ningyomatsuri

Ik ben nog steeds niet helemaal beter en heb net een scriptiebespreking van 1.5 uur achter de rug, vandaar mijn post in het Nederlands: muhuhaha. Bespreking ging best wel aardig, geen schokkende dingen en heel fijne feedback. Verder druk druk druk met het regelen van MA, laatste stukje stageverslag etc.
Maar daar wilde ik het nu eens niet over hebben. Afgelopen weekend hebben Gijs en ik op enthousiaste wijze Japanners geimiteerd in een boerderij in Uden, wat wij voor het gemak maar even het zomerpaleis van Yoshida Kasumi daimyo op Awaji noemen.
Ik had natuurlijk nog een hoop last minute dingen te regelen, zodat ik op donderdag nacht nog de brief van mijn IC vader zat over te pennen op rijstpapier. Het was zeker geen lieve brief, met hier en daar een vergelijking met paarden. Afin, na een flinke file, ongeveer van Leiden tot Uden kwamen we eindelijk aan en konden we ons in kloffie hijsen. Het bleek een heftig weekend spel te zijn, waarin er mensen werden vergiftigd met slaapdrank, Shiro zijn vertrek naar Watanabe daimyo aankondigden, Jishin werd aangesteld als Sempai van de Yoshida en een weekend waarin ik officieel verbonden ben aan Yoshida Kasumi, aka de daimyo. Ik ben nog wel van plan een deel tig van het dagboek van Koyuki hierover te schrijven, maar werk en stage en scriptie beletten me een beetje van schrijven atm.
Het was een erg geslaagd weekend, hoewel ik me nog steeds een beetje sip voelde met veel hoesten en een beetje hoofdpijn. Zondag hebben we nog met zijn allen gegeten bij de pannenkoekenbakker en uiteindelijk waren we om een uur of 19:00 weer in Leiden en sliep ik een uurtje later.
Maandag en dinsdag waren stagevolle dagen, met op dinsdag een gesprek met mijn twee stagebegeleiders. Ze waren tevreden over mijn zelfstandig werken en het was Paul 100% meegevallen...weet niet zeker, maar denk dat ik dat positief opvat.

Woendag gewerkt en daarna direct door naar de EE vergadering, waar ik mededeelde te zullen stoppen aan het einde van het jaar.
Ik speelde al met dit idee vanaf de zomer en eindelijk eindelijk heb ik dan de knoop doorgehakt.
Mijn vertrek heeft niets te maken met EE of met de mensen van het bestuur, maar puur en alleen met mezelf. Ik heb nu vier jaar lang evenementen georganiseerd/geholpen met organiseren en ik heb er veel lol mee gehad. Maar na een tijdje is het gewoon genoeg en ben je op. Organiseren is toch wel stressvol, tijdrovend, soms ondergewaardeerd en iets waar je je 100% voor moet inzetten en ik heb er simpelweg geen zin meer in: ik ben er klaar mee.
Toch ben ik enorm trots op EE, hoe de stichting is gegroeid in het afgelopen jaar, de evenementen die we hebben neergezet en hoe ze zijn ontvangen. Ik weet dat ik de grootste criticus was van de stichting, dat ik vaak de vinger op de zere plek legde, misschien soms onterecht en zeker soms tot irritatie van de rest. Maar ik heb nooit kritiek willen geven met het idee de groep de grond in te praten. Liever wilde ik de verbeterpunten uitlichten zodat we nog groter konden groeien en nog beter konden worden in het organiseren van larp evenementen.
Ik geef het stokje over aan anderen en ga me weer concentreren op mijn eigen larp spel, hoewel ik hevig ben geminderd met larpen (wat ik nu nog doe is Symbols, Yoshida en EE) ben ik niet van plan er helemaal mee te stoppen. En dus, larpers dezer aard: u bent nog niet van me af! (mhuhaha)

So the last days I've been spending as a real chouch potato, watching movies, and reading books. i wanted to go to work today, but Gijs made me call in sick since I looked terrible and felt this way too. It feels like failing, being ill, I hate it. practicing for the play last night went horrible, I couldn´t remember a single line, and as the night was progressing I was feeling worse and worse...argl..I hate being ill.
I got the Lex pics on a cd by Sna. Love them, only too bad there isn`t a close up of me :S How weird, I never thought I would be saying that ever, but Gijs was very curious and too bad there are only not-too-sharp pics and pictures that sre not showing my full outfit. Except off course me wearing too short a trousers and a, well... bra. God what came in to my mind when we thought of that??
On the bright side, today I repaired my blue kimono for the Yoshida weekend and I wrote a letter for the Daimyo from the father of Gijs' character Sakamoto Kiyoshi. I am a bit mean...alright, I am very mean in the letter, but hey I'm not feeling well ;)
Hans agreed on responding to my IC letters as my father; big yay! He was my first choice for it and I am happy he is willing to spend time writing the letters.
Also today Gijs' B-day present came in with the mail. Although his birthday isn't due till the 13th of december I found the perfect gift for him on marktplaats. Because he can use it very well on the Yoshida weekend he will be getting it friday, I do hope he likes it..oeh, what will it be??
Tomorrow I simply have to go to the VU, since I have to bring back some books, arrange some stuff for my MA and get my museum contract to my study advisor. So cant be ill then, sorry it has to stop tonight, I'm working on it.

