Vi har, som alltid, ätit så god mat, så enkelt o ändå inte.
Airport day 2
Got in yesterday. Since my flight was cancelled, I hoped for the late evening one. So did quite a few other travellers. Everywhere I looked there were people sitting, or standing in line. Ah the lines, the ques. Hours and hours just to find out you are on a waiting list for the next flight, that might fly. Only maybe tho.
So no flights out, almost to anywhere, snow keeping coming, and more passengers arriving all the time. Like a pool of piss forming when tha drain is clogged we have multiplied over the last 24 hrs. Everywhere lines, ques.
And the walking.
Stand in line for really long (making friends with a couple of travellers), then go to gate, then wait, then see the terrifying Cancelled-sign pop up…walk back (and Frankfurt airport is quite big…lots of walking) and get in line again, only this time hundreds of new passengers being added.
Finally, after 4 hours of hotel-sleep, back here @ 0530, I decided to stand in the train-line instead. Only 3 hrs. Got one of the few last train tickets out of this insanity.
Will be back home tomorrow afternoon (if train doesnt get stuck in the snow, that is continuing to fall, ofcourse).
My luggage?
No clue.
I gave a woman a paper with my luggage number and my adress. Will I ever see my clothes and xmas gifts ever again?
But even if this suck big time, there is something in it.
Travelling might not be so good after all.
One must choose trips more carefully.
Its clear that the system is fully set to run smooth, and then it does, but when something gets in its way…it all fails, and it fails like a motherfucker!
There are long distance travellers in those halls who have been here since Thursday, families, kids…when I asked for my luggage, the woman said ”I would love to get your bag for you, but its in there among aprox 20.000 others so i dont think I can find it”.
We both smiled.
For what its worth, my experience is that the Lufthansa people have been supernatural in their way of dealing with the chaos and irritated people and everything. Taxis, hotels, water and food for everyone, even clowns and santas doing tricks for tired kids.
It seems that they all have at least a PhD in Behavoral Science and Psychology .
It makes for another point: whatever hi-tech stuff we have, computers, mobiles, www, and all other gagdets that makes our world function, the most crucial is still, and will probably always be, how we deal with real human interaction. How we understand when someone really really needs a hug, a glas of water or just a thanx.
No sleek i-product is ever going to be able to replace that.
Well done Lufthansa.
Saturday. Frankfurt airport.
This goes out in english for my english-speaking friends, @ TGU and everywhere.
It is afternoon in Europe. And chaos. Something has been not som good with the weather, so now 600 people are pushing and pulling in line to rebook tickets and flights. I doubt I will get home tonight.
Last night was finishing day and night in Tokyo.
Great day!
Presentation of projects turned out really really well and inspiring, and the getogetherwas turned into dinner party with students and teachers and it was real sweet. Good food and good drinks.
qiute a few good drinks.
dinner party turned into bar night with more food, more drinks, more laughter and the great ideas for the future. Good timing when bars closed I got my stuff and got on the train for Shinjuku - Narita.
Slept on most of the flight, had five bottles of water, some food.
Frankfurt: reality check, flight cancelled.
Winter has killed the easy smooth flight mode, and turned it all into a big sweaty sleep over party (hundreds of beds are set out in hallways).
Looking back: Tuesday; walks in Kichijoji and and check at the Seitei University library, very trekky with bubbles in large void where students can sit and study. Futurama.
After that, long walk to shrine, my feet were crying, and after that a visit at home at my friend/colleague; very nice, to see how he lives and meet his wife and one daughter. I am very happy that happend.
Then hitting the train making my way to Aoyama-Itchitome station and find hotel Asia Center of Japan, very nice place. Wonderful to rest on soft bed and rest my dying feet (event ho I bought new sneakers, AirMax, before the trip to not make the same mistake as last spring in Paris…walked and walked, and fucked my feet up for months after that…).
Post-rest: walked out in the good Tokyo night, walked Tokyo midtown, a large high price west flirt with Starbucks and fancy silk clothing. Shiny cars and shiny people. Qiute boring place in a way, but also nice to have around on your trip for language, money exchange reasons.
In Midtown i did a check at Design Hub, good little place, some floors up i n large buildning. There were some product designers showing things. Interesting.
The two most interesting were these I think, one for its colors, and idea of visualising network, the other for its simplicity. I like simplicity.
Then Mojitos at A971, midtown western style bar with mostly australian buisinessmen.
