Underneath a “Wild Layers” wig, in “bitter cinnamon blend” color, a person claiming to be the Anti-Christ was spotted in Koenji. It was Friday, Dec 21, 2012, and the world might have ended that very day according to Mayan prophecy. Instead, he shared a fish sausage with SanTanuki and a sad smile with a restaurant worker after a delicious bowl of Vietnamese soup.
Yesterday I returned from a four day Golden Week ceramic trip to Numazu in Shizuoka, near Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula. The in-law ceramics senseis organized this annual trip to use a wood-fired oven to make special bizen pottery.
For three days and nights, we heated a wood kiln until it reached 1200 degrees celsius, taking turns feeding it. It will take another three or four days for the kiln to cool down, so a return trip is necessary to take out the pottery.
Here are some photos that depict some of the process. Below are the 18 or 20 pieces I made: mostly flower vases with lattice tops, ten small round plates, and four rectangular plates.
During avian flu, I felt detached because of my distaste for poultry. Swine flu is a direct hit to my stomach. It seems the masks have turned from white to blue. This photo of Mexican nuns shows that even Jesus-loving ladies are terrified. Mi dios! I will sublimate my fear with tonkastsu, tonkotsu ramen, hot dogs, sausage and bacon!
Tokyo Moe 