Hiatus OVER
Looks like the green light in my personal recharge monitor is finally showing again. Awesome.
8 months since I left Tokyo. I think I can say they have been the weirdest 8 months of my life.
Culture shock. Lifestyle shock. Health shock. Woah.
And to be frank, I haven’t been handling it real well. Things have been quite bleak though I was determined to keep up a brave, positive face to family and the alter-universe at facebook. Naturally, I haven’t wanted to blog at all. But that’s all changing. I guess all this healthy living is finally paying off and I can feel the fire in my belly coming back.
Part of the reboot includes the import of 6 years worth of blog posts from frangipani.info (and the now completely unfamiliar and unusable Movable Type software) into the nice and friendly new home at martinecotton.com and a very cool wordpress format using the fabulous themes at Graph Paper Press. I plan to start blogging a couple of times a week again, get the personal creative juices flowing again.
I haven’t been doing much photography for myself since I started doing newspaper and real estate photography – but I think that’ll start charging.
Despite having my gorgeous family here (as you can see in this entry’s photo’s), I haven’t met too many like-minded folk here and as I no longer drink (!!!) it’s been doubly hard to get out amongst it. Just call me Hermit. Anyway, plans are afoot for a move to Melbourne early next year – or sooner if I can save the cash.
In the meantime, I shall continue to LOVE the beach and the jungles and the simple, peaceful and oh-so-healthy life I am leading.
Evie
It’s nice to be blogging again.
Oh, and the comments should be working on this blog so feel free to say hi.
Id, 1965 – 2009.
I took this blurry pic (ripped off Jackie’s facebook album) in the backyard of my first ever share-house, back in 1985. Walker Avenue, Teneriffe, Brisbane. I lived there with my best friends Jackie and Dwayne (they were a couple at that time – that’s Dwayne on the left) and various others who passed through…..
The cool cat in the black beret with the bongo’s and the fag hanging out out the corner of his mouth died last week.
His name was Id, and he and I and all our friends went to Griffith Uni together, back in the day when it was a hotbed of all things alternative and political. That place and those times set us all on the very distinctive paths were are all on now. We were all crazy about music, and spent all our free time going to see gigs, or – if you were musically inclined, playing in bands. Id was one of the founding members of the late, great Dementia 13 (myspace page) – go take a listen to hacksaw, admire Alex’s almighty scream. Id was also in a zillion other musical projects, both here and in London when he, Jackie, Russell, Alex and Stewart lived there for a few years.
Id came out to us all a few years after this, and became the editor of Queenslands only gay and lesbian magazine, PRIDE back in 2001. He always astonishingly good with words. And he also has a great talent for photography. His Flickr page is full of great photography – some of them covers for the mag.
I haven’t seen him that much over the past 10 – 15 years, but he came along to my 40th birthday party in Australia last year, and set up a little studio in my uncle’s living room to take real portraits of people. Here is that facebook gallery (not sure if you’ll be able to see these if you aren’t his “friend”).
Last week he collapsed and died at home, it was either a heart attack or a stroke, he was only 43. He was such a lovely man, a hugely creative force and a good friend. His funeral is this Wednesday, at the Mt Gravatt Crematorium. The same day that Neil Young plays Brisbane. Some of his friends are, of course, giving up their Neil Young tickets as they’d rather be at the wake. It is going to be an enormous event, no doubt oozing with debauchery as Id would have wanted it. I’ll be there in spirit.
Id, I’ll miss you dear boy.
Technorati Tags: friends, Life & death
I’m having an exhibition – one night only – The Dr Sketchy’s Exhibition Party!
Dear Blog Friends,
I’m writing to invite you to my third (and perhaps my last?) photo exhibition in Tokyo, next weekend – Saturday November 22. This party/exhibition is the beginning of the end of my time here in Japan, the beginning of the sayonara process…. Oh how the next few weeks and months will fly!
Anyway, back to the exhibition party. I’d love to see you there.
The event will feature a 3 set performance incorporating 6 different shows by various dancin’ girls, and will run from 9 pm – 2 pm, with an afterparty at a different club afterwards. There will also be an art exhibition and a photo exhibition (mine), and 4 different DJ’s. I will be showing 15 different photos – half of them Dr Sketchy’s models, the other half various portraits I have shot over the past year, all printed on canvas at 28cm x 43cm. They will all be available for purchase, natch. We’re also making a calendar with some of the pictures from the massive haul I’ve shot over the past 7 months at the monthly Dr SKetchy drawing night (sooo much fun).
