Written on October 23, 1990 [Permalink]

October 17

Finished the blocks for the kids print. It's taken more time than I wanted, but at least this year I've made one that will be easy for them to print, without any wide areas for the baren to 'fall' into. The wood I used is incredibly soft, and I don't think the key block will last much more than the one afternoon.

A package came back today from Usui-san in Niigata. I had sent him a printout of the upcoming Hyakunin Issho article for correction. He had gone over it very carefully, correcting not only some factual errors on his work, but changing some of my grammar! He included a friendly comment, and in response to my implied request to come and try making knife blades, said that I would be welcome anytime.

October 18

A bad, bad, day. Ashida-san was here in the morning doing something with the labels for next month's print, and she dropped a bombshell. When she's finished with the last print this year, she's quitting. She says that it's because her shoulder is giving her trouble. It has apparently been causing problems for many years, and although it is not specifically related to this work, she has been told to lay off manual-type labour. Michiyo and I were just joking the other day that if she ever decided to quit, we'd have a hell of a time finding a replacement. Some joke. At least she's given us lots of notice, and I guess I'll have to start asking around when we get back from Canada. What a drag. I really hate making those folders, and there's no way I want to have to do it any more. I guess we've just been lucky for a year.

At the Karuta meeting in the afternoon, made arrangements for hanging a bunch of the prints in their room at the upcoming bunkasai. After the last English class, 60 sheets wet for the second run of Shunzei.

October 19

Sumi on the 60. Even with the 'new' padding in the baren, I still bumped into an unwanted area on a few sheets. Have to be more careful.

A call in the afternoon from somebody at the 'Aoi Post', a small local advertising paper. I had sent them a flyer a few weeks ago. We set up a tentative appointment for next week.

When Seki-san phoned the other day to thank me for the latest print (he's the only one who does), he had mentioned that there was an upcoming get-together of the hanga kumiai. It was tonight, and I asked today's students to switch to Saturday for this week, so that I could go. It was OK. Pretty much the same as the one last spring. I met a few new people, and arranged with Ogura-san to visit his place. I'm to call him up in early November. One very interesting thing that came up was his comment that he had been visited by an Austrian woman earlier this year, who is carving Ukiyo-e copies (not sosaku hanga!), and he spoke highly of her ability. I'm not the only one!?! When I visit him, I'll have to see if he got her address.

October 20

Colours on the 60.

October 22

Dropped in on Yamashita san this morning to take a photo for the next issue of Hyakunin Issho, and ended up staying for two hours, listening to the latest plans for the museum. I don't think I was able to get any good pictures .... Continued with the carving, and reached the face.

October 23

Off to the Canadian Embassy, for an interview on Michiyo's landed immigrant status. It turns out that we've been here so long now that she has effectively lost it. When we are ready to return (other than just for short trips) she will have to make application for landed immigrant status all over again, with me as sponsor, and then wait for up to half a year for the application to be processed. She's understandably upset about this screwing around. What's the point in taking away her status and then making her apply again, when the outcome is guaranteed by virtue of being married to a Canadian? We left the place both feeling totally disgusted with the bureaucratic mind.

In the hallway there we bumped into John Howes, who's son had been my flute student in Canada some 20 years ago. He was in a hurry, but slipped me his card and asked us to write. He's living in Machida.