March 21-25 雀始巣 The Sparrow Builds her Nest

I'm really behind. Again. Trying to remember 3 weeks back is stupid and I really should have kept updating, as I do have things to write for each season, but I am just very bad at keeping a regular schedule for this.

Also related to how crappy I am at keeping in touch with friends. Yes, that means you.

So, looking back at my calendars (plural. I keep a pen/paper one on top of the one in my phone so I can cross-reference my analogue brain with my electronic reminders.)

Hmm, looks like I went to two concerts that week. One was from the last-minute ticket draws provided for International Students for the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, and the other was a Violin concert that my landlady gave me a free ticket to. I will not say "no" to free concerts.

The KSO played Ravel, finishing off with "Bolero". I was initially confused when the snare drummer moved from the back of the orchestra to sit dead centre between the woodwinds, but as the piece went on, I fully understood the extended applause she received at the end of the concert. It was amazing to witness this piece of music in a live concert. I highly recommend it to anyone if you get the chance.

I ended up dragging my housemate Mio along. Well, I invited her because I had two free tickets, and I thought it was something she would be interested in attending. Turns out Ravel is one of her favourite composers, but that also happened to be the only full day she had to spend with her boyfriend before she was to go on vacation for a week in Italy. After a night of deliberation, her boyfriend bought a single ticket to also see the same show, and she sat with me with my free tickets. Hee.

The second concert I went to I knew very little about, but it was held in an old bank atrium. The building itself was beautiful. I have a photo of that.

Something else I stumbled upon in my neighbourhood during the flowering season was an exhibition of the armoury at Kitano Tenmangu. At least that's what I think it was. From what I can understand, Japan's temples and shrines often have their own collection of national treasures, and in the case of Kitano Tenmangu (a stone's throw away from my place), they have a healthy collection of famous swords and blades. I know very little about such things, but decided on a whim to pay the entrance fee and take a look at these sacred objects so close to home. One thing I really appreciated was the drawings (photocopies?) beside each blade, indicating the identifying blade pattern (hamon) that is visible when held in angle to light.

These important cultural artifacts also have made their way into video games and have been anthropomorphized into animated boys, and these characters are so popular there are stage plays and musicals featuring these blades-as-young-men. I have no idea how or what kind of story can be told, but hey, apparently they're really popular with women. Maybe I'll find my way to see one of these and find out.