I walked. For some time. Small streets and alleys. All the time someone wanting to sell me girls. Small bar (no name, only BAR) with 10 seats, almost full, with middle age japanease men and women. Saphire Tonic.
Left and made my way to the hotel, after a stop at Spunky Gold, beer.
Slept like a dead.
(At the airport my line is moving some 1 meter per minute…which is not even close to enough for me to catch my nxt flight in 2,5 hour…)
Wednesday. Just made it to breakfast before 10, then out in the city. Train to Omemotosando to catch a glimpse of the Herzog & Meuron Prada Building, to pass that and happend to find Utrecht, a small graphic design shop/gallery/café, with lots of fanzines, mags, and coffee. I love it and cry over it not being at home.
Dont miss Design Hub, in Midtown.
Then a lots of walking, hours and hours, in Harajuku (stepped by gallery space Vacant, where David Byrne is showing some paintings and things. Ok interesting show, space really nice tho. (also here one could get coffee). Jag gick vilse. Det gjorde inget.
Back to hotel, rest 30 minutes.
Then pull an arrogant stupidity and say ok to meet some friends at Shinjuku, the largest subway station in the world…lost again. (acctually I said, dont worry, how hard can it be…?)
running like a madman to find the right exit out of it seems hundreds.
Get it finally, they only had to wait 30 min (sorry) and then we went for drinks and food i Shinjuku. Very nice. Good food, good talks, good drinks. Caught the last train back,.
Thursday. In time for breakfast. Feet like paté.
Exhibition day:
21_21 Design Sight: reality Lab, where Issey Miaky has put together a team for the project, and then researched for new materials and new ways to do everything, to create new clothes, new ways of looking at clothes (and stuff). To make it in a good environmently friendly way,. The whole research process and how they did it all and folded paper and were hungry to know things…I cried a little bit. Best show in a long time.
Mori Tower: fabulous view. Over the urban sprawl that never ends. Not perticulary interesting art. Odani Motohiko, a manish man that made big stuff. There were som spines, it seeming to be out of bones…making new spieces…I guess it would have been interesting, but it felt like we have seen it. He had made a waterfall tho that was very nice. An octagonal box one walked in to, with waterfall projected on all walls, mirrors on floor and ceiling. A light Bill Viola-ish experience, but still very nice.
ggg: Graphic design playing in 3d with numbers and letters. Kool, and inspiring in a way, but not mindblowing.
Koyanagi: Rioji Ikeda. Hyper minimalist. I saw him first time in Gothenburg art biennale 6 years ago. Liked it hen , liked it now. It is so so minimal, numbers and counting. And a very high pitch sound.
It feels like the airport tody actually. Numbers and numbers, and a sound.
He gives an audio-visual story of humanity.
After that train back to Kokubunji, meeting with friends colleauges and students.
Dinner @ the Hong Kong.
Friday early morning with a little shopping for kids, lunch, then the final presentations of the workshop projects. Impressive.
The rest from Friday and on you already know.
so I am still in line, barely moving. Ofcourse it sucks being here with no flight, but on the other hand, this is the human weak spot; we can not deal with things not working. It will be our fall.
In a public restroom I read:
If time went backwards, we would be raped in our ass by our own shit.
So. I guess thats where it is.
And when it is all good and clear (I havent even started to worry about my luggage), and I get home. Then more things from this exciting experiense will come. Like the hundreds of photos. So great to be able to fire away and not think…wondrful.
and the food.
ahh, the food.
at the sayonara-party there were Hong-Kong-dumplings (world #1!!) brought to the party (Thank you so very much!).
Tokyo
Dag 1
Landar på Narita efter närmare 20 timmars resa. Nattens flygning var behaglig, lugn, men med film tomatjos vin och mat istället för sömn.
Sol och hög luft. Blå himmel.
Tåg från flygplatsen, byte, tåg ut till Kokobunji. Två timmar sammataget.
Framme, känner igen mig, hittar vägen nu, vet vart jag ska. Tar en espresso på Starbucks och promenerar på de smala gatorna, mellan de tätt liggande villorna, alla med fördragna gardiner. Väldigt ptivat.
Kommer lagom till lunch. Balanserar bricka med 10 olika saker jag inte vet vad de heter eller hur de smakar. Är vrålhungrig, tar för mycket, äter hälften.
Letar upp min kollega.
Det tar en stund, han är någon annanstans.
Får rumsnyckel och betalar, går till rummet o lägger mig en timme.12 grader i rummet, som att ligga i ett kylskåp, inget varmvatten.
