camera

in December 2006 at Adorama camera store in New York City I bought an used Nikon FE2 -old school, all manual, the beginner's SLR camera. 120 bucks or so, I was alright to use it up completely to the end of its functional life. And as it seems, just as I ended my 3 month journey through Cambodia then back to Thailand and arrive at Tokyo Narita airport, I asked a person to take a picture of me and my mother, and that's when the camera stopped working, with the shutter stuck and mirror flipped up.
so it traveled 3 months 4 countries and shot 35 rolls, over 1,000 pictures almost all with this 35 dollar used 28mm. and now it broke down... I borrowed my mother's old Minolta with 50mm to finish the rest of journal with it. She bought it (below in the mirror) in 1964 to photograph Tokyo Olympics. In what technology these days could you expect any camera, (or just about any appliance, instrument, or gadget) to last 43 years...?


P.S. entering this part almost 9 months after the fact I just have to notify that, December of 2007 the Nikon camera has come back to its life sevral times and has been continuously fulfilling me with visual pleasure.

Hakone & Momokanian republic

Queen of Momokania, my neice Momoka(above left with Momokanian flag) and Prince Reitaro invites the whole Yamaguchi family to Hakone hot spring trip



Momoka and Uncle Toshi by the carp pond


A Family asylum. let's put the whole crazy family in this 'nice and quiet facility in the mountains.'


we stop by Hakone's famous Forest of Sculptures

Khorn and Hoko again in Shimizu!

March 24th, A 3-hour train ride out of central Tokyo/Yokohama metropolice brings me to Shimizu, a small fishing port town in Shizuoka province. There in a light rain under the gray sky, await for me Khorn and Hoko, a Cambodian/Japanese couple I had met in Siem Reap. We visited Poum Steung school together back in February (see http://toshilog.blogspot.com/2007/02/khorn-hoko-chandrine-and-puok-high.html)

Khorn met Hoko in Sim Reap a few yeas back. Got married and been back and forth between Siem Reap and Shimizu. Hoko's famly in Shimizu (her mother) runs a late-night bar for local fishermen. And she's expecting a baby!

City of Shimizu sits in the wide-spreaded skirt of Mt. Fuji in Shizuoka pefecture. One side of the city is open to Pacific water and the other blocked with high mountain chaines. At the sea port you can choose variety of sea food dish in the morning (beware the fat tuna runs out by 10 in the morning!)

the walls of the fish market is decorated with calligraphies from local school children, and the calligraphies say "Rice Bowl with Tuna" or "Salted Grilled Crab" and such.

Korn doesn't want to talk about Cambodia much, especially when it regards to politics of the country. His father, assumeably grown up in 60's 70's through 80's raising Khorn, has told him specifically "never to be photograped or videotaped when talking about politics or social afare."

amusing members of Yamaguchi's

I grew up in a five-person family, with my parents and two brothers, one older and one younger. My parents live in Yokohama, a suburban city 45 minutes outside of central Tokyo, and each of my brother has a place and a steady job in Tokyo. Above is my father Shuzo, 65, calm but stubborn, indifferent to others but pushy about his own ideas. An retired government officer, avid Christian, wants to publish his book on a Christian philosopher/politician he's been studying.

for the last so many years, once every week my father goes for a little one hour walk through the nearby park by the stream, taking Momo, our 13 year-old Shiba dog, on his way he picks up trash -plastic bags, wrappers, cans and bottles. The park has surprisingly few trash bins -it could be their policy for keeping homeless people away. Fence has been built under the bridge where a few homeless people once created their cardboard dwellings.

Tetsuro, my younger brother, works for a video production company that does everything from producing and editing video project to playing soccer and baseball. Disagrees completely with me on the existence of spiritual energy force, as he beleives that all the energy can be calculated by scientific device existing today, while, visiting his home in Yokohama he can get easily annoyed by the way our mother treats her mother (our grandmother) who's suffereing something similar to Alzheimer. He takes pleasure in pursuasively punishing a small injusts around him. Send him to iPod store for a small repair and he won't come out of there without making a scene.

