[April 13 2025] Just a little check in to say that I made it out the door, amidst a sudden rain storm that makes it feel like November, looking sharp wearing my tailored blue herringbone suit, a sort of carnival barker top hat, have a peacock feather in the bag just in case, a striped shiny shirt and contrasting tie which should look interesting for the drawing class participants with a few different outfit modifications (vest, different type, different shirt) and accessories (book, camera, pipe)
I drank my afternoon dose of Chinese tea, took two Tylenol and two Valium, put sticky plaster heat packs (I don’t know what you call these) on my calves under compression socks, and on the store point at the base of my neck and my lumbar spine… Made it out the door with moments to spare to catch the bus
Should arrive with time to maybe grab a coffee at my favorite secret place ‘hiding in plain sight’ inside the station before meeting my contact to taxi over to the location
I’m carrying the accessories in a leather satchel I got in Sri Lanka which looks like a time traveled from a steam ship a century ago, I’ve also got on a gray trenchcoat style raincoat contrasted with my wife’s blue batik light cotton scarf so eccentric points are high and comfort points are moderate
I’ve got ear plug in, cleaned my glasses, and of course have a pocket square in the suit
Protest in the rain
While waiting at the usually mellow and handy ANA hotel by the Okayama Station West egress, was surprised and confused to see a large crowd gathered in the rain around one of those trucks with the platform on top with slogans and lots of yelling… I didn’t even bother to figure out what it is all about because some of these things can be a little distasteful and while it didn’t look like the “usual suspects” (I’m not gonna get into that)
Regardless, the noise and the crowd both are big triggers for me so jammed the earplugs in further, went off to the side around the corner and coordinated with my contact thinking was on a secret mission but being the kind of spy who sticks out extremely obviously rather than the “quiet non-descriptive person in the gray outfit in the back”
Sitting still and jaunty
{Here is the part where I should tell you about the actual modeling gig, i’m pretty sure I talked about this somewhere else but well…}, here we go with a few notes:
session was about 3+ hours with occasional breaks which is important for me
there was a break for coffee which everyone pitched in a few hundred yen for but the model got a cup for free :)
marks were taped where my feet and arms and so on were placed for easy replacement
rocked my pipe, Fluevogs (which slipped in and out of for just a modeling changing to slippers as it’s appropriate behavior) and no glasses
let my mind meditate during the sitting times listening to the different sounds of chalk, pencils, occasionally dropped brushes and so on
Didn’t see any of the images until the very end but didn’t have time to linger as we did a quick group photo and then was picked up by my darlings, dropped off one of the artists who gifted me a painting and can’t remember where put it but will find it… Then off to the rest of our life
Sunday art making
It’s a great organization, very welcoming and friendly, a wide range of skill levels, ages, personalities and seemingly motivations… Anyone can attend, whether international or domestic and I am the “poster boy” on the newest flyer which I’ve enclosed below along with the web link to the English version of the English variation of web blurb
Churchill Art Association, Okayama: https://churchill-kai-okayama.jp/03-english/2-english.html
I hope to be invited back, have a wide variety of outfits and beard styles on standby
Spend it quick
PS I was paid for the gig which was very nice and I immediately spent the money on a seitai treatment ¥5000 & ramen ¥3000 at our favorite place which was a little understaffed and filled up so, wearing my suit and pink tie (loosely slung around the collar), I appointed myself honorary table busser and lent a hand, but I don’t think I’m going to update my resume yet had an odd thrill when folks came in and sat at a table I just cleared and cleaned
Unrelated nighttime Hanami
[April 12] Since I’m here, I’ll tell you about being under a cherry blossom tree last night when I ‘snuck out’ with the family for a night time hanami – nothing fancy and nothing involving a couple hours of preparation and pulling out the camping wagon and all the equipment…
We swung by and grabbed some karage and I brought hot water for my kanpo and a mosquito coil and a flashlight with the batteries already run down, and a blanket and made it happen… Sometimes those little spontaneous moments of grace are a wonderful distraction
Peace to all the kind folk