My involvement with Dr Sketchy’s Tokyo has been a truly special experience, and I’m proud to have been a part of the team alongside Lady Elle, Cherry Typhoon, Hilo, Toy and Toby. We’ve been working hard to improve the monthly event and its profile, as well as planning this big exhibition party (which is the result of a hell of a lot of work and long mid-week night meetings). It’s been a pleasure working alongside this lovely team of super-genki artists. Go Team!
Anyway, here is the spiel (and facebook event page here):
Dr.Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Tokyo presents:
Dr. Sketchy’s Exhibition PartyDr. Sketchy’s is what happens when cabaret meets art school.
Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Tokyo is a cabaret sketch art salon. On Saturday November 22nd at La Boheme on Kotto Dori (Aoyama) at 9pm-2am the good Doctor will be hosting an art exhibition showcasing the work of Sketch Artists, and Sketchy Photographer Martine Cotton.
The event will be peppered with cabaret performances by a variety of Dr. Sketchy’s muses which include Tokyo’s own Ms. Exotic World Champions Erochica Bamboo, Cherry Typhoon, Safi and The Murasaki Baby Dolls. Hoop star Deanne Tonking will also be doing a show, alongside a salsa dance troupe led by Dirty Dancing Diana.
Among the featured artists are Josh McKible creator of the Nani Bird series recently on display in Shibuya Station courtesy of Art Below, Laura Hammer an artist who found the magic in Crayola and turned it into artistic alchemy and a whole host of professional and amateur young artisans.
DJ’s include Evil Penguin, James Carstensen, Bambi and Norishirocks.
Please email rsvp@drsketchytokyo.com for cheap entry (It’s \3500 at the door, \2500 if you RSVP)
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Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Tokyo is a community life-drawing event that takes place once a month at the Pink Cow, Shibuya. We search Tokyo to find sexy people who model for you for about three hours. In between poses there are contests with cool prizes, sexy performances, drinks and all sorts of mischief.
Technorati Tags: friends, Japan, Photography, Dr Sketchy’s, Tokyo
BiZ Nite (Monday, October 20)
10/20 sees the Biz Nites team move on back to Daikanyama Tableaux after last months Photo Nite. Thanks to all 180 of you who attended Photo Bite despite the pouring rain – wasn’t it an inspirational night! Thanks for the support.
So, this months event is supposed to be running with 30% Hawaiian content but it remains to be seen if we will achieve that. Hawaiians are a rare breed in the megalopolis, it seems! 
We do have the guys from the Uni of Hawaii coming along to do a table and a bunch of excellent non-Hawaiians making presentations, including the snarkily brilliant Dave Gutteridge from the Tokyo Comedy Club talking about the comedy scene in Tokyo.
Other presenters include the Japan Times illustrator Chris Mackenzie, who’ll be talking about illustrating for newspapers and magazines;
…and Artist/photographer Matthew Messner who will be discussing a digital video installation he created that involved the use of multiple video and rapid imagery projections through thin, translucent material in addition to live camera footage and two-way mirrors;
…and Richard Lane from DI.fm, which is the largest fully licensed dance music radio network in the world. They broadcast free internet radio to the world and are 100% fully licensed with soundexchange in America. DI’s daily listenership peaks at over 70,000 simultaneous listeners and is listed prominently in Apple’s itunes radio, AOL music, and windows media directories.
…and our fabulous resident DJ James Carstensen who will help you get your boogie on between presentations.
There are some more juicy surprises being planned and I will be updating the facebook Biz Nites fan page with details over the weekend….
As usual, Tableaux are offering Biz Nites guests drink specials (700 yen drinks) and their delicious buffet (1300 yen). Remember, Daikanyama is just 5 minutes from Shibuya on the Toyoko – directions can be found here.
See you on Monday night, doors open at 6 pm – 11:30 pm
PS – if you are a Tokyo blogger, please do me a favour and make a mention of this event on your blog – (love viral advertising)
Technorati Tags: BiZ NITE, Japan, Tiger Music, Tokyo
Jane and Daisuke’s wedding.
In editing Jane and Daisuke’s wedding photo’s, I went a bit nuts with textures. I really like the timeless results. What do you think?
See a few more over at my photography blog.
Or many many more over at my smugmug page.
I love doing wedding photography. This was my 4th wedding, and with each one, they get easier and my confidence grows. And I’m delighted to say that my clients have all been really happy with the photo’s I’ve given them. So rewarding, so satisfying.
Technorati Tags: Japan, Photography shoots, weddings
It’s 35 degrees and I just ate a frozen mango over the kitchen sink.
28/365: August 2. Jon and I spent a sunny Saturday working on Tiger Music/Biz NItes stuff at the Juice Office in Shibuya.
