I'm not sure why, but there are a few questions that really irritate me.
One of them is "Do you meditate?". Interestingly, so many people ask me this question!!
I feel like it's become a requirement for being a balanced healthy person. After Steve Jobs and the Hollywood stars made it a popular thing, it seems like it's a must to be creative. For those who do it, good for you! But please don't suggest to me that I need it.
I'm in a lucky position where I love my work and I have a fairly healthy body, and I don't live in a dangerous environment. Practicing Bach, Rachmaninoff, and just working on the piano is meditative. Having a really nice cup of tea or eating a really nice meal is meditative. Walking through nature, or just appreciating the trees and flowers in a residential area or watching children being totally carefree is meditative. Just seeing the moon when I get out of the station quite late after work and following it on my walk back home in quietness is meditative. We have all these beautiful and wonderful things around us which are inpsiring in our everyday lives. Just taking time to appreciate them, to live in the moment, and to be in awe of them, is to me much more meaningful than sitting with my eyes closed and trying to be still to "find myself".
I'd rather be working on my Rachmaninoff. I feel balanced, energized, inspired and happy after a good practice.

I cannot believe that I haven't been able to write a single post this year!
I guess there's been too much going on that I didn't have much time to reflect.
My "word" for this year was "GO-GO" (go means "5" in Japanese and I turned 55 this year so I thought it would be a good word to get myself out of COVID mode and just go to wherever it was I wanted to go without fear.). I have to say, I did travel a lot - even more than I had planned or imagined! It did turn out to be a "GO-GO" year.
I'm thinking next year's word should be "HOME" or something along those lines!

Anyway, I do want to get back to my good habits and be strong about my priorities.
I will try to be better with my blog so if anyone's still reading it, please check in from time to time.

This is me trying to get started for 2024!

Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful year.
The world seems to be heading in the opposite direction so this year it seems even more relevant to wish for world peace. May you all be safe and warm.

I'm a real scrapbook person and I collect articles from magazines, newspapers, and any kind of printed matter. The clippings that I save are anything from essays, interviews, places I want to visit, food, art, films, music, literature, photography - basically things that I'm inspired by or which make me happy. The problem is I accumulate quite a lot and then just put them in a pile... At last I had time today to go through all the clippings that I had saved in the past few years and started filing them.

I was putting them into a file which was of photographs that were inspiring or beautiful and came across a newspaper photo/article which I didn't even remember saving. It nearly brought me to tears.

The headline "The Victory over Germany - 60th Anniversary Celebrations".

Japan was on Germany's side so I'm sure there were mixed feelings but in this photo we see the leaders of Germany, America, France, Japan and Russia - Putin himself. According to the article, this was held in Moscow, hosted by Russia and Putin made a speech saying "Today we celebrate the victory of peace and justice".

I was thinking of why I kept this photo. I love the expression on everyone's faces and how close they are standing next to each other. I think it gave me joy even back then (I'm guessing over 15 years ago?) to think that the leaders of our world are getting along and that those who are in charge and have the power to keep our world's peace are actually "happy" to be together.

What happened, President Putin????

This photo represents the world that I want to live in. It wasn't even a dream. It was a reality. What will it take for us to be able to all live together in harmony again?

So here we are in the midst of the "2020" Tokyo Olympics...

I've just had a birthday and so many friends have been sending me their birthday wishes. If it weren't for the pandemic I'd be traveling to Europe or America for the summer so I really miss celebrating with friends in person but still, all the messages have really made me very happy. Along with the birthday wishes though, everyone has also asked how I was feeling about the Olympics. It seemed that everyone watching from abroad was enjoying them but was also concerned how we, who live in Japan, were taking it all in. So, I thought it would be interesting to write what has been going on through the minds of many Japanese. Or at least, what my experience of it has been.
(WARNING - this is a very lengthy blog. I must have had lots of thoughts on the subject!)

March 11th. It's now 10 years since the massive earthquake and tsunami had hit Japan.
Because of covid, memorials have had to be limited and I decided to stay at home and watch a livestream ceremony held at our local shrine in Kamakura.

I was hoping to go to Kamaishi, one of the places which was hard hit, which I had gone to several times for volunteer work for the 10th anniversary but decided it was not a good idea as we're still in the midst of this pandemic here in Japan.