Eiko, my grandmother is 87 years old and she's very forgetful. She doesn't know where she is or who we are, and says things that don't seem to make sense to anyone but herself. She claims her joint pain (sort of like Arthritis) but my parents don't take her seriously, at least as much as she would have liked them to. So she screams out of her pain as my mother using her perky and cheering force, tries to get her up on her feet each morning. 'I'm sorry,' Eiko says. 'I don't want anybody to see me like this.' I get to do some reiki practice on her. her shoulders, back, arms, everything feels small, dry and weak like a fruit left out for ages.

[left]And there's Kazue, my mother with her granddaugter (my niece) Momoka and grammy Eiko. Kazue has recently been chosen to be the vise-president of Japan's leading association of female Christians. They publish magazines, hold lectures on ecological, environmental and domestic economical issues, hold charity concerts and homemade cupcake sales, work with NGO's in Bangradesh and many other places. Kazue has learned six or seven foreign languages including most recently Mongolian. She likes things to be in order, family to be in harmony and can't seem to deal with situations when they are not. Instead she seems to act all perfect as if nothing has been wrong. [right]Tatsuro, my older brother, who's not in this picture -I didn't have a chance to take a really good picture of him- has been married to Miho and have two children. My niece Momoka (6) and my nephew Reitarou (2). Momoka only met me twice before in her life, when she was 3 and 5, during my brief visit to Japan, yet she remembers "Uncle Toshichan from New York" well and we always make good friends. She starts the first grade of her primary school this April.

Cooking in Yokohama

March 22nd, the day after I arrived in Tokyo airport, to see my family for a week before i go back to New York, my mother and I plan to make dinner together to exercise what i just learned in Health Oasis Resort, Koh Samui. i did most of cooking with my mom later joining in, made Miso-grilled Aji fish, Soba noodle salad and Stir-fly Tofu and bean sprouts. Momo, our family dog patiently awaits at the threshold to the kitchen.

Bon Appetit, i could have gotten bigger fish maybe, but with a nice cold can of Yebisu beer, everything is perfect.

Best Blues Bar in Bangkok!!

[left]Meet Pong, sitting with other regulars at the bar, sipping Heineken and smoking Marlboro reds, his seasoned and tender telecaster stands quietly beside him, that is, until it goes up across his arms and starts smoking. Cool guy, too cool to be in touristy area of Bangkok. Where does a guy like him find a spot for refreshing evening filled with vibes and juicy music?
[right]Meet Erika, Shoko and Veronique. A New Yorker on the road for fifteen month in search of her spiritual wellness, a horticulture-major university student from Fukuoka, Japan who loves traveling to beautiful trees and mountains, a reconeitering French vanilla princess last seen on the beaches of Koh Chang, full of positive energy and laughter, and myself, a Japanese New Yorker, meditation practitioner and musician who's time for 'rice farm tour' is coming to an end... Where do four people like these share an evening of new and energetic friendship before they all, within the next day or two, go separate ways?
The answer is Adhere 13 the Blues Bar on Samsen Rd. It's not Bangkok, it's Adhere 13 Blues Bar, with their signboard at front saying 'If you don't like blues, you've got a hole in your soul'

March 20th, it is the last night for me in Bangkok, last night in South East Asia. I take a nice long massage session and head for the bar just around the corner. Filling the space is completely different air than that of Khao San Road, just a few blocks from here across the canal. Everybody, stranger or familiar face, local or tourist, smiles to each other unafraid of eye-contact. I have played harmonica, joining Georgia's blues band back in January, and last night a jazz band on the bill let me play and sing some blues and Dylan's heaven's door to Neil Young's helpless. Tonight I have my own set, before the headliner, and it's the end of my "Highway 6 Rebuilt Tour" with this new guitar I got in Siem Reap, which brought me joy and pleasure worth far more than the money I paid for the instrument.

It's almost 9pm and in front of three lovely ladies my set starts. 'Priming up the pump...' singing 'Dirt is Dry' with my dear sister Wylda singing along 'Don't be like that!' echoing in my head, Helene from Kampot joins my heart in my newest composition 'Every Two Years in June' and Singing Tree Orchestra's lead guitar player Fabien's fingers appear all the way from Siem Reap translucent over Pong's when two of us play 'Highway 6 Rebuilt' and Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' which sounded truly wonderful, and i closed the set with not-so-wonderful unpracticed cover of Louis Armstrong's 'What A Wonderful World' my guitar's out of tune by now, thank you so much! [right] then after a small intermission tonight's headliner starts playing smoking blues, now it's definitely not Bangkok, this could be Memphis, Chicago or Atlanta, or London's Royal Albert Hall, or could be even Cream's studio in late 60's. Lady's and Gentleman, Please welcome Thailand's one and the only, Hoocie Coochie Band!