29/365: August 3. My old friend Michelle was in town from Melbourne for a few days. She comes every year to attend the Matsumoto Suzuki Violin Summer Session. I’ve been out of Japan during August for the past couple of years so this was the first time we’ve hung out since 2005. Last time she came, she brought her violin down to the park and played wild gypsy songs at midnight for Kat, Darin, Tyler and me as we drank beer and let our souls soar as it should when listening to live wild gypsy songs in a park at midnight.
30/365: Aug 4. My turtle Gertrude has had something of a growth spurt and her tank is too small for her now. I put her in the bathtub as a special treat – she loved it.
31/365: Aug 5. Actually, this is another cheat shot. I took this on the morning of Aug 6. On Aug 5th, we hosted Music Biz – a huge event in Roppongi organised in collaboration with the UK Embassy. No chance to even scratch my nose let alone pull my camera out. I woke up the next morning, exhausted and feeling battered, bruised, uptight and late for my first English lesson of the day, and snapped this pic before slowly pouring myself out of bed and into the shower.
32/265: Aug 6. My room mate, Greg the Canadian geneticist micro-biologist brought some pictures of his own home from work. He thinks they are way cooler than mine. I think he’s right. He did explain what these were but not being particularly sound of mind at the time, I can’t remember…. I know they were taken using a massively powerful microscope and that they are little bits of bacteria that have been soaked in formaldahyde and that the spirally ones are completely mutated from the experiments he’s been doing on them in the name of alternative fuel options. Did that make me sound intelligent? I hope so.
33/365: Aug 7. As part of a concerted mental health push, I spent the day chilling round the local ‘hood in Kichijoji with Kat and Jake – lunching, drinking coffee, shopping and hanging out in the park. Jake is so damn cute. Look at that smile wouldya. ADORABLE! Also caught up with Tyler and Mihoko who just got back from the States where they had their 2nd wedding party, complete with yodelling cowboys. Damn, wish I had gone to that one.
I’m off to Tochigi tomorrow to go hiking for a few days with Chris. Cannot wait to hit the mountains and escape this goddamn city. Tonight, Deanne is organising something for world hoop day in Yoyogi, gonna go along and help her raise some money and be somewhere where I have no responsibilities whatsoever. And probably drink a beer or 3 with Christian and Yuiko who are also coming along. Yay.
Technorati Tags: a photo a day, Japan, Photography, Tokyo
The past week in pics…
23/365: July 28. Sandi at a little Thai restaurant in Centre Gai, Shibuya. She is clutching the cracked pepper she pulled from her kitchen to give me. On this day, she and the family officially moved out of their apartment of the past 2 years, and into the landmark Tower Hotel for their last 3 days in japan. After dinner, we moseyed on down to the 300 yen bar and met with Dr Dave, Frederik (moving to Singapore to live the same day as Sandi & Jeff leave) and Nordine (who had tried to straight perm his hair that day with disastrous consequences and was forced to wear a black kit cap, turning him into a dodgy stevedore) and pretended we were in a seedy underground Parisienne basement bar rather than a seedy Tokyo bar, as the Frenchmen at our table bantered in French, English and Japanese. Ah, so multicultural. Oooh la la.
24/365: July 29. Let’s play a guessing game. What is this a photo of?
25/365: July 30. I was left by myself on the platform at Yokohama to head far far north after the final final final last night sayonara dinner for Sandi, Jeff, Max and Dexter in Yokohama . The rest of the crew headed south. This was good-bye. Actually, took a ton of hilarious pictures this night and will be sharing them with you all some time soon… A lovely night. And now they are gone. Sandi made us promise that we will come visit them in Seattle one day. I’d like to honour that promise. I’ve met some great Seattlers since living in Tokyo.
26/365: July 31. The next event for Tiger Music is next Tuesday and things are getting pretty frantic. I had an afternoon meeting with the management at Tableaux lounge for the event after next (August 18: Biz Nite). They are such awesome people, such a pleasure to deal with after the dubious quality of the management at the other venue we are forced to use next Tuesday. Anyway, the meeting went well and the relationship there is set in booking stone for the coming year, which is a seriously great thing. I love this job. And I love this room. I snuck this picture at Ryota-san was making me a coffee. Gorgeous, isn’t it!
27/365: August 1. Friday night in the big city. At home, having a quiet night. This is my special things shrine. When I need downtime, I put on some music, turn on the faerie lights, light some candles and incense and sit on my futon in front of this and try to shut off my brain chatter and be still and recharge. It’s hard. Sometimes I chat to Mum and Dad. Sometimes they answer. But mostly they stay quiet. As they should, I guess.