Let me start by apologizing for the lenght of this piece...its outrageous...but what might be even worse is that this it not even the complete story of DF. Some things my character did not join in, so she can not write about it. Suzanne heard a lot though...I hope to find the missing stories back somewhere else.
Disclaimer: may I remind you of the fact that Nanami Koyuki is 17 years old. I´m not responsible for any overreacting of silly romantic views...its a phase (I hope)

Day 1 (Wednesday night)
It went exactly as Tsubasa-onesan predicted. We were on our way to the shrine when suddenly Daimyo-sama was called forth by the Dragon and we found ourselves at the Dragons world. There was a immense variety of species and oni, some beautiful and full of grace, others horrible and frightening. I did not know  what to suspect so I kept myself close to onesan while I observed the new world in wonder. There was a house for us in a camp called Grun. It had everything in it, tatami, tables, zafu and we even had a garden with a pond. It was quite late when we arrived but we freshened up a bit and went to the Dragon to present ourselves. Walking back Daimyo-sama asked about my tea ceremony and told me I had a chance to show him the next day. Also Kiyoshi-sama asked about my costs for an evening. Although I couldn´t hear the answer Im curious to know if I´m ready for a zashiki or not. It was fairly late when we got home to our new house and almost everyone retired for bed and so did I. Hearing the strange languages around my tent, wondering if the Dragon world would rest or not  I finally doze off in a restless sleep.

Day 2 (Thursday)
After a short night sleep I was happy to find out breakfast and tea are the same as at Awaji. Slowly I woke up, trying to react as normal as everyone else seemed to react to the dragonworld. We had little time to accommodate since Akemi-sama received a Japanese letter from someone from the neighboring camp. Although the handwriting was very bad Sakaya-san and sensei-sama managed to translate most part of the letter. We took it with us when we escorted the hime-sama to the Dragon, where she had to present herself. It took quite a while before she got her audience but Akemi-sama and myself enjoyed watching the strange creatures pass by from under our umbrella. When it was time for us to return to the camp we suddenly came to realize Usagi-sama, the hatamoto of the hime-sama had left for the camp allready. We tried not to pay much attention to it, but it was quite obvious the hime-sama was furious. Before we went back to the house we paid a visit to the Stahl camp where we returned the translated letter.
Back home suddenly the Kami from the green camp, which everybody called Avatar came to our house and we all kneeled down in the mud to pay her the proper respect. I had the honor to sit in the livingroom when she was presented with tea and apples and saw how she got her gift from house Yoshida: a green sleeveless kimono with leaves stiched on to it. She seemed quite pleased with it and returned the apple we gave her to the Daimyo that now had the power to heal everyone who ate from it.  When she left I was honored to present her yet another apple which she accepted. She also complimented Akemi-sama on her garden and then she left.
When the house was cleaned up Tsubasa-onesan told me she wanted to practice tea ceremony with me since Daimyo-sama had asked her for a private teaceremony with me. Later on the hime-sama joined us and both of my teachers gave me a lot of information about teaceremony. Later I joined Tsubasa-onesan and the hime-sama at a table inside, there I got the last suggestions and I got to the kitchen to prepare for the ceremony which would be held in the bathhouse so we would have more privacy. Not only was there tea, but also sake and lycheewine, which seemed a bit odd so early in the afternoon. But I dared not ask about it.
I was very nervous, my hands shaking a bit and my heart pounding. Silently I asked the o-kami to stand by me that hour so I would not make big mistakes. Then finally the Daimyo arrived and Tsubasa-onesan closed the curtain behind him and with that I was officially alone with a man for the very first time in my life. I breathed in deeply and pouring the tea went ok, Daimyo-sama seemed to enjoy it, so far no mistakes. Then he poured a cup for me, I tried to take a sip, but I instantly burned my mouth and with tears in my eyes I had to put down the cup again. He looked amused by the whole scene telling me next time I had to make sure the tea was not this hot when I serve it to a guest. He made me pour the sake, which tasted horribly and I had a hard time keeping my face straight, after that the lycheewine.
