The Howl & Moon: KAIR

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Our Last Hurrah Kamiyama/Osaka Style

After an emotional goodbye, and a very hasty cleaning and precision packing (sorry Keiko et al for the mess we had no intention of leaving), we were on the bus to Osaka to lavish our last few days in one of Japan's best cities. We chose a nice hotel near the America-mura to be near the action and enjoy some great food.

We mostly did some shopping around to collect last minute necessities like the lens cap I dropped in the indigo vat (which we never found), winter shoes and clothes for Hopper (since he outgrew everything whilst there), and a few odds and ends that we had spotted at the beginning of our trip. We had also wanted to eat okonomiaki (Japanese stuffed pancakes) and squid balls and stock up on some food items that would be impossible to find in Holland. (We also threw sudachi limes into our suitcase and hoped the sniffer dogs wouldn't find them!)

The rest of our plan was to meet up with the lovely guys we met at Ikumi beach, Takeshi, Daisuke and Fumio. We chose a cafe near our hotel that had a fab vibe and proceeded to eat and drink and have general merriment playing with Hopper and sharing stories from our stay. Such sweet guys, a real pleasure to have made their friendship, and the creators of our first true family portrait. Thanks guys for your hospitality, comradery and generous prints.

And a special arigato to all of Japan for giving us such lasting memories and the sense of home. We shall return!!!

hard to say goodbye to that spectacular view

Nik being interviewed for a newspaper at our local Kamiyama eatery

cleaning the car

we tried to teach him wax on/ wax off

saying goodbye on our last night proved difficult for one little boy

farewell dinner with a group of superb people

just a casual dinner in! mmm mmm delicious!

Nik signing the prints of his colossal work

dropping like flies

full belly, saki, long day at the wood mill

day of departure, farewell meet-up at the farmers' market

last little fun with Keiko

touching, these lovely faces came to say goodbye and brought parting gifts!

tears were shed at the bus station

and we zonked out on the bus to Osaka

Osaka has great parks

our favorite okonomiaki spot first found in 2010

another okonomiaki spot where your table top IS the hot plate

just stuff it in

one of the many covered shopping strips with lots o food

and people

yay more food!

Hopper was so excited to see these guys...

Takeshi, Daisuke, & Fumio

they had so much fun

and knew all the toddler slapstick

love these guys

with our portrait from the beach (my disc drive doesn't work so can't upload the photos! will work on it)
Thanks guys!

street shenanigans with the Osaka soccer/football team noise makers

Nankai line to the airport

1 hour of peace & quiet on the 11 hr flight home

back at home, exhausted

"Mama, I want to go back to Japan. On the shinkansen high speed train. Can we go?"

Monday, June 16, 2014

KAIR Closing Party & The Teary Speeches

After two and a half glorious months, it was time to say goodbye. To all our new friends, to KAIR, to Kamiyama, and to an experience that has profoundly affected us. And just as KAIR organized a welcoming party, they put out all the stops for the farewell.

This year, it was decided to have the residency closing party at the theater where both Nik's and Suskens work was hanging. Tatami mats, tables and chairs were brought in and a banquet of all things delicious. It felt like being in a fire-lit log cabin with 50 of your best mates, snuggly, warm, and cheery to the max, surrounded by engulfing art.

Unbeknownst to most, Nik and I and Sayaka and Manus arranged to be outfitted in kimono, the official black tie of Japan. A sweet old lady sweated out 45 minutes of wrangling me into this gorgeous silken number. Yanking, pulling, hoisting. At one point I had to pantomime to her that I needed room to eat dinner, so she loosened it up a bit. We certainly caused an appreciative commotion when we arrived. (I spent most of the evening trying to keep Hopper's foody fingers off the silk!)

The night was a lovely emotional tribute to the intimate bonds we forged over the time together. We all gave speeches, even me all teary and choked up, and you could feel the love in the room. And just like any special party, it was over too quickly and we were off to the dresser's house to disrobe.

I've lamented for months how to adequately encompass the overwhelming gratitude I have for this organization and its lovely people. I cannot possibly put into words how magnificent the whole experience was, the magnitude of generosity and support. I cannot thank everyone at KAIR enough for inviting Nik to do what he loves and graciously welcome our family. Kamiyama and everyone there will always hold a special place in my heart for reasons too great to list here, and for that, on behalf of myself and my family, thank you thank you thank you.