08/08/2010 - A traditional Japanese Dinner

Yesterday night, we got a good idea: My friends will trouw a nice good bye dinner for me with traditional cloths. This means with Kimono or Jokurta. I worn a Kimono when I was a geisha. So, I know, it is really hot and difficult to wear. Next to it, it is expansive, so I decide I will wear a Jokurta. A jokurta is a traditional japanese bath robe. It was worn to get to the bath or to wash yourself. Nowadays, it is appropriate to wear it in public and for official events. In difference to the Kimono, it is worn without underwear (= without the 5 layers of cloths). It is pretty light and still looks somehow like a kimono.
So, the sister of my friend picked me up in the noon to go with me and her family to buy a new Jokurta. In Kyoto those traditional dresses are very popular and you see a lot of men and women wearing it on the street. Therefoer, they sell them also in shopping malls. Lucky for me, they have sales at the moment and I can get a complete set of dress, belly loop and shoes for 6800 Yen. They have a lot of different colors and patterns and it is really hard to choose one of them. Finaly, I choose a cute pink one and a yellow belly loop. It looks amazing and my friend also buyes himself a new one. The kids are getting tired and we have to pick the up in the game zone. Oh my god.. I never saw such a game zone in a shopping mall... thousands of machines and computers, thousands of yelling kids, music, lights and tralala. It is really too much for normal adults. but the kids love it. We went fast with the kids to a sushi restaurant, where we have a light lunch. It is so cute, they have a kind of happy meal for children: different sushis, french fries and orange juice.
After that it is already time to go home, take a shower, making my hair and getting dressed. Luckily, one of the girls from my dorm took some classes in traditional Japanse culture and knows how to wear a Jokurta. So she help me to get in it and fix it.
Than, I went trough the street to find the restaurant. I feel very beautiful with that dress. The restaurant is a very high class establishment and we have a place (no table) outside on the terrasse with view over the river. The fresh breeze is perfect in the hot weather and we enjoy a perfect evening. We are traditional sitting on pillows and everyone has a small table in fron of him /her for the food. After a while, the sitting gets a bit complicated :) but it is really nice. The owner of the restaurant is a member of my club, so he join us and gives us a great menue of 12 dishes, all absolutly tasty. After the long dinner, we decide that we went all together to sing some karaoke. It is so much fun! In Japan karaoke is a private thing. This means, there are no public bars, where everyone grab the microphone and sings. We order a room, which is only for us with "all dirnks inclusive". It is amazing how good they can sing! And how much they enjoy. they are really freaking out with some songs. Unfortunatly, i cannot sing that well... and they are a bit dissappointed that I am so bad in singing and do not know any lyriks and so. But for the next time, I will train :-)
After the karaoke, we went to the bar we also ended up yesterday morning and go on with our party... somewhen in the early morning, I was tired and went to bed, to get a bit fresh before I go to my first training in Akashi. Kyoto was a great time!

07/08/2010 (2) - In the Zen temple

My friends are amazing. After my Geisha shoot, they pick me up and arrange for me a visit in a very private Zen temple. Normally this temple is closed for public, but a friend is a friend of the priest and so I am a llowed to enter the beautiful temples.
The other tourists around are looking a bit jalous, and, yes, they have reason for it. It is a wonderful place. The zen master took his time and showed me around. Beautiful 700 years old paintings, springs and trees. I was allowed to see the very special and holy imperail gate, which is only used if the imperer is arriving. That was 2 times in the last 400 years. When ever the imperer is coming, the zengardens have to be new structured and new sand is used, that the empoerer can walk on a new surface. He explained me the meaning of old zengardens. Detailed aranged stones, which have to be rearragend every morning new by one of the 3 training monks.
He takes me with in the very old teahouse, and showed me the traditional tea ceremony and the meaning behind it.

