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devikong · 4 years

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Kazuko san’s visit to Imphal

It was during my visit to Japan in September-October 2019 that I met Mrs. Kazuko Yasunobu (Kazuko san) at the residence of the Indian Ambassador to Japan, H.E. Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma in the evening of 1st October. That was a dinner party hosted to welcome the Manipuri cultural team led by our Honorable State Culture Minister, Mr. Langpoklakpam Jayantakumar Singh and the Director, Department of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur, Mr. Aribam Shivadas Sharma, MCS. I was part of the cultural troupe as a Coordinator. The cultural troupe performed at various events across different cities such as Namaste India Festival (Tokyo and Karia City), Kyoto, Niigata, Osaka, etc.

That very night, Kazuko san was wearing a fine Assamese mekhala chaddar with a beautiful flower decorated on her hair and a bright red bindi on her forehead. It showed her immense love for our Indian Culture. Other than that, I knew nothing about her. However, it happened that she was performing Odissi (one of the six classical dances of India, originally of Odisha which is an Eastern state of India) at Namaste India Festival, Tokyo where our Manipuri Team also performed. As I was too occupied with the coordination work for our team, I somehow failed to notice her performance.

She said she had plans to visit Manipur in January next year i.e. 2020. Later on 5th October, our cultural team went to Tokyo from Tokamachi mountain city to perform especially for the Bengali community as it was Durga Puja time. There, for the second time, I encountered Kazuko san with full make up and colorful costume as an Odissi dancer. Oh, I found out she is a professional Odissi dancer. She addressed me as ‘didi’ (Hindi word for sister) and we clicked few photographs together. She is currently an Odissi, Sambhalpuri Teacher at Vivekananda Cultural Centre (VCC), Embassy of India in Tokyo. Moreover, she has her own dance class at Studio Odissi in Tokyo.

Next few months passed by and there was no communication between the two of us. One fine day, she sent me a message and told me about her confirmed trip to Imphal, my hometown, in January 2020. She had requested me to arrange for a home stay and to contact some teachers for Manipuri Dance and Thang-Ta (Manipuri Martial Arts) so that she could learn few basic steps. I responded to her request positively. As my husband, Mr. Gurumayum Dharmadas Sharma was working as Principal-In-Charge of Government Dance College, Manipur, I requested him to help Kazuko san in every possible way so that she could get what she had expected out of her Manipur trip.

I told her about the Solo Dance and Music Festival which was to be commenced from 22nd February to 24th February 2020 and inquired if she wanted to come to Imphal in February instead of January. But she was firm in her decision to be here in both the months.

My husband sent a formal invitation letter to Kazuko san at VCC, Tokyo by December end of 2019 for the Solo Festival which was to be jointly organized by the Eastern Zonal Cultural Center, Kolkata (Ministry of Culture, Government of India) and Government Dance College (Department of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur).

Hence every arrangement was made starting from booking hotel, pick and drop from airport and other domestic travel, dance and martial art classes along with provision for students from the Dance College for her ‘Sakura’ (Japanese word for Cherry Blossom) Dance Composition and many more.

Kazuko san arrived at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport, Malom, Imphal on January 3rd. We asked our friend, Mr. Acharyamayum Shantakumar Sharma to pick her up from the airport. In the evening of her arrival, I went to meet her at hotel Sangai, Nagamapal where she would be staying for the next few days of her first ever trip to Manipur.

The next day, 4th of January, my family took Kazuko san to Rita Café, Classic Hotel, Imphal for evening tea. She wished me happy birthday as it happened to be my birthday. Since she wanted something Manipuri in taste and flavor, we ordered singju ( Manipuri salad ), khajing bora ( Deep fried battered prawn ), and CCT ( locally produced lemon grass tea ). As Japanese usually do not take very hot and spicy food, I asked the service boy to make singju less spicy. However, it turned out to be a bit hot and spicy for Kazuko san. Later, the service boy came back with another plate of less spicy singju at no extra cost. What a treat it was!!!!

At Rita Café in the evening of 4th January (Photo Credit : Kazuko san)

While we were returning from the café, I told her about my morning nature therapy treatment. She expressed her desire to join as she felt exhausted after long hours of travel and hectic schedule. Before coming to Imphal, she already stayed in Bhubhaneswar, Odisha and had performed in various events. During those days, she had received prestigious awards such as Nritya Bhushan Award in addition to various other national and international recognition that she had already been honoured wih.

