Just a quick update:
Taiko is cool and next time I go I'll take my camera so you can get more of an idea. Until then here is a super quick description (cos I'm at work and should really be doing something more useful):
If you've heard about Taiko before then when you picture it in your head you might imagine lean, muscley chaps getting rather intense and not wearing much more than a loin cloth. That is pure and very cool too. My experience is a little different. The main difference is age; I am 26 which makes me roughly half the age of the other fine members of the Kuni-Umi (Land and Sea)Taiko club crew, although there are some significantly older peeps there. The second difference is gender, of the maybe 23 people, there, 5 were men including the two instructors and the rest were lovely ladies. Not that this is a problem at all, most of the people playing are really good, I just thought I should paint a clearer picture for you. LIke I say: next time - photos!
The chap who runs it is a 63 year old hero who loves showing me all the dramatic stick swirling stuff that makes you look really cool, while his no.2 is a short, stocky gentleman of 77 or thereabouts. He is tough as teak and keen for me to get my technique sorted.
Perhaps the best feeling though, is arriving and being presented with the biggest drum they have. It's a really big drum. They want me to hit it really loudly. I do, and it feels wonderful. There is also a rather fine collection of blisters, callouses and general bits of pink skin already gathering upon my little hands. Long bike rides and extended periods of ryhthmic, audio violence are becoming actual parts of me and I'd being lying if I didn't think it was pretty cool.
OK. Time to start work again, thanks again everyone who got in touch last night. I feel like a right berk for not saying hello sooner. It's great to be back.
Love and good things to one and all!!
Wx
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Tip-Tap-Typing Again!
Hello boys and girls!
After far too long, and it's really been too long, I'm back at the keyboard being productive(after a fashion) and writing about what my life is like these days. I'm sure you have all been really busy and have had loads of stuff happen to you in your lives in the past year, in fact I know you have cos that marvellous Facebook beast keeps everyone up to date with everything that anyone could ever do, and many things that they don't. Marathon runs, global adventures, births, marriages, deaths: all these things have been happening; many, many wonderful and terrible and perfectly normal things have been happening to people I care about very much, and I've missed them all. Because I'm here, on a wee island far, far away from all my friends and my family (and the best dog in the world), doing... what exactly?
Well, I'll tell you...
...not all at once though, cos that would take ages. No, I'll start with tonight and then wander on to the next thing that seems to be important.
After far too long, and it's really been too long, I'm back at the keyboard being productive(after a fashion) and writing about what my life is like these days. I'm sure you have all been really busy and have had loads of stuff happen to you in your lives in the past year, in fact I know you have cos that marvellous Facebook beast keeps everyone up to date with everything that anyone could ever do, and many things that they don't. Marathon runs, global adventures, births, marriages, deaths: all these things have been happening; many, many wonderful and terrible and perfectly normal things have been happening to people I care about very much, and I've missed them all. Because I'm here, on a wee island far, far away from all my friends and my family (and the best dog in the world), doing... what exactly?
Well, I'll tell you...
...not all at once though, cos that would take ages. No, I'll start with tonight and then wander on to the next thing that seems to be important.
So, tonight. It's 18.45 on a Tuesday night, and that means that I'll be leaving my little flat in 15 minutes to go wallop big drums very loudly at my Taiko class! It's amazing, and I'm not just saying this because it's the new thing to bounce about my head but because it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my heart beat and my arms want to whallop things in time to the beat. Which, happily is just what you do at a Taiko class. There are a couple of other reasons why this pastime is a good thing for me (and a quick check at the clock tells me I've just enough time to tell you before I do one) and they are
- To speak Japanese with real Japanese people who know bugger all English - and I can!!
- Get some bloomin exercise. I live too close to the best bakery on the island. Far too close.
..and the third (bonus) great thing is that I can drive there in MY CAR!!! It is called The Freedom because now I have The Freedom to go anywhere, which is a wonderful thing indeed.
Right. Time to hit stuff. Talk to you soon.
All my love and massive hugs that have been bottled up for AAAGGGEESSS!!!
Will.xxxXXXXXxxxXxxXXXXXxxxxXXxxxXXXXXxxxxXXXxx
I've missed you
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