It was wunderful. And after it, we went all together to a very small japanese restaurant /bar. The boys ordered all the food on the menue and lots of sake. We have had great fun and I was eating a lot of strange but tasty things. The most strange one was the eye of a fish. For real. They said, this has a lot of collagen and therefore it is very good for my skin to eat it. I just trust and try everything. The exe was not bad in taste. But also not outstanding good. Normal. I was very surprised, that the pupil was hard. I thought it is just a hole in the eye, but it is a small black hard ball. like a little pearl and -for me- not eatable.

07/08/2010 I am a Geisha

I went today to my Geisha - Transforming. In fact, I did not get a transforming to a geisha, but to a maiko. A maiko is the trainee geisha. In opposite to a geisha wears the meiko colorful kimonos. I love colors and I love geishas, so I decided I want to do this maiko transofrmation.
I researched a studio last month in the internet and I was a bit shocked by the prices. But... I really want this, so I think, I deserve it.

To be well prepared, IO did not went out last night and get awake very early to go to my studio. The studio is in the old Kyoto district, which is famous for a lot of geishas. Well, I am not sure, if the plenty geishas, people see and picture there are real geishas, or as me, tourist who make this styling :) But the scenery is wonderful. I arrived there after a long walk in the heat and felt like a princess. I got a thing bathrobe and have had to change. I also get those socks with the seperate toe (for the "geisha-flip flops") and than I went to the make up.

They make my face and neck with 2 differnt white creams white and than a bit rose. I got some niche eye make up, new pink eyebrows and red lips. After that, I could choose my kimono and got the dressing.
This dressing is really effort. There are severyl layers and towels they use to hide the breast.The funny thing is, they hide the brest, by putting towels on your tommy. So, after all you are fat like a barrel. :-) Than the put me the beautiful kimono on, and the belt and the loop of the back and the underskirt. Than I got my faked hai and the assessoires like shoes, bag and all the nice flowerthings they have in their hair. Puh... It was heavy and hot ans soooooo beautiful!

After the dressing, I went out with my fotographer and she took somke pictures with me infront of some houses and trees and in the street. A lot of people were fascinated and took fotos of me.

It was really surprising for me how difficult it was to walk in that geisha shoes. And I have had the not high ones.... Ususally I have always 8 cm high heeels, or higher, so I thought, walking with that cute shoes would be no problem.. but it was really hard to keept the balance :)

And I was sweating... it was soooo hot! I was really happy when I could take all the nice clothers off afterwards and feel the nice cold of the aircondition on my legs.

An amazing experience!!!!!! I loved it!

06/08/2010 - Kyoto in Old Japanese Style

Japan has fantastic fast trains. The Shinkansen train is faster than our ICE in Germany. Long distances can be done in less than 1 hour. But therefore, this train is super expansive. So, I decided not to take 1h train, but doing a 9h night bus ride. Very unconfortable, but finally I arrived in Kyoto.

Kyoto is a medium sized city in Japan. I guess round about 1.5 million people. So, I arrived there, smelling, tired and with only 25 kg luggage. I found out, that there is a airport luggage delivery service in Japan, and so, I could sent my 30 kg suitcase from Tokyo to my final airport in Osaka for only 25€.... How great!!! I feel so... easy :)
Nevertheless, I have had to cross half of Kyoto to get to my hostel. When I arrived there, noone was there. So I wait until someone opened me the door. Unfortunately, the alarm started and I have had no clue how to switch it of. So the alarm stayed on for the next hour, while I tried to sleep a bit on the couch in the lounge (what is is strictly forbitten).
Somewhen the desk was open, I stored my luggage, took a shower and went with a nice guy from Newzealand into the city to buy some gifts for my JCI friends. We crossed the imnperial garden, went in for 5 meters, shot some pictures and went on. The same with the castel and severy temples... We were just too tired and sweaty for sight seeing. but we shot great pictures and I am very happy I have had my semi professional camera!
Later I visit a frined and his family for a BBQ. He has had his 4 kids and the 2 babies of his sister with him. I am highly surprised. Japanse kids are so nice and happy, never fighting or crying. And the steaks were exellent! :-)