Glen Kaufman
2012: Kobo-san Market
September 24, 2012
Kyoto
Travel Notes + 1st September Kyoto Days
9/18 Early arrival @ ATL from Days Inn, quick check in and time for breakfast at Pascal’s: biscuits and gravy!, scrambled and coffee. Boarded plane on time, pulled away, stopped with announcement of engine problem. Back to gate for an extended period of time. 2+ hours later we were given meal vouchers, allowed off the plane. Re-boarded with a credit voucher and were told Osaka passengers need not worry as this same plane would be taking us there. (Questionable good news!) It is now close to a 4-hour delay and the repair is not completed. “Osaka passengers grab all your belongings. We are sending you via Korean Air.” This meant travel from the T gates to the F gates, the most distance possible. KE staff was very helpful. I got a ‘real’ exit seat at no extra cost with lots of legroom and convenience. Beautiful plane interior, individual screen with lots of movies/TV/music/news/etc., elegant flight attendants with constant smiles! Drink and meal choices limited but adequate. 14+ hours to Inchon with transfer to another flight to Osaka (KIX). I will give this routing serious consideration in future, as KE is, like Delta, a Skyteam member. What a difference!! Delta, wake up to the world.
9/19 Inchon: I didn’t know if emails would go through at the airport, as messags there were confusing!! I wanted to let Koichi know about my delay so he could contact MK Airport Van for my ride to Kyoto. (Instead of Delta arriving at 3:30 pm I was arriving on KE at 9 pm.) But classy new Inchon airport, huge, modern not too confusing with features similar to KIX, which was designed by Lorenzo Piano who did the addition to the High in Atlanta. Another hour until boarding so parked with a scone & ice coffee. Boarded on time, had another meal.
KIX On time arrival but immigration took forever with only a few agents. Bags were already off the conveyer, customs and money exchange was rapid and I wheeled my overloaded cart at top speed to MK kiosk. Yes, I was on the list and finally got to the house at 12:30 am!
9/20 Yes, well how did I feel the next day? Frankly, tired, jet lagged, disappointed to see how the gardeners had denuded the front and back gardens! I was not surprised, as I know their attack mode, especially on our plants, which have been free to grow for years untouched. They missed the middle garden that I look out on now at the laptop. The nandina and camellia are in full glory. I am so pleased about that!! Actually, after a closer look, when everything leafs out, it will be an improvement
I hate change, I guess. It was hot and uncomfortable and I was a bit cranky. I was in a funk. All the unpacking and putting things away is daunting and I put it off for a while. It took awhile for me to ease back into the routine here. Kyoto joy had not yet given me the hug I needed.
Things were looking up later. Can’t really explain that morning funk but I had a day to work out that initial discontent. Shopping twice, long conversation with housemate Seiki and then my cocktail hour with wine, snacks and the news in English followed by 1st cooked Japanese meal. Hot politics going on here where parties elected their leaders in the coming week. Noda-sorediajin (that big guy?) is still prime minister, for the time being.
Maybe I’m just slowing down and can’t adapt as quickly as I once did. When I did the Study AB program I was involved with some of the students the night we arrived and hit the road running the next day for a whole week. I could never do that now.
9/21 This was the 1st of the big flea markets at the Toji Temple (Kobo-san) and I met old friend Kiyo with a look around at most of the stalls and had breakfast at the cafe’ in the temple grounds. We have our routine well established and I am always learning something from him about Japanese craft (his major was lacquer work in University), art and culture. After our ‘morning set’ with a view of the pond with its colorful koi and a small flock of ducks, I went back to look around a bit and Kiyo went off to his university to teach a class. There is a whole section of plant sellers and I bought some small mum plants in pinks and whites for next to our front door. I picked up another item for a friend in the Athens and headed home on a very crowded bus. I planted the mums in pots and did a little weed pulling in the front garden.
Later that day I stopped by GalleryGallery to see a show that came down on Saturday and met several artists I know with tales to exchange. I met Kiyo again and Ko-chan and we went to our favorite Italian (not Japanese!) for my welcome back to Kyoto dinner. Too much food but it was a great first “day on the town”.
9/22 Koichi’s oldest son, Kyosuke, played baseball in an elimination game at a park not far from my house. It is right up against some small western mountains. I passed a rice field on the way where the rice was being harvested with a small combine among houses and a busy street. There are 4 diamonds back-to-back in this park so a long base hit or homer is often in another team’s territory. Kyosuke played left outfield so he was mixed up with other players on occasion. He was up to bat twice and struck out both times. His team lost by a huge margin and thus they are out of the final showdown.
In the afternoon I went to the Kyoto City Museum to see a textile show “AUF “ with work inspired by the German Aufheben meaning “to lift up”, “to abolish” or “to sublate”. Confused? I certainly was and have yet to figure it all out. One artist’s work was really interesting but most of the rest was a disaster! Next I went to a small gallery in a traditional old Kyoto house in the Gion District to see a show of Jun Mitsuhashi whom I have known for over 25 years. Jun has a delightful sense of humor; uses color so well and did an exhibition of books he has read transforming them in a variety of ways. It was great to see him and his work again.
9/23 It started out as a rainy day and much, much cooler with the morning spent at home finishing the unpacking and the afternoon shopping in the neighborhood concluding at our local mall, Qanat (kanato), with 3 floors of shopping, including a ¥100 ($1.25) shop and 4th level for parking. There is a central 3-story atrium with a multi-purpose space on the B level with a Live Jazz event about to begin. The Yamaguchi Band with guitar, stand up bass (the real tall one) played by Thomas, a non-Japanese, and bongo drums included jazz standards plus some original numbers. Great fun.
9/24 This day was my first walk along Takano gawa in the early morn. Rain had cooled the temps and filled the river to a level not seen last June when it was very, very low. The embankments had recently been trimmed and all looked neat and tidy. I saw only one white wading bird, which was unusual. The first of the coral colored September lilies (“Naked Ladies”) are popping up. I picked up the I.H. Tribune and had my usual ice coffee at Lotteria. This will be a day at home concentrating on finishing the framing of the last few collages with frames I brought on this trip.
9/25 The 2nd Flea market at the Kitano Shrine and I did it solo as Kiyo was teaching. I had good luck with super cheap red juban (under kimono) to add to the growing collection for some future project. I see vast numbers floating freely in a clean gallery space. After that some more small purchases to plant in pots at the front door, searching for the compact fan I need for the show opening here on 10/20 and other explorations. My one-day bus pass was nearly worn out by the end of the day.
I’m off to a very good start!
GK