Jan 23-24 - Manga Exhibition

Nisa and I worked on opening a Manga exhibition. It was a lot of work, but it turned out really great. A lot of people showed up for it. The artists were local kids and the art was done in an after school program. Before the opening Nisa asked me to find a video camera for the night. I went to Raindance film studios to borrow one. The studio was in pretty bad shape, and the sign was just spray paint on the door. But the guy gave me a camera to borrow, it was an actual movie camera, and a huge one. When I got back to Diorama Nisa asked me if I knew how to use it and I said not at all and she said well figure it out because you are filming the party. Then she left me with a very expensive, and very complicated machine. I think it turned out alright. Who knows.

Jan 27 - The National Gallery

I went to the National Gallery again and spent three or four hours. I still have about a third left to see. It is a great place. The section I saw today had several by Rembrandt, and that style of paintings.

Jan 29 - KODO

I arrived at the Royal Festival Hall at 9:00am, and met with Yoshi and Melanie. It took me about 30 minutes of running around to actually find them. It was basically like the scene in Spinal Tap when they are looking for the stage and they keep seeing that old janitor over and over again, and he keeps trying to tell them where to go. Except I kept seeing Japanese people and every time I followed their directions Yoshi or Melanie had already left and gone to a new location.

I went into to three of their meetings with them. They spoke Japanese the entire time and I had no idea what they were talking about. But Jun (the manager) introduced me to the crew as the intern there to help them, so everyone kept me busy with jobs.

They worked all day getting things set up and it was a lot more work than I even thought to get everyone fed, and train tickets for tomorrow, and where do we buy a rice cooker, and this guy wants a banana, and count the t shirts there should be 1,250, and the two lights techs don't speak the same language can you find a translator, and where is the truck driver I need the key, and could you please find me a walkie talkie, no not this walkie talkie the blue one, and the list went on and on. It was a good experience though and I got to know a lot of people.

Mark told me that one of the KODO sponsors saw a copy of the programs and told Mark that it was a very good design and that he really liked it. It was weird looking out at the crowd in the Royal Festival Hall and seeing every person with the program I made.

Takashi was the guy in charge of the entire KODO people and tour. He and Mark are very good friends from 20 or 30 years. That is how I got the job to begin with. He told me that he was very grateful that I came and helped them and when I come to Japan there would always be a place for me to stay there in return for the help.

After the show I met Ray Cooper (famous drummer for Elton John, Sting, Eric Clapton etc.) and Terry Gillium (film director - Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Brothers Grimm etc.). Apparently both are big KODO fans. Mark is friends with both men, and I am really glad I got to meet them. I overheard Mark talking to Terry and telling him how sorry he was about what happened last week. He was talking about the death of Heath Ledger. Terry was shooting The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a film starring Heath. Terry said they were trying to rework the movie because they were very happy with what they have already done, and would like to keep Heath in the film because it was the last work he did. He also said he thinks that Heath died from a panic attack and was taking the sleeping pills to help him calm down. I read a story saying that Terry wants Johnny Depp to replace Heath's character in parts of the film. It is a fantasy film so they are reworking this character to be able to change his appearance when needed. I am really hoping they get to finish the film.