So, on January 5th morning, Kazuko san joined me for the treatment which was conducted by one of our local therapists. It was a relaxing experience. Unfortunately she didn’t continue after some untoward experience.

Once she arrived at Imphal city, she kept herself busy by learning Manipuri dance and Thang-Ta. At the same time, she made a fusion composition based on the famous Japanese classic ‘Sakura’ to be performed by herself and a team of students from Dance College at Japanese War Memorial, Maibamlotpa Ching, Nambol. For the Manipuri dance steps of the composition, she took help from Guru Gurumayum Loken Sharma, Senior Lecturer, Government Dance College, Manipur. Oja Laishram Brajakumar Laishram, Senior Lecturer (Flute ), oja Pebam Tiken Singh, (Pena, a traditional stringed instrument of Manipur), Mr. Ben Johnson ( Guitar ), Mr. Amit ( Pung, Manipuri Drum ) and Mrs. Anjella Yenkhom ( vocal ) became important part of Sakura composition along with many other Manipuri students, both male and female dancers. She expressed contentment that our Manipuri students are quite enthusiastic, fast learners and are very serious in learning and make the whole process of interaction a fun filled activity. Often these students shared homemade food in the college premise and that made Kazuko san feel quite at home in Imphal in spite of being a first timer in the city.

Some special moments with friends in Imphal as captured by Kazuko san

On 7th January, we picked her up from hotel at 9 am for Japanese War Memorial. Just as we started, my elder sister Angousana Devi handed over to me a huge carry bag full of fresh marigold flowers near Nagamapal Lai Ishing Chaiba Temple to be taken for offering at Nambol as Kazuko san wished. The team of students from Government Dance College, Manipur led by Guru Loken and Kazuko san performed ‘sakura’ fusion composition as an offering to the departed souls of the numerous Japanese soldiers who led their lives on the soils of Manipur during the Second World War, 1945.

At Maibam Lotpa Ching (Red Hill), Nambol on 7th January

At Maibam Lotpa Ching (Red Hill), Nambol on 7th January (Photo Credit : A. Shantakumar Sharma)

On the way to Nambol, she told me about one Manipuri friend of her husband who was currently in Fukuoka Ken, Japan. This friend helped her husband with information about Manipur while he came here last year to gather some idea about select Manipuri hotels. As there was shut down of market on that day, Kazuko san’s husband failed to visit those hotels of which he wanted some information. To my utter surprise, this young lad came out to be my nephew, Vicky Ningombam, who is working in Fukuoka as a Manager in a hotel at present.

So, while returning from Nambol, we took Kazuko san to Laxmi Hotel and Imoinu Hotel, both at Wahengleikai, Imphal West to collect information and to take some photographs especially of the local cuisines being served there.

The very next day, the 8th January was the birth anniversary of Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, a legendary Odissi exponent and is the guru of Kazuko san. We went to Sri Sri Govindajiu Temple, Imphal East where Kazuko san made special fruits and flowers offering to their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Sri Sri Jaganath Baladev Subhadra as a humble obeisance to her dance guru. Later, we had delicious prasadam. In the latter part of the evening, Mr. Shanta took Kazuko san to Ima Keithel, the world’s only market run exclusively by women only. She purchased some colorful Manipuri traditional shawls and phanek (sarong worn by Manipuri ladies).

After returning to Tokyo in January, she came back to Imphal on 20th February for participating in the Solo Festival. Renowned artists from Manipur and other states of India took part in the festival. It was the first time that a Japanese artist took part in this festival. Some of the artists who gave their scintillating performance during the 3-day festival apart from Kazuko san (Odissi dance) were Ms. Ivana Sarkar (Manipuri Dance), Mrs. Muktasana (Manipuri Dance), Mr. Srijan Cahtterjee (Hindustani Music), Mr. Anoubam Shashikumar Sharma (Sarod), etc.

She performed a new composition ‘Saraswati Sakura Mangalacharan’ with live music by a team of musicians from Bhubhaneswar on 23rd February, the second day of the Solo Festival.