I've seen many blues bands in this size of venue, in New York, LA, Tokyo, etc. and Let me tell you all the music loving folks, DO NOT underestimate the music scene in Bangkok! I've never seen such fierce guitar play full of imagination and energy, with a great contrast between trebly and little off-beat telecaster like Thai spice, and smooth and thick stratcaster like a coconut. I've never seen such tight rhythm unit either. Bassist takes solo once in a while that pushes themselves out of the conventional blues' pattern, and the drum beat is ever solid, supportive and yet original. They even adds a friendly casual atmosphere by inviting any musician from the audience, i get to play Harmonica on their 'Hoochie Coochie Man' and a telecaster on another slow tune. The guy on the left, guitar player on telly, also is a photographer and cinematographer, only Thai i ever met during the whole trip who loved my favorite Thai movie 'The Last Life in Universe' because of its cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Check his websites;
http://photosik.multiply.com
http://musicographer.multiply.com
and here's a quote from his profiles;
sound : the sign of life, when the child was born doctor have to hear the baby's cry, the cry that make world smiles. Just like music.
image : the result of the light and shade, make the moment freeze, to be picture, picture like vision that drive people. just like photography.

[left]Jim idols his heinekens and ten harminicas on his table right in front of the band, jumps in any song that are played. Regular at this bar from America.
[right]Pong fires his solo on Hoochie Coochie Band. He's been playing guitar since he was 11, he's now 34 and all he does is play music. 'I don't want to be rich or famous, I don't want this place to become too popular amongs tourists. I just want to play guitar, make friends, be happy.' we promise to meet again, and my time in South East Asia is over. In four hours I'll be in a taxi to the airport, to catch the flight to Tokyo.

Thai people are nice... are they? -back in Bangkok

"Thai people are nice." I hear a lot of tourists say this. Well, if you are from New York or Los Angeles, or Tokyo or London, you may feel that way (sorry all the nice folks in those cities) With their Buddhism tradition and gesture of Wai(putting hands together to greet or thank) and especially if you are one of those tourists willing to spend money, there must be a definit reason why you would think that Thai people are nice. In the last three or four years, however, I can clearly see that nice Thai mentality -hospitality, generousity, modesty, willingness to offer help, etc. has quickly deteriorated, especially in the capital. Bangkokers seem to have forgotten their own traditional spiritual wellness. I hope I'm wrong, and i also know that i'm speaking out of such little experience in tourist area of Bangkok.

March 19th, What's up with all the pagodas around Bangrampoo area being repaired anyways? I can't find my quiet meditation spot in this scaffolding and the loud noise. So I set out on a long walk, just like the very first time I visited this city years ago, to this large, vibrant Wat Suthatthepwararam. This pagoda in the picture is easily four, five times bigger than say, Wat Bo in Siem Reap, far more equipped and maintained. On the way there, a souvenier shop is not nice to me, -if i touch their marchandise and decide not to buy it, they would get upset. and a girl on a street randomly asks me with hand gestures if i want to have a sex with her 11 in a morning, when i say no she laughs and jokes with her co-workers. and at the music store if i try to ask a few questions about their Ping, Thai traditional musical instrument, instead of an answer the lady of the store yells at me 'you buy it? you buy it?' even if i did like the instrument that yell is enough to put me off from buying. 'Are you angry?' i ask, and she just furiously shakes her head.

I further continue towards Chinatown, through the small alleys of shops where you can find every imaginable electronics and their parts, -car stereo, play station, mobile phone, hard drive, iPod... i pass a group of young monks. then i enter a bigger section of market where they sell textile -Thai silk and other clothes etc. There are just so many people. There again a vendor girl i ask to let me stand on her stool to take a picture from just for one second, doesn't even look at me, saying 'No' and sits down into the stool.

exhausted, i take a boat back from chinatown to Bangrampoo, a lady at the pier, a young guy on boat, they're all hostile to me. and that's when i'm acting relatively calm, peaceful and smiling in my monkish shaved head and everything.
Bangkok has become just another capitalistic metropolice. It's all that much sadder because of the tradition this country withholds for centries. And it's horrifying to think that, the same type of capitalism, consumerism and materialism, along with tourism, is clearly on it's way to young minds of Cambodians and people in other developping countries trying to catch up to the western, modern countries' materialistic wealth.

