January 13th - TRADITIONAL JAPAN

I have had a great day today. I had an appointment with my lady-friend Yukiko: the lady who showed me around yesterday. I arrived at her house at 13:00 and there she was, beautifully dressed in a real kimono. Really, I was impressed. Her house was beautiful, very Japanese. She showed me her private Thea Room. It was so surreal: I had never seen such a room in real life. I had to take off my shoes (in every house) and I could borrow some slippers. Then we began....

Before entering a Japanese thee room, you have to clean your hands and mouth. Everything is traditional and there are very strict rules. Washing your hands and mouth, therefore, takes like a minute or so. She had a special little waterfall in her garden for this important task. You have to enter the Thea room through a special window from the outside out. Really, it was so special! She made thea for me and she taught me some basics before her friends came. I still have to learn a lot, because there are a million rules: every step you take is crucial. After a while, a friend of Yukiko joined the group. She also wore a kimono and spoke pretty good English. Eventually, the last lady arrived: an old woman who had to learn everything, she was too cute to describe! Then we began the 'play': this wasn't the real deal, this was just practice for the big Thea Party in February. Also, I ate some traditional Japanese candy: delicious!

How wonderful it all may seem, sitting is so painfull: you have to sit on your knees and feet (see picture). For a tall, European guy like me, this is hell. Oh my god, I was dying. I had to sit like that for 1 hour: after 15 minutes, my legs were numb. I really have to practice!

After the Thea practice, we sat down with my photobook. They looked at my photos and tried to come up with ideas. Yukiko knows a lot important people who can do something for me. In fact, she is friends with the wife of the boss of the brand United Arrows, a popular Japanese brand. She called them directly, but her friend was busy and the boss was abroad. She promised me she would call again and set up a meeting. That is amazing, really! This could be my breakthrough!

I had another appointment with Makato, a Japanese/German model. He worked in a shop in Harajuku, so I visited him. He was GORGEOUS, Oh my god. I have never ever seen someone quite like him! There was also another friend of his, a Japanese guy named Yagi-Chang. He was so funny, and he knows a bunch of important people. He is unemployed, so he will be my 'manager': he will set up some interviews with designers and actors. He has even had dinner with my favorite Japanese popstar Ayumi Hamasaki!! Luckily, I met these boys: they are amazing! After we closed the shop, we went out to buy me a cell-phone, but they were sold out. After that, we went out for dinner in a typical basement-ghettoish-Harajuku place of which I do not know the name of cause it was only in Kanji (Japanese script). We ate the strangest things: it was all very new to me, but I tried everything. For example, we got raw chicken that cooked in front of us, and then dipped it in raw egg.

(Oh my?) But they did it too, so it couldn't be wrong. Surprisingly, It was delicious!

Tomorrow I have my second practice-session for the big Thea Ceremony Party. This time, it will be in the actual park itself. I am so excited! I have still a lot to learn, because I am going to be the guest of honour!! Yagi and Makato said that it was really special I was invited for a thea ceremony, especially because I have been here for only 3 days.

Today was a great day. I met some great people and I officially began my thea-ceremony-training. Also, these people know some pretty important people: maybe one of them will see my true potential and make me a star.

My homesickness is slowly vanishing and I'm starting to like it here!!

-xoxo- Steven