Every TV channel was showing programmes related to the earthquake and tsunami and I happened to watch one whilst eating breakfast. It was about a young couple who had lost their 3 children. They talked how they almost separated as the pain was too great, how the wife would cry and yell at her husband everyday, blaming him for not being able to save them. After a year she started to withdraw within herself and would never leave the house. She said it was too painful to even look at the photo (which was found in the rubble) of her children as it reminded her of happy times which would never come back again. The husband is a builder/carpenter and everyday he would go to work and take it day by day. He started to do volunteer work, visiting schools and worked with children. He wondered whether it was better for both of them to separate but he decided not to as he thought that their children would be sad if they did. 3 years pass and one day the wife is able to see for the first time how her husband is busily filling his days with work, crying and working at the same time, and how she was doing nothing. She gradually is able to live her life again and in the end of the programme showed how she was a part of the community, laughing with friends, laughing with her husband.
If I had met her in the street I would have not known what pain they had gone through.
And this is just one single story. So many people lost someone in that tsunami and if they hadn't they have had to live with the guilt of not losing anyone.

It's a been a very sad day.
10 years. We really mustn't forget how 3/11 had impacted so many lives.

Wishing every one a very blessed Christmas!!

Can't believe that my last post was New Years'!!!
I will try to be better with my posts next year!!

We've been hearing a great deal of news about cold weather all around the world but it finally hit us here in Kamakura yesterday. We had one day of very heavy snow which of course seemed to have thrown everyone into chaos! Rush hour started at 4PM and by 8PM (when I had to catch my train back from my teaching which is usually mid-rush hour) there was hardly anyone at the station in Shinjuku! I've never seen Shinjuku station so empty! (The equivalent of Shinjuku in London would be Piccadilly Circus,in New York,Times Square!)

I always think though that Kamakura is at it's most beautiful when it snows. The train took over 2 hours to get back from Tokyo (it normally takes only one) but I was looking forward to walking back home in the snow. It was dead quiet and no one was around but Japan is so safe that I had no worries and it was,as I imagined,absolutely beautiful.

Wishing everyone a very peaceful and Happy New Year!
"Peaceful" is the keyword here.... So many worrying things in the world now which seem to be all happening at once. I hope that we can all find a way to coexist in harmony. This world is big enough for us to appreciate it together!

Again it's been a long time since I've written something on my blog. I've been disheartened by a few experiences and incidents concerning smart-phones and the social media,so I'm finding it hard to just write as care-free as I used to. It's a bit of a shame as I used to really enjoy writing about things which inspired me or touched me on that day. Now I think too much before writing and then lose the moment.

Anyway,I came across a wonderful quote which has inspired me to write today. It was a post on the Facebook page,"Humans of New York". I have VERY mixed feelings about Facebook - especially after seeing the film - but one of the pages that I most enjoy is this one. It just makes you realize that every single person has their own story and we're all just trying to make the most of what we've been dealt with.

The quote that has moved me to write today was mentioned by a person who's studying to be a Rabbi. She was photographed at a Mets game and described that even a baseball game can feel like a holy experience.
Anyway here's the quote that made my day:

"To love another person is to see the face of God"
by Victor Hugo

I think this is so true.

A friend of mine just shared this wonderful wonderful video on Facebook.
A two year old boy who's just had a cochlear implant hearing his mother's voice for the first time.

Recently,I had a photo session with an amazing photographer whom is totally deaf (hearing impaired?) from birth and since then I often wonder what it would be like to live in a soundless world. His photographs are really beautiful and interestingly, to me,visually very musical.

This video just shows how grateful we should be for the simple things in life which we so often take for granted. It's also really interesting that the boy doesn't really have that much of a reaction to the first voice that he hears,but the reaction towards his mother's is pure joy. To be able to hear the voice of someone you love can be a true miracle.

Can't stop watching it!

I just found out about this amazing person who's written a book called "The Reason I Jump".

It was written by a 13 year old boy named Naoki Higashida whom is heavily autistic.
His mother found that he was interested in letters since a very young age and amazingly they have found a way for him to communicate his thoughts by using a keyboard.
He is very intelligent and his thoughts are very insightful and his writings very poetic.
Apparently a famous Scottish writer came across his book and because this writer lived in Japan for a few years he was able to read the book in Japanese. The book has since been translated into several languages and has become a bestseller all over the world. It seems that he is revolutionizing the understanding of autism.

He also writes a blog which sadly seems to be only in Japanese. It's very inspiring and gives me food to thought daily! Although sadly I saw a comment which was aimed at him which was clearly quite mean... It's really sad to think that some people really can't accept people's differences.

