Spring Shows Pictures #1

Let me back up the dates. March was a great touring month. I went San Antonio TX → Los Angeles → Ojai CA → Lady Lake, FL. Pictures spring my memories.

 Flying is a standard transportation but if you think about this seriously, it's an amazing experience.

Often time my layover is at Atlanta airport and in the middle of there I meet Martin Luther King. His photos and special items talks to me from the exhibit case. Dr.King felt glasses dignified his appearance though his magnificient presence did not need any addition.

 My first show destination, Carver Center of San Antonio was a historical theater. My heart danced to think of all the stars performed here.

 One of the stars was Mr.Hakoshima, an innovative mime. In the year of 1985 I was studying pantomime with Tony Montanaro. Tony and Hakoshima were good friends. They're performance giants.

Look at these big names!I wish I could come to this concert in 1992.

California dreaming - that's my next place.

Friends in NY

My 2011 has begun with the big showcase in New York, known as APAP showcase. This massive showcase is organized by The Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), based in Washington, D.C., the national service and advocacy organization nationwide.

Most of my performer friends seem to be here. I had a breakfast with Leland Faulkner, my very special friend of many years, and my new friend Robbi K. Lee is an amazing performer and innovative film director. Rabbi is a great African-American Storyteller and wonderful singer. Bravo! 

After the APAP showcase done, a snow storm forecast swept the media and my show at Tilles Center in Long Island was rescheduled to February. Unfortunate but I can turn this lost day into a fun! I head out to my friend's house in Queens.  I love NY when subway and bus get to my place so fast. This bus was express to Flusing Meadows, it took only 25 minutes, almost non-stop to my destination.

Ahhhhh, Momo, my friend's cat welcome me. 

She sleeps with curly paw.


I met Hiroko, a Japanese New Yorker 25 years ago when I lived in NY. We had a great time with her tasty Japanese cooking, Gobo roots Teriyaki stir-fry called Kinpira, Veggie stir-fry, steamed dumpling and Dikon radish & seaweed soup. The snow kept falling and we were happy together. 

OAPN Annual Conference

I'm at the OAPN Annual Conference in Columbus, OH. It's been a great gathering of artists/performers, presenters and organizations.

It's held at historical Atheneum off the Capitalsquare.

I'm here with my agent, Liz Silverstein from Siegel Artist Management. She is my great buddy!

This conference consists of meetings, showcase and exhibition. In the showcase each performer was given 10 minutes on stage to show a work. There were 37 artists selected. Among them I was in the Young Audience Showcase of 8 performers and received the highest vote to People's Choice Award in this category.  Thank you for your vote!

In the exhibition agents and artist/performer get a booth and present each promotional material such as DVD, brochure. Next to my booth there was a man in doctor's outfit with 3 big spiders. They were Rose Tarantulas. Yes, they were alive tarantulas! The man called himself Dr.Inseta and offers "Bug Lab Experience" to schools. He let me put one of his tarantulas on my hand. It was slightly warm and didn't move at all. I was a little nerves but I trusted what Dr.Insecta said. "If you don't harm him/her, this type of tarantula would not attack you. Have a respect to this little fellow. " Ok.

More on later!

Louisiana Summer Show Tour

Great culture and food in the Cajun country!  I'm in Louisiana, performing for libraries in this July.

I've been enjoying Cajun music and food. A question came to me. What is 'Cajun'?  Then, what is 'Acadian'?  The word is everywhere, on street signs, on paper, on the billboard and on TV. I found some answers online.

The Cajun was the people of Acadian who exiled from Canada in 18th century. And the Acadians were the French settlers in Eastern Canada. Then why do you call them Cajun?

Here's the one explanation from online. http://www.acadian-cajun.com/hiscaj3.htm

The Acadians were the largest group to settle in this area from 1765 to 1785. Although other nationalities were there, the Acadian culture was dominant in many places. When bits and pieces of these other cultures were added to the Acadians, a variation of the Acadian culture was created. These people, and this culture, became known as Cajun ... a derivation of the word Acadian.

A-ha. That's why Cajun food is in French word and the music is sometimes in French. I once heard of a Cajun folk tale in French, the storyteller then me their French is called Creole.

I'm listeining to Cajun Music from radio all day. It's Sunday. One of the librarian in New Iberia said "we love music and Cajun love to dance!" Have a nice party weekend, my friends! - Kuniko

Happy New Year!

謹賀新年

In Asian zodiac the year of 2010 is the year of Tiger, the symbol of fearless.

Let's make a courageous year!

気高く怖れ知らない虎の年がきました。
共に勇気ある年にしましょうね！

Me and Mom in Hawaii

As Jeff Gere invited me to Hawaii's Talk Story (storytelling festival), I thought of going with my mother. How fun would that be! I went to Japan to pick her up, then flew to Honolulu together.

This is my Mom, Reiko Yamamoto. She is a retired teacher from Japan. She is 'my little funny woman', my hero!

We loved Hawaiian fruits - nothing like it!

Honolulu offers a lot. Have you been to The Contemporary Museum at Makiki? Mom and I spent the whole day there. There was the installation by a Japanese artist, ,, hhhm I forgot his name, but it was fascinating delicate wood carving flowers - they looked VERY real, fooled Mom's eyes.

I performed for Talk Story/Honolulu Storytelling Festival.

From the right Darron, a great spoken words guy with Youth Speaks Hawaii,

the center is Lynn Ford, an wonderful African-American storyteller from Ohio,

the left is Dominique, a beautiful soul from France living in Honolulu,

she and her husband Jeff Gere, were the hard-working host in this Festival.

Hawaii is paradise island not only because its land but people, in this festival I met a dozen of Hawaiian storytellers - they are powerful tellers, they talk to your heart.

Jeff Gere was the director of the Talk Story and here he is. Very busy working sign language interpretor is next to him. Jeff is also a storyteller and he rocks!

Mahalo to Hawaii from Me and Mom!

Went to Japan

I was in Osaka Japan, my hometown, to see my mother at the end of September. It was in the middle of Autumn, moon-viewing season or Otsuki-mi. In Japan we say there're rabbits in the moon. Do you know what they are doing? They are kneading sweet rice cakes, Mochi. In the picture above you see what I mean; the rabbit on the left and the Mochi in the middle. It's really fun to flow with your imagination as you gaze the moon at night, maybe with your family and friends or thinking of them

In the limited time of my stay, traveling time was crucial and my life saver is the bullet train, the world fastest train!

Having bragged about Bullet Train, let me brag one more, a new technology in washing machine. My mother bought new one (in the picture) after using the last one for 24 years! It's in picture above. Yes, it looks like American laundry machine but when the washing cycle it finises, the machine dries clothes as a dryer. It's washer and drier all in one!
Japan is a small crowded country, 10 times crowded compare to the USA. The houses made much smaller and two big machines of washer and dryer would take too much space so it only makes sense to have washer&drier all in one.

After my stay in Japan, I took my Mom to Hawaii for our vacation and my shows for Talk Story in Honolulu. 

I took some pictures of Hawaii. let me share with you more in the next post.

My Florida

Back to Florida, MY Florida!

I said to the Gulf

'Hey, I'm back'.

The wave sound replied

'Hey, welcome home'.

My husband flew his kite.

I dove in the water under the rainbow light.