Saturday, 30 July 2011

Slow Japan - Part Eight

I was only in Kyoto for a night, but it was enough to fall in love with its mix of the traditional and the modern, the beautiful and the seedy. Zen rock gardens, temples and, of course, the old teahouse-lined pleasure district of Gion where you can come face to face with ancient Japan. To which I say - "Great! Really 'sugoi' and just the sort of thing I want to see."

But then I also feel like I should say this:

Friday, 24 June 2011

Che. Che. Che.

Sunday, 27 March 2011

The Little Stage At The End Of The Universe

Most tourists to Hanoi visit the water puppets; and so they should, given that it's a cultural, theatrical gem sustained and protected by their patronage. But they should also go to the traditional theatre performances held bi-weekly (Thursdays and Sundays) at the Hong Ha theatre on Duong Thanh. Enactions of three folk tales are threaded through with traditional music, and the actors pour their hearts and souls into each. The final, intense scene, depicts a woman who has had a spell cast upon her, turning into a fox. It's disheartening to see that this small and comitted troupe play to a virtually empty theatre, so please change that by going there.