Anyway, I think the book is an inspiration to us all. The way that he looks at the world,the ways that he reacts to them,seem only like an exaggerated version of what we all experience.

There are many sad things happening in the world,but although it's over 10 years now, September 11th,is still one of the saddest days in the calender.

I've just spent my summer holiday in NY visiting family and friends and they truly play a big part in my life so it really saddens me to think of the sadness and pain and horror that they had experienced on that day.
May there be peace with all those whom experienced that sadness and whose lives were changed on this very day 13 years ago.

Just found out about something today.
Life can be really cruel sometimes....
It' s like..... "Why?"

Today's the 21st anniversary of my mother's passing. Her favorite flower was the deep red rose.

I had some friends round for tea today and one of them brought this beautiful rose from her garden (not knowing about my mother). It not only looks beautiful but smells beautiful as well.

Perfect....

I've just had a chance to go up north again and came back feeling amazed by the ability of people regaining their strength and also being able to maybe even be happy again. I've been going to the same place - a place called Kamaishi - which was hard hit by the tsunami but I could definitely sense a positive vibe this time and it's really filled me with hope.

There were times when I could really feel that there was wide spread depression amongst the communities (which of course isn't surprising) but what I thought that was really serious and dangerous was that the devastation was so vast and so many people were affected by it that I felt that even the specialists (councellers, psychiatrists,social workers,etc....) whom were sent in to help people were themselves drowning in the situation.

This was my fifth time visiting Kamaishi and it's been just over a year since I had last been there but the change was so evident. It's nearly 3 years since the earthquake and I could feel a certain kind of "distance" from it when speaking to the people there. I could also feel their strength in that they're starting to be able to stand up on their own feet.

Of course,the towns and communities will take time to be built again, and with the Tokyo Olympic they're saying that the recovery will be slowed down. But I came back with a really positive feeling this time. In 2011,I wondered if the people whom experienced this tsunami would ever be able to recover from it and be able to be happy again. Of course there is great sadness and the scars will never disappear but I've sensed that there is hope in a future which does include happiness.
I've been lucky to have been able to see it for myself. Human beings are amazing.

Wishing the world a peaceful and happy year!

Wishing the world peace,love and hope.
It seems like Britain and America/Canada are having terrible weather.... Praying that we are all able to have a safe and warm Christmas.

Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony.
- Leonardo da Vinci

12 years.....
Thinking about NY and all my friends there....
Sending my deepest thoughts and prayers.

Spring has suddenly come to Kamakura. It's been a VERY cold winter this year but there have been some very warm days in the past two weeks that suddenly it's become cherry blossom season! All the cherry blossom festivals which were planned in two weeks time around Japan won't have any cherry blossoms left!

I'm busy at the moment getting ready for my recital in NY. Can't wait to come!
It's on April 6th in the afternoon in Manhattan. Please check my information page for details. If you're in the area, please come!

It's been two years since Japan's disastrous earthquake. There was a prayer ceremony at my church with Kamakura's top leaders of the three religions - Christian,Shintoh and Buddism - coming together.

Again,like last year,there was a minute of silence at 14:46. A minute where we all come together in prayer as a nation.....

Happy 2013!
Wishing everyone a year filled with love,joy and peace!

May turned out to be a really crazy month with two unusual concerts and a trip going through England and visiting New York.

One of the concerts that I had done was part of a music festival. The festival started a few years ago,importing it's style from France and it has now become the biggest classical music event in Japan. It was a great honor to be able to take part in it,although it was one of the sideshows. Still it was a great experience for me and because this year's theme was "Russia" it was a great opportunity for me to play an all Rachmaninoff program.

Soon after my other concert,playing Schubert, I was off to Britain for one of my closest friend's wedding. I was dreading so many things before going as I was told it was bitterly cold the week before and had heard horror stories about going through immigration. It turned out that it was actually hotter than the summers that I have experienced over the years and I got through immigration quite quickly - 40 minutes which is a record! (Over the years I've accepted that I'd have to wait at least an hour!)
Over the 6 days in England I had a great deal of traveling to do. I had very limited time so I had friends meeting up with me at stations and airports to make the most of my visit.

The wedding was in Hereford and was one of the most beautiful and heartwarming weddings I've been to. It was a glorious day which really seemed like God's gift to the couple. It was a small wedding with only twenty people in a small chapel in the beautiful countryside. I felt very honored to have been part of it.