A beautiful shot of Kazuko san while performing Odissi on 23rd February (Photo Credit : Surjit Soraisam)

On 24th February which was the third and the last day of the festival, Kazuko san performed an Odissi-Japanese-Manipuri fusion composition along with few teachers and students of the Dance College. She displayed nice Origami creations too during the performance. Even Mr. Ben Johnson ( a staff of Art & Culture Department, GOM) and Mr. Shanta also became part of the dance composition.

A pose from few of the participants of Manipuri Japanese Fusion Composition of 24th February Evening (Photo Credit : Ben Johnson)

The 3-day festival was, as a whole, well acclaimed by viewers and critics. The location and timing of the performance at the Government Dance College with greenery all around and in the open auditorium right under the starry sky around the evening make the ambience so attractive and the performance an enjoyable one. Once you arrive there, you tend to watch the performance till the end. That was the attraction I am talking about.

One good thing about the program was that many elected representatives of state assembly came to see the performance along with their families and expressed words of appreciation.

Though it was a Solo Dance and Music Festival, the Dance College showed two new group compositions choreographed by Guru Loken to give an exposure of the college students and to encourage them for future stage performance.

A shot from the group performance 'Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram' by the students of Government Dance College Manipur, choreographed by Guru Gurumayum Loken Sharma (Photo Credit : Somorjit Laiphrakpam)

The next day, i.e. the 25th of February, I organized an “Origami” workshop for school children under the banner of Young Learners’ Academy, a kids care academy at Nagamapal Soram Leirak, Imphal West, the program of which was conducted by none other than Kazuko san. The “Origami” literally means folding of paper and is a Japanese art of paper craft. It is believed to be good for coordination and cognitive development and has become an important part of Japanese culture. Following the last few days of extremely hectic schedule of rehearsal and stage performance, Kazuko san was almost ill on the 24th night and 25th morning. However, she made sure that she would conduct the Origami workshop as planned. Some 29-30 kids along with their parents participated the workshop and it was a huge success. Thanks to Kazuko san who despite her weak health taught our kids the Origami items, that too with the materials she bought all the way from Japan. In addition to this, she distributed Japanese candies to the young participants. Sincere thanks to Saknaibi, Sormorjit Lai, Bikash, Loijing, Sonia and Vijaya, all students of Dance College, came and helped us during the workshop. It really was a great evening for all.

On the day of departure, the 27th of February, madam Laishram Shantibala Devi, wife of honourable Culture Minister of Manipur, met Kazuko san in Government Dance College. Students and teachers of Dance College met Kazuko san to bid farewell. Mr. Shanta dropped her off to airport.

26th February was bit rainy and cold. Around 3pm, Saknaibi picked Kazuko san up from her hotel and took her to well known RKCS Art Gallery. Later she was taken to local sculptor who makes different idols of Lord Jagannath. Kazuko san has special affection for the Lord as she has already stayed in Odisha for several years and is used to Oriya tradition where Lord Jagannath is an important part of life and the Jagannath Temple at Puri, Odisha is a famous tourist attraction. In the evening, my husband joined them and took Kazuko san to our home at Brahmapur Mangjil for just few minutes. Once she was dropped back to her hotel, I met her for the last time of her February trip. We laughed and chatted together for a while. I told her that when our culture minister’s wife asked me what she could buy to present to Kazuko san, I suggested an off white, temple bordered ‘Rani Manao’ (traditional Manipuri hand loom silk stole). To pair up with that, I gifted Kazuko san a ‘Phanek Mapaanaiba’ (Traditional Manipuri sarong with embroidered border). Also Somorjit Laiphrakpam designed two white netted dupatta (the Hindi wod for stole) so that Kazuko san could use to display Japanese Manipuri fusion dance when she’s back in Japan.

A photograph taken on 27th February at Dance College just before Kazuko san leaves for Delhi (Photo Credit : Somorjit Laiphrakpam)

After two nights stay in Delhi, Kazuko san reached Tokyo safely on 29th February.

On 8th March which is International Women’s Day, we had Review Origami Workshop at Nagamapal, Imphal as a follow up programme of the last Origami Workshop held on 25th February. Kazuko san came online to teach Ureshii Hinamatsuri Song (Delightful Doll Festival Song of Japan). She suggested that we should review Origami so that we do not forget the steps of the paper craft that we had already learnt.

