Art, Lately: Boltanski, Shiota, Tanaami

I know this is not the first art-related post I have here on my blog but I want to organize my posts a little, hence the "Art, Lately" heading lol. I know, I didn't put that much effort on naming this new blog series but that will do for now. If you have suggestions, feel free to comment down or let me know via my sns sites. Thank you!

So yup, I have been to a couple of museums and galleries recently- probably the reason of me trying to put things in order here on the blog. It was quite a bold thing for me to go to the three exhibitions below as the artists were foreign to me. But if I think about it, that's probably the reason I went- because their names were new to my ears. I didn't research on them beforehand for the thrill of it. I wanted to know what they're made of. I wanted to know what kind of stories they tell. I was quite hesitant to go and shocked at times during the visits but I'd admit that it was quite refreshing to see different perspectives and art styles. If anything, these museum visits fueled me to reach out more to the vast world that is ✧art✧.

⎡Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles⎦

I went here three days after the opening and was amazed by most pieces as they were huge and just  imagining me doing all of those made me tired already lol. Some pieces were disturbing for me but I guess it's on me. Berlin-based artist Shiota Chiharu was just presenting me something that already existed and me being uncomfortable with it doesn't make its existence invalid. The whole exhibition was centered around memories, anxiety, dreams, identity, existence, and boundaries. Pieces I personally loved are as follows:

Mori Art Museum, Roppongi Hills

Nearest Station: Roppongi Station Exit 3

Fee: ¥1,800/ adult

Run time: June 6, 2019 - October 27, 2019

⎡Christian Boltanski: Lifetime⎦

Boltanski is a French contemporary artist, and this exhibition in Tokyo is said to be his biggest one yet. His works revolve around "history, memory, and the vestiges of human existence".

The National Art Center, Tokyo

Nearest Station: Nogizaka Station Exit 6

Fee: ¥1,600/adult

Run time: June 12, 2019 - September 2, 2019

⎡Keiichi Tanaami:  Great Journey⎦

I went here with my childhood friend Tomo and we were greeted with a mural near the door of the gallery, a work made by the popular post-war Japan artist Keiichi Tanaami. We went and saw a sculpture- colorful, psychedelic, pop in nature. I thought the artist is in his 30s, someone young and vibrant. But he's actually 83 years old!!! Me being shocked is an understatement lol. It was intriguing... how his mind works- in a good way, of course. 

Ginza Graphic Gallery

Nearest Station: Ginza Station/ Yurakucho Station

Fee: Free

Run time: July 21, 2019 - August 21, 2019

Hope you liked this first ever Art, Lately post. More to come in the future, please look forward to it!♡

xx, 

Alyssa

Life, Lately: Crossroads

July. 

Halfway through the year. 

Funnily enough, I'm stuck in the narrow hollow of decisions, if there's a physical space associated with it. I probably was stuck earlier but I was too preoccuppied to notice. I mean, this life? It's great. Who would not want to stay where they seem to have things going on for them? But eventually, no matter how glittery and pretty things are going, me being stuck won't go unnoticed, unless I purposely do it and then it's just going to be this viscious cycle of ons and offs and then I'll blame myself for not addressing it earlier when I had better chances of making my stand better. But then, isn't that human nature? Or I'm just too quirky for this world lol.

Enough of the vague introductions which I think I failed at doing- preparing you for my dilemma this month, I'm just gonna spill it. I don't want you to think that you're required to help me nor give me a sound advice (but if you want to, please, thank you). You listening rather reading, is enough.

I graduated as a Biology major though I ended up in the education field. I found teaching tiring but very rewarding. My current work is near my house and gives me paid leaves that allows me to go for long vacations if I want to and salary that lets me afford going on a few trips throughout the year, on top of all the bills I have to pay while living here in Japan. So you'd probably ask, what the hell is your problem even?

Quite a lot and tricky, I may say. You see, the scenario above is my current comfort zone. And I feel like I'm stuck here though I know I can just go out of it. But I'm scared to actually go out of it  and I don't really know... I've been weighing my options for a couple of times already. I've been talking to other people, especially those older than me just to get their insights. In spite of those, I'm still lost. And scared. I have come to a conclusion (for now) that I have a lot of things on my plate- a lot of things interest me, it's in my nature, but I thought of those being hindrances to knowing what I really want. And maybe, just maybe, letting go some of those would help me. But will I be happy letting those things go even if they make me happy and sane? Quite like a double-edged sword lol. Anyway, for now, I'm thinking of doing these things:

- finally studying Japanese in an actual school (to help with more career choices in the future but how long will it take me to  actually know enough to shift careers? )

- delving deeper into education by earning a TESOL or a Master's degree in Education (but then this will narrow my career options into education and related ones)

- diving into a completely different field, like I actually thought of studying International Business Communications offered in one of the schools here in Tokyo 

Ahhh this whole career thing is driving me insane which makes me not to want to do anything and just stay right where I am now. But where's the growth in that? I owe this to myself, at least to try, I think.