Coming back to London,I celebrated a friend's 80th birthday,went to stay with my God son's family and then was off to the airport the next day.

So,before getting settled in Britain,I then was off to NY.
I had promised one of my pupils that I would come to her high school graduation when their family had decided to move to NY. That was three years ago and this year was her graduation. We decided that it would be more fun to come to her graduation dance performance since she was majoring in dance.

It had been a while since I had seen her so I was really looking forward to it. The school that she goes to is the school that the film "Fame" was based on.
Boy,am I glad that I came to see it. The performance was absolutely amazing! It was so professionally done and in some ways it was actually even better than a professional dance company. There was so much passion and young and positive energy in each and every individual that you could feel this amazing force just outpouring from the stage. Truly inspiring!

I had such a great time in NY staying with my cousin and meeting with old friends. It's a shame that so many people which I feel are my soul mates live so far away. It's a struggle having to cram in all the things you want to share in the few hours you have with them!

Going to Britain,then to America and then coming back to Japan was quite a big trip and I wouldn't do it again but I definitely am glad that I was able to go to this wedding and the dance performance. I was shattered at one point in the middle of my trip and would wake up not knowing where I was,but it was all well worth it.

There are so many sad things that happen in life. Just the more reason to take full advantage of these happy events that come our way!

It's nearly a year now since the huge earthquake and tsunami. Everyday life goes on,but this whole year has felt like a year of mourning. As the 1st anniversary approaches the media here in Japan has been taken over by the event,reminding us about the shock we felt then and following up on how people are having to cope after their lives have been taken away. It's very difficult to face all the problems that we have and very upsetting but I think that it's good that we are reminded that there are still so many people struggling with their lives and still in pain. Sadly,it is so easy for us to forget...

I know that I've been neglecting my English blog. I am still alive and life goes on.
This has been a very cold winter for us here in Japan and everyone is eagerly awaiting the spring to come.
I found one single plum flower in bloom yesterday which is a sign that spring is nearly here.

Although I guess it is not headline news anymore abroad, Japan is still very much damaged by last year's March 11.It will soon be the first anniversary and everyone is bracing for it. I just saw on the news how they've reinforced people to find those whom are still missing. There are still people missing in the thousands.

In the past year I have visited Kamaishi three times to do volunteer work. It is one of the towns which was hard hit by the tsunami. I first visited there in June and although much of the damage was still left untouched with buildings and roads still full of debris and the huge tanker ashore on the port,there was a sense of unity and optimism to try and get over this terrible disaster together.

The second time I went was in November. It was amazing to see how quick so much of the debris had been cleared and already new buildings - shops and places to eat - had appeared. When I went to the base camp and visited the temporary homes though I could sense that mental fatigue and depression was wide spread. The days were becoming shorter and seasonally we were heading for winter so spirits were very low. I got very much caught up in it myself ( how can you not?) and it mad me realize how serious and complicated the future for these places will be.

The third time was just last month. Although it was bitterly cold,I think because the New Year had come and that we are heading for spring now, there was a sense of new hope and optimism again. Of course every individual is different but the feeling of the places and people that I had been in contact with were definitely more positive than when I had visited in November. It felt very promising.

Everyday life where I live here in Kamakura is totally back to normal. It is so easy to forget that this is still an ongoing thing and that it will take years for those people whom have been robbed of their lives to find some kind of "normality".

It's really been a life-changing experience for so many of us here in Japan,but I hope that we will not forget what we had felt and seen and continue to be compassionate towards those whom have been affected by it. I really feel that every moment that we have shouldn't be taken for granted and that the way we live each moment must not be wasted.

P.S. Seems like I haven't written about music for quite a long time! It's all interconnected but I'll try to write something which might be more relevant to this website next time!!!

Wishing the world a Happy New Year!
Please forgive me to be a bit selfish but I really do hope that Japan will have a really good year.
2011 was a terrible year for us as a country and we still very much feel the damage from all the events. I hope that we will be able to find joy and happiness in this New Year which will help us overcome all that has happened.

Wishing the world peace,love and joy!

I've just come back from a tense riot-ridden Britain to a solemn and saddened Japan commemorating 5 months after the earthquake and tsunami. It's amazing how you can move from one country to another and feel totally different. Reality can be so different depending on where you actually are.

Wishing the world a very Happy Easter!