A shot taken on 8th March during the Review Origami Workshop at Nagamapal, Imphal

Further, we made plans to have online interaction with Kazuko san and her students of Studio Odissi, Tokyo and our team of students of Government Dance College, Manipur led by Guru Gurumayum Loken Sharma. Though this could not happen on scheduled date of 12th April due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it will certainly be done in near future as the current lockdown and emergency situation get lifted in respective countries. So it is the very beginning of our cooperation and the cultural exchange programme and it has a long way to go.

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todokori-kun · 7 years

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I did guess that maybe something was wrong with your computer/internet connection but after a few days the ridiculous anxiety started punching me in the gut again like ‘what if it was something I said’ or ‘what if something happened and we never get to talk again’..it seems so silly and overdramatic now but I seriously did think those things for a while LOL that’s why I kept sending messages… I’m really sorry for spamming you OTL

And no, don’t apologize! It’s not like you had any control over that. If anything, I should be sorry for freaking out so much ^^;;

But anyway, that’s enough angst for now. I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE BACK :D

Seriously though, sometimes I wonder what was going through Steve’s head when he decided to keep that suit back in the first CA movie XD

The trailer is really cool. I actually think we don’t need another one; this 'teaser’ seems to reveal just the right amount of info :) (And Loki’s hair has FINALLY stopped looking greasy. I think. I hate greasy stuff (unless it’s food) so that hair was really, REALLY bothering me during Avengers 1 and Thor 2, though I guess it did make sense for his hair to look like that at the time)

I think Marvel’s using the 'Power of Love’ thing to explain Nat being able to calm Bruce down. Doesn’t really make that much sense but I agree, it’s cute :3 I shipped Nat with Clint during the first movie (and the reveal that Clint is MARRIED was a serious 'WTH’ moment) but Bruce/Natasha is good enough that I’m not particularly salty over Mrs. Barton.

Sharon Carter/Steve may be the only ship in the MCU that I genuinely dislike. Civil War would have been perfectly fine without it. Sharon and Steve themselves would have been perfectly fine without it. PEGGY would certainly have been fine without it. Just. Why.

Ah, yeah. TDW both gave me hope for Loki and made me lose a little bit of it at the same time, if that makes sense? The thing with Odin worries me, but since I think I read somewhere that Anthony Hopkins is going to be in Ragnarok I guess he’s not dead, so maybe Loki didn’t do anything TOO drastic…

But we got some genuine emotion from Loki over Frigga and I believe that he WAS getting a bit emotional during his 'death’ scene wih Thor, so that’s something, I guess.

To me, Thor 2 proved that while Loki’s morality might have changed, it hasn’t changed for the better, and he still has way too many issues to work through, but his relationship with Thor isn’t quite ruined yet.

I have a soft spot for The Winter Soldier because it was not only the first MCU movie I ever watched, it was the first superhero movie AND the first 'gritty’ live-action movie I ever watched (I was like nine or ten when it came out and before that the only live-action movies I watched were stuff like The Sound of Music and Cats). I guess I get why you might not like it, though- the only reason I still watch TWS now is because I love Bucky’s Winter Soldier costume (sure, we get to see it in Civil War as well but it just looks really cool in TWS) and because it has some of the best Steve & Bucky moments.

(Also Natasha. Natasha is always a good reason.)

YES. Join me in Remember This Cold hell. The creator even has a blog where they answer questions about the series and write shorter stories connected to it :D Also, spoiler regarding the Steve/Loki relationship-

Steve proposed a few stories ago. I’m sure you can guess Loki’s answer.

Awww, thanks! <3 I’m really glad you enjoyed the playlists ^^ but which songs were the ones you didn’t know? And how did you react to Kanae’s list? :)

(And if it’s not too much, could I also ask which songs you thought were the most fitting? it’s fine if you don’t answer this one though)

Ugh, those weird bots ;-;

Random thing, but I got my nails done for the first time today! :) My little sister really wanted to get her nails painted and mom suggested that I should too…normally I don’t really enjoy dressing up and 'decorating’ myself but I thought it would be fun so I tagged along.