Health Oasis, Koh Samui

March 12th, I come back to Health Oasis Resort, my familiar fasting/cleansing meditation facility. Manta welcomes me with her big smile. 'Okay, Manta, this time I don't have a lot of time. -I was supposed to start fasting 5 days ago- we'll do a speed fasting, for 5 days and I can start colonic right away, and the day I come out of fasting I want to do the cooking lesson.' very American, not recommended way for serious healthy thinkers.

The following day I fall from a motorbike and injure my back seriously. Why i needed a moto in the first place while fasting is also a questionable point, lot to do with my psychological and emotional state. Anyway I practice loads of newly-initiated reiki on myself and start regaining energy, or rather working the pain off by mental power. It is very challenging and mind-opening experience at the same time. one of those mornings when i come out of meditation and reiki on the beach, i look to my left and see a black dot coming aproach from afar. it's a guy jogging with a water buffalo. what a way to wake from meditation, total surrealistic Dali moment.

Here are some of the lovely staff members at Health Oasis Resort. Clockwise from top left; When I met Nai last year, I knew this smart and hardworking Burmese boy would be so important to the value which this place creates. Kiu runs the resort's organic kitchen, one place i don't really have business with while fasting in this resort. I only get to have a few things on her menu right before or after the fasting. And Mr. Colonic Tong with his big smile! His baby daughter has become 2 years old and being raised by his mother in Burma, while he wakes up fasting guests with Psyllium-Bentonite shake at 7am every morning, sets your colonic bench in your bathroom and wash them after use twice every day. And all the Thai massage therapists at lunch break. Some new faces this year, including Gai on far left in the bottom left picture above, who gives me gentle aloma oil + hot stone massage and slowly eases my back pain off.

[left]Jackie and Joey, with big Brooklyn accent (I would have been certain that they were those typical Italian American from Brooklyn, but they turned out to be Jewish, after all what do I know about this mystical world if I can't tell Italians and Jews from my own neighbourhood?) they too are annual return visitors of this paradise. Jackie, left, has met Bob Dylan and John Lennon. He just gets what he wants.
[right] Manta grew up in Northern Thailand, with twelve siblings and was always in the role of taking care of the others. Self-taught cooking, meditation and reiki. Now she just wants to make people happy. She wishes to branch out the same kind of healing center elsewhere (let's do it together in Cambodia! I said) as well as keep the business at Health Oasis Resort upgraded and more sophisticated. Hey I say this is the most sophisticated place i ever stayed in the last 2 and a half months. If you are seeking for your spiritual/mental/physical wellness(as you should be), visit www.healthoasisresort.org

[left]Sunday, March 18th, Boat from Nathon pier leaves Koh Samui behind once again. [right]and this is my sleeper car on the train from Suratthani back to Bangkok. Riding through gorgeous Thai country side, I'll return to that crazy capital by 5:30 tomorrow morning.

Patrick Guillou, my big brother of foundation

He is my brother, he radiates big positive energy, he practices generousity everyday, and his heart is pure like that of child. "You can't make other people happy unless you are happy"

We often sees each other as a dreamer, an idealist. But recent e-mail from him made me realize that's just reflection on the mirror. After all, we ARE the same people in pursuit for the same happiness. We met on the connecting flights from Koh Samui-Bangkok-Luang Prabang in February 2006. Sharing the cab fare into town ended up spending a couple of days together and finding out lots of similarities -and differences. When i knew that i'd be coming back to SE Asia this year, I didn't think twice about getting back in touch with him and do some of the days in Cambodia together.

With Saroun by Siem Reap river. French by nationality, by heart. Romantic as a French could be. He has traveled much through many parts of the world. "There are so many places in the world that is beautiful, but some of them -not many- are also magical, and mystical." he said it as we sat and watch the sunset by the Meckon in Luang Prabang.

He has built his own bed and breakfast in Minervois, France. As i call him big brother of foundation, he gets down and works his own hands to create something from the bottom. Designs his own furniture, does his own plumbing and electrical works, cooks excellent food of any cusine, and he's a complete gadget master with his iPod and laptop. He got himself this motorbike shown above, came and rescued me in Koh Chang.

