This weekend a fellow house mate of mine, Mariko, invited me to go see her aunt's art exhibition in Kobe. I was down for what ever, so I graciously accpeted her offer. We woke up late on saturday and took the Hankyu Line down to Osaka, transfered at Katsura, and finally got off at Shinomiya Station in Kobe. All together the trip took roughly an hour and a half and only cost 600 yen (eachway). I am still getting used to living in a country with an extermely convenient, effecient, and affordable public transportation system. When we got off the train I saw a man in a dark purple suit standing next to a bright white chicken with one of those nasty flaps of skin on it's head . . . a rooster I guess; 'So this is Kobe', I thought to myself.
After winding through the unfamiliar streets of the city we finally found the venue in which Mariko's aunt's work was being shown. The space was very cool, but I felt that it would have been much better if it were at night and there was cheese and wine and things. However, it was 1300 and cheese is damn expensive in Japan. All of the paintings in the exhibition shared a common theme: women, fat women, partying hard, one way or another. There were fat women playing music, drinking (almost in every piece), laughing, flying and what ever else jolly females do when they get together on a crowded canvas. The whole time I was waking around the venue I couldn't help but think of my first art teacher, Karen. She would have loved this place, maybe the paintings, I couldn't say, but if she hadn't like the paintings she certainly would have enjoyed the ample books on ceramics they were displaying, I space out on those books for a while, let me tell you.
After a nice lunch in the city (which was definitely not Kobe beef, because it costs so much money I can't impress it upon you enough) we strolled around the streets looking at the older European houses that Kobe is known for. They are indeed beautiful, but paintfully out of context, which is the case for alot of architecture in Kobe. After the catastrophic earthquake that hit Kobe in 1995, the city underwent an intense period of rebuilding, literally from the ground up. I felt alot of sorrow walking through the smaller streets of Kobe, passing house after house thinking that I could have been anywhere in the world. I think my conciousness was weighed down by these familiar looking buildings because I had finally started to become accustom to a country widely recognized for its impressive and unique architecutre. However, the city is still beautiful and full of life amidst an increasing international presence. At one of the more famous German houses I saw a street artists showcasing some calligraphy. HIs finished product style yielded some oohs, and aaaawes, yet it was his unorthodox style of holding the brush and the way in which he used the brush tip that caught my eye.
After our leisurely jaunt we headed to the so-called China Town of Kobe. OH! on the way to China Town I stumbled across the Ohel Shelomo Synagogue, which is apparently, the headquarters for the Jewish Community of Kansai. I was really happy. Essentially, the China Town of Kobe was two or three squares blocks of street food and Chinese super markets, no residents or anything. I'm not saying that I was ungrateful, the street food was awesome and they even had a small plaza with statues of all the animals of the Chinese calender-in my other life I AM a rabbit.
We headed to the Port of Kobe after we had exhausted ourselves in China Town. Kobe tower was pretty . . . tall, ha-every major city in Japan has a tower, Kyoto Tower, Tokyo Tower and yes, Kobe too. We walked through the ridiculous mall with the biggest public cafeteria I had ever seen in my life. We rode the roller coaster at the end of the pier, I could barely fit into the damn thing, seriously, I almost felt fat, but I knew it was because my frame was too big for the roller coaster seats. Regardless, but not chest-gaurdless, the roller coaster was a much needed get away from the super grown up life I have been living lately . . . right? That was pretty much the conclusion of my trip to Kobe, the first of many I hope.
I finished a book two nights ago, Haruki Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". I loved the book, to the last page. It was easy to read and too hard to put down, so read it seriously, all of you. Murakami is a master of enthralling story lines, intricate character developent, imagery, emotion and the natural conglomeration of all of the above.
I made sushi tonight with the salmon I just got from my folks in the mail, THANK YOU MOM AND DAD. I am fat and happy right now, really, feeling great.
In light of my recent excursion in Kobe, I'd like to shout out to my first art teacher Karen Kosoglad. I still throw pots with her every year and I cherish that skill that she has helped me attain and even more the relationship that has grown that process.
Until next time all. Enjoy the photos.
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