He again asked me about my lessons and told me I shouldn´t try avoiding him this much. The I had to recite one of my poems to him and that seemed to please him. After this he asked me the most peculiar question: what I thought of him. I didn´t exactly know how to respond and so I gave him a correct answer, he smiled the smile that says he took  the answer for now but wasn´t satisfied with it yet. Then a letter came in and the mood changed. I asked him if something was wrong and he showed me the letter, an invitation from the oni, and asked me what to think of it. I never met oni but Tsubasa-onesan always spoke very highly of these oni and so I told him.
I drank my tea but apparently not to his liking and he made me put down my cup three times untill he told me I had to look him in the eye when I drank my tea and not gaze into the cup. It felt awkward and I was a bit upset having to challenge him like this. Fortunately he soon asked me to clear the table.
Tsubasa-onesan came in with a big white box and Daimyo-sama put it on the table. It was a gift for me and he hoped I would like it. When I opened the box the gift turned out to be a kimono. I was surprised, shocked, exited and filled with horror. It was the first gift someone ever gave to me, and it was far to great for a maiko my age. I would never be able to repay him the gift and I realized very well what it meant. I stambled an arigato and he told me one would not know the beauty of a kimono unless it was worn by a beautiful girl. So I asked him politely if he would like to see me wearing it that night, but he demanded that I should put it on that instand. I looked at my onesan and just to be sure I asked if he would be staying in the same room. He just nodded and switched places so Tsubasa-sama could help me undress. I dared not to look at him and instead I focussed my eyes on the bath trying very hard not to cry, feeling ashamed, nauseous and very angry, hating him to the core. Onesan undressed me harshly, her way of  letting know she did not agree to this. The Daimyo soon left after I changed into my new kimono, Tsubasa-sama left me with the remark to clean the room and I was let alone. Just when I was to burst into tears Akemi-sama came in and saw the kimono. She made a remark that made the room cold as ice, polite, but icecold and I faked a smile praying to myself she would leave soon. She did and I came to realise with the kimono my life had changed. I went outside, trying to blend into the background, but I succeeded only half. Then Daimyo-sama asked us inside and everyone was presented a gift, including me again: a blue flower for my hair. Usagi-sama was called forth last and an icy silence filled the room. Daimyo-sama broke his present, a couple of hashi, in two with a nauseating snap and Usagi-sama just asked if he was allowed to make himself ready. We went outside and after a short ceremony Usagi-sama took his own life by committing Sepukku. I never saw a man die from this close and I couldn´t help walking over to my onesan and grasping her hand seeking for some comfort.
After this the day was not over yet. We were to visit the oni. They came for us with an escort, and we walked to their camp where we were to kneel down in the mud again bowing for their Kami, then the Daimyo had tea and discussed politics. I couldn´t hear what was said so I spend my time secretly watching the oni, different colored and with horns growing out of there heads. I was quite scared of them to be honest.
When we finally got back home the day did not end yet. We sat down around the tables with a lot of wine and did a little drinking game. You had to tell two stories, only one of them is true. When you guess the true story you didn´t have to drink. I never played the game and soon I was loosing one round after another. Akemi-sama came to the rescue, although I told Daimyo-sama I would not drink anymore, this off course was duly ignored. And so everytime he poured me wine she replaced my cup with a cup of cold tea, so I would stay sober. I had trouble sitting seiza, because I fell down that day so I sat with one hand on the floor when suddenly he placed his hand on mine. First I thought it was an accident, but when he started to caress my fingers with his thumb I realized it was no mistake at all. I tried to stay calm, not  showing the rest of the room a thing.  And  hoping he would remove his hand soon.
Daimyo-sama drank far to much, ending up flat on his back, trying to get me next to him by pulling my obi. He even asked me if my onesan taught me the lessons about what women do. I did not know exactly what he meant, but he had a strange look in his eyes.  I was thankfull Kiyoshi-sama came to rescue me from this awkward situation by telling me my onesan thought it was time for bed. I went to bed with a strange feeling, it almost took my breath away and I ended up crying myself to sleep. I most truly hate him.

