Day 5 Monday 14th October

This will be initially equally brief , see previous post!

Today, I started the day by oversleeping, then part way through ablutions realised that the timetable was not as I thought, kick off was 8.30 not 9 as I had thought!  Thankfully I only missed speeches of Welcome by the Mayor and another dignitary, so narrow escape! 

Next the opening address by Jennie Parry. Although I have heard several talks by Jennie, there was still new to me content and the audience lapped it up. Very good photos of her obsession with the takadai, exhibition pieces etc and the story which covers many years and 17 scrupulously well kept notebooks.

I am in awe of her discipline, let alone her talent!

Classes started about 10 ish, but a degree of confusion followed, but eventually things settled down and the sounds of heavy concentration filled the air. My tutor, Gil Dye, a noted Brithish lacemaker was one of the stranded so we had a late replacement named Reiko. I had admired her work I. The exhibition and was reassured that the class wasn’t going to disappoint. Her passion is 3D lace and tomorrow we are starting to make a flower.....watch this space! It is about 38 years since I did bobbin lace, but as we are only 3 students, others being taken away to do admin, or not arrived, so we are certainly getting close attention even if communication is a tad trying!

My fellow students are a Japanese and an American - Kathy Walker, so Lesley, I can now confirm it was she who I had spoken to last evening about Complex Weavers, so I am in extremely good company!

The bazaar was good and bad....lovely silks and other niceties, but bad as my money flew out of my purse so fast I hardly knew I was spending! Must be controlled when we get a second shot on Thursday!

Returned to hotel to do homework prep for tomorrow, phone calls, food, tea and photo back up etc and finally blog.  Now sleep calls so night night all.  Be patient, I will blast you with pictures soon, it is hairy as I am using two cameras and my phone and annoyingly tonight I have deleted things by mistake and don’t think they are elsewhere. Just shows what tiredness does! They were on my phone but don’t think they are on the cloud! All this techie stuff is getting beyond me!

Ttfn

Day 4, Sunday 13th October continued

Just yet another grovel to you all!  Today (Monday) has been somewhat hectic as it was the first full day of the conference, with lectures, classes and the bazaar!  I have decided that it is too late to do catchup on photos tonight but will have an hour in the day tomorrow and should have more evening time too.

So quick ( now 11.20p.m.!) for quick round up for yesterday. I had helped out a bit with admin and room prep, then I staged my exhibit.  Next I had a quick scout about for shops as needed milk etc, but shop I found was shut....later after Welcome evening, found FamilyMart or something and got sorted!
Have had some food related episodes so trying to avoid issues from now on.....consequence number 1.....not one but two delicious ice creams! They were more like sorbets really, lovely refreshing and orange flavoured.  The town is far too small to have much in terms of shops and shouldn’t think the locals have even heard of McDonalds, my normal survival food, (once every 3 days), so sadly had to do as we were told some centuries ago. You’ve got it, I am letting me eat cake....and pastries and associated stuff!  The main food might not suit me but the cakes, breads and pastries are second to none, well perhaps apart from the French!

As I am not going for much in way of protein at present I am hoping calorie count will be tolerable!

So on to the evening. This was the opening Welcome party held in an historic building that used to be the school for children of samurai. It is a very valued building and furnished with tatami matting, so everyone, without exception has to remove shoes to be allowed entry.  The various rooms were now embellished by what I can only describe as a bonanza of talent! Possibly one of the best exhibitions of braiding I am ever likely to see.  Student work was displayed separately to teachers. Photography possible but difficult due to electric light and poor at that in places. The electrician was still fitting light bulbs in various corners....

We had been greeted with a small glass of wine, beer or soft drinks to be consumed outside since no drinks to be embibed inside. I think there was an error in translation as they said you could take your glass in, but not drink. I downed my two mouthfuls as didn’t want to be tempted!

I took lots of photos which I will deal with tomorrow....am going back on Wed to do it all again in daylight so hope the rain keeps away!

Finally made way back to hotel around 9.15 or so, completely tired and needed to prepare for Monday.  Too late to bed but a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

Ttfn

Day 4 Sunday 13th October

Will be posting later on tonight but just wanted to report that here in Iga all is well after the typhoon. No damage done here but much flood damage and some deaths due to Hagibis aka typhoon 19.

Am just off out to the Welcome Party so the conference officially starts. 

I helped out this morning with laying out tables and chairs once I had located them!  Had a bit of fun with the stacks of chairs since all the Japanese ladies were too small to reach the ones at the top!  In the afternoon I set up my exhibition piece, once I remembered where the supporting tripod legs went. It looks fine and there are many amazing pieces so very keen to see all of them properly as it was busy with people coming and going.

Back soon! TTFN

Now rather late as have been looking to change booking for next part of travels and truthfully spent too long dithering so have lost an hour of planned blogging, will make up for it later on, I promise!

