Nostalgia

Today's coffee: roasted almond frappuccino. Yes, I'm at Starbucks, in Ueno Park. (That's in Tokyo.) I think it’s the most beautiful Starbucks I've ever seen.

Mushroom quiche and frappuccino.

I'm "typing" with one finger on my iPod, so this will be short. :)

The reason I'm in Ueno Park on this beautiful evening is that I've just been to a concert at my friend's university’s festival. This particular friend will be playing harpsichord with me on Sunday. (For those of you who haven't heard, I'm in Tokyo to play in a concert with my viola da gamba teacher and all her other students. More on that next week. I'll just mention that I'll be performing the Bach 3rd viola da gamba sonata; the last time I performed it was 8 years ago at Boston Early Music Festival. File that thought away.)

Playing Bach at BEMF with Akiko, June 2005

The concert I just attended was the presentation of the Tokyo University of the Arts Baroque Dance Club. I have to say, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I took a baroque dance class in graduate school. We called it dancing and prancing. In any case, the class was pretty fun. I'm pretty sure we studied some of the pieces performed in the concert today.

Add the weather into the nostalgia mix: hot and muggy, although the Tokyo natives say it's quite cool today. Just like Boston summer, but with cicadas. I’m thankful it’s cooled off in the evening.

And here's the kicker: Tess, my dear friend from graduate school in Boston, sang one of the pieces from tonight's concert at our wedding. Yep. Feeling rather nostalgic.

Here's Tess, singing at our wedding.

I'm really grateful for my life in Japan (and in Vancouver and various other places before that), and all my new friends and colleagues and chamber music collaborators, and a new viola da gamba teacher too! And yet I wish I hadn't had to leave so many friends behind. Tess, Akiko, Sarah, Laura, Bryan, Julie, Jung-Sun, Marty, Peter... and a whole lot of others... thanks for the lessons and classes and concerts and suppers together and whatnot. Any time you want to play with me in Japan, come on over. I miss you guys!

And to Mikina, Shino, Naho, Yoko, Makiko, Kumiko, Shoko, Aiko, Kambe-sensei, my friends in Baroque Collegium Sapporo, and a whole lot of others: これから宜しくお願いします。 (korekara yoroshiku onegaishimasu--please take care of me from now on.)


In case you are in or around Tokyo on Sunday, September 8, here's the concert information. :) I am playing in the 3rd section, which starts at 3:20 p.m.

***第60回カンビスト組発表会***
日時：2013年 9月 8日(日) 12:30 開演
場所：近江楽堂 （東京オペラシティ３階）
都営新宿線乗り入れ京王新線
初台駅東口より徒歩７分 入場：無料