In words, music, a temple

I've been downloading a bunch of songs by a band called Giant Sand lately, which I read about on the Strange Fruit music review website. I'm listening to their track called "drab" right now. It's an eclectic smattering of piano and triangle. Oh my. A person just spoke "and upon the union they lay their cloth..." in a James Dean voice. So I'm not sure if I agree with Strange Fruit's glowing review, but I sure liked reading it.

Today Nick was talking about the face he makes during sex. He speaks very openly in the teachers room, as it is his belief that the teachers have no idea what he's saying. I think he's in for a surprise. He said he looked up into the mirror at a "Love Hotel" during sex and saw for a moment his own expression before he had a chance to realize what he was seeing and adjust. Quickly he returned his gaze to his girlfriend because it was too embarrassing. Then he tried to recreate the expression for me, but he was laughing and it wasn't quite right. So I suggested he get serious and then try again. He actually started making the motions of sex with his chair, which I thought was hilarious, especially since he seemed unaware that he was performing in front of the five or so teachers that were still in the room with us. He confuses communication with speech. I pointed out the spectacle he was making of himself and he stopped. The great thing is, even though the other teachers know what Nick's doing, and understand so much of his put-on pissed-off commentary, they just don't react because it's the crazy gaijin (foreigner) and he's outside the rules.

I'm experimenting with being inside and outside the rules. I take off for the convenience store when I have a spare period without asking if I can leave, although strictly that's against the rules. However it's common practice to come and go among the JETs, and I make sure I get my work done. I'm also trying to make friends with the other teachers and students. I help clean the school during the daily cleaning sessions in which the students are all out en force, strange prog-rock music playing over the P.A. I've got to make a compilation of The Cleaning Music of Nish Chu. Cleaning with the students has led to a lot of positive feedback. Students often say "Anthony sensei. You are cool," when they see me cleaning. Teachers say "subarashi!" (Wow!) when I fulfill my cleaning duties. At first the idea of having to clean bothered me, and I shirked even after the vice principal told me I had to. But now I don't mind at all. It's very casual and it gives me a chance to get up, move around and interact with the students informally. So this is part of the compromise that I'm creating between being "good" and doing things differently.

This weekend I went to Kyoto with Veronica and bought a book at Maruzen, the bookstore famous for its foreign selection. It's a book of American History, inspired by the man himself. I think it's important to have a grounding in history to understand our time, and I really don't know the details of US history. We also looked at a temple in Kyoto, and got to go inside. It was amazing being inside this huge room with tatami mats and sliding rice paper doors for walls, in the center of downtown Kyoto. Outside we could here the traffic passing, but inside it was calm and peaceful, meditative. A japanese man was praying at the altar, and another foreign girl had come in with us and sat on the other side of the room. I sat facing Veronica, rather than the front of the temple, because I like to experience the temple my own way rather than according to the script. Buildings control behaviour in their layout, in their history, to the point that action is scripted. Stepping outside that script lets me see the building.

Now I'm listening to a 1 hour 14 minute set of club music dj'ed by Bjork, and featuring the music of Llorca, Tosca, Bjork herself, and some other people I don't know. It's really good, and I like the idea of Bjork up there mixing it. What is it about aging female pop musicians that makes me sad? Bjork and Madonna, both with children, attention divided between music and family. But it's sweet and I wouldn't wish it otherwise. And I like Bjork's lyrics, especially off Homogenic and the one about going up onto a mountain top with a radio. Something about the Nordic writer really appeals to me. Read Knut Hamsun, he's brilliant, simple. The Hemingway or maybe Kerouac of Northern Europe (Norway I think?). I also have a book of poetry by a Norwegian whose name I forget (Christian something) but it's in Toronto. Could somebody send me all my books please??

I miss you sister and hope you're still reading these blogs.