My friend in Switzerland sent me this Youtube link. It made me smile and uplifted my heart even if just for a moment. Much needed when we are just surrounded by sad and depressing news.

It's a fun video,but not only that,the comments by Artist Genki Sudoh are very touching and I think very true.

I've always remembered this discussion I had with my piano teacher years ago about Ghandi. He said that Ghandi had said that human civilization had,at a certain point,branched out onto the wrong path and that we were moving further and further away from the right one. The only way to get back on the right path was to go back where we had got it wrong.

I think this is exactly what Genki Sudoh is saying. This is the ultimate wakeup call. This is our chance to re-look at our lifestyles and rediscover our values as human beings. Please read the comments that he has posted.(Click on the japanese writing under "Subscribe, See all my Videos, Comment, Like, friend me,and follow ...)They are very moving and encouraging.

(The clip inspired me to find out more about him. I didn't realize he was the famous K-1 fighter! It's inspiring to know that so many people in so many different fields have their own philosophies and yet we still believe WE ARE ALL ONE. Here's another clip you might enjoy- WORLD ORDER)

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year!

I've been feeling quite low and confused in the past few weeks. I think it's just because I've been so busy and haven't been pracitising much so I feel like I've lost my center. I became so behind with my Christmas cards so I've ended up writing Happy New Year cards instead! Apologies to everyone who hasn't recieved a card from me yet!

I suddenly feel inspired to write today as something wonderful was waiting for me when I came back from my teaching. It was a Christmas card from someone whom I had met only once 5 years ago in a restaurant in Manhattan.

I've been thinking a great deal about the people that we meet through our lives and how some come and go and if there's any logic to why some of them stay. I've been a little disheartened in the past few months concerning this so this card was such a welcome surprise and will help me gain back my faith in that there must be a meaning to the meetings that we have through our lives.

The card was from an Indian couple whom we were sitting next to in a seafood restaurant in New York. There's a misconception that Manhattan is an unfriendly place but I've always thought otherwise. There is so little space in restaurants and bars that you're in such close proximity to the next table/person that you're bound to strike up a conversation.

That's just what happened to us. Our tables were so close together that our conversations just started to overlap organically! We ended up sharing our desserts ( the wife had a delicious peach cobbler!) and ended our lovely dinners together.

I wrote a Christmas card to them that year but sadly never heard from them. I just thought " I guess it was just another one-off very interesting and fun meeting".

SO to hear from them after all this time is truly wonderful. (I remember that there was a TV in the restaurant and they were reporting that the US was going to war with Iraq. I was really impressed how everyone seemed to be outraged by this as the news that we got in Japan only showed one side of the story.) They've written that my card has been sitting on their desk for 5 years! I feel very honoured that they kept it there for so long!

I truly believe that everyone that we meet is a blessing and has a meaning. It might just be the one time or it may be someone that we will have all throughout our lives. I'm so happy to know that our one time meeting has had some kind of a meaning to have had left an impression for 5 years!

"The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature. Life is an exciting business and most exciting when it is lived for others. You cannot do much about the length of your life but you can do a lot about its depth and width."

Each sentence is a quote from famous people but they've been put together in one paragraph,printed on my folder which I use for my music theory pupils. I bought the folder because I liked the first two quotes in large print," Inspiration comes of working(Charles Baudelaire)" and "Imagination is more important than knowledge (Einstein)"
but while I was waiting for a pupil to finish her work I just glanced at the smaller print which said the above and was really moved by it.

In the past month,I had been shaken to the core and questioning my values on what true kindness,compassion,thoughtfulness is. I guess that everyone's definition of these things are different and although one's intentions might be good,I've discovered (yet again!) that it can end up being hurtful to others at times. At one point I even felt like,"why bother!!!???".But looking at my folder and also realizing (through my friends) that there is of course meaning and value to being compassionate and helping others has helped me to regain my own beliefs on how to interact with people. It was a scary time as I lost all faith in my own definition of what kindness is,but am comforted by the fact that it isn't wrong to try and make it the purpose of life. I believe in the pursuit of happiness but also believe that that happiness comes from helping one another and trying to achieve it together - whether it be family,friends or someone on the street. To me restricting one's compassion or kindness just doesn't seem to make sense. I have to pursue what I believe in.

And by perfect timing,my oldest friend from when I was three years old who knows me inside and out,sent me a song which she thought I would love. It's from the musical "Wicked"and the song is called "For Good".The lyrics say it perfectly. I am so glad that I am not the only one who believes in this.