Now a little techno update....have decided that if Blogger won’t help me by displaying full posts that I have made, so making it very difficult when I want to go back and correct typos or add photos, you my unlucky readers will have to cope! What is done is done, at least for the moment so if I duplicate, mistype etc, I APOLOGISE now!  Things will likely be out of order etc etc but I only have so long to do this each evening! Please understand!

Will continue tomorrow,night night!

Day 3 Saturday 12th October continued

I promised a photo of my room....will add it later but had a job trying to get it all in, odd when it was so Small! I had to stand in the passageway just along from the bathroom and the bathroom wall shows in the bottom right of the picture. The end of the bed was about 6 inches from the wall, and the bed was a large single ....lieing on the edge of the bed,looking at ceiling , I coul just touch the left hand I’d wall and to my right the fridge and desk etc were within easy reach!

Day 2 Friday 11th October cont.

The periodic table

Fossilised fish

Models of various chemical compounds/elements.

Water molecule.

Obsidian...just for James so he can see what it looks like outside of Minecraft!

Lots about DNA, it’s discovery and benefits to science.

This was a statue in the City Art museum - this was the next place after Science museum and was very close by.

Learn about the body...back in Science museum!

Or take part in an art project. I passed a restful hour showing several Japanese ladies, all whom volunteer at the gallery, 

Another view outside...

The section all about the planetarium and history of related matters!

Day 3 Saturday 12th

Before I get started, I need to remind you, or tell you about the weather.  Last trip there was a tsunami but nothing out of the ordinary as waves only 2 or 3 metres at the epicentre. It did make me realise how vulnerable all these treasures are, be they natural or man made.
Typhoon 19 is due to hit Japan on Saturday. I am hoping to get to Iga before that, but watch this space ...give me 24hours!

If I said it was raining now it would be an understatement! I am soaked from just above the knee down, but otherwise hot so hope I can forge evaporationof rain in trousers as I sit on the bus!
Have never experienced a typhoon so will be able to tick it off my list of things to avoid in future! So far just rain but no wind. Reports indicate typhoon will hit land later today so hope to be safe in my hotel by then. Not fussed about exploring Iga till after typhoon.....I am not a total idiot!

My tutor for Monday and Tuesday has changed since Gil Dye and Jean Leader, who were travelling via Dubai to Osaka have had their flights cancelled as Osaka airport closed for weekend for safety! Still, I now have a Japanese tutor so will be reintroduced to lace from a different viewpoint. I am not fussed but very sorry for all those facing disruptions - especially anyone on route!  Jenny has also stepped up to the mark and has foregone her place with Michael Hattori to run the ?karakumi or was it kakadai?  class in place of original tutor.  Not in the least surprised as JP is always willing to help. Well done though, as takes courage to be a stand in, when you have little or no time to prepare!


Have just been updating captions etc and noticed a bit of duplication. Sorry but have decided to leave it for now as still having a few issues using blogger.....anyone out there who can advise on reordering posts, I would be very grateful!

Day 2 Friday11th October.

Woke up this morning after a much needed sleep! Took my time as first destination didn’t open till 9.30, although that did become irrelevant! Skipped breakfast in favour of another delicacy from the patisserie, this time cranberry and white chocolate roll....yummy...should have had 2! I ate it when I finally arrived at Shirakawoen park, home to the Science Museum  and Nagoya City Art Museum.

Originally I had planned to get the 9 o’clock tourist tour bus, but missed that and was too impatient to wait 30 minutes for the next one, so with Google maps at the read I set forth.  Now the best way I can describe my route is a bit like going to Scotland from home via Wales and Northern Ireland!
Let’s just say Google maps took a bit of getting used to, and you need to keep checking your direction of travel....in the ideal world you will be going towards your destination!

It was extremely humid and I must have lost buckets of weight, that is till I refuelled on water which might just have equated to the fluid loss!

I arrived, hot sticky but keen to explore the museum. Had first to do a small photo shoot so here we go...

This is the fountain which was on a controlled loop. Reminded me of the dancing waters we went to see as kids.  Please note the red crane on the top of the building....now you have to wonder about howls  they got it up there!
The next picture shows the outside of the museum, complete with rocket launcher in the foreground.

The sphere houses the planetarium, amongst other things! I paid my 800 Yen and took the plunge. Cost just under a fiver, but what a magic place! I stayed for about 4 hours which included a
planetarium show which lasted 50 minutes.....sadly narration only in Japanese, but seats wonderful!
pictures excellent, music very good but did nod off for a few moments. Thankfully it was dark so hope I didn’t snore and give the game away!  Really sad no English translation as graphics looked as
if it would have been interesting even if educational.

Quite liked the ‘time peace’ in foreground in spite of having signs of zodiac around it. 

This is a closer view of a living wall which covered the left half of the front side of the museum.

The bottom part of the rocket launcher- thing it was part of the fuel storage part....

This is the capsule where men would have been, very tiny inside even though it is physically big!

Details of the launcher...

Now follows several shots from inside the Science Museum....quite the best museum I had the pleasure to visit. Wish James could have been with me as he would have loved trying all the exhibits out!