Last week one of Mateo's students gave him tickets to a ikebana show. She had an arrangement in the show (we never found out which one was hers) and Mateo invited me. We met at Yaba-cho subway station and followed the crowds of women into the department store where it was being held (this is one thing that constantly amazes me in Japan - the number of women shopping during a weekday...department stores are always busy).
The ikebana show was really cool because I was expecting to see really traditional arrangements (think; Lost in Translation scene) and it turned out to be mainly modern looking pieces. It was really an art show and set up like a gallery. We wandered around, trying to avoid being elbowed by older Japanese women who wanted the best spots and took pictures of almost every arrangement.
[We both loved this one, with its fluffy-plant-flower thing. It looked so soft!]
[This was my favourite arrangement - I want it for my future house. It reminds me of an art piece that my parents would have bought a long time ago]Mateo and I tried to figure out if the ikebana artists choose their flowers first or their vases. There were some crazy vases and some crazy flowers. I don't know anything about ikebana but it looks like a complicated balance between vase, flower, accessories and leaving open space.
We left the show and decided to walk around the food floor and food-gaze. Then we walked to Nagoya TV Tower because we had some time to kill before we met up with the gang. We were going to pay to go to the top but when we arrived at the ticket booth, we discovered it would cost 700 yen. Too much. We were able to look out from the restaurant level and I snapped some quick pictures of Sakae.
[Bottom of the TV Tower]
[the view of Sakae from the highest FREE level of the Nagoya TV Tower]We met up with Becky (who was on her way back from Osaka, where she wrote her GREs), Ryan, Tommy and his girlfriend (?) Sachiko (a teacher at his school) and went to Starbucks for some talk and some coffee. We got in trouble for trying to take a picture in Starbucks (why can't we take a picture?? I have no idea) so we took one outside of the store.
[from left: Ryan, Mateo, Becky, Me!, Tommy and Sachiko]After, Tommy and Sachiko had to go and the rest of us walked to the Hard Rock Cafe. It was my first time going to one anywhere and damn, their food is expensive. Becky and I had been dying for a cheeseburger and an expensive cheeseburger it was! Luckily, we sat there almost all afternoon talking so I feel like we got our moneys worth. Late, Neil joined us and chatted about work, living in Japan, etc.
7 comments:
Laura,
The ikebana arrangements are very modern and beautiful. If my memory is correct the varying heights, spaces etc. represent the earth, the sun, the mountains etc. The Hard Rock Cafes of the world are ultra expensive for the type of food they serve...especially burgers....but I'm sure they were tasty. Sounds like you had another great day.
Take care and BE SAFE.
Love, Mom, Dad and Christopher
Ha! You can really tell from this entry that you don't care for Neil. I'd feel bad for him except, well, it's me! Rock on with your bad self, Laura!
I don't understand Steph...I do like Neil...What did I say that made you think I didn't like him?
Oh, I got the sense that you didn't like him because of how the entry ends with him being added in, almost as an afterthought. Sort of like: "Oh yeah, and then Neil showed up, but we don't need to talk about that!"
Nono, it was just that Neil arrived last....when we were already at dinner...and I guess I just got tired of writing that paragraph. Neil's a cool guy, plus, he's from Wales.
LIES!!! YOU HATE NEIL!!! I KNOW YOU DO!!!
Do I even need to type just kidding?
Sachiko (yeah, girlfriend) and I were bummed we couldn't join you guys since I had overtime. She just went shopping and back to the apartment to watch the cool new TV while I worked.
Thanks for posting the pic! I wanted it, now I have it!
OH yeah and HRC is expensive, but very good! I talked to Neil last night and we all need to get together again after payday. If it is a Sunday, I can hang all day. Let the others know and we can plan something.
Went bowling with my students and staff this weekend and it was awesome! Maybe we can do that? Lemme know what you guys wanna do!
Bowling is the activity no one ever really wants to do until they are at the alley and then you can't remember why you don't bowl more often because it always results in hilarity and hijinks. Last time I went, one boy was clearly there only to use teh on-site Dance, Dance, Revolution machine... which I would think might also be the case in Japan. Then again, they probably have places devoted exclusively to DDR.
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