Well, at some point I need to figure this out, ね? For now, here are some July snippets, minus the heavy dilemma above. And as always, thanks to the people around me who help me with serious thingamajigs and also help me breathe when things get too tight. I appreciate you all.♡

Tanabata Festival at work~

Bar Zingaro aka Takashi Murakami's bar/cafe in Nakano

Cafe-hopping and catch-up with Kaila

Visited the beau and I's favorite Korean chicken place, Shinchan and did some roaming around K-town.

Washi Tape Museum with stationery lover friends! We had so much fun shopping around for tapes and stickers that we were the last customers to leave- the store shutters were already closed so we had to wait for the store staff to open it lol! 楽しかったです〜

 

Friday on a Monday with these girls from work. I love how we roll- from venting out stressful things to purikura real quick haha!

Anyway, half of the year already passed by. Let's hope for more happiness and blessings to come our way but let's not forget that we can make our happiness and work for more blessings, too! *wink*

xx, 

Alyssa

Life, Lately: Celebrations and Realizations

Every June the past years, I get busy getting into everyone's schedules to celebrate my birthday. And I am thankful for those people who have shared their time and energy with me. This year was a complete turn around and I did not really plan on doing anything grand cos I'm saving up for something and well, I'm just tired and getting old that I somehow don't want to do anything, ya know, stuff like that. But the universe still made ways, as if it's a dear friend pulling some strings to make things work. It worked. And for that I'm forever grateful.

I welcomed my birth month with a weekend trip to Shizuoka with my family- probably the first time in a loooong time that I celebrated my birthday with them. It was a much-needed breather for me and I guess for my family, too. We went to this cabin in the middle of the woods somewhere in Kannami, had BBQ for dinner, dipped into the private onsen, and breathed in the view of Mt. Fuji through the window. The next day, we roamed around Atami (the beau and I's second time) and Mishima. It was a fun trip and to be honest, I did not expect it to be. But it was. This trip will forever be in my heart and memory.

First time to see an alpaca in person! Omg! Haha!

If you are in Mishima area, definitely go to Mishima Rakujuen Park!

On my actual birthday, I had a very interesting dinner care of the beau. Everything was great, the raclette, the edible jelly lipsticks, ahhhh the dessert table! I loved this night! And when I got home, I got a birthday cake my Mama ordered for me. Ahhhh a million times yes!

I was also lucky to have tutees-turned-friends and one decided to have our conversation lesson while celebrating my birthday at Shinjuku Mitsui Club.  ありがとうございました。

Since there was a Detective Pikachu campaign at Pokemon Cafe, we went of course. Though this was our second time at the cafe, we still enjoyed how cute the food were! 

Pokémon Cafe

〒103-0027　東京都中央区日本橋二丁目11番2号　日本橋髙島屋Ｓ.Ｃ.東館　５階電話番号　03-6262-3439

Last but not the least of my birthday celebrations... indoor skydiving! My childhood friend and beau joined me and I could not have asked for better companions. I loved every bit of this day.

Fly Station Japan 

Nearest Station: Koshigaya Laketown Station, 12 min walk

For details and reservations, visit https://flystation.jp.

As if all those celebrations did not exhaust my energy and my pocket, I went to Chiba to see one of my favorite flowers- hydrangea/ajisai with my cousin and beau and I did not regret nor I ever will. Just look at these beauties! 

Read more about my hydrangea heaven escape here:

 https://alyssashimode.blogspot.com/2019/07/hydrangea-heaven-at-hattori-farm.html

Since my cousin is here for a limited time, we also decided to go to Shiota Chiharu's exhibit, something I've been looking forward even before it opened. It was a  great ending to a great day and a great month that was June.

Celebrations aside, if there's something I've learned this month, or have re-learned rather, it was focusing on who is important, on what is important. I've had my fair share of distractions this first half of 2019, I was blinded by things I deemed as gold but were only rocks, and I've compromised things I should have not even compromised in the first place. Thankfully, I was given another year which means more time to re-align. And that, for me, is the best gift my 28-year-old self has received this year. 

Hope your June was beautiful. Moreover, I hope July has been treating you well. 

xx,

Alyssa