Japan Lover

Dinner ended lovely just a few minutes ago.

Our altar

Folks… how awesome is to eat Japan food in Japan?

Very few things compare, and I say this as an Italian (and the same, true Italian food is only eatable in Italy… no matter how good the supposed Italian place is- though Da Silvano in New York stands up as a good exception after many years).

Anyway.

Yes, I’m writing my first blog post as a married woman.

Lying on this tatami, which is soft and smell as beautiful nature and fresh life.

I am a very HAPPY married woman.

Karim and I are still based in Kyoto, and will enjoy much more of Japan for the whole of August (we will travel northern too).

Our closest family and friends will stay here for a couple of days more (that was our gift to them, a week-long Japanese bliss to share our joy).

Expect much cheesiness in this post.

But ehi… I plan to get married ONLY once (I would have lived happily in never marry at all actually, but you know why I decided to walk down the aisle), so my swhirlingly fluttery dreamy mood is got to be allowed.

the guest tables

Or else, just read somewhere else 😉

This is MY HOUSE, I do what I please, and what I do please only.

Where were we?

Oh yeah… the marriage thing.

Ceremony was spectacular, and it was at the same time Catholic and Shinto.

Lots of theatrical sighting, but in the end it was all very spiritual and romantic… very much zen.

As the day was August 6th, we took a moment and a speech to recall and remember and honor the victims of hate and war, in a day of love and bliss, and so we said a prayer we did create for Hiroshima Aniversary.

Everybody cried (this girl included, because I can’t ever hold feelings back, which is one of the reasons people love me for they say).

surrounding for the trekking zen day

Weather could have been better BUT somehow the fancy unusual light of the clouded-up sky served amazingly for unbelievably great photos (we got to see some sneak peak… for the record, our photographers are… well, they are *VERY* famous. Costly, Fashionably Reckoned, and just FLAWLESSLY skilled. It was an experience to get to be photographed b that kind of pros. Wow and double Wow…).

We ditched our Western-type outfits sometime at the evening, after the first balls went in, to wear some kick-ass traditional kimonos that were the gift brought by Japanese colleagues of Karim’s dad.

Which means diplomats, of course.

It was a very touching moment because – if you get to get accustomed with Japanese mentality, this won’t come as a surprise for you – Japanese culture is very kind and gentle, and politeness and respect are the core of any Japanese relationship with the Foreigners, but as much as they are incredibly cute and disposable, the same they have an exceptionally strict and intimate relationship with their own culture and to allow a Foreigner to wear their traditional clothes, the way they invited us to do means a WHOLE WORLD for them – and therefore to me.

The amazing location of our marriage

It means they feel us dignified enough to step into their inmost part, which is double-checked&linked with their traditional schemes.

It was awesome, honestly.

I wish I were able to say more in Japanese but yet I still a mess (Karim is endlessly amused by my inability there, given that he’s so fluent in anything Japanese-related, and not only reads but he writes in a wonderful calligraphy too… *sigh*), to express in their melodious language what their acceptance meant to me.

One day I will learn.

It’s a goal that I gotta hit.

Anyway…

Our friends had a blast (they still I suppose… they better be!!) and it was really funny to se how we merged the cheesiest Italian, American, Indian (K’s mum) approaches to party-times with the Japanese concept of it (which can get wild…believe!).

Then we are in the REIGN OF KARAOKE.

Still (we plan to do a show just tomorrow, for your information ;)) karaoke here is as popular as it was in Italy when I was a kid, in the first half of the 90’s.

We also wore celebratory kimonos after the dusked sky set in 🙂

That means we sang our hearts out several times, and we got appreciation by all Japanese involved (this Country values flawless singing at the highest rate I’ve ever seen anywhere… amazing, again), namely waitresses and waiters, staff at the Castle (oh yeah, we married in a Japanese Castle… did I forget to mention it? ;)), and then Karim just stole the day when he performed voice+piano a series of songs that are meaningful for us, most notably:

Elton John’s “Your Song“;

Coldplay’s “Lovers in Japan & Yellow“;

Chris Rea’s “I Can Hear Your Heartbeat“;

Maroon 5’s  “Stutter & Sunday Morning“;

and my favorite when it comes to love songs, Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “The Power Of Love“.

It was simply precious.

Then we sang together Al Green’s “Let’sStay Together“, and the amazing Cher+Sonny’s “I’ve Got you Babe“.

I also sang somhing solo for him… the best one turned out to be my rendition of Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best“, along with The Corrs’ (don’t laugh… I love that song.. ;)) “Irresistible“.

It was so, so much fun, indeed.

I feel so happy now…

The day after marriage we just stayed in our beautiful apartment in this incredible castle and well… we did what every newlyweds couple does, except that for us that is pretty much the daily norm (because I’m a proud nimpho somehow and I cannot live a day sexless unless forced).

We enjoyed taking breaths to admire the beautiful gardens around that are composed in so much perfected balance it is unfathomable.

