I spotted a Geisha

Must have been the best of my luck to spot a Geisha (or geiko in Kyoto dialect) while we were roaming around the narrow roads going somewhere Maruyama-koen and Yasaka-jinja.

I did only one shot. In fact, I stole this shot. And this is the best angle I could get. The Geisha was posing for another photographer (to her left), and I positioned myself to her right, distant from the pro photographer. I was not so sure if the photographer was paying for the shot, so I quickly took my one-second chance to press the shutter. Besides, my memory card was already full and I only had one shot to spare.

Anyway, this was my first time to see a real Geisha. Usually, I only see them in Japanese movies. They look so gentle, and I wonder if they are comfy with their rather elaborate kimonos.

Geishas, for those who are not aware of who they are, work in Japanese teahouses and entertain gentlemen of considerable means or their patrons. Not all young ladies could be one, for it takes talent and skills to master the traditional fan dance, and other forms of visual and performing arts, notably the shamisen performance. According to Lonely Planet Japan (pp. 344, sorry no online link), there are only about 1000 geishas and maikos (apprentice geisha) around, with about 200 found in Kyoto. And this number is ever decreasing.

My research also tells me that not all interested gentlemen can see a performing geisha. First of all, one needs about $3000 to spend an evening with one or two geishas. Secondly, one needs a referral or introduction of an established patron in order to be entertained. Ows, could there be some "exclusivity" in here?

So, if you are a gentleman with some money to spare, and a friend who knows the way, then go for it -- that is, if you are interested in the first place. Better yet, contact Peter for a walking tour.

As for me, I am more than happy to have this single shot. ;)

Eigo de?

In my three years as gaijin in Japan, it's quite rare for me to talk to a Japanese who can speak English almost on a native level. When this happens, I feel like I've been freed from an skimpy cell where words are kept to their simplest forms.

In one of our visits to Shinjuku Gyoen (well, we are regulars here), I chanced upon a short yet entertaining conversation with Yoko-san. She is conversant and friendly, and she was the one who initiated the conversation (I had to admit I was hesitant at first). She had lived in New York for five years (if I am not mistaken) and have traveled around Southeast Asia except Philippines, my dear homeland. (As a backgrounder, most Japs have a not-so-good impression about the Philippines, thus shun away from Filipinas and avoid traveling there. I'll post a longer story about this, promise!)

Japs are very eager to learn the English language for various reasons, but mostly for travel and business purposes. As an EFL/ESL teacher, I have experienced teaching Japs of varied levels. The most difficult for me, and I take it as a challenge, is to teach those in the lowest levels for they tend to speak in Japanese in the class, which I don't and can't understand. The easiest are those in the upper bracket where I can freely use some difficult and/or longer words/phrases, and can easily create a lively discussion. And the most rewarding part of my "profession" is when these students go out of the class smiling and feeling satisfied with their lessons with me. This doesn't happen everyday though as some would say "musukashi" (difficult).

On my part, I make extra effort to learn Nihonggo, not only because it is a necessity to survive here, but also for me to somehow grasp what my lower-level students are trying to say to me. They are exerting so much effort to learn English, so I must put similar amount of work of understanding their language too.

And how far have I gone with my Nihonggo? All I can say is ... musukashi! ;)

Jap up for the Guinness with his Pi

Now this is something incredibly wonderful, and probably leave your jaw hanging in awe!

Here's a man from Chiba Prefecture, who challenged himself to recite the value Pi up to the 100,000 digits for 16 hours.

Pi, as we all know, is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. So far, I've come to know the value of Pi only as 3.1416, but this 60-year-old man has done it up to six digits!

Japan Times reports,

He recited the value of pi -- an indefinite number that has no repeating pattern -- stopping at exactly 100,000 digits at 1:28 a.m. Wednesday, the witnesses said.

I could only say, WOW! That's really something to be proud of, and to be rightfully officially listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

On the sidenote, how I wish I had the mathematical ability to do this. Sad to say, my side of the brain for that is somehow dysfunctional. Good thing I have a calculator. ha! ha! ha! ;)