The morning i left Koh Chang, i didn't see him at Thale's bungalows but thought i'd see him at the ferry pier. Then i found out his boat would be leaving from different pier than mine, I was bummed out that i didn't get to say proper good-bye. But hey, there's a reason i call him brother, once on the mainland side, guess who drove up right behind my tuk-tuk taxi?
March 11th at Trat bus station, this is the last time we see each other, until the next rice farm tour. I'll be on my way to Koh Samui via Bangkok bus, and Patrick will continue on his motorbike jouney to god knows where.

Koh Chang Table Curving Project

Here in Thale's bungalows, I see many people -guests or staff- engaged in artistic activity, particularly wood curving is popular here. Almost every table in the reception area/restaurant has some kind of curving. Just as I notice it, [left]Sheraka is doing her circular symbol on a table. [right]I design a circle made of 'peace' in 7 languages onto one of the few tables that has remained uncurved.

After I start curving the owner Siri tells me that the wood used for the table isn't good for curving. I notice it is plywood! This is gonna chip all over. Slow and steady hand, with help of a random Thai tourist who stops by for lunch.

Patrick and I had last two days of difficulty interviewing me on camera in which we see our contradicting points of view, so curving so many 'peace's has been great way to use that unsettled energy. Now it's Patrick's turn, doing the last part in French 'Paix' with the last sunset we see together before long time.

At night Sheraka joins me to color the work. My whole last day on Koh Chang is spent on this work. Siri says he will varnish tomorrow.

Finished work. Heiwa(Japanese) SantePerph(Thai) Paix(French) Vrede(Dutch) SantePheap(Khmer) Pax(Spanish/Italian) and Peace(English)

Good people on Koh Chang

Siri(left) and Mam, brothers who own Thale's bungalows. Total Thai hippies, loves Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and Blues Rock. They gave me a small curved elephant on my departure.

[left]Mr. "Elephant Man" plays a beautiful set mixed with western covers, thai pop and his original songs. With his sincere comments between, he gives profound new lives to songs that elsewhere tend to sound cheezy such as 'Let It Be' 'You've Got a Friend' and 'Baby, Can I Hold You'. The day I arrive I play a small set to open for him, then he plays two sets. On his second set I join in on bass.
[right]Mr. Ard, a friend and co-worker at Thale's. Handiman, Craftsman, Artist and Bassist. Much of this place's down to earth, indigenes decoration is his work.

[left]Sheraka Sphere, a Chinese girl from Canada is in search of her spiritual origin. Practices Yoga, Vipasana meditation, contortion and circus.
[right]Daniel is a multilingual peace activist from all over the world.

And this is Veronique, princess vanilla. Full of positive energy and bright sense of humour. It's rare to see such a free spirit like hers.

Koh Chang, Thailand

On my entry to Thailand, I go straight to Koh Chang. A touristy island off Thai/Cambodian shore. I have to re-connect with Patrick, to share our experiences and thoughts, to have him interview me on camera, and finish the website. The place where he said he would be waiting for me has no trace of him, while the rest of the island makes me sick with its touristy charms. It is hard to believe my dear fellow traveler Patrick is somewhere on this crazy island. I can't wait to get out of here.
March 8th, I wasted a whole day on the island, checking into three guesthouses and cancelling, until finally find Patrick, who comes and rescues me from the zoo of tourists, and takes me to where he's been actually staying(why i didn't get that information is another story). So here I am, I was almost giving up on Koh Chang and thought that i would never come back. Now watching the sunset from a secluded tip of Khlong Phrao beach, finally I feel relaxed.

Patrick's friend Veronique, a French vanilla princess has already spoken to these Thai hippie owners of the place while I was being rescued from the other side of the island, and booked for me the largest bungalow they have (which they gave me for a standard price of small one) and organized a concert gig that night. My bungalow wall says "Good place, good price, good food, good friend, good music, good morning, how are you tomorrow?"

First evening at Thale's bungalows. Daniel, Patrick, Veronique and me.

And this is from the last evening (March 10th) there with Patrick and Veronique.

Morning of March 11th, before i leave the island. Originally i started this rice farm tour with one large backpack. Now my guitar and small backpack -both from Siem Reap, all look seasoned and have gone so far.