zen and the art of baking

むしゃくしゃしたら、お菓子を焼く。

集中しないと生地はやけないし、クリームもうまいところでとめられないし。

むしゃくしゃを忘れないと集中できないからね。

昔、溶接が趣味の女の人に出会いましたが、まったく同じことを言っていた。

ただ、溶接は集中しないと死ぬからね、と生地のできばえのかわりに生死について言っていましたが。

ポイントは趣味って、大事だと思うってこと。

ケーキは、失敗してもせいぜい火傷ですむし、

出来上がれば、自分のお腹とともに友達のお腹にも入るし。

今日はまだケーキ固かった。

練習あるのみ。

でも、これでまた一週間頑張れそうです。

When I feel so stuck, I just bake.

I gotta focus, otherwise dough won't rise right or cream gets too hard.

I have to forget about me being stuck in order to focus.

I have met a woman whose hobby was welding a few years ago.

She said the same thing then although for the welding you might die if you don't focus compared to baking.

The point is that hobby is very precious.

For baking you might get burned a bit when you screwed up, but when it is done right it will feed your tummy and your friends'. 

Today's was still bit hard.

Gotta practice.

At least I can survive for this week again. 

Under the longest sunlight.

Got home. Princess Mina is taking nap behind me.

I was a bit worried that it might rain today. But thank goodness it held it nicely.

I guess I should not blame on others huh?

Anyway, for the make music gig, the address they told me was all wrong.

We had to take the subway to come around the other side of the big park.

That was very American moment. haha. But we made it.

For the rain, I think my song Rain is the cause.

I felt raindrops a bit while we played that song. 

It maybe a curse. 

Maybe my snow song bring storm then. I will watch for that this winter.

Anyway, we had a such a great time outside!

I am gonna eat nice dinner and get some good rest. 

帰ってきました。みなちゃんはうしろで寝てる。

雨降るのかな、ってどきどきした。

やっぱり人のせいにしてはいけませんね。反省してます。

主催者から知らされてた場所には何もなく、電話して問い合わせたら

まったく反対側の公園の入り口に今日のピアノが設置されてた。

アメリカ、だわね。移動するために電車に乗り直しましたよ。

結局雨は、私の雨のうたのせいじゃないかってことに。

あのうたの時だけぱらっとしました。

のろいこもってる？ははは。

じゃあ雪の歌は大雪？今年の冬気をつけてみてます。

しかし野外気持よかった。子供が沢山聞いててくれて嬉しかった。

今日はもう美味しいもの食べて休みます。

Make Music New York 2011 at Fort Tryon Park

I have been packing all the gears for tomorrow.
My room filled with equipments. Looks like a musician's room, which makes me freak out a bit.
Anyway, I will wear the most casual outfit for tomorrow's gig as I will be outside.
It will be fun.
See you at Fort Tryon Park at 2PM! Mina and I will be waiting for you:)

There is a thing called "rainy person/ sunny person" in Japanese superstition.
I used to be called sunny one because whenever I had important occasions, it was always sunny.
Weddings (not mine), travels, auditions, shows.
Recently, however, it seemed like that the mojo has expired. It has rained and snowed on my shows during these past 6 months. Hmm. Maybe all these nice weather in the past was just luck.
But then, you know what?, maybe it was Shogo, who just went back to Japan, was the rainy one.
Looks like tomorrow will be beautiful, and Thursday as well (I am performing at http://artsalonparty.org/).
If those 2 gigs this week and the one in July will be nice weather, I am going to officially start calling him rainy one. (I can easily imagine him being annoyed reading this! haha)

After all, summer rain is always nice. I even love rather violent squall.
Rain or shine, I just love summer more than anything.
Happy Summer solstice!

明日の野外ギグに向けて、さきほどまで色んな機材をせっせとわさわさ詰めてました。
部屋に楽器やら線やらがあふれて、まるで音楽やってる人の部屋みたいで焦る。いやはや。
明日はいつもとちがって、今までになく普通の格好で演奏しようっと。
色々運ばなきゃだし、外だし。日に焼けなきゃいけないし。楽しみです。
平日２時だから、沢山の人に見てもらうっていうより自分の楽しみのためのようだけど、まあ来れたら是非来てください！