Day three (Friday)
The night did not take away the remarks and the glances and as soon as I came in the camp it covered me like a blancket. I tried to stay out of sight as much as I could. Helping Akemi-sama to write invitations to the Oni Ichi, the King of Kargath and a man called Fuchs. She tried very hard to ignore me to the point that it hardly was polite anymore, but I decided not to give in that easily and stayed at her side.
As if my onesan felt that things went wrong she asked me to accompany her to the other camps to bring the invitations. I gratefully accepted, sensei-sama and Kiyoshi-sama would come to as our escorts. Outside our house the people from camp Grun were brought together where they were told the plans for the camp. They were also told that the family Yoshida was not to be touched nor held back at the gate, since we refused to wear the stamps they made the other people from Grun wear, as if they were murderers and thieves. I was amazed that we gained this amount of respect in just two days. We went through the gate without any problems and soon arrived at the Stahl camp were we left the invitation in the hands of one of the hatamoto of King-sama from Kargath. When we were outside the gates again the grass was full of orks, attacking everyone who entered the field. We found ourselves with our backs against  the wall of a camp called Großes Heer, sensei-sama and Kiyoshi-sama joined in there line and drew there swords. After a while we were able to walk further towards the camp were the oni lived. They were not present at that time so we gave the invitation to one of the servants.
After some scary moments on the field we were back in the camp again where people were making themselves ready to go out shopping. The whole family went and when we arrived at the shops, everyone went its own way and I found myself again with Akemi-sama. We ate icecream and walked by the shops under one umbrella, there seemed to be less tension between us and I was very glad for that. In the afternoon we really had to go back to the camp since we could expect the king-sama of Kargath there. Strangely Akemi-sama and myself escorted the Daimyo-sama and the hime-sama back to our camp. Three women and the Daimyo walked over the same grass people died on not an hour ago. But it went well, at the gate they now were very polite and when we came back home Akemi-sama and I produced a healing potion from the herbs we grew in the small garden. I am not that skilled in alchemy and I was pleased that Akemi-sama taught me some new things.
That day there was a massive fight where the ork camp was stormed and a few men from our family came back to the house wounded. I did not know how to act exactly so I just stood there being stupid and giving the poor men something to drink, sometimes helping them to get up, while the hime-sama and onesan took care of them. Yasuo-sama did not return from the battlefield. And although I tried to comfort my onesan words seemed without meaning and she asked me to leave. The hime-sama told me not to leave her alone and so I sat, a bench away, pretending to study my poems, my eyes fixed on her while she was cleaning bandages. Then, almost half an hour later Yasuo-sama suddenly stood at the gate again. The dragonworld is strange, he didn´t seemed harmed at all. But he did had a message from Death itself, that no Yoshida should die. I contemplated on the message but I do not think I understand it still.
That day I had another lesson in teaceremony, this time with Gina and Akemi-sama. Later on the Daimyo joined in and Gina and I  had to leave the table. We desided to go for a walk discussing our stay at the Dragons world and our lessons.  During dinner onesan and the Daimyo-sama had a long conversation inside the house, I was very curious what they were talking about, since I knew they were talking about me. During dinner we had a lot of strange guests from Limbus, a place when one goes after he dies at the dragons world. Some of them get a second chance and have to do an assignment before they can fully return to the land of the living. And so we had an orc in our house who had to work for us for one hour and later on we had two man who had to perform a fan dance before Daimyo-sama. In the mean time there was a wolfman and a few other from the Grun camp who came to discuss politics with Daimyo-sama. I served them tea and lycheewine, but so much happened at the time that I can not recall what was said.
 After dinner I went for a walk with Tsubasa-sama and begged her to tell me what was going on, she just smiled and used a lot of words to say nothing really. She told me it was time for me to learn something about pillowing, and so we went to the livingroom with some tea and she told me what there is to know about the subject, I almost choked on a peanut but I further tried to be calm and relaxed about the subject, although I´m pretty scared now.
When the king-sama arrived a great storm was ahead and so he apologized, promised to return the next morning and returned to his own camp making sure it would survive the storm. We all went inside and I found myself seated at the zafu of the hime-sama while she was sitting next to Daimyo-sama at his platform. He poured us wine and I recited some poems from a book while he was secretly holding my hand again. It gave a strange feeling and for a minute the room was empty exept for us two.
Soon after the storm was over the oni were at the gate telling us they would be arriving in 20 minutes. This gave us time to prepare and I was to sit at the door to take the shoes. Only the oni Ichi came in the rest stayed outside, standing upstraight in the cold. Oni Ichi proclaimed he could not take off his shoes for his master had formed him with the shoes stuck to his feet. It sounded a bit odd, but then again he was an oni. So I washed his shoes and hoped he would not smother the tatami.The visit took quite a while and I allmost fell asleep, fortunately the cold from outside held me awake.
When they had left Daimyo-sama and myself went outside for a walk. We watched the stars that shine so brightly at the Dragonsworld and when we got back he took a bottle of wine, two cups and placed a tatami mat outside for us to sit upon. He pointed out some stars and then asked me to pour some drinks. I was very nervous, the stories from Tsubasa-onesan still in my head. I did not pay enough attention to the bottle and the light was poor, and so I spilled wine over the tatami mat, my kimono, his hakama and both our hands. I did not no wether to laugh or to cry, so I apologized and got a napkin from the kitchen. I tried to clean the mess as well as possible, drying his hands with the lining of my kimono and getting the cups out of the way. Then, because I was paying to much attention to the cleaning and not to myself I licked away some wine from the inside of my wrist. I bit my lip and dared not to look at his shocked face. But he began to laugh and so did I, it broke the tension in the air, I took a deep breath and tried to pour the cups again, now with more success. We discussed the political situation at the Dragonworld, also he asked again the question what I thought  of him.  I  gave the polite answer again and so I  had to answer the question over and over again untill I showed my second face.  I am afraid I  told him too much, for the answer was honest, but maybe not what he wanted to hear. Then it was my turn to ask the questions, so I returned his and he gave me a polite and very correct answer back. Then I asked what he discussed with my onesan. Again I did not get the full truth but it seemed they discussed danna-ship. He told me a danna would give a geisha gifts like kimono, and flowers for her hair, and I heared what he was saying.
Having a danna is a great privilege, especially when the danna is a man of great wealth and status. But maiko never have danna, it is something for geisha. Furthermore is a commitment between danna and geisha a very official one, almost like a marriage, not something to think lightly about. 
We were disturbed by a gatekeeper who told us there was someone at the gate for us. Since Daimyo-sama and I were the only ones left awake we went to the gate ourselves finding there one of the oni who had some information for the Daimyo. I didn´t listen, being too occupied with my own thoughts. Back at the house I escorted him to the bathroom as a maiko should and then we both went to our own rooms.
This night leaves me puzzled. Was this charming side I saw tonight, the human side of our Daimyo-sama, or is this too a part of the game. The hate I so purely felt yesterday slowly ebbed away...but what came in return? I can not place it yet.

