Journal Entry: 9/3/17: Singapore

When I traveled in Asia earlier this year, I kept a journal rather than blogging. I decided to transcribe some of my journal entries onto this blog.

9/3/17

I just spent 2 days in Singapore with my friend T. We are now on our way to Bali. So far everything has been fabulous. Singapore is clean and high quality design is ubiquitous. Every building, every sign, every cafe -- everything is beautifully designed, typically in a modern, somewhat minimalist style. The same aesthetic can be found in the fashion. The women tend to wear solid colors (not many prints) with creative cuts and tailoring: wide pants legs, bows at the waist, cutouts, cool hemming, etc. Some women wear stripes, a few wear clothes with slogans (but these are a minority). Shoes run the gamut: kitten heels, birkenstocks, nikes, platform sandals, converse... all impeccably cared for, much like in France. High heels are extremely rare. Men's fashion is less impressive. About half are beautifully attired while the other half just look like American men.

T and I had to wait to get into the Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow exhibit at the National Gallery. I didn't mind because it allowed me to appreciate the impromptu fashion show of regular Singaporeans in a museum.

The exhibit was fine. I love her use of colors, but am not transported by the work. One interesting feature of the exhibit was unintentional. Due to the popularity of the exhibit (read: of the infinity room), we had to queue up for 20+ minutes to see certain installations. This held true for the pumpkin room and infinity room. We also had to wait merely to progress to a subsequent gallery in the exhibit. Psychologically, this made the installations with a line seem more alluring. The art that could be accessed freely seemed lame; everyone gave it a passing glance than ran to queue up for the infinity room. I guess that's human nature.

The infinity room was a disappointment. We only had 12 seconds in the room and went in with strangers. However, I loved her Christmas trees, tulip room and large colorful paintings.

[Tulip room]

[Infinity room]

I interpret her art as joyful. However the intent behind much of her work is depressing, sometimes suicidal. How odd is that? Something that looks so joyful to me came from such a dark place inside another. I wish my nightmares were as colorful and whimsical as hers.

Garden by the Bay lived up to the hype and then some. Singaporean design abilities are showcased in the gardens, architecture and curation. I loved the use of statues in the Flower Dome. I particularly liked the statues made of distressed wood (2 hares fighting, antelope and a dragon). I'm gonna try to convince my parents to visit Singapore.

When a Language Barrier is No Barrier at All

This fall, I am studying abroad at Waseda Law School in Tokyo. I have been in Japan for exactly 3 weeks as of today. I have done a decent amount of tourism and am settling in to my classes. Tonight's post is not about any of that, however -- this post is about dance.

By a stroke of luck, one student in my law school program is a professional dancer. He has danced all over Asia and has a decent number of dancer friends and connections in Tokyo. Thanks to this student, J, I have now attended several contact improv jams. I had to trek across Tokyo for the first but the latest one was right in my backyard. I merely had to cross the canal behind my apartment and track down a lovely converted home in a garden. 

I located the dance studio, J taught a short class on contact improv, and then the jam began. 

Contact improv, short for contact improvisation, is a form of contemporary dance in which dancers improvise simultaneously. Typically, there is an emphasis on contact between dancers (this can be as simple as touching hands, or could involve lifts and acrobatics), but contact isn't obligatory. I am familiar with the dance form because I did some contact improv at Berkeley. However that was 6 years ago -- I am a little rusty!

Unsurprisingly, most the dancers spoke Japanese and little to no English. I speak English and virtually no Japanese. Because my Japanese is rudimentary, my daily interactions in Tokyo are limited to basic phrases. I can say things like "two of this dish, please" and "is this ok?" but I cannot have a particularly meaningful conversation with someone unless they happen to speak English. This is a bit isolating, but enough people speak English that the effect is mitigated (plus, the students and professors in my program all speak English).

Due to my language restriction, all I could do was introduce myself to the other dancers. Under other circumstances, I might've asked "how long have you been dancing?" or "did you grow up in Tokyo?" or "I ate too much ramen on the way here and am having some regrets." Instead, I just said "Melody desu" and left it at that. 

The language barrier bothered me more in dance class than it generally does because I knew I had something in common with the dancers. I knew I was missing out on discussions of style, technique, artistry, dancer injuries, etc. These were my people, but I could not speak to them.

But then, contact improv! I had forgotten that dance itself is a form of communication! My language isolation melted away. I danced with a woman who was curious, considerate and playful (or at least, her dancer self was). I danced with a man who was deliberate and smooth. I danced with a man who was confident and a bit of a risk-taker, but skilled enough to pull it off. I danced with a woman who was nervous but wanted to learn.  

I didn't need words to become acquainted with these people born half a world away from me. I can't say that I know them well, but thanks to dance, at least I know them sukoshi.

;)