We so love being here… Japan truly holds our hearts and to get married here meant everything to us.

6th August 2011. Me and my soulmate forever unite.

Thank you to everybody sharing our happiness… you all truly mean the world to us as well 🙂

If you follow my twitter you will be drag into more of Japan-love for weeks in, but now, as Karim is ready to start celebrate— *love* again, I leave you with a couple of things that I enjoyed while being here.

First the amazingness that was Coldplay tribute to the late Amy Winehouse at Lollapalooza (simply perfect… they stole my heart):

I adore Fix You… and this is amazing. Amy— I will forever miss your talent, just as every other real music lover will.

But love shone also in different forms, out of tearful tributes, like for instance when Maroon 5 hit Today Show on August 5th and Adam frequently made faces aside in the breaks.

Of course, he was directing all at Anne (whom he described in the New York Post as “the most wonderful part of my life”… let’s awe all together ;)):

The loveliness that are Adam and Anne together - 5th august 2011

Anne is in Russia now, but I am sure the strange times Adam is tweeting at the moment mean lots of Skyping for the far away lovers (which are both in synch also with their latest mutual passion… Golfing. They both are going crazy over it, which is also pretty cute, I’ll admit it even though I am not into golf at all, beside supporting Matteo Manassero and enjoying the surroundings of Country Clubs myself).

Anyway, as this doesn’t really involve The Fuckery that thing much, I can post some Maroon5 related stuff again… after all I said before I made up decently enough with them after their live gigs before hitting Japan.

This is a medley in music of pictures from the Today Show (with one of my fav tunes from Hands All Over, that got played also at our marriage):

I adore to know Adam and Anne are together, whatever still bug me about Adam “post tv fame” gets erased by their magic as a couple… and then there still the fact I adore hearing the band and him live, because it’s for their live sparkle that I firstly fell in love with them all.

So, enjoy these videos I made out from America’s Got Talent (where they did performed the by-now successful Moves Like Jagger):

And also all the Today Show stuff, interviews included (even thought they mention that thing):

I get how in many ways that thing allowed Maroon 5 to get visible again (this ain’t a plus in my book, but it seems to be in theirs…), and created buzz to boost their latest sparkling hit, Moves Like Jagger (I like it enough, because it’s them, but I find it way too generic in comparison to their past music… but alas, that simplistic flavour is probably what makes the song a charting success now that the average taste is so terrible that Katy Perry’s songs are tying Micheal Jackson’s ones records... hear me cringe and cry, yeah….), which has just gotten its video ( it’s a pretty didascalic video which some will find also cute… to me the only relevant reason to watch it is that Adam’s carved like a God in tattoed marble there. And I believe what took so long to have it made was that Xtina stressed Jonas Akerlund to death so that she wouldn’t appear as a fat midget in the video next to him: look the edited frames and notice how her image is subjected to awkward perspectives… Xtina! Just accept your body… you are a star because you have a God-given voice, stop stressing about your weight and you’ll be fine), but I just can’t support this whole tv-fame haze at all.

In a way, that thing and its undeniable success is causing also the boycott of Moves Like Jagger by the two major USA radios – KIIS 102.7 and Z100NY, which are American Idol bound (which is why, despite the fact it is a huge commercial success and it has hit twice the number one spot on Digital Downloads, the song has yet to amass great numbers in Radio listening, causing its Billboard overall position to be fairly under its given potential).

A furthermore prove that record industry is a mess, because when radio programmers can be more influential on charts than people BUYING a song, and aforementioned radio-programmers deliberately don’t play what is undeniably a fitting Summer pop “anthem”, in favor of way less appealing songs, just to avoid a pair of tv competitors to get too much recognition before next Tv season gets in, you have clear in mind that everything that gets successful in the end doesn’t on real musical merit, but just because people’s tastes are forcedly fed with what record companies boost and decide they want to succeed.

Sad indeed, but in so many ways this is a also a responsibility of the taste watered down by idiotic reality singing shows, so in a way Maroon 5 shouldn’t complain about this at all, being PART of this process.

And this rant comes from someone that likes Moves Like Jagger, but far from believes it’s “amazing”: it’s a very good although generic poppy happy song, with a really great and catchy hook.

Still, it stomps over anything it is getting bypassed from by those supposedly “best in Usa” radios.

Shame on you, KIIS, Z100 & Ryan Seacrest.

Professionals?

Don’t think so.

But lets’ stop these thoughts… honestly, why go cares?

I’m ready to fall into my amazing hubby’s arms and live another amazing night over these softly tickling tatamis…

Sex is gonna be sparklingly SUPER and we feel so blessed here in this magical place.

And as for music… Japanese one can be really sensual and innuendo, too.

Have all a great summer— catch you soon!

Missus Z. 🙂

N.B.: EDITED with MLJ video and pic of K&I on August 11 🙂