Kiyosumi Garden -- My Dream Backyard

TOKYO GARDEN
WEARING A KIMONO HERE...
COULD BEAT HAVING SEX

My raciest haiku yet -- if I offend, it's time to pick up your Reader's Digest. Went to Kiyosumi Garden with Nao today, my co-worker -- and we walked around in the sunshine. Admission was 150 YEN, about $1.50 -- and it wasn't very crowded at all. Back in the Edo period, which covers about a 250 year time span from around 1603-1868 (thank you Wikipedia) when Shoguns ruled -- this garden was a favorite amongst the royalty and their chosen guests. I took about 160 photos but can only upload 5 to my blog. Nay matter. Maybe I should have a showing of some photos when I get back to wherever I'm going...just invite friends and print a bunch of these moments. Good incentive to actually PRINT the photos. I can't remember the last time I got a roll of film printed...actually I did print some photos last Spring and systematically sent images to friends. At the time it was a experiment of sorts -- wanting to give people something tangible from me. Not an email, or a facebook upload, or a digital file -- but the experience of receiving something in the mail. An object to be placed somewhere. So if I had the occasion to print some of these photos, IE: a gathering where people were invited, I might be happy for such an occasion when I'm 60 and tangible proof of the past is an oddity.

Had dinner with a friend of Beth's the other night...a photographer who only uses analog cameras and doesn't own a computer. He showed me his old Pentax -- it was heavy and the sound it made when a photo was taken can only be described as "thorough."

Found a perfectly good rice cooker in the basement today -- my second find in the past week. The first find was a white leather ottoman with a storage unit inside. Perfectly fine save for some tearing along the seams. But just the ticket to place my feet upon as I sit here and type. The 'basement' is where the trash is put out. It sounds gross, I know -- but it's one of the most organized spaces I've seen and there is a spot where people place items, that are still in working condition, but for which they have no need for anymore. There is also a VHS player down there. I thought about it, but that would require a whole other collection tack. I will simply wait and see if anyone I know needs one. The rice cooker is amazing. It's fairly modern, and in great shape. It even displays the time. Wakako (my co-worker and master translator) tipped me off to it -- I told her about the ottoman so she knew I wouldn't turn up my nose at a 2nd hand item. "One man's trash is another man's treasure,' and so it goes. Kitty Landers is alive and well in Tokyo.

Am excited to watch the rough cut of Miss Lilly's and the Secret Cookie Recipe...E and Reggie sent it to me today. Must write to Jordan, our website designer. We are getting closer to launching. Meeting up with The Bucket Man on Sunday -- a performance artist in Tokyo who the kids love here. He uses different colored buckets on people's heads and choreographs these wild routines where people dressed in silver spandex interact like parts of one machine. Like something The Little Prince might see on Planet X. If I interview him as Kitty, I will wear the Goldie Hawn-esque vest. Maybe I could interview him in this Garden...in front of the stone that bears a haiku by Basho, carved into the rock.