Day four (Saturday)

Akemi-sama found her garden full of herbs, enough to make a lot of healingpotions, although it would take us quite some time to make them. I was looking forward finally meeting the King-sama of Kargath of whom I heard so many stories. But when he was at the gate Akemi-sama told me to start on the herbs, which would probably take me an hour. I could sit in the bathhouse and start while she would serve tea to the King-sama. I off course  was dissapointed but could not refuse, we needed the potions  so I began the work and Sakaya-san came to help me. When I was done, and the potions were in bottles I was sad to see King-sama leave at that very moment. I decided to go for a walk, trying to get rid of this awfull feeling all the bullying gave me. When I was on my way back to the camp I ran into the hime-sama and daimyo-sama who told me I had to make a gift for king-sama and present it later that day. My heart jumped, now that I still had a chance to meet this famous man.
Onesan had a fan from Sumoto that we could give him and since he told her that he liked our culture very much I folded several minature figures that represented different aspects of our culture, Akemi-sama folded a kimono for me and so we decorated the box of the fan.
After this we tried to present him the gift three times, but karma prevented that we came near, every time the King-sama was busy or away.
Daimyo-samas sister, Inazuma-sama wrote us a ritual to plead the o-kami for their help in the upcomming battle. It was a very nice ritual, including a fan dance, a solo kata, a dual kata and unarmed fight. After this we cleaned the mess and made ourselves ready to go to the battlefield. All went quite strange. Outside the gate the oni were already waiting for us and they joined our group as we walked in formation. It took us quite a while, and the whole world of the dragons came to a massive field, where they fought over some banners. Many people died, but they all came back. There was a lot of rain, and the field became slippery. The hime-sama walked swiftly down the hill while we were carrying bottles of water and healingpotions. It was hard to keep up with her and when we saw Daimyo-sama fall in the battle she rushed down to him. I could not leave her alone, and so I followed her into battle. Fortunately Daimyo-sama was already on his feet and the battle seemed to be won. So we gathered up in a formation ready to walk away from the battlefield, but then behind us one of our allies was under attack. Without hesitation Daimyo-sama rushed down to come to aid, and so did the rest. The enemy was strong though and we found ourselves closed in all the sudden. Mogura-san handed me the Yoshida banner as he took his own sword to defend us, but I soon lost him out of sight. My onesan came running by being followed by a large man in black armour. He smashed her to the ground and began slashing her with his sword over and over again. My heart stopped pounding and I froze to the ground, unable to speak or move. Then he stood up, looked around and fixed his eyes on me. I just looked back, standing completely still as he lifted his sword in the air. Then suddenly from the left Masuo-sama came in my vision, passing me by and attacking the man in black armour in full rage. Someone pulled me away from the scene and although I rather stayed with my onesan, someone took the banner and pushed me uphill.
Daimyo-sama was hurt by somekind of mahotsukai and sound asleep, the Hime-sama called for me, asking me to take care of him while she would run down hill again to help others. Rain came down swiftly and soon we were soaking wet. We laid the Daimyo down and I prevented his face from getting wet by holding my sleeve above it. I sat there shaking because of cold and shock. Watching the rain clearing the battlefield, we lost 6 people that day, including Inazuma-sama. The others were hurt badly and I carried sensei-samas helmet with me from the battlefield. Slowly we walked back, feeling gloomy and I am not even sure if we won or not. Back home I helped sensei-sama to remove his harness and then put on the kettle for some tea. At that point the Avatar came by congratulating us with the victory. Kaminari-sama was badly wounded, and when he removed his harness inside the house a huge wound became visible. Inazuma-sama asked me to get a bowl of water and a hashi for him to bite on. It was a very strange situation, with me first putting away the shoes for the Avatar and her company, then aiding Inazuma-sama and immediately after that the Daimyo-sama asking for more tea. All this while I was still soaking wet and cold from the rain. Most of it went by in a blurr and when hime-sama prepared and performed a dance I found a moment to sneek away and put on another kimono.
When I returned the Avatar was ready to leave and so I helped them in their shoes and cleaned most of the mess. I was very tired at that time, when the hime-sama came to sit next to me, wanting to talk to me about the situation with the Daimyo. She told me she knew what the glance in his eyes meant and that neither she nor I could do anything about it. She then stressed out that I must be very aware of the fact that she was The Hime-sama, first wife and head of the household and that I was still just a guest. I heard her well, muttering that it is in no matter my intension to embaress or dishonor her.
She then left and finally I had some peace and quiet untill after dinner. We sat around a table, Furakawa-sama telling stories about frogs and Inazuma-sama telling stories about death and torture. Outside bad wetter came and with it thunder and lightning. I am ashamed to admit I fear both, but when Akemi-sama asked if she could sit between my onesan and myself, then holding my hand, I know she didn´t like the wetter either.
Stories came and went and my onesan left. After a while the hime-sama asked for me to join a small party to the King-sama of Kargath. I almost gave up hope meeting the man, and so I was very excited when we left. Arriving, sensei-sama had challenged the king-sama for a duel. I do not exactly know why, but it had something to do with him not having an honest fight on the battlefield. Almost it looked like the duel would end in a draw, but then sensei-sama knew to give the King-sama a final blow. They both got healed and we went inside. There we had to sit at a table on a bench, high above the ground. Onesan and I giggled a bit, she was sitting right next to the King-sama at the very same bench! We were presented with something to drink. The hatamoto of king-sama poured the drinks in strange cups. She first gave the hime-sama, then Gina-san, then me, then my onesan, then Daimyo-sama and King-sama got his drink last. We were a bit embaressed by this and dared not to drink before Daimyo-sama touched his cup and when he did we carefully took a sip, it was sparkly and strange. My cup was see-through and it stood on a leg with a foot. They also had something for us to eat, small light-colored squares which tasted awfull, but we all took one to be polite, and something they call cookies. With a brown very sweet substance in the middle. Daimyo-sama and king-sama discussed politics and customs and the rest of us were looking at all the strange things at the court of this king-sama. We also heared a story about halflings and kendar who made the cookie-food.
Then Daimyo-sama made onesan and I switch places, something that was not easily done, so I was now next to the king-sama. I finally got to presenting him the gift telling him how honored I was sitting next to him and seeing all these things that are stange to me. He took the gift and most instantly began to praise me and the Daimyo for the most splendid gift. He used a lot of words expressing his gratitude and that he was so pleased by getting an other splendid part of our culture. I dared not to tell him and looked at Daimyo-sama who looked amused, telling the king-sama that he was glad that the wrapping of the gift touched him like this. I took out the fan for him and again he praised the high work of art. It was hard for me not to giggle.
Gina-san almost fell asleep at the end of the table and so the hime-sama asked if we were to be excused. We were walked to the gate by the King-sama himself. And soon after we came back I retired for bed where I looked back at yet an other very peculiar day.