話は変わって、日本には、雨男／女、　晴れ男／女ってものがありますね。
私はずっと晴れ女でやってきました。何かとはれるのでその点では実に調子にのって生きてきました。
家族行事だの、旅行だの、試験だの、ギグだの。色々。
傘なんて、持ち歩く意味がなし、と不遜とも言える暮らしぶり。
しかしこの半年ほど、なんだかショーのたびに、ゆきは降る、雨はざんざん、きっともう調子にのって自分の晴れ女権を使い切ったに違いない、とすこしさびしいような反省したいような気持でした。
けど、ふと思ったけど、この半年ってもしかして。
先日日本へ大手を振って永久帰国したさまたくんが私のうえをいく雨男？
だって明日も、別のショーのある木曜も、すばらしい晴天になりそう。
もし今週どっちも晴れて、七月のギグも晴れたら正式に彼を雨男と呼びたいと思う。
夏に日本で一緒に演奏するのにな〜。野外もあるのにな〜。
まあ夏の雨は、ちょっとざんざぶりくらいが気もち良いもんね。
晴れでも雨でも、夏が本当になんでってくらい好き。
そんなわけで今日は夏至。よい夏になりますように！

wig in a box

I normally don't write any negative things here.
Not that I am always happy though. I sulk time to time. I feel blue often time.
It is just that I don't see the point of sharing those feelings with the rest of world.

But I would like to share what lifts my soul up with people when I am feeling sad.
I just love this song. I am so grateful that I have this song in my life.
And you know what? I am going to sing this tune for the first time in public on Tuesday, I think.
Anyway, it is June, the pride month! The most appropriate time for it, isn't it?

Enjoy!
And enjoy the rest of the weekend as well:)

reunion

it is 3:30 am and I am wide awake.

I just baked a batch of coffee cookies after midnight. Maybe that is keeping me awake.

Anyway, I had to bake something today.

I have been thinking too much. More than my small brain can handle.

Baking helps me cool off my over heated head because I can't think anything else when I am making  cookie dough. Gotta be quick and decisive.

So I feel better now. 

I just had a rehearsal with the original Cuties members Kazu and Yuichi.

We are going to play together again for the gig on July 3rd.

It has been 14 months since we played together last time.

Time flies.

I am grateful for these boys for letting me try whatever I wanted to this past year.

And it turned out to be a very nice rehearsal.  

I think this year break was not a waste of time at all.

Can't wait for the show!

Tomorrow (or today) I am rehearsing with Miss Mina Osako for June shows.

We did a show in last October with a beautiful dancer, Ms. Akiko Henmi.

This also makes thankful to have such a wonderful musician/ girl friend to be there for me.

What a lucky girl I am. 

A couple days ago, I spoke to my mama for the first time in a few weeks.

I whined that I only had 3 days off last month on the phone.

But she said that she only had 2 days off so I should feel better.

It is nice to have a workaholic mother. ha!

 

June

June is always a  strange period of the year.
A bridge between this side and the other side of the world.
Between the past and the presence.
I would rather stay quiet.


But anyway, I would like to make an announcement for performances in June.
I made a separate page on this blog for the future performances.
Hope I will get to see you sometime soon!
Make Music New York is going to happen during the day.
If you happen to be off and wander around in the City, come to beautiful Fort Tryon Park.
The cloisters is another fabulous spot to stop by if you come to the neighborhood.
I have this thing about the Hudson River. I just love it.

Gilles Larrain's Art Salon Party requires RSVP and the entrance is $40, cash only.
I went to the party on last New Year's Eve, which I wrote about on this blog back in January.
It was very fun and kinky. It is definitely worth to check out:)

Until then.
Love and hugs,
Yuki


六月はいつも色々かんがえる。
あちらがわとこちらがわをつなぐ橋みたいな時間。
今と昔。
静かにじっとして、うかんでくるものを聞き取りたいと思う。


まあそんなわけで相変わらずぼおっとしてますが、パフォーマンスの知らせもしないといけません！
ブログを最近ちょこちょこ見易いようにしてみようと思い、パフォーマンスの知らせのページを作ってみました。　みれるかな？

メイクミュージックは平日昼間だし、まあのんびりやると思うのですが、
もし休みでぶらっとしてるかたは是非フォートトリオン公園まで。
公園内にあるクロイスター美術館は本当におすすめです。デートにもぴったり。
それにしても、ハドソンリバー本当に好き。なんなんだろうか。川の象徴じみた気配かな。

ジル・ロレンさんのパーティは完全予約制で、入場料４０ドル（現金のみ）ですが、
刺激的な面白いパーティです。鼻血出ちゃう系？
日記にも昔書いたけど、大晦日の夜私自身も遊びにいって、とても楽しみました。
これもよかったら是非夜遊びがてらきてくださいまし。

そんなかんじでございます。
夏は夏にいそしむ以外はついさぼりがちになりますが、また書きます。
ではでは。
ラブ、
ゆき