Technorati Tags: a photo a day, friends, Japan, Photography, Tokyo
Akiko
The delightful Akiko Otao, soprano star and fabulous model. She was a delight to shoot, and I hope we get a chance to work together again some time soon.
Technorati Tags: Models, Photography, Tokyo
20/365: July 25 2008
Friday night. Shibuya. 300 yen bar.
Yet another stupid drunk shot of me and Christian. I think I must have close to 50 of these now. Our semi-regular piss ups are such a joy to me. This night we had some lively company who kept the beers coming at a steady pace but their photos are a little trashy so I shan’t share them here.
Technorati Tags: a photo a day
6/365: July 11 2008
Actually, I cheated on this one – I actually took this on July 12th because I worked all day at Tiger and by the time I got home my newly arrived houseguests had collapsed with exhaustion after their flight from NY. I had planned to take my “photo a day” photo of them that night but well.. they were sleeping so I had no choice but to wait till the next morning, at brekky.
Who are they? Champion illustrators (and my old dear friend) Andrea Innocent and (her buddy) Beck Wheeler, on their way back from ICON5, the New York Illustration Conference. They are staying here for a week or so before heading back to Melbourne.
Technorati Tags: a photo a day
The guff. The story. The dispatch. The word. The scoop. The news.
Decided to make a post dedicated exclusively to the BiZ NITE event I’ve been helping coordinate. Keep it simple, ne.
We are still booking presenters so if anyone is interested in doing a presentation or product / services / exhibition / performance launch at next Mondays event, or any of our monthly events can email me at martine@tigermusic.jp
BiZ NITE, French Flavour at Daikanyama Tableaux. July 14th, 2008. 6 pm – late.
What is BiZ NITE?
Tokyo‚Äôs fastest growing networking event for creative business people. It’s a monthly event which features presentations, showcases, exhibitions, discussion panels, product launches and more from the creative industries in Tokyo. Each sphere of interest in the A-Z of creative industries has a Biz NITE nickname, for example photo biz, ad biz, art biz, DJ biz, design biz, eco biz, NPO biz, fashion biz, movie biz, music biz, net biz, sport biz, success biz, VJ biz, wellness biz. Every month the crowds get a little bigger, and more and more people are making it a regular feature on their monthly event calendar to meet with old friends, meet new ones and see a little of what’s going in around the city.
When & Where is this monthly event held?
Biz Nites are held monthly at Daikanyama Tableaux on 7/14, 8/18, 9/8, and venue TBD on 10/20, 11/17, 12/15.
When is the next Biz NITE?
Monday 14 July at Daikanyama/Ebisu Tableaux, 18:00-23:00, with a ‘French Flavor’ to celebrate Bastille Day together.
The venue has a beautiful patio, great food and reasonably priced drinks. In addition to our regular content,
BiZ NITE will host presentations about contemporary French fashion and culture, and about French creative business people’s activities in Japan.
We expect around 300 people to attend community presentations and get-togethers in three spaces throughout the venue.
How much?
Entry: Advance: 1000 yen / Door 1500 yen, (Please buy at least one drink) (To qualify for advance, please sign up as a member at biznites.ning.com)
The first 50 people at Biz Nite receive a Skype headset & calling card.
Who is presenting this month?