"People come into our lives for a reason,
bringing something we must learn.
And we are lead to those who help us most to grow
if we let them,
and we help them in return...."

Quotes;
The purpose of human life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. (Albert Schweitzer)
Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature. (Eric Hoffer,American writer)
Life is an exciting business and most exciting when it is lived for others. (Hellen Keller)
You cannot do much about the length of your life but you can do a lot about its depth and width. (Evan Esar,American Humorist)

I'm in a really good place.

For the past year or so I've been having a sort of midlife crisis but I feel like I'm over it now. It's interesting how things work as it seemed to be a gradual process. There were so many things that I had questioned about my own life - what I've done and where I want to go - and also about the world and times and societies that we live in. There were a lot of discoveries,many of which were depressing but also made me learn a great deal about myself. Each question seemed to be answered and I was gradually lifted from my low point.

I had done the soul searching and questioning and I got to a point where I could just say "Shut up and get on with it!".

I'm not sure where I'm heading for but I'm happy with where I am and am feeling positive and focused.

One of the things that has started the "positive" process is that I'm starting to feel really good about my playing. At last I feel that,maybe,playing the piano is really where I can work my heart out. I think I totally lost track of what it really felt like to express oneself fully. If I can do this on stage,all the hard work will be worth it.

P.S.I've updated my Information page. I'm doing a concert in June with an oboist in Kamakura,Japan. Please come if you can!

So,after a good rehearsal in the hall,taking full advantage of the acoustics and enjoying the worlds of Beethoven,Elgar and Massenet,I was immediately brought back to reality.

For the past few years there has been something that has been a problem in our home and because we couldn't get rid of it,it has always been in the back of my mind. Part of the house that we live in is quite old and is made of wood in a Japanese traditional style.Some of the walls are made of clay which means that they adjust to the humidity naturally. The problem is that we've had some unwanted guests in between the cielings for several years!

This has become a common problem in Japan as there have been several animals which had been imported into our country as pets and have gone wild. Because they don't have any natural predators apparently the numbers have just exploded. We've had raccoons at one point and have been trying desperately to get rid of them by trying to close off any parts of the house that they use to enter the house. But because it's a wooden house and some parts are clay they seem to just bite or dig their way through! I've often tried to scare them away by banging on the ceiling with a snooker cue stick! They've become really obnoxious though as recently they would just slowly move from one end of the ceiling to the other as if they knew that I wouldn't do anything but scare them off. If they just lived there and didn't do any harm I wouldn't mind. But they rip all the walls and heat insulation to move around the house and also they leave so much behind them that it not only smells terrible but at one point I had found that the ceiling over my piano (Steinway!) was collapsing! We had to quickly get the whole ceiling redone. The carpenters found the hole and closed it off. I was so happy as it seemed like we had at last gotten rid of the problem only to hear the footsteps again over that same ceiling (just a week later!!!!!)

So,I hope some people will sympathize with what just happened yesterday...
For years,we've been trying to get rid of these animals in a defensive way. But,nothing has really worked and so I had to go to the town hall to get some help. They were really helpful as it seems that so many people have been having the same problem. Even the person whom I had spoken with at the desk has been a victim!

They give you a cage and show you when and where and how to use it. There are several rules you have to follow and it had become a daily chore. Because these animals are nocturnal I would have to set up the trap at night. When nothing is caught I would have to collect the fruit that I had set in the trap and then close it the next morning so it wouldn't catch any cats or squirrels during the day. I knew there were at least three of them around but I hadn't had any luck for about a month. So this had become my daily routine. SO far from the beautiful world of music!!!

Anyway,although I was exhausted after this rehearsal at the hall,and although it was slightly raining,I cut some apples and put them in the cage and set the trap up.(I was told that they are often caught after the rain.)

I woke up the next morning,went to the cage thinking I have to get the apples out again so I wouldn't catch anything else,only to find,to my surprise(!!!) a masked palm civet.(It's something like a raccoon and a badger but together.)

It wasn't very big but it was quite scary to find a wild animal that I had never seen before, They are now the most common nuisance alongside the raccoon which have been tearing up peoples houses and also many temples!

I was a bit stirred up by the whole thing which isn't really good before a concert. I didn't realize something like this could shake me up so much! I guess it's a mixture of things but I realize I shouldn't be doing things like this too close to the concert. Glad that it happened now rather than the day itself!

