Monday, May 01, 2006

Bizen

If nothing else,I can now tell my Shigaraki (pale,coarse clay with granular feldspar inclusions,pink/orange flashing,dramatic ash effects) from my Bizen ( dark clay,finer,more subtle kiln effects): tomorrow we plan to take the train to Bizen and check the action.Jun,our guide,says we need two days,but we also have to fit in a ryokan change and a temple or two.Today we sat with the iconic Zen rock garden,whose name ,together with even basic hello/goodbye Japanese,escapes me,and the beautiful Golden Temple (I just finished the novel about it by Mishima before the trip- now I'm savouring the last all-too-brief volume of Proust,for whom the Japanese also have a penchant).We get by on profuse and often gratuitous bowing,wide guileless smiles and pidgin English,so far an unassailable combination.This ancient computer occasionally and spontaneously reverts to Japanese text,with which it obviously feels more at home,and has just done so,so I shall conclude.We had another go at Japanese breakfast this morning,and survived with some tastebuds intact,but tomorrow it’s back to ”western breakfast”,which,like the thankfully ubiquitous Western Toilets,is more our cup of (instant,but we’re thankful) coffee

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