7/14 (Mon) ‘French Flavor’ BiZ NITE CONTENTS
18:00-22:30 Presentations & Discussions in Three Spaces:
Ad Biz: info soon
Art Biz:
1) ‚ÄúDr Sketchy’s Anti-Art School: an introduction to the divinely seedy underbelly of live sketching ala Burlesque style‚Äù with MC LadyElle [www.drsketchytokyo.com]
(Plus: 5 minute burlesque dance performance by burlesque dancer Cherry Typhoon of the Murasaki Baby Dolls at 10 pm)
2) “ICON 5: The NY Illustration Conference: A review, and an Introduction to the works of Andrea Innocent and Beck Wheeler“,
a review presentation and slideshow by well-known Australian artists/illustrators/animators
Andrea Innocent (www.otoshimono.org) and Beck Wheeler (www.beckwheeler.net)
3) “Creative platforms to bring different art forms and audiences under the same umbrella” with 4th Skin Arts Network www.4thskin.com
Design Biz:
“WorkVitamins: Why creativity in the office just works” РMartin van der Linden (workvitamins.com, www.vanderarchitects.com)
Eco Biz: info soon
Fashion Biz:
Fashion Biz: “ID SHAPE: new solution for luxury packaging anti-counterfeiting from France” – Lucas Nanini (www.idshape.com)
Lucas Nanini
Movie Biz:
“Surfing DVD Release- Japan’s legendary surfers of the ‘70s enjoy a 2007 reunion in Micronesia” – Michio Degawa (http://www.kooks.jp)
Music Biz:
1) “Panel Discussion: Anime, Games and Urahara Fashion РHow can Japanese Pop Culture Drive
Japanese Music Sales at Home and Overseas?” – Moderator & presenter: Nathan Reaven (www.hearjapan.com)
2) “The New French Music Scene – Preview of French Summer Festival Artists”- Sylvain Delange
(Bureau Export de la Musique Francaise a Tokyo, www.french-music.org/video)
Net Biz:
1) “New Contents Delivery and Gallery System”- Tan Tan (http://ikaros-plan.jugem.jp/ )
2) info soon
New in Japan Biz:
“Revolutionary New Instrument – Tenori-on” – K. Sugii (YAMAHA, www.yamaha.co.jp/tenori-on)
Performance BIz:
Performance Biz: “The making of ‘Tunnelvision’ DVD РChoreographed Performance Art in one of the biggest underground locations in the world,
Gaikaku Housuiro, broadcast on NHK” Monique van kerkhof (www.roboudendijk.com)
Photo Biz:
“Unknown France: A tour of the cheese and wine farms of rural France” by photographer, writer and editor, Miki Toyoda.
Sports Biz:
1) “Update on Hakuba MTB Jamboree 8/16-17” ( www.sweetriders.com)
2) “Reporting about Muay Thai Fight Events” – Chisa Yamane (www.jmc-gym.com)
VJ Biz: info soon
Wellness Biz:
’Awaken to New Dimensions’ РIntroduction to insightful transformation techniques to tap into your inner balance
and potential through Art of Living“ with Marianne White & Keerthana Mariappan (www.artofliving.org)
22:00-23:30 LOUNGE DJs: James Carstensen (Tokyo Electro – Special French Music Mix), DJ Tawara (ultralounge)
See more information in Japanese and English at http://www.stereojapan.com/ and forum http://biznites.ning.com/
So there you have it, as it stands at this point…. I plan to add all changes to the line up as they occur, so keep checking back for the details.
Please come along and say Hey.
Oh, and PS – if you have a blog of your own, please feel free to mention Niz NITE there too…
Stepping back into the ring.
Todays pics were all taken on Sunday, when Sandi, Jeff, M & D & I hit the Muay Thai championships at Differ Ariake, out at Odaiba. So much fun! (zillions more pics to come) Thanks for the tickets, Chisa!
I remember at the beginning of the year writing about my dissatisfaction with life in Japan and how I had decided to try to plug into the foreign community scene some more, to try to get more things happening in both my freelance photography and personal worlds.
In places like Shibuya or Harajuku, I would walk past groups of interesting looking people (Japanese and foreign alike) all hunched over a pile of papers or laptops, excitedly discussing ideas, and it would make me feel so disconnected from the rattle and buzz of this cities’ frenetic underbelly of creative industries. Back in Brisbane, that world was my life: making things happen – events, festivals and festival stages, tours, media PR, planting seeds of opportunity, etc etc etc. I realised just how fulfilled that kind of work used to make me feel. I certainly needed a break from the burn out of those last few tours, but I think 5.5 years was perhaps a tad excessive.
Anyway, earlier this year I hauled my arse out from under the radar, and started going to events and parties – often to photograph them (using my existing network of friends and their contacts), and started meeting new people. In that one simple choice, “getting out there”, I managed to plug myself back into a vibrant active community of stupendously magnificent creative people who are all about the same thing: getting things done and making things happen. The opportunities being presented to me are so exciting that lately some nights I can’t actually get to sleep. I feel utterly alive. Of course, I am also hopelessly weather affected and now that summer is here, the time is right for dancing in the streets.
But this post was never meant to be an ode to how I was lost (erm on holiday) and now I am found. Far from it. It’s to talk up the first of the events I have helped co-ordinate with Tiger Music. And to say to those of you who read this blog and need to meet some people and get things moving in their lives, to please revise the notion that networking is a dirty word. Networking is your friend. Networking plants seeds of potential everywhere because you never know how each person is going to pop back into your life with a proposal or suggestion or introduction that could change your professional and personal life. Step into the ring…. (do you like the way my story kinda oh-so-cleverly segues into the pics…?) But I’m going to do that in a separate post now….
I wonder how it’s all gonna go?
Technorati Tags: BiZ NITE, Daikanyama, friends, inspiration, Japan, parties, Tiger Music, Tokyo
I built a home for you, for me.