Last week the Yoshida clan joined 4500 others at Drachenfest 2006. For us it al began at monday when we went to Annet and Nico to put our stuff in the van and after some chitchat and a game of domino we went to bed, already anxious for the things yet to come. The next day Sander and Annelies brought their stuff to the van as well, and we drove to Mike and Yvonne in Nijmegen. There Mike, Annet and I did big time grocery shopping at the Sligro and when we came back others already arrived. That night we watched Spirited Away to get in the mood and I put a few parts of the harness of Mike together. The next morning we woke verry verry early and after we divided all the stuff over the cars we climbed in the huge van and drove off.
We arrived around 12 and after a terrible climb up a hill we saw the massive terrain, already there were wooden walls and camps slowly getting their shape. We had to unload the van at the beginning of the terrain, since we couldn´t drive uphill due to the rain and the slippery grass. We reserved a spot and waited for the others, who had trouble getting the rented trailer wagon uphill. Fortunately a friend with a huge van saw the struggle and brought the four wheel trailer to our camp where we could begin building our house for the next days. It took us all day, putting on the great green tent, and carpent it with our own 'tatami' Decorate is with tables, flowers and hanging paintings to the walls. We had little shoe racks and a platform for the Daimyo. In the corners we had brand new harnesses, they al looked awesome.
Then we had the two big party tents, one for the cooking and one which was divided in two: a bath house and a shrine. Furthermore we had an entrance tent with at one side a table with a bowl were people could wash there hands. And last but not least: we had our own Zen garden with white stones and a pond with wind up fish and next to it a little herb garden for the alchemists. The result was awesome.
That night at 12 DF officially opened, we checked in in costume but didn´t get to the roleplay that much since we were all pretty tired from the whole journey and the building of the camp.
Offcourse there were good things and not-so.very-good things about this DF. I hated the dixie toilets and the fact that there were only 12 showers somewhere at a half an hour walk. Water you could only get at the middle of the battlefield and it felt real stupid to walk there with a bucket when everywere around you people were fighting. I hated the rain and the thunderstorm, luckily when that broke loose I sat next to Linda and Annet under a blancket since Linda didn´t like the lightning and thunder either....I´m such a baby when it comes to that argl...The rain made the terrain slippery and I fell down once when we walked downhill, the only thing that came to mind: ow no...there goes the kimono. But the overall feeling is a good one

The last day was hard. Everyone was tired and slowly we broke up our house which we lived in for three days. We did not hurry and it went quite relaxed. Finaly we did not had to act as Japanese without emotions and it showed. We had noodles and the oni, now only half red, joined us. We drove off at about 16:00 arriving at Nijmegen at 20:30 were we had fries and watched photos on tv. When the goodbyes were said, I missed the lot as soon as we drove off. I slept almost all the way to Rotterdam and Nick, Gijs and I stayed the night. We stayed at Nico and Annets the whole next day just fooling around int he park with bokken, djo, bo and bow.
The they drove us home and stayed for dinner. And then it really was over. damn...
What I did those three days at DF I will put in an IC entry, for the moment the very last of Nanami Koyuki.

Koppori are worn by maiko, young geisha-to-be. They have severall functions but off course: you are quite high above the ground wearing them (original koppori are about 14 cm. high) so your kimono won't get dirty and you are forced to walk up straight, because the front of the shoe is edged. 14 cm. was a bit too high for me so I desided to go for 10.

And so, on popular demand: how to make those high slippers or: how to break your ankles not the easy way.
Your first question probably will be: WHY??!! Well, I must confess I have some kind of shoe fetish, as the proud owner of 34 pairs of shoes I couldn´t help looking at pictures of Maiko just thinking: I NEED THOSE SHOES! And so the searching started. I almost fainted when I found out the real price of a pair of these wooden clogs. New you easily pay about €300,- and sometimes even more. E-bay wasn´t an option either and, the other mayor problem: I don't have the little Japanese feet to match with the koppori.
So one day I woke up thinking: I'll make them myself. Then I laughed at myself realizing I didn´t touch a saw in 6 years now, how the hell was I to make a pair of shoes.