I lowkey wanted black nails because Kaneki and Sebastian LOL but I ended up with sky blue. It does look nice so I’m happy with how it turned out :) though the skin right beneath my right thumbnail still hurts…I got my cuticles cut, the cut was too deep and it wouldn’t stop bleeding for a while ;-;

Last note:

Another random thing, but do you have any OCs? :3 It’s my dream to become a writer someday so I have a ton of them, one cast for a book I’m trying to write and another one for a comic I’d make if I was better at anatomy and knew how to do digital art ;-; maybe someday it’ll work out. If it doesn’t, I’ll just write down that story too… I also have lots and lots of discarded OCs for my fandoms (not all of them are discarded though, there’s one wallflower cutie named Naomi for TG and unfortunately I like torturing her a bit too much to let her go. There’s also her brother Tatsuo, a fabulous jerk who loves his little sister very much, in his own passive-aggressive way, and will serve any poor soul who dares to approach her for dinner).

If you have OCs too maybe we could rant about them together? :) (totally not using this as an excuse to ramble about my babies who I love to hurt. I think I’ve caught the Ishida-virus)

Again, don’t apologize! I’m just really glad you’re back, Queen Luna <3333

Don’t worry, I got this message ^^ (Un)fortunately, I’m that person who’d probably tell someone if they’re annoying me. And you’re not annoying at all! I enjoy talking to you a lot, since you’re one of the rare people who shares so many fandoms with me ^^ So if I don’t answer, it means the internet/phone/computer is acting up, ok? I wouldn’t disappear just like that ^^

I’m glad to be back ^^

Before I forget, the new chapter of TG. The title sure is fitting. ISHIDA’S BACK AT IT AGAIN! ((I mean, who names a chapter ‘suffering’))

Maybe he wanted everyone to look at the behind ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) You never know what kind of weird things he likes. It’s so awkward trying to avoid all the key words for those blogs XD

Ahahahah, he did look like needed to wash it… But it’s solved now ^^ And it’s curly. THE ONLY THING THAT’S NOT SOLVED IS THORS HAIR AAAAAAAAAAAA Why did they cut off his glorious locks ;-;

Nat and Clint did seem like a good ship, but since I watched Ultron before anything, I knew about Clint’s situation. It was a bit weird watching Clint and Nat interact, though, since they do seem very close, and not in a purely platonic way.

Since I haven’t reached Civil War yet, I haven’t seen the ship. Somehow, I know I won’t like it ^^ (I mean, from what you’ve said, it really is a very NO ship.)

TDW Loki for me was the biggest ‘honestly, what was I expecting?’ character in the whole MCU universe, because, honestly, what was I expecting? When he ‘died’ I laughed, because he’s Loki and it’s probably another one of his plans. anD I WAS RIGHT.

Frigga is the only character who Loki showed genuine affection for, though, isn’t she? I mean, since we don’t know her well as a character, I didn’t feel anything when she died, but I did feel sorry for Loki.

I recently found a mythology book that features Nordic mythology. And you have 3 guesses about who the main bad guy is in all of them. I’ll be genuinely disappointed if you need the other 2.

One’s about the making of Thor’s hammer where Loki turns into a fly and stings the blacksmith, causing him to mess up the length of the part where you hold it (I forgot the english name), the other one is about him being responsible for the death of Frigga’s son, because he made someone stab the son with mistletoe. Mythology is weird.

That’s actually adorable ^^ I never would’ve guessed your first action movie was Winter Soldier! And I completely agree, Bucky’s costume is quite nice (huehuehuehuheue)

I’m scared of starting to read it….. I THINK I MIGHT WAIT UNTIL I FINISH WATCHING CIVIL WAR JUST BECAUSE :))))

Let’s see… I knew the whole Loki&Thor playlist, All of Loki except for Castle, She keeps me warm from Yumikuri I didn’t know, knew all of Urie/Saiko and Urie and I will not say anything about Kanae :))))

Sweet! I only got my nails done once in my life and that was for my uncle’s wedding. I understand your pain entirely ;-; There’s a reason why I only had them done ONCE hahah For some reason, I associated sky blue with you even before this… Idk why, though

Did someone say…. OCs? You want the older ones (absolute Mary Sues, I laugh about them today, even though I was 100% serious before) or the newer ones (the ones with actual flaws and development?) Also, we probably talked about this before, but have you watched Fullmetal Alchemist? My biggest Mary Sue is from there ^^;;

ALSO ALSO, I was thinking about changing my icon, and I narrowed it down to 4 potential ones. Which one should I choose?

#evans #submission

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