today

I wasn't keen on the idea of getting up at 7:30am yesterday to go to taiko, but didn't mind as much this morning, with my alarm set for the same time, to go to a brief music practice before playing my flute in both services (9am and 10:45am) in church today. I just play at the beginning, after Pastor Makito/ whoever's leading the service says welcome and immediately after the blessing at the end. But it's probably enough for now... I stand by my hypothesis that if you think something's going to be the same here as it is back home, then you're going to be mistaken but if you expect it to be different, then you'll be duely intrigued and interested. E.g. If you go to a French restaurant here, don't go expecting typical French food or portions. And if you expect Christmas cake, don't expect the traditional stuff, rather something different entirely [namely sponge cake with strawberries and cream].

In much the same vain, I somewhat stupidly thought that playing the flute in church here would be similar to back home. Well after a year of attending Rifu Church (Oasis Chapel), I'm now playing every week it seems. Which is good. But I shouldn't have expected it to be similar, as it's nothing like. E.g. back home -well take CCC as an example, there are usually loads of people in the band (as in King's Church Durham too). So whatever I play is usually disguised by the many other people. So i.e. I can pretty much play anything and no-one (including me) really notices if it sounds any good or not. [Now I know music in worship times is not necessarily about what it sounds like, rather than who it's for etc,] but I have realised, playing as I am with a single pianist and sometimes a singer, being very exposed, & that I need to gain or rediscover some skill.

This will be put to the test- as well as just playing regularly, by having agreed to try and write some harmonies for me and my clarinetist friend. I'm not actually sure she wants to play as she's quite busy and well occupied with Kids' Chapel & other things at the moment, but the pianist seems to think it'll be a good idea [well, it's his idea], so my harmony writing, transposition and general music skills will be put to the test this week.

Seems strange as for years now I've just enjoyed improvising. But maybe being exposed recently as made me see there's not much musicality to my improv! So maybe this harmony writing will help? Hmm, not sure if I'm going forwards or backwards with this. But I'll see how I go with this 'challenge' (a term the Japanese like to use, it seems) and just run with it for the moment. Any (musical) suggestions welcome, otherwise I might try and write up how it goes.

I like my clarinetist friend. She's studying history at uni and likes 'European history'. So much so she's trying to read an article in English that I can barely understand. If anyone's an expert on the British Empire's informal and formal expansion (or something), then please get in touch!

Also if you happen to be skilled at translating what you know into Japanese... ;)

I had 'garden tempura' for lunch today. The garden bit meant that I was in the garden- of the Hikichis, the lovely family who invite me over once a month or so for Sunday lunch. We set up a mini gazebo on the patio (am not quite sure why) and set up the folding picnic table inside, and ate lots of tempura (lightly deep fried veg and shrimp). Their 7 year old daughter- or maybe she's 8 now, was quite good company with her general childlike wanting to do lots of different things to stay occupied. Including finding insects in the garden, feeding me a tiny tomato picked from the vine, making pictures out of stones on the ground and writing the Japanese kanji next to it- [We're on about the same level for somethings- neither of us could remember how to write 'car'...], playing the piano and attempting card tricks.

Had better go and do something useful. In the time I've been online, Haruka's probably done a zillion things in the same space of time...