Vault, The

I am looking for this book : The Vault by Per Nilsen. This is the bible for any Prince fan.

It was originally available here but the publishing house never reissued this publication.

Kansaijin can measure laughter

"Kansaijin"... When I first heard that japanese word, I refered to PN to get a translation. The Kansaijin have a very strong reputation of beign clever & funny... Their language is different too : instead of "Hirashaimasu", they say "Maido".

The most polite way to speak Japanese, "Keigo", was derived from the Kansai dialect.

Kansaijin is the word to describe the inhabitants of the Kansai region located in the south of Honshu (main island with Tokyo on it).

Today, the concept of a machine that measures both quality and quantity of laugh resurfaced (sources : http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/02/laughometer-measures-ah/ & Asahi shimbun).

More about Kansaijin on : http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

Hamasaki Ayumi was in Paris

More fans were waiting around 3:20. Excitment & sadness, already! Ayumi appeared about 4:40PM... Right after some of her staff had left.

A teenager came with his mom and they travelled 500 Km at night to be here. He also brought 3 New Year cards, ordered on the web, and wrote each of them with a different language : French English, Japanese!Many fans asked for my pictures so I'll post later this week with my best shots...

This picture looks very much like yesterday's. Her sunglasses reflect her own picture.

24 hours after getting to know her, I will get her CDs when I go to Japan. I'll get to know her, to enjoy her art.

The unknown artist really touched me! Even more after one fan told me she lost hearing of her left hear because of too many rehearsals, concerts and loud music. Now she is closer to me since it happened to the dearest person in my own family.

Iterashai! And welcome back. And you are welcome to contact me, should you ever read this blog, ever!

Hamasaki Ayumi leaves Paris today

I came back to the luxurious hotel with all the expensive cars always parked in front of the entrance. Just to meet with the fans about 9:30. Time was not planned but I knew they would be there.

A new lady fan was here. She reported that yesterday was a bit messy since she always directs operations for fans but she could not make it yesterday. That may explain why I found Ayumi's reaction a bit cold : she may have been a bit frightened or overwhelmed. This lady fan said that "Ayu" is always looking at the support fans give her for an autograph and she does look at people.

Ayumi came to Paris last weekend in order to shoot a video. The fan director reported that they even managed to find Ayumi & her crew on Thursday or Friday near the Eiffel Tower and they managed to attend some of the shooting.

So touching to see so many young women from all over France who took the train "just to have the chance to see her". Some even mentioned they do not want to disturb...
Look at the lyrics printed and kept in a special carton folder next to the mobile phone with full sound... 4 of them were singing Ayumi's new song!
Let me show you the devotion of one of her female fan : she got a Japanese mobile (that works in Europe, i.e. with SIM card) and customized it.No need to mention that all fans are different : model-like twins, regular French girls, 2 men, and a cute geek with her girl friend.

I'll get back there for the "Aurevoir". Before flying to Japan to attend this summer's A Nation '08?

Hamasaki Ayumi in Paris

You know I love music and Japan... Guess what happened today as I was strolling with my Nikon camera homebound? Near the very classy B****** hotel [I was inside one late evening to have a drink with PN and one of her favourite customer], I saw a group of youg people. I approached and asked them why they would gather on a cold saturday afternoon.

They were here to talk about, greet, praise, and eventually cry for Hamasaki Ayumi. How ashamed was I! I do not know this lady. Yet I enjoy Japanese music : Utada Hikaru (I love "automatic" which is PN's song forever) and the talented Sakamoto Ryuichi. Still this lady was unknown to me until one young lady fan said that she will be arriving soon in a black german branded car. When I asked her how she knew about the details, her answer really surprised me. Yet I will not disclose the source.
Some of the fans speak a little Japanese! All had mobile or real cameras.

5 minutes had elapsed since my fortunate arrival when the black car arrived. German brand indeed. I did not notice the singer immediately.
I followed the fans and got into the exciting moment. I had to extend my body and make full use of my size to get some pictures too. I managed to get this one which is pretty much showing the star behind her shades, surrounded by papers with her name printed on and so many hands trying to pass the paper in order to get her autograph. I asked a girl to show me her autograph as I could not get one : no paper!

One teenager male next to me suddenly started to cry and shiver saying "this is too much for me". He cracked under the pressure of waiting and eventually getting closer to his dream singer... She did not look at him or speak at all. She must have come straight from the airport (with 2 mini bus filled with suitcases).

Anyway, the crying boy scene hurted me a bit and it reminded me of Prince's concert in Paris Bercy in the 80's [the one with the Brazilian "trio esperanza"]. I was so disappointed and left alone when the concert was over... Even a real encounter with him would not have changed anything to my state of mind at this time. I even left the concert tickets to Sandy S (my short time girlfriend).

I was really touched by the close relationship between the singer and her fans : an adult had a small transparent plastic box with small sized presents, many had postcards and printed pictures, albums, CD jackets... Hamasaki san's attendant eventually stopped the short encounter. And she disapperead inside the hotel. The fans immediately gathered on the walkway in front of the hotel : good people.

I cannot measure how lucky I was today : Ayumi, you still don't know me but I do!

Work?

Here is what I do at work...

Buddha, glass statue

Look at this beautiful simple glass statue of Buddha. It reminds me of the extraordinary Buddha head in polished glass exposed in the Albert & Virginia museum in London, near Harrod's.