Monday 19 June 2006

Kabuki II

There are many drafts about kimono waiting to be posted but I need to work on the pictures because they all look weird and I want to talk about Kabuki afternoon because I am totally, utterly in love.... *sigh*
It was so beautiful, so different and seeing it in real life (in stead of short pieces on the web) made me feel so inspired and happy. Realizing yet again I need to get my life back and go out more, go back to the museum and the theatre do the things I love and yes if I have too, alone, it’s better then sit on the couch and look at Kabuki, samurai and theatre DVD’s or web-pages on my own... No?
Yes I think so.
Of course dreaming about samurai and geisha while watching gorgeous Japanese movies is just fine and good too, but seeing real life "samurai" is even better. I should not talk about the real life samurai, but he did make a big impression. Never mind.

I went all fan-girlish and bought a fan with a poem or is it a haiku? I need to ask my friend to please translate... because I forgot to write down the translation... I did ask Japanese people in the theatre but they weren’t very creative they translated literally and I do not think that was how it should have been done... My dear friend is a creative writer so she might do a better job.
*Blush* I am very grateful to you all for helping me with the translation!
I also showed my "male" fan to a lady asking if she could translate the kanji on it. There is a wonderful sumi-e painting on the fan of a landscape and some writing, but there is writing on the wood too and the wood smells like sandal-wood, very nice. They could not read it, they thought it was Korean or Chinese... hum but the fan came from Japan... Never mind, they said it was very wonderful, valuable and nice.. but.... for a man. Well still going to keep the fan... or give it to the real life samurai with the nice smile? If I ever see him again.
I have my Ebizo fan *swoon*

The kabuki was dreamlike. Fuji Musume was so sad... when it started I almost cried, how in the world won’t a man write back to such a pretty gorgeous lovely lady? (Then again, very like real life. Men can be brutes and totally forget about us... We don´t want to wait for a letter! But hihi, we do) Ebizo moved so delicately, showing sadness in a lovely subtle way, maybe because I try to work with this in my own work it moved me so much. Kasane was easier to understand, but I loved the subtlety of Fuji Musume, it reached right into my soul. Though, the drama of Kasane was very gripping and I like drama too, so everything was just so… moving. It’s wonderful to see, so much meaning, so much expression in one very small gesture… I keep dreaming…

I read on the web that Ebizo Ichikawa XI is not even the best, that there are Onnagata yet even more delicately, more touching... So what will happen if I would ever get to see one of them? One of the specialist? I’ll cry a river? Hmmm might be a good thing ^_^ I am saving for Japan and... yes will go see kabuki in Japan, sure...
Oh the costumes! The wigs! The make-up how I whish my make-up will ever look that perfect. I am going to start and practice again... didn’t do make-up and kimono pictures in ages, it’s a shame really!

There where ladies in kimono! I wanted to go in kimono but it was kind of warm and I didn’t have the courage to go in the train wearing kimono, I should have gone earlier so I could have changed at sisters and then I would have been kimono lady too... the lady from the fan said I would look great in kimono, why didn’t I wear one? Oh *cry* why am I so shy why do I care what people might think? I love to wear kimono! ok next time. I will get tickets for the premier (I hope, or I should not forget to buy myself one... need to put in agenda...) of a play "Zijde" (Silk) And they used the wedding kimono from the store... yes, I will go in kimono! Now to find a date who will like to take a kimono clad lady.
And, next Sunday there will be a world festival in the city I live in so I might, if I am home on time go to that wearing kimono, I need to be brave, I am brave ^_^

4 comments:

Twinkle said...

U r really into Japanese culture.For me, after reading "Geisha" and "Geisha of Gion-The Memoir of Mineko Iwasaki with Rande Brown", that's all I know. But one thing in similarity, u really appreaciate Japanese garment. As for me, I appreciate "kebaya nyonya". It's a traditional costume from Malaysia. u can check it out at my blog at www.twinkleiris.blogspot.com.

I really enjoy reading ur blog. It is worth of checking it daily.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for your kind words!
I checked your blog and you are from Malaysia? How great 10 years ago I was in Malaysia and loved it, really beautiful and pleasant. I do not remember seeing one of those gorgeous dresses you showed (only sarong) Are these kebaya nyonya worn for special occasions only now-days? I think it looks wonderful, well I think most national dresses are wonderful especially when they are still worn in daily life...
Thank you for reading my kimono babblings ^_^

Anonymous said...

Sorry, Mommy said she hasn't looked at it yet when I talked to her on Monday.

Unknown said...

Oh that is ok... it will be soon enough ^_^