But I found the blueprint for my koppori on the geta page http://www.egeorgeonline.com/getapage/
With help from Gijs' dad, who works as an illustrator, we made a blueprint for my own feet in a Dutch size 39. I decided to make them broader so my feet would more solidly rest on the upper lair of the slipper. This makes it slightly more difficult for me to slip off and break my ankle. Maybe in the future I'll make 'real' ones.
We did the whole Bob the Builder thingie at Gijs' parents place, because there we had all the right equipment. From the wood to the powerrrtools.
We used 18 mm pressed wood, 7 mm no-this-is-not-a-piece-of-rainforest wood and 8 mm hardwood for the soles.
First I had to saw rings, because, off course, my slippers had to be hollow due to the weight. In total there were 8 pieces, top and bottom offcourse whole. After that I glued the shoe together. I used some sort of contact glue that starts to sizzle and then hardens. Off course I glued one shoe to the table...but with some help of chisel and hammer we fixed that. I say we because it took Gijs' dad for getting the damn thing off again.
In the end I glued the top and bottom on the slipper, but not for I attached some bells at the bottom of the upper lair, and I put a wish on paper in both shoes.
Then the hard part began: shaping and sanding. I used all kinds of tools: planes, chisels, sanding paper and off course electric sanders. I never befor used one of them (yes yes, I know: I'm a girlie) and it took me quite some time to figure out what worked best. In the end, Gijs' dad couldn't bear looking at it anymore, took my sandals to saw them straight with a big ass sawing machine, which I dared not to touch and, to be honest; I wasn´t allowed either.
When the grinding and the smoothing was done there was time for coating: a simple lacquer. In total they got only four layers, because of the time pressure. When they were all iced a shiny Gijs' dad drilled three holes in it, I dared not to watch but all went well after all.
I made strappings form the same material as my kimono and we attached them with little wooden dowels. And so my koppori were born. It took me about 40 hours so I guess that makes them quite expensive...although I didn´t had to buy anything to put them together.
Off course I made pics of all of it, quite a milestone in my life: making something out of wood ; ) when I finally figure out where to put them on the net I'll put a link up here. Till then: use your imagination!
A dark side to this whole adventure is that now I have to say goodbye to an old pair of shoes...due to some stupid agreement with Gijs that I will trow away a pair when a new pair arrives. So byebye old black winter boots...you will be missed.

Here an entry of the Diary of Nanami Koyuki, a 17-year-old Maiko of the Yoshida clan. Enjoy!