Kawaguchiko yabusame. Taken back in April, when I did the anniversary pics with Sigsy & Kei. I’m a Sagittarius and am quite drawn to horseback archery. Magnificent stuff. Especially out there at Kawaguchiko, without all the stupid crowds of Tokyo. It’s my 3rd time at this festival. I doubt I’ll ever tire of it.
I used Blurb to make a book for Christian’s 30th birthday. Yuiko and I compiled messages and photos from his rather large circle of friends and family bothe here and in Australia, and edited them into this big, beautiful book. It was all a surprise, and I gave it to him at Araku (Yui-chan had to work till 3 am so couldn’t be there!), the night before he flew back to Brisbane to surprise his friends and family for his birthday. Ha, surprises all round. The folks back home had no idea what the book would actually look like, and they were all so impressed that they’ve ordered copies of their own! Blurb is fabulous and I will definitely be using them to get my first photo books out there.
Jeff (Sandi’s hubby) celebrated his 38th (oh, sorry – ni-ju-ROCK-sai) in fine style at Red Shoes, a cool but pricey club in Aoyama. This great band, The Darkside Mirrors played, 2 hot chicks in the band made them quite photogenic. I missed the best band of the night though, so I’m told, coz i went home early as I am wont to do these days. Anyway, Sandi wrote all about it here.
My old teaching colleague, Lisa is getting married in August and asked me to take some engagement pics for them. We spent a gorgeous day out at one of my fave parks, Showa Kinen Koen and took a ton of lovely pic’s. This is my fave but they both screamed hazakashii (how embarrassing!) when they saw it. Too intimate for Japanese tastes, I think.
The 4th Wednesday of every month at the Pink Cow you can find me shooting sexy models and talented sketchers drawing afore-mentioned sexy models at the now-global live burlesque drawing class DrSketchy’s anti art school. Fabulous fun, this month being no exception.
At the end of each night, we gather the remaining sketchers and crew for a group pic. Actually, we need to start taking this group pic earlier in the night as people tend to head home before the end…. This pic is just of the stayers…..
And here is the Dr Sketchy’s crew: this months model, Svetlana, Pawel, Deanne, Rebekka (Bon Voyage!) and the hostess with the funniest and mostest, Lady Elle.
Meant to post this months ago but…. This is Chris, Ian and I just before we parted ways back in March – me for Nagasaki and Tylers wedding, The Mountain Goat (Ian) for an ill-fated walk across Hokkaido and Chris to Irojima, way down in Sthn Japan.
Mountain Goat shows his ability to read maps.
Mountain Goat counting the hours, minutes, seconds till that plane takes him outta Japan. He abandoned his walk across Japan at the beginning of this week, and arrived at my place early in the morning after an all night bus from Shikoku. He was quite shattered. But is venting his … whatever it is…. in his brilliant literary style at his new blog, The Goat that Wrote. Go add him to your RSS feeds now, he’s an excellent writer. In the mean time, Chris is still braving the trial, and will be updating the Four Corners of Japan blog regularly. He is also a brilliant writer and it’s a fascinating read, these adventures of his.
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Greg, the Canadian geneticist roomie, is off in the States for some conferences and to pay a quick trip to his home town. Hate being left in the house by myself. Especially now that it’s where I spend most days, working. I tend to get irrationally lonely and emotional and wonder what the f*ck I’m doing with my life that, at the age of 40, I have not managed to build a home of my own, with a man and kids and a menagerie of pets and visitors. And then wonder what the hell I’m thinking, calling myself a photographer, when I’m still such a novice! Fortunately, I’ve had a healthy stream of guests to stave off the worst of it. And some great photo shoots to help keep the creative spirit flowing. Can’t wait to share some of the pics from this weekends shoot with Sandi. Amazing stuff, that woman really knows how to work it for the camera. She also knows her way around a scrabble board, the biyotch beat me by 50 points tonight. Helen arrives tomorrow to stay for the week (she has work here in Kichijoji this week), so happy there’ll be someone here at night.
Technorati Tags: friends, Japan, Photography, Tokyo
The Pendragon Tour of Japan
Me, Jackie & Adrian at Ryoanji, one of the most famous zen gardens in Kyoto.
At Kinkakuji, Kyoto.
Our first night together we hit a lush, secret cocktail bar after dinner and drew sketches of each other, setting the theme for the rest of the tour. They are much better drawers than me.
Wandering around Gion, Kyoto.
This cute little puppy was sitting in a pink car. With pink ears.
The trip wasn’t all work, and they actually paid me (got an Arts Qld grant) to be their tour guide and bumbling translator, taking them around to the important shoemaking events and centres. They are shoemakers…..
