Absenteeism

My recent lack of postings may very well be a figment of your imagination.



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Waiting rooms

Waiting rooms can really get you down...


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Thanksgiving Day

A visit to the cemetery, lunch with the extended family, the usual trip to the cinema and at last some decent progress in recording my next album.

That was how the long weekend went.

Finally achieved a satisfactory mixdown for Kimi ga kienai. And a working mix for Totsuzen no koto. Slowly but surely, it's coming together... :-)


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Back from Tokyo

Yes, I was there last week, when Typhoon Roke hit. Tokyo is usually not directly on the path of typhoons, but Roke must have known somehow that I was in town...

Here's the view from my hotel room on the 44th floor.



And another view, with Mt Fuji hiding among the clouds on the horizon.



With vistas like these, I guess it won't be long before I head back that way, to my favorite city...

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Art and folly

I enjoy thinking about aesthetics and the elusive matter of valuation as much as the next Artist destined to become famous after his death.

But I just watched Banksy's film Exit Through the Gift Shop this evening.

Disappointing in more ways then one...



Speaking of art, here are my latest iPhone sketches...






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Manthropology

Almost finished reading Manthropology by Peter McAllister.

Although it gets a little tedious in parts, particularly when he goes out of his way to drum home his thesis that contemporary males are no match for the true men back in the good old days, it certainly is easy to read, and as one among said contemporary males, it has without doubt caused me to rethink my self-image, values and conduct!


Meanwhile I've been prepping for my jazz gig in Tokyo on Sep 17. One song I plan to do is Love Hurts, first recorded by the Everly Brothers. Not your typical jazz standard but I reckon I can swing it just fine... :-)




Oh ya, Rufus Lin Radio is ON AIR even as we speak. At the moment it is a complete mishmash of diverse Japanese indie music but hey, it's free! And you may even hear something you like, beginning a lifelong obsession with that artist's oeuvre...or not. In any case have a listen...

Rufus Lin Radio



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Alaska

Today I am on a cruise ship, the M/S Volendam, and we are docked at Skagway, Alaska.



I don't know if this is actually closer to Japan than where I live in Vancouver, but it sure *feels* closer, and I'm pretty sure my flights to Tokyo come this way prior to making the Pacific crossing.

Yes, this could very well be the closest point in North America to Japan.




Let's see, what have I done so far?

Well I flew out to a glacier in a helicopter.

Walked around the state capital Juneau, which has a tiny population of 30,000.



Listened to a live jazz trio while imbibing a Grand Marnier and coffee.

Skimmed Tom Peters' Talent in the ship's library.

As can be seen from the pics, took a whole slew of photos with my iPhone and posted them on Instagram and my Japanese Facebook wall.



Experienced for the first time in eleven years freedom from work email (having intentionally left my Mac at the office)... My iPhone is keeping me connected with my social networks, including my main blog in Japanese, but satellite Internet costs a mint and my connection keeps dropping ...



A week on the sometimes turbulent ocean...not always the lap of luxury, you know!

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