I *heart* Bombay (and well..Boston)

I'm urban..in the way other people are mountain-people or tunafish junkies. I love city life...something about dreary concrete blocks and grumpy people totally gets my juices flowing. Ergo, this will be a blog about me, my two favourite cities (Bombay and Boston), my addiction to Vietnamese coffee and my views on Gregorian chant and it's efficacy in curing some types of tympannic membrane rupture. Enjoy!

Friday, November 09, 2007

A very Japanese weekend

So after a week spent re-reading one of my favourite books (Shogun by James Clavell), eating wasabi peas and listening to Pizzicato 5 on loop, I'm totally in a Japanese mood right now.

All I seem to want to do is head to Homestop-buy some bonsai and tatami for the house and eat every meal at Harima on Residency Road till I choke on my sashimi. (I still can't get myself to say Harima till I say Harami about three times. Giggling all the while.) Dare I get stereotypical and say take pictures of everything in Bangalore as well?

If you haven't read Shogun (and the others in the series by Clavell - Gai-Jin and Tai-Pan are my favourites), I'd totally suggest you do. Historical fiction isn't everyones cup of cha but it sure is mine...was amazing to read the (fictional) retelling of the events leading to the Battle of Sekigahara and all about samurai and bushido and seppuku...honestly, the way Clavell tells it, even suicide seems like an honourable thing to do.

It just seems like such a different culture...so different from India..and for sure different from the West. (Then again, all I've been reading about is 16th century Japan...today like all Asians, they're more Western than the West!) I'd like to visit someday..though knowing me I'll just hang out in the Ginza watching all the cool kids walk about. Pity I'm not into Asian guys, some of the Japanese guys are awesome looking - the best fashion sense ever.

And I'd give it all to meet Nomiya Maki from Pizzicato 5..I'm so in love with her!

(Sidetrack: What is it with me and women singers? Nomiya Maki, Francoise Hardy, Chrissie Hynde, Susannah Hoffs...I'd give anything to meet them for a drink! NO man singer makes the list! Mika is close...but drinking isnot what I have in mind for him...)

5 Comments:

  • At 7:44 AM, Blogger Hob Gadling said…

    Neko Case?

     
  • At 12:08 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    What suicide is not honourable?

     
  • At 11:21 PM, Blogger therapy said…

    sake and sashimi at harima...and pizzicato 5....lucky you

     
  • At 7:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    have u read "the monk and the lady", pico iyer ?...the vivid scenery of japan that it created became a memorable small wonderland in my mind...
    however, it was, as u mention, that of the old Japan, not the westernized current one.
    ganesh

     
  • At 1:17 AM, Blogger kalpana said…

    finally someone who has read clavell and loved him. clavell brings back old memories. try reading haruki murakami. not historic but very fresh.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home