At Sensoji, Asakusa.
Jackie. We’ve been friends for 23 years. One of the most beautiful people I know, in every possible respect.
I am a tad daunted by how far behind in the blog I have become. I spend SO much time at the computer that it’s hard to extend that time even further to the blog. Right now I’ve been at the computer since midday, working on a shoot I did on Friday, researching some photoshops tricks and – finally – editing some of the pics from Jackie & Adrians trip here and I an tell you now, my ass hurts and there is a pain in the small of my back that I just know won’t go away when I stand up. But I am slowly catching up on everything. And I have put a bunch of happy snaps up at facebook (and also here)so you can go take a look at what I’ve been up to.
If you’re in Tokyo, and you are an artist, you should come to the Pink Cow for the monthly Dr Sketchy’s live burlesque drawing class tomorrow night (Wednesday 28th May). A whole lot of fun with the funniest MC in Tokyo and lots of Yellowtail wine flowing. I’ll be the one with the camera…. See ya there.
Technorati Tags: friends, Japan, Kyoto, Photography, Tokyo, travel
Us 3
This is the reason things have been mighty quiet around the blog. My dear friends Adrian and Jackie have been visiting for almost 2 weeks. Our feet barely touched the ground the entire time. My kidney needs a serious detox and my mind needs some quiet time. Just wanted to let you know that all is awesome, and that I’ll be slowly easing back into photography and blogging again shortly, once I’ve done all the necessary catching up with all things mundane.
Tyler and Mihoko’s wedding
Tyler and Mihoko up at the wedding table….
Tyler and Mihoko arrive at their wedding party with a spotight, and a parasol.
Saying their vows.
Tyler and the priest waiting for Mihoko and her Dad to arrive.
On the road again!
I’m off to Nagasaki at sparrows fart tomorrow morning, as are Kat, Darin & Jake Taiga, to attend Tyler and Mihoko’s wedding. It’s gonna be such a hoot! Tylers family are coming out from Wisconsin and it’ll be their first time in Japan. There is a lot of cool stuff planned for us, hopefully the rain won’t be too much of a problem.
After the 3 day wedding celebrations settle down, I’m planning a slow trip up to Kyoto on my own, stopping off in Onomichi, Kurashiki and Nara. In Kyoto, I’m meeting up with my dear Aureole – she’ll be in Japan for 5 days on her way to the European Tattoo Convention circuit. I’m pretty excited about being able to show her Kyoto in hanami time. The cherry blossoms will be out and there’ll be a great vibe in the air.
Spring is really an important time in Japan (as I have mentioned on at least 5 other occasions) – an annual cycle ends, another begins. Schools graduate. Companies accept their new staff intakes. Taxes are paid… More so than usual, this spring feels like significant time for me. Lots of people leaving, others swinging by for visits, and all the while all of them/us making great plans for the future. I had an interesting meeting with a guy today about a potentially awesome option for my fabulous new career (in all it’s embryonic glory). Hope it pans out. Will be able to talk about it some more by the end of April (if we can make it happen!).
Anyways.
You can see some snaps from the past weeks worth of events over at my facebook albums. They include pics from the mad night out for the beautiful J-sters flying visit, Mountaingoat and Oshioto’s itterashai party at Araku, a day at the park and Timbo and Andrews sayonara party. Actually, Tim isn’t leaving till next week but Kat, Darin & I are heading off to Nagasaki so last night was the last night we’d all be in Tokyo the same night… seems so strange. I will really miss you, Tim. Tokyo won’t be quite the same without you.
Kanpai!
Bye Timbo!
Bye (again) Andrew!
Walk long and prosper Mountaingoat
*Love* that golden hair J-Ster!
Oh. And I bought a new camera.
Nabe, oh, nabe!
Tyler, Mihoko & I. We’re off to celebrate their wedding in Nagasaki later this month.
Andrew
Darin and Tyler. Kat is up in Aomori visiting her old host family with Jake.
Sandi, Jane & I
Nate and Robert
Friday was a significant day, so I celebrated the momentous occasion in fine style with a nabe party at my place with the local crew. Well, OK, so Sandi isn’t exactly a local but she does have a toothbrush here so I guess that makes her an honorary local. More fabulously crappy drunken photos taken partly by people who weren’t me on my camera here. Thanks to those who came, and especially to Justin who kept the cans under control and to Jane and Sandi for helping me clean up at 3 in the morning… Oh, and to Nate for the loan of the extra nabe bowl and cooker.
