Nutcracker and the Wild Center

For the third year, Bennett has a part in the Lake Placid Performing Arts Center performance of the Nutcracker Ballet.  He is playing Fritz, Clara’s brother and does an excellent job.  We were allowed to take pictures at the dress rehearsal the day before the actual performance so we could share them with you.  No photos allowed during the actual performance.

In case anyone wonders, it is cold in upstate New York.  After the rehearsal, we spent the evening at the Wild Center, a museum in Tupper Lake to see their holiday lights display.  We wandered the grounds for about an hour in 15-17 degree cold.  As there was snow on the ground we really had to walk carefully but, fortunately, no slipups.  One of the features of the program was lights decorating the stick house that we saw during our a previous visit.  It really looked great at night. 

 

Having had enough cold, we went into the museum building where Bennett enjoyed a VR experience flying through an ancient landscape.  The device has a fan in front of the travelers head so the experience is not just visual, it does seem as if you are flying.  The screen in the background shows what the flyer is seeing but not in 3D.

North Country School

Bennett is now in private school.  In September he started at North Country School in Lake Placid, NY.  Before the Thanksgiving holiday, the school had a two day open house where parents and friends were permitted to experience what a day at school was like.  On Thursday the program featured general information about the school and daily activities.  On Friday guests actually went through their child’s classes and had a brief description of what students did on a day to day basis.

One of the activities was an art class.  Each person was given a small picture frame and paints to do a background then trace a picture.  Anna Lee made a horse, Jeff a freehand drawing, Cheryl did a critter and Bennett did a cow.  All of the objects de art came home.

Jerry was most impressed with the writing program.  At the beginning of the hour, students should write a paragraph or more of anything that they want to express in their notebook.  After that, they do curated research on the internet and write about the selected subject.  Bennett’s one page essay was posted on the wall.  Math was also an interesting subject.  The sixth graders are into factors and a selected problem was introduced.  We were surprised that Jeff could not immediately solve the problem.  

As the day progressed, we went to the kitchen where all guests were encouraged to build their own pizza.  Once prepared, the pizzas were cooked in a wood fired pizza oven that a former student had built.  The pizza was great.

We were also pleased to see a play that the students put on.  Very well done.

Bennett is having a unique experience these days.  In these days of digital photography one of the activities was use of a darkroom.  Each of the students had to use craft items to create a work of art and then print and develop it.  Bennett used several media items to create his.  Can you figure out what he used?

We also visited the barn to see the several horses that the students can ride.  The instructor explained to us the fact that each of the horses has an individual personality and the students learn to appreciate how each horse should be treated and how this lesson applied to people as well.  

The final activity on Friday was an actual Thanksgiving dinner.  All of the students participated in preparing and serving the meal.  Most of the food, including the turkeys were grown at the school including the apples and pumpkins for the pies.  

All in all, everyone was impressed with the program and we decided that Dave & Cheryl made an excellent choice for Bennett’s education. 

Takayama-Day 2

On Monday many events of the Autumn Festival were cancelled because of rain.  Floats were not taken ot of their storehouses and, to our, the evening parade was also cancelled.  On our last day however, the sun was shining in the morning so we walked from our hotel to old town to see what was happening.  At it turned out, it was a great choice.  We were able to see one of the floats being pulled through the town and also saw dancers and other sights that made it worth the walk.

 

 We visited the morning market where several art works were on display including one that Anna Lee could not resist.  Rather than eat breakfast at the hotel, we bought street food including some cake shaped fish that had chocolate in the center.  How could that be bad. 

At 11:30 we boarded the train for Tokyo and, ultimately the airport for our long flight home.  The end of a great trip.

Takayama

Taking a bath

We described our previous hotels as basic but meeting our needs.  This one in Takayama is at the other end of the spectrum.  Fancy from entry to the special bathing facilities for men and women.  Our room is larger but Jerry much preferred the desk space earlier as he could comfortably sit and work at the computer.

Jerry:  We have arrived at our final destination before returning to the good old USA.  We started our stay at the hotel with taking a bath, Japanese style.  The custom is to shower first, completely wash yourself then get into a large tile tub with a bunch of other people.  Honestly, Jerry had the experience and does not intend to do it again.  Sitting in hot water with several other naked men is not his idea of a great plan but, having done it once, it was crossed off the bucket list

Anna Lee:  I am not a shvitz person but our hotel offers a hot bathing experience so I tried it.  It was relaxing for the brief time I stayed.  I don’t plan a repeat.  I do think the two-piece black “pajamas” provided by the hotel are comfy but I don’t intend to wear them to the dining room as other people have.

The original plan was to end the trip in Tokyo to catch the plane back to the United States.  Searching the net however we discovered the Shinto Autumn Festival (Hachiman Maturi) that is the largest festival in Japan.  It happens that this festival falls on October 9 & 10 this year.  That was enough for us.               

The festival is celebrated by music, dancing and other observances but the big activity is to have floats carried through the streets but as many as 80 men.  It is the only time that the deity, who resides in the floats, is brought out for the people to see.

Unfortunately, this morning many of the activities were cancelled due to rain.  We could still see the floats but they were kept in the storehouses.  Still impressive.

There were several children's groups that participated playing drums and other clanging instruments.

