.. .: :: Francesca's delirium :: :. ..

Oh my.
Yesterday I finished watching Nodame Cantabile TV Drama.
Thanks Rosi-chan for sending it to me!
I haven't had a chance to watch many TV drama, but this is definitely the best I've seen so far!

Warning!
Don't go on reading that paragraph if you are afraid of spoilers!!!

The drama is extremely hilarious, with a lot of demential scenes, probably like in the manga, but at the same time it contains a lot of good feelings (not only love, but friendship, loyalty, will to do their best, genuine passion for music...) and it portrays original and unique characters, with their own feelings, their own lives, their own fears and their own dreams.
It is a touching portrait of young people growing up and building their future with sacrifice but also enthusiasm.
It's mainly focused on the sexy and talented wannabe conductor Chiaki, and the weird Nodame, Chiaki's messy and filthy neighbour and school mate, who loves piano badly but who doesn't take it seriously... Both help each other overcoming their childhood traumata and at the end they are ready to take the next step of their life together...
Haha don't misunderstand me, the ending is open and maybe there will be a second season for this drama... I do hope so!
Anyway, besides the story of the two main characters, each member of the orchestra has their future to build, and a second season of the drama wouldn't be a success if it were only about Chiaki and Nodame!!! Mine, Kiyora, Masumi, Sakura, the teachers, you'll fall in love with almost every character!
So if you have a chance, please watch and enjoy this 11 episodes, and be ready to laugh, to cry and to dream :)
Anyway, there are some things you must be aware of.
First off, Nodame is really weird. She is pretty, but she is messy, filthy, clumsy... She runs after Chiaki from the beginning, and she is not discouraged if the cool young man keeps rejecting her.
Also, Nodame's talent is too lame, like many manga character's talent for something, for example Kanon's talent for violin (manga by Chiho Saito).
So, be prepared for that.
Personally I can't stand it when they show someone who remembers how to play a complete piano concerto after listening to it twice. Anyway, at least Nodame fails and has to work harder. And Chiaki, who plays perfectly piano and violino, admits practicing hard since he was a child.
Maybe Japanese are slowly understanding that it is frustrating to show that no matter how hard you try, the hero of the story will beat you without any effort or sacrifice ^_^
Oh, one more thing. The soundtrack is amazing.
Since now on, my heart will be touched every time I listen to Beethoven Symphony n.7 :)
I hope the manga will be published in Italy as soon!
Below is one my two favourite scenes (the other one being Chiaki pretending to sleep on a bench!). Please enjoy. Sorry for the spoiler. I just can't help it.




Don't ask me about my life in London.
I'm happy to go to the English college, the rest is noth worth saying.
Anyway, the ESOL class went to the Chinese Restaurant on Friday! Wow!
The only social event of the year probably, but it was a lot of fun.
Other events? mmh. I'm trying to go somewhere in the weekends and take photos, but the February and March sections of my photo-blog will be rather poor!
It's also fault of the weather! I thought Spring had come already, and now it's very cold and rainy again. Actually we even had hailstones and snow...
Well, I hope in May I'll be able to take pictures of tons of roses!
I will spend the first 2 weeks of April (here it's holiday) here in London. I will not go to Italy this time, but I will probably not go anywhere else, because I don't think I wil find a better weather in Ireland or Scotland. I would love to visit, but not this time.
Well, maybe one reason is that I don't feel like travelling alone? Sigh.
Oh well, if there are some sunny days, I'll visit Richmond, Cambridge and other places that can be visited in a 1-day trip. Actually, there are probably many places in London I haven't been to! I'll not be bored for sure.
There are many things I love about London, even though I always complain :)

Anyway, there are a few days of lessons before the Spring holidays. Tomorrow at school there will be a little (hopefully informal) ceremony and they will give us a certificate for the first part of exam (speaking and listening). Actually, I am in a panic because a group of 4 people (included me) will have to present on our short 1-day visit to V&A museum (which occurred during the first term) to the other students (old and new students, of different levels)... I HATE speaking in public, go figure in English!!!
Ok. Concentrate. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Maybe the majority will prefer to stay at home since there is no lesson.
Maybe there is a snow storm and there will be only a few people.
It can't be that everyone will come to the ceremony.
Yes. Let's hope so. There must be exceptions for Murphy's laws.

Uh. I have to become self-confident. I can be cool if I want to.
I found a picture that can convince me about that.
It's me, could you believe that? So, I've been cool in my life *LOL*



Well, now a few important dates to remember.
Some delayed official greetings!!
February 27th --> Ali's birthday! (forgive me, you'll have an answer, I promise)
March 18th --> Kate's birthday!
March 18th --> Mother's Day in the UK (I sent a greeting card to my mum in grat advance, since I realized that in Italy it will be celebrated the second Sunday of May!)
March 19th --> My dad's name day and Father's Day (at least in Italy, anyway my father received my greeting card on time)
March 20th --> Kitty's birthday (I like you my friend, even though you're stressing me with this story that I'm too old and I must look for an husband ^_^)
I'm sure I forgot something. Why don't I write down things when I remember them. Well, actually I do but I lose the pieces of paper easily ^_^

Let me share this AMAZING picture of my mum and my brother. I could stare at it for hours. I don't know if it's because it's my family, but it really touches my heart. My mum is so sweet, and my brother used to be so sweet when he was a child ^_^
No matter what, I'm happy I'm part of my noisy and stressing family. The more I get to know other families, the more convinced I get that we should be happy with what we have.



