Ups and Downs

Up: Meeting up with Maya who's just come to Japan on business (swanky) and going to see the crazy volunteer-run playground near where I used to live in Tokyo.

Down: Crazy play park really is crazy and a health-and-safety inspector's nightmare. Rusty nails sticking out of climbing frames etc. Shortly after thinking this I fell down a hole. In such a way that I'm very, very lucky not to have broken my leg.

Up: The reason why I fell down the hole was because I was filming Maya with my digicam and not properly watching where I was going. Being lucky enough to look back and laugh about it, I now have my first "You've Been Framed" moment.

Down: Started to feel ill in the early afternoon.

Up: Went to gallery opening and met a couple of artists and gallery directors who are quite important to my studies.

Down: Ensuing three-hour dinner was boring as fuck and all I wanted to do was go home. When I finally got home I really came down with the cold/flu: I was shivering and shaking so violently I could hardly hold things.

Up: Magical herbal medicine I have brought it under control.

Down: I have the hoarsest, croakiest voice of all time.

Up: I got another part time job to complement my one at the gallery! Tokyo Art Beat is a bilingual website that lists art related events going on in Tokyo. I answered their call for volunteer translators and it turns out they're restructuring as of April and are going to give me a more permanent paid position, not just as a translator but also as a reviewer! Yay! Double yay!

Down: No down.

Up: I got a solo exhibition lined up for June at an art cafe in Tokyo! Triple yay! I've just put some basic details about it on my other site, and will update it in a month or two when I have a clearer sense of what I'm going to show.

Down: No down.

Up: Really loving my job at the gallery at the moment. They've asked me to start writing the 'special edition' articles which have remained unupdated on their site for at least a year because no one has time to do them. Quadruple yay!

Yep, life is good. A bit annoying to have to come back to England in two weeks when I'm on such a roll here, but it will be nice to see people. I'm going to Finland for five days with Saara, which I'm really looking forward to. The Moomin Museum in Tampere awaits...