 

We then went to the float museum where five antique giant floats are kept.  They are huge, carved masterpieces.

Lunch was fish served in a lacquer box.  Great taste too.

We were treated to a Lion Dance.  

 Old Town Takayama, where the festival is celebrated, is the home of traditional Japanese crafts.  The woodwork and lacquer work is beautiful.  

  The Old Town is along a river.

 

The streets were filled with people despite the weather.

Observations:
                                   
Everyone wears tennis shoes here.  The exceptions are the women dressed in kimonos or wearing really fancy heals.

The streets are litter free.

School children dress in black pants/skirts and white shirts.  Many groups of them have matching school hats.  There are groups of children visiting museums and shrines throughout the country.

We have met and talked to people from Australia, Canada, Bulgaria, Israel, New Zealand, Italy and more.  All are friendly and, at home, the conversations probably would have led to longer friendships.  Being of a certain age does give one freedom to be more outgoing.

People will go out of their way to be helpful even when the language is an issue.

 This is a great country to visit and two weeks was too short.
 

Kyoto Day 5

We visited the Nijo-Jo Castle which was the center of the Edo Shogunate from 1603 - 1867.  It is designated as a World Heritage Site.  

The wood carving over the door was very beautiful.

 We had to remove our shoes to tour the temple and no photos inside the palace were allowed.  

The screens that make up the walls of the temple painted gold as they were intended to impress visiting shogun.  China and Korea were major influences upon Japan as it became a country. Tigers, sacred in China and Korea, are painted on the assembly room walls.  They are meant to be intimidating.  The shogun greets his guests from a raised platform and beneath a raised ceiling.

In another room a female tiger nurses her three cubs and a leopard, who they believed was also her offspring.

The last shogun ceeded power to the Emperor thus ending the period and in a final act, committed ritual

Following the tour through the palace, we walked through the massive garden.  

We climbed a huge staircase to get a panoramic view of the complex.

uying it

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at a department store to look around.   They sold bicycles and there was a test track so that you could try a bike before buying it.

In the evening we attended a performance at the Gear Theater (Jerry found the recommendation on TripAdvisor).  No photos are allowed so we will try to describe one of the most extraordinary theater experiences we have ever seen.  We climbed four narrow flights of stairs in a 100-year-old building.  The entire 90 minute show was in mime.  The characters were robots working in a factory.  A box containing a doll shows up.  She comes “to life” and engages with the characters.  There is both humor and pathos.  There was juggling, magic, break dancing, and more.  After the performance we were allowed to take pictures of the stage.

 

The show used extraordinary lasers effects to accent the performance.  You can find a sample of the show on Youtube@geartheaterkyoto.

Kyoto Day 2

Our second day in Kyoto was so full we took a few days to get the text and photos together.
 
In its earliest development, Japan copied Chinese and Korean cultures.  Buddhism also was brought from India.

This is the original steam engine that Commodore Perry delivered to the Emperor of Japan who decided that it was essential to modernize their transportation system.  

 

Before the railroads, merchants could not, by law, own pack animals so all goods had to be carried from place to place on foot.

Our first feature of this tour was the Bamboo Forest which is in the middle of the city.  It continues to provide tranquility to those who visit.  The roots grow fast and can be invasive.  The practice of being in the forest known as “forest bathing” or deep contemplation continues today.

Cremation is the common burial practice.  Beneath this stone rest the ashes of up to seven generations of males.  We asked what happens after seven generations but, since that time has not passed, there is no answer.

 In Shintoism, all of nature has a spirit.  A special deity resides in mountains, waterfalls, etc.  The religion emphasizes convenience, simplicity and order.

These priests in yellow robes are celebrating a harvest festival.

The Gold Pavilion is at the Kinkaku site.  This is a World Heritage Site and was built by an obviously wealthy individual.  It is actually covered in gold leaf which is reapplied every thirty years.  It was applied last year so the gold really looked good.  

This is a holiday villa for shoguns.  A phoenix sits on top.

We were riding a bus to our next stop when we came upon a parade of Shintos walking and carrying floats to their temple in honor of a harvest festival.  There was also a horse drawn carriage carrying nobles.

This was our 2pm lunch stop.

We saw many geishas along our walk.  They started in tea houses 500 years ago. Contrary to popular beliefs the original geisha were men, mainly jesters.  The women were geico.  Today women go through several years of training to become geishas.  Their job is to provide music, luxury meals, drinks and entertainment for the men.  

One of our neighbors recommended that to go to Arashiyama, a district that has many traditional sites.  This photo is of our excellent guide.

The tubes along the way contain the patterns of traditional garb.

 

It was indeed interesting and we saw lots of folks in traditional dress.

 

 

There are many temples in the area as well.

 

 

We walked through the Red Gates built 711 CE.  Worshipers can walk through them up to the top of the mountain; we did not go that far.  The gates have been donated primarily by successful merchants who wish to pay tribute to their deities.  This is the most photographed spot in Japan according to our guide.

 

We signed up for a walking tour but did not suspect that the total walking for the day would total 18 km in addition to bus and train rides.  We were happy to get back to our hotel for a night’s rest.

Our guide for the day was outstanding.  Beyond all he taught us, he helped in additional things we were interested in.  At the end of this long day, we felt as if we had a new, special friend.