ultraman!

Taiga's first big climb - 黄金山 (Mt.Kogane - 740 meters)

Taiga climbed his first "real" mountain this month.  He was a real trouper from beginning to end and he didn't complain once.  The hike was about two hours up and just over an over back down.  The terrain at the top was a little hairy and steep, but we made it back all in one piece.  It felt good to go soak in the onsen (hot springs) at the end of our journey.

On the way up we ran into a few groups coming down from the mountain and they were sincerely surprised when they saw young Taiga passing them on their way up.  One man was so impressed that he took out a big Snickers chocolate bar and gave it to Taiga; thankfully, Taiga was feeling generous and gave his tired Papa a big bite! 

Yep Taiga, to think you were on the top of that mountain!

The mountain is commonly referred to as Hokkaido's Fuji-san because of it resemblance.  

But I was told this mountain is not a volcano.