Oh. I must (must? Who asked me for that? LOL) tell you that I read Mineko Iwasaki's autobiography "Geisha of Gion".
I really wanted to know what this woman has to say, after suing Mr. Golden who wrote "Memoirs of a Geisha".
Let me say that since the beginning I had prejudices against this lady and her book.
I had just read Sayo Masuda's heart-rending and desperate autobiography, and I was expecting a cold, boring and hypocritical book written by a rich lady who wants to redeem herself after Mr. Golden's best-seller slandered her (I don't think it did slander anyone, but I respect her feelings).
Well, this is true only in part.
There are several things I have to remark, but believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as much as I enjoyed the other one. I'm getting keen on autobiographies this year!
The very first reason why I liked "Geisha of Gion" is that she is an aesthete, and so am I. The whole book is overflowing with detailed description of precious kimonos and
accessories, with passion and obsession for art, dance, beauty.
Her interest for this "visual" aspect of life surely takes after their parents, as she said, anyway it is a leit-motiv and obsession through her whole life.
Only this would be enough for me. Her book is almost "painted". This is what I felt by reading it. And as you might suspect, I couldn't help falling in love with her enchanting flower and willow world.
The second remarkable thing in this book, is Mineko Iwasaki's peculiar character.
Since her childhood, she has been quite original.
Asocial, reserved, stubborn, but also extremely proud and self-assured, sometimes I think she has (and had) a superiority complex!
This lack of modesty, sometimes is annoying, but on the other hand attracts the reader. She runs the risk of being too big-headed, but on the other hand, she sacrificed her life to reach for their goals. She has been ambitious to distraction, but she has undoubtedly worked hard. Talented, but hard-worker. Big-headed, but she was objectively the best and most requested (= paid) geisha at her time.
Unluckily, I am attracted by people like that. I wish I was able not to lose heart so easily and be like them!
So, this is probably the second reason why I found this book so interesting. I guess it's not so easy to find a person who admits so cleraly his self-confidence and feelings, especially if s/he is Japanese.
Anyway, while I was reading the whole book, I couldn't help thinking that this was Mineko Iwasaki's story, not a common Geisha's story.
This is clear in every aspect of it. But she is not the only geisha who wrote an autobiography. I will not say she lied, but all the autobiographies contain their own
truth.
Now, I can compare only two autobiographies. But there are already so many things to say.
First off, the two lives are completely different as far as location (Gion in Kyoto Vs a rural hot-spring resort in Nagano Prefecture), time (Mineko Iwasaki was born in 1949, Sayo Masuda in 1925, and prostitution became illegal in 1957-1958 in Japan) but also family.
Sayo Masuda was an unwanted child sold by her uncle to a hot spring resort.
Mineko Iwasaki decided on her own to become a geisha. Several older sisters were sold to the same oikya before, but she didn't have to. She was the youngest one, and her parents adored her. They didn't need money any longer since their business were going well. And still, she fell in love with kimonos, tea houses and especially traditional dance. She wanted to be the best dancer ever.
If Mineko Iwasaki's eldest sister had written her autobiography, it would have been full of hatred and resentment!
I think those info are enough to make you understand how different there two life experiences can be. Actually, they have nothing in common.
Except a very strong personality. One struggled to survive, the other to be the best. I respect both in the same way.
I don't want to insist too much about Mizuage, anyway let me say that maybe the "Prostitution Prevention Act" made the difference in the two women's lives.
Actually, Sayo Masuda even complains against it, since the poor ones like her found themselves unable to survive once their only job became illegal. She thinks this law is hypocritical. I found this comment quite strange, but I can't help thinking she has a point. What an interesting topic to discuss about!
Anyway, Sayo Masuda makes it clear what her Mizuage was, and actually her 'first time' was sold more than once to different customers!
With that, I will not say that Mineko Iwasaki is a liar. Lucky her, she just celebrated with a big ceremony. But again, times were changed, and she lived in a such a different and more refined area. Also, she was considered the best performer. She made a lot of money. Maybe less talented geishas led less virtuous lives. I'm not criticizing anyone, but I just can't accept it, that someone who claims she has never farted in her life (she was offended when the doctor asked her about that, after an appendicitis operation if I remember well), someone who has never complained about teachers who would make Tsukikage-sensei get pale, only because she wanted to be the best dancer ever, thinks she is the only one who knows how the world goes.
And once again, I recommend both the books to anyone!!!

I'm reading an other autobiography now: "Falling leaves" by Adeline Yen Mah. The true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. I should stop with this kind of books. They touch my heart too much. I'll start believing I'm an unwanted child too ^_^
A big hug everyone. Enjoy the Sunday!