Happy New Year!!! Wishing the world happiness and peace!

I've just come back from my trip to NY. Although not intended,it turned out to be an almost soul searching journey. I've learned a great deal about myself and also I seemed to have been given answers to so many questions that I have been asking myself all these years.

I am feeling energized and positive. A great way to start the New Year!

A recital in November in Tokyo is in the pipe-lines and I've been busy trying to get things organized. The hall is booked and the programme is set but I've been having trouble getting the flyers done as I didn't want to use my previous promotional photos.

They're nearly 6 years old and every time I look at them now, I think to myself "Who is this person?". I thought it was time to get some new photos.

I booked a hall and asked a very good friend of mine who is semi-professional. She started photography late in life but I have always admired her style and use of light.

We had the photo shoot two days ago and although I think we were quite tense at the beginning,we warmed up and really got into it. In the middle of the session,the stage director,whom I've also known for ages,also joined in with his own camera so it became a three way session! I think this took away the edge/pressure and created a really good atmosphere. We were all on a high at the end of the two hour session!

I've had to do some of the editing today and I'm happy to say that there were a few which I really liked. It's amazing what you can do on the computor though nowadays. It's veeeeery tempting to make yourself more beautiful than the real thing.

I always think though,that if you're really lucky that there will be one that really sticks out. There's something really special about it and it seems as if there's some kind of extra magic. I think between the two of them they took nearly 500 photos (thanks to digital cameras!),and,yes,I was lucky this time!

There was ONE that was quite special. The amazing thing is that I don't even have to "retouch" it at all!

This has really cheered me up as I had been feeling that the preparations for this concert had not been going well. I just felt like I was running into one brick wall after another. I just hope that things will run a bit more smoothly now as I feel like I've been given a really good re-start.

Just have to deal with one thing at a time....

←　Relaxing facial muscles in between takes!

I always think that this is the best time of year in Japan. After the cherry blossom season,all the new leaves start to come out and the mountains in Kamakura become all these different shades of green. When the leaves just start to come out,they give the illusion that they are slightly white and it almost seems as if the mountains are fuzzy! There's an expression in Japanese which points out the mountains when the new leaves are just coming out and is translated "The mountain is laughing". I think this is such an appropriate and wonderful expression!

I'm amazed how a 4 minute long video clip can move you to tears. One of my pupils showed me this clip before a lesson and I had trouble recuperating myself after watching it! It is so moving on so many levels. Just makes you realize we shouldn't give up on our dreams. Enjoy!

I Dreamed A Dream-Susan Boyle

Wishing everyone a very happy new year!

May this Christmas bring happiness,
peace and love to this world!
Merry Christmas!

A friend just sent me a chain e-mail. I usually dismiss them as I don't like the idea of having to put a burden on friends but the words spoke to me so I thought it would be nice to share it here.

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the
love that has been given to you.

May you be confident knowing you are a child of God. Let this
presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

Barack Obama has become the first African American President of the United States of America.
Watching the definitive moment on TV, I truly felt that I had witnessed an amazing historical moment in time. There is an overwhelming sense of joy to know that we might be making some kind of progress as the human race. There is hope afterall.

Although this day used to be a day to celebrate my friend's birthday and also wedding anniversary it is now tainted with deep sadness. I lived in New York when I was little and visit Manhattan regularly,so I have a great fondness for the city and was truly shocked to see it being scarred. I was one of the lucky ones to not have anyone lost in the event,but I think it has affected us all in some way or another and that the world has really changed since then.

We have all this new technology now which is supposed to bring us together,and yet we seem so far from world peace. How can this be? Haven't we had enough time to learn from our mistakes? I cannot believe how we can fly into space,figure out how the universe started and yet still cannot find a way to live together in peace... Shame on us.

It's now over two weeks since the Sichuan Earthquake.Together with the cyclone in Myanmar,one wonders why there must be so much suffering and pain and sadness in this world.
It's quite difficult to watch the news without becoming emotional. It is not those who have died but to see those who have been left behind which really breaks my heart.
I pray that all those who have died in these two events rest in God's peace,but even more that those who have lost their loved ones will have God's special blessing at this difficult time.

Welcome to my website!
I am happy to be able to say that my English website is now up and running. Hopefully it will give you an insight on my musical activites.This "Thoughts" page will be showing a more personal side of me and I hope to not only write about music but also things that inspire me in my everyday life. Please come and visit again!