KAIR & The Royal Treatment

I want to take this bad boy home, power assist is a revelation!

To experience Japanese hospitality is to experience Japan. Everything is done with care and integrity. Even the small things. Who else can turn a small ordinary square piece of paper into an infinite amount of shapes? So it is with no exception that we have been treated to, well, the royal treatment.

Upon arriving, we discovered that all our needs were met before we got here. And whatever else we needed, Keiko made sure to get it for us. When we wanted to put a kiddy pool on the balcony for Hopper, we were given a hose. When we wanted a bigger play room table, Keiko brought it over the next morning. And, among all the normal things for living like bedding and dishes and the like, we have our own mama bike with an assist motor (it's mountainous!) and our own car. By this I mean, each artist has a car! (which I believe were even temporarily  donated by generous people in the community.)

And this is the just the beginning.

On the first weekend, the organization threw a party to commence the residency and welcome the artists. Food was prepped all day at a local camp ground and in attendance were a bunch of locals, the board of education and some teachers (grades 5-10 get seminars with the artists, a couple teachers were quite aggressive about getting Nik to come to their class, but of course in a sweet way), the KAIR workers and those who help, and even the mayor. 

We walked in to a standing ovation and were officially introduced. They had an interpreter on hand to translate the artists' speeches (thank god I'm in the wings) and then of course there was a raucous toast with some singing and rhythmic clapping. After some photo ops, the feast began and we ate and drank and soaked up the love. Hopper even got to play with giant ice chunks in the drinks cooler with some other boys and I met a woman who invited Hopper and I to come to the Mommy & Me playgroup that meets twice a week.

Never was there a more warm welcome. We were all just so touched that the community is so involved and excited to have the artists here. There are posters all over town announcing the residents and their work so we get recognized and given gifts left and right, in the form of food mostly, sweet potatos, pears, eggplants, cookies, limes, noodles (bags and bags- a freezer full) and even trout. It's just so glorious, to know that people want to wish us well and bring us and themselves good fortune by being generous and thoughtful.

Hopper, Nik, Susken, Sayaka & Keiko

boys playing with the ice chunks, Manus in background, and Keiko with the box

Nik's speech with translator

watermelon is a special experience in Japan (= very expensive)

end of the party footie with giant ice chunk

so many volunteered to help

Thanks KAIR and Kamiyama for a lovely fete!

Hopper's diggin...

...our bitchin ride

with a fair amount of direction, most of the water made it in