When Tsubasa answered my letter by telling me I had to present myself to the Daimyo and his court I felt both anxious and scared. Off course, I myself asked for the opportunity on advise of okasan who saw a great chance of a career for me at court, and offcourse I would not forget the Okiya Akina when I was to find my fortune there.
Not totally convinced by her words, for it was more of my family ties with the Yoshida family than my skills as a maiko that I was to write my aunt, I silently hoped that somewhere inside me there was a geisha, small and unformed, that could be shaped. Yoshida has quite a reputation and I know now, better as I knew beforehand, that I will have to give everything, do my utmost best to live up to the expectations. But I go to fast.
Okasan gave me a beautiful blue kimono. Yuki wore it once or twice, but now that she turned her collar, and I was to present myself, the kimono was mine, or more accurate, okasan added it to my list.
She also took care of a gift, a sake set, in the Yoshida colors.
Tsubasa-san arrived the afternoon for the picnic, with her husband Yasuo-sama and a samurai called Minamoto Kaminari. It was a happy meeting, they would stay the night in Sumoto and come back to collect me the next morning.
I got up much to early, checked my luggage one last time, put on the blue kimono with a simple, pink obi and decided not to wear the pearl white make up because of the hot weather and the long journey. When Tsubasa finally came to pick me up I was surprised to see two people were added to the group. A samurai who was named Sakamoto Kiyoshi and a maiko called Gina, she wore the most peculiar clothes, but I understood she had traveled a long way to Sumoto almost by herself.
She must be a very brave maiko.
The journey took almost half a day, it was warm and the closer we came to our destination, the more nervous I got. The last days Yuki and Ayami told me stories about the Daimyo and his court. How they fought with at least a hundred blue men who called themselves Kelts and how the Daimyo slaughtered several hideous beasts, giant lizards, and that he could petrify cowardly men and women by just looking at them.
When we arrived the Daimyo and his household sat in the shade of a huge tree. Although Tsubasa tried to comfort me my knees were shaking, my thoughts were al over the place and my breath was shallow. But we walked towards them and we all kneeled before the Daimyo. Just to be sure, the stories of Yuki en Ayemi still in my head, I dared not look him in the eye. I totally blacked out, can not even remember what he said to me, or Tsubasa, except that he ended the first impression by telling me where to sit with the words that 'I could be stunned over there'. I sat, relaxed a bit, and then felt very ashamed. Not only did I make a fool of myself, I also found out I still had the gift from my okasan in my hands. Fortunately Tsubasa saw my distress, comforted me by saying we would find an other moment to present the gift, and asked if I could help the geisha with presenting the court with tea, ice-tea that was.
Then Daimyo-sama wanted to speak to Tsubasa and me in private. He first gave me a reprimand about my presentation. I should not show my feelings, especially angst that open. Than he asked me about my age, what lessons I followed at the Okiya, nothing special...just dance and tea ceremony...so he asked me to start lessons in singing...Singing?! I never ever sang in my life. And offcourse he underlined that he expected no less than perfection of me.
During the day I tried to relax some more, talking with the geisha, first with some restrain, but later on, more comfortable. They all were very nice to me. I also spoke to the Hime-sama, she was very curious why I wished to become a geisha, and why I wished to become a geisha at the Yoshida court. I told her that geisha give a center of peace, beauty and calm to this often dangerous and disturbing world. She seemed to be content with that, and we went on talking about kimonos and fans with the other geisha.
An other samurai guest came and when he was officially presented the Daimyo wanted to speak to him in private, with Tsubasa waiting on them both. I was to sit next to her to Minarai: learn by watching.
And so I watched Tsubasa closely and listened to the conversation which seemed polite, but did not feel so right, the Daimyo clearly was irritated by the man, and the issue was a difficult one. The Daimyo ended the conversation and the samurai left. I was shocked when he then turned to me, and asked me what a Lady of Graces would have to say about the conversation, and what advise she should give the Daimyo. I gave a polite answer, but it did not please him, so I tried to give him an other. This also seemed not suitable, so Tsubasa apologized for me and he discussed the issue with her. After the conversation she asked if we could steal just one moment more of his time, and I finally presented him the gift, apologizing once again for my clumsiness and expressing the hope that he would be so generous to accept the gift. I was relieved that he did, and that the gift truly pleased him. Silently I thanked my okasan, and was excused. I spended the rest of the day watching the samurai practicing and testing Sakamoto Kiyoshi, until the Daimyo proclaimed he was hungry, so we retreated to the palace.
Dinner went quite smoothly, and finally I felt more in place. After dinner, Daimyo-sama, Hime-sama, Tsubasa and the geisha talked about my situation and after a while, they asked me to join them with tea. I poured the tea and answered the questions about the lessons I followed in the city and the other costs my okiya made for me. Again the Daimyo pressed that I was to be quite expensive, with quite some debts that needed to be repaid. He then told me Tsubasa was to be my onesan, and that by this fact, I now was a Maiko of clan Yoshida.
I glowed with pride an relief and the tea was replaced with Lychee-whine. Tsubasa-san had other things to do, and so she left me at the table of the Daimyo to pour him wine. And there was a lot of wine. And for every cup I gave, he gave me one back. It went quite fast, a bit to fast, but I dared not refuse, although I tried to make clear I could not handle this amount of alcohol. This was duly ignored, and by the time Akemi performed her dance I would swear sometimes she had two fans in her hand instead of one.
The hime-sama took me apart to tell me I should not drink this much, I explaned the situation and she told me Tsubasa would soon teach me some tricks to distract men from my drinking. Akemi-san also gave me some advise, comforting me with the fact that the Daimyo did the same thing to an other Maiko, just to test her.
The Hime placed me beside her instead of the Daimyo and gave me tea, a lot of tea. But again, he came to sit between us and again he gave me cup after cup of wine, which I threw away between the plants, hoping he would not notice.
With an excuse and a promise to return soon I went inside and begged Tsubasa to help me out of the situation. And so she came to the rescue. Tsubasa-onesan maneuvered herself between the Daimyo and myself and luckily there was no more wine for me anymore.
Sensei-sama and a samurai called Jishin asked permission for a marriage, I can not quite remember what happened, but finally the Daimyo congratulated them, and they are now to be man and wife.
The night went on with some chitchat, I still had trouble focusing, so I did not mind when Daimyo-sama declaired the mess outside to be cleared, and to resign inside for further talking. I was collecting the bowls when he once more came to me and asked me if I would join him for a midnight walk. Alarm bells rang in my ears. Still drowsy I told him I was to asked my onesan if I could go, silently wishing she would say no and put me to bed. She did, fortunately, and after pressing a couple of times without succes, the Daimyo resigned and I was happy to find my bed waiting.

Saturday I went to the market in Utrecht with Gijs to buy some fabric for my Yoshida kimono. At the market we both came to realize we didn´t look up the right colors before we left so I decided to go for a fabric I liked in stead of a fabric that could-be-right-but-might-not-be, so that I could always make myself an other one if this color would really be off with the rest of the family.
After we walked up and down for three times I finaly settled for a blue fabric with silver flowers ebroided, a pink, silky like fabric with flowers in it in the same colour for the inside and a magenta pink somewhat loose woven fabric for the obi.
Once we got home I couldn´t wait to start so after some research on the internet I desided to go for a Furisode-kimono. A long type of kimono with a low back and long sleeves called furisode. The long sleeves are a sign of virginity and are worn by young maiko and brides. Real furisode have sleeves that run al the way to the ankels, but because I wanted some moving space and comfort I made them some lower than my waist. It took me about 7 hours to put together and I still have some things I would like to adjust. Because I want to wear the kimono on the Yoshida weekend this weekend and haven´t got much time this week I sewed the edges today, with 1.5 eye because of my allergic reaction on a mosquito bite this weekend. This turned out not to well so I will sew a bias band over it after the weekend.
No time now...
Tomorrow Gijs will make some photos of it and I will see if I can put them here. Update later!