Nabe parties have this magical way of making you feel warm in so many ways:
Eating together from a shared pot is considered as an important feature of nabemono; East Asian people believe that eating from one pot makes for closer relationships. The Japanese thus say, Nabe (w)o kakomu (Èçã„ÇíÂõ?„ÇÄ„ÄÅ”sitting around the pot”), implying that sharing nabemono will create warm relations between the diners who eat together from the shared pot. (source: wikipedia)
A cozy way to pass a winters ‘eve, to be sure, to be sure.
Darcy
Darcy is 12 today. Tall, lanky, good-looking and a naturally gifted athlete, he is gonna win hearts when he starts getting interested in all that stuff. Which is gonna be pretty soon I reckon.
He’s my nephew. He calls me Aunty Party sometimes (actually something that Evie started I believe). I seem to have acquired a kind of Auntie Mame image which is amusing – I like being thought of as an eccentric bachelorette with a taste for parties. I also like that Auntie Mame was very fond of her nephew. Coz I am too. (I have 2 of them to be fond of, lucky me!)
When we talked on the phone last week, he begged me to come back to Oz for his birthday. Ouch. It sucks being so far away from them!
Happy Birthday Darcy, I love you! Make sure your Dad checks the Post Office Box every day till my present arrives. Evie’s is in there too – I’ve been a busy aunty.
Baby Jake wins hearts…
Jake is getting cuter every day.
Toothfaeries
Toothfaeries. Not just a fairy story!
I’m slowly catching up on the backlog of party pics from my time in Oz – there are truckloads of them, it’s quite daunting! These pics are just a few from the Toothfaeries reunion gig at The Zoo on Jan 5th – a few days before I flew back to Tokyo. It was an exceptional night full of the joy of life and old friends. You can see more – I hope – here.
The main star of these pic’s is a dear old friend, Grant. I was so happy to see him again, he’s got a kid now and is living in Melbourne working with street-kids and junkies as a counselor. I’m very proud of him.
The rest of the crew were all in fine form, and as much as things may change – some things will always stay the same. Hanging out in the band room that night made me feel like I had stepped back into 1998… except that we all look way more haggard these days. For those of you who didn’t know me back them, I should tell you that this band was my first foray into band management. I lived and breathed my job back then, and so these guys became like a family to me, as did The Zoo crew. So you understand how special this night was for all involved…
In other news, I have a four day weekend approaching. Gonna sleep like the dead. What is it about Tokyo that drives us to such spectacularly ambitious forms of self-abuse and overwork?
Oh, and did I mention that my gig as the photographer for the Australia Day Ball went off without a hitch? So proud of myself. More on that one soon…
Happy Birthday Evie!!! 3!!!
My wickedly angelic god-daughter turns 3 today. The most adorable little girl in the world!
Happy Birthday Evie!!! I love you!!!
The Roadtrip
Hello friends, are you still with me? I know it’s been a while but it only seems like a few days! So. I’m in Tokyo, nestling back into my cosy little house with a new vegie cookbook, a million chores to catch up on, fresh Kaldi coffee in the fridge and my full iTunes library. I got back on Tuesday, during a remarkably mild period – it was 12.5 degrees that day, but the coming forecasts scare me and I think I feel a healthy hibernation coming on. I’m back at work, eating well, avoiding alcohol and considering a detox.
2007 was a fantastic year for me, I have to say, although it did have the odd sour point too. Spending the past 6 or so weeks with my family and getting to catch up with so many old friends and family members during the Australian holiday was such a momentous occasion. The trip was important on so many levels, and I will be sharing many of the highlights with you over the coming weeks as I trawl through the photos and dig through my beer-soaked memory files.
In the mean time, please feel free to check out this ROADTRIP slideshow I made testing the slideshow generator at animoto. It’s made up of photos taken during the roadtrip I took from Mossman, in far north Queensland, to Maroochydore in the states south-east – a distance of around 1800 km. I had this idea about making a roadtrip slideshow after watching the awesome video Michael Gondry made of a cross-USA road trip. Of course, his video is way more awesome and well-planned than this little kindergarten piece… but I have to say I’m pretty happy with animoto – it’s a rather nifty little service though the photos seem to have degraded a little and maybe even been made a little fuzzy (?).
They told me I needed a long, legal song so I chose one of my favourite old songs – The Day Everything… – from the fabulous Rival Flight (a great band I used to manage) since I doubt they’ll sue me for copyright infringement. It’s a little dramatic but I like the effect and I think it makes for a nice little first slideshow video attempt.
Just remember, it’s 8:49 minutes of your life that you’ll never get back 
Oh, and I put a handful of new holiday pics up at Flickr. More to come.