Kommer tillbaka till kontoret stel som en robot.
Möte om kursen. Planering och diskussion om hur och vad och när.
Contemporary art is about thinking.
Tre ordpar: main & sub, growth & support, adult & child
Detta skall studenterna jobba med.
Sen går det undan, studenterna har vernissage på en utställning om rymden; ett samarbete med astronomer, ost o vin o skål o presentera o hejhej o alla glada.
En fin utställning, mycket jobb.
Sen middag, alla vindögda av trötthet.
I säng vid tiotiden.
Sömn, den första på länge.
Dag2
Sovmorgon. Ris och lax till frukost ute i solen.
Till kontoret fixa internet (inte det lättaste visar det sig, mycket proxy), göra klart föreläsning, leta bilder, greja powerpoint.
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Föreläsningen gick bra. Svårt att vara tydlig och samtidigt få med saker som känns viktiga när publiken knappt förstår engelska. Prata långsamt, ta om, säga igen.
Det hela gick ändå bra.
Försökte mig på idén om att konst kan vara:
[art can be] metaphore for living
Life is not always beautyful
Art is not always beautyful
Ur en diskussion vi hade innan, om att mycket av den japanska konsten ligger på ytan, och är fin o rolig o vacker, men sällan tar tag i svårare frågor.
Det är vår utmaning för veckan.
Jag prövade också:
[life] react + idea + action + context + communication
Jag är inte helt säker, jag tog det i farten, men kanske flyger det, vi får se.
Studenterna fick med sig hem att tänka på What do you want to change?
Alla glada, om möjligt något förbryllade.
Middagsparty på HongKong (närmaste kinesrestaurangen, den bästa i världen står det på skylten, svårt att säga, men det smakar mycket bra. Alla kommer hit, när vi var där satt studenter vid ett bord, vi vid ett tillsammans med forskarstuderande och universitetets vice president vid ett tredje bord. Bra stämning.)
O skål o mat o skål igen och vidare till Yakitori och grillspett o saké o skål o hej och nya trevliga människor o stanna länge med en av kollegorna o lära sig många nya saker om den japanska kulturen.
Hemma sent.
Dag 3
Lite ofrivillig sovmorgon, nötter och grapejos till frukost.
Gruppdiskussion med deltagarna i projektet. 13 stycken plus lärare. Över förväntan bra. Efter två timmar var en trave ämnen samlade och de rörde sig ungefär i samma sfärer som hemma; massmedia, behovet av mer ansiktstid istället för bara mobil och internet, traditioner, miljö (varför köper vi vatten på flaska när vi har jättebra dricksvatten?), genus och våld i hemmet.
Det var onekligen rejäla ämnen att bita tag i, vi adderade ett ordpar: safe & unsafe
Lunch. Ett litet litet nudelhål i väggen. Tio platser vid en disk, betala i en maskin först, vänta, få maten när det blev ledig plats. Jag var hungrig, men inte utsvulten så jag tog en liten skål…och fick den största lilla portion nudlar jag någonsin har sett!
Det var en middag för tre. Runt mig såg jag hur de andra sörplade i sig hela sin skål på 8 minuter blankt, och själv fick jag kämpa för att ens komma ner till hälften, och sekunden som vi började prata lite, för att det knappt fanns plats för mer mat, tittade kocken på mig och sa please focus on your ramen, we dont have many chairs.
Jag orkade inte mer.
På eftermiddagen har studenterna arbetat i mindre grupper, med ordparen och diskussionen som bas, för att hitta ingångar i hur de kan arbeta med gestaltning av sina idéer. De skall arbeta utomhus, inom universitetsområdet.
Ikväll: lugn o tidig säng.
Dag4 (söndag)
Jag kunde inte sova. Tog en lång promenad i Kokobunji, längs gator med folk o gator utan folk, mellan hus och förbi nattöppna 7-11.
Skönt att röra på sig.
Idag: Utomordentligt väder. Sol och blå himmel.
Svårt att komma ur sängen. Sovit 11 timmar.
Studenterna arbetar snabbt och spännande saker växer ur deras projekt. Objekt, film, perfomance. Nu har vi handlett färdigt, resten av veckan arbetar de själva. Presentation på fredag.
En fin cykeltur genom Kokobunji på lunch till ett fullsatt Sushi-på-löpande-band-ställe.
Så gott. Så mycket.
Svårt att sluta när de godaste sakerna bara kommer rullande.
