Sleeping Jellyfish

I haven’t been up to much lately, or at least I feel that way. But in reality I think I’ve been more active than my cool, calm exterior lets on. First, a few quick news articles and then the Noh Theatre production that I was lucky enough to see.

Short version:

North Korean blew up a nuclear bomb.

Giant jellyfish are taking over our oceans.

A new photo of the “tank man” from Tiananmen Square was released recently, during the 20th anniversary.

Free Rain Ponchos!

Noh Theatre is one of the well known traditional arts of Japan along with Kabuki. To those who have actually been to a performance it is often known as the slower of the two. It has its roots in Shinto ritual, and has continued today as a popular form of theatre. The place we went to was outdoor, which seemed really great, but when we woke on Saturday morning to pouring rain we were a bit less enthusiastic. I would say, though, that it made the experience even a bit better for some of us (others were miserable). No pictures were allowed during the performace, ane because of the rain, not many people took pictures in the first place, thus I’m left with this one shot of our ponchoed friends and the high rollers up in the “balcony” which is covered with a roof and seated with wood floor and pillows.

The style of voice used is odd and difficult to understand (even for native Japanese I was told) and I would parallel it to opera, in the way that it is performed in a singing manner, but with greatly exaggerated styling. The costumes are magnificent. Beautiful, lush kimonos for the main characters, neutral yet elegant clothing for the chorus and musicians. The most articulate masks I’ve ever seen. Some theatres, I’ve been told, have masks that are hundreds of years old and are still used to this day. For an idea of what I saw click here. I was sitting at about this angle, but the setup of the stage and the placement of the characters is very similar: the musicians in the back, the chorus on the side, and the main characters in front. It was a great experience, and I’m really excited for the Kabuki theatre trip in July. I just picked up my tickets.

On a side note, I’ve think I’ve discovered why Japanese people don’t use conventional ovens. Because you can make anything in a Japanese microwave oven (which actually works as an oven) and a rice cooker. Yes, you can bake cakes and other things in a rice maker. Behold, my rice cooker quiche.

I hand rolled some dough for the crust, but its on the bottom side.

This has added a whole new dimension to my cooking repertoire.