Walked all over Kanazawa. I was not boycotting taxis nor buses, but I couldn't find a taxi, and I couldn't understand the bus map. So I walked and walked and walked. And chanced upon a district of Samurai houses. The streets were stone, the walls low, with moss gardens and open shoji screens; and oh so quiet. It was the time of day that allowed for the sun to shine strong and low on the horizon. It was beautiful.
Kanazawa is an old town, think early 14th c. with a castle and a garden. I mean an entire town within a castle and garden. I understand now why the Tokyo people really wanted me to see this.
They also have an ultra modern contemporary art museum right beside the garden called Kanazawa21. It has Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, James Turrell, and a set of A-listers in the contemporary art world in their permanent collection. I took many many photos but these two are the ones that stayed with me. Note how many other names are written in English on the lunch line at the museum cafe.
None.
And note the spelling,
A misspelled word that brought up a very strong memory from a long time ago. We were in the 4th grade, or maybe the 3rd. But whenever it was, Trina Monsod was still my classmate. There was a spelling bee that was to be held amongst all the grades and there was an elimination in our class. As a contestant, I was in front of the room, blackboard to my back, facing the class with Trina Monsod directly in front of me. The word was clear enough, pronounced loud and slow by the teacher. And...I did NOT know how to spell it, I had certainly ridden one to expert levels for a third grader but I didn't know how to spell the damn word. Trina saw this and mouthed to me: buy-sigh-cull. And I went: B-Y-C-I-C-L-E.
I don't even know if Trina remembers this little story from 30 years ago, but thank you Trina. She and I have become a lawyer and a doctor, resepctively, and photographers.
But academically having proven myself, I can't help but think it was really a hard word to spell!
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