Woman Alone–& now you know why….
by rebecca ~ February 5th, 2009. Filed under: nostalgia.
{taken by me w. toy diana}
Thumbing thru old photos–I was hit hard with a longing for Japan, especially for Kyoto–the days I would spend alone on my granny bike peddling about & exploring the twists and turns of the narrow lanes running thru ancient parts of town–the intoxicating smells of cedar wood walls baking in the sunshine, the burning musky sandlewood incense pouring from tiny porcelain holders set before handpainted buddhas, and I loved watching the old folks who walked down the street with their hands clasped behind their backs, how the old gentlemen had the dapper sense to wear berets and sometimes red silk scarves tied around their necks.
To feed my pitiful hunger for Kyoto I promise right here to walk around Minneapolis tomorrow with my hands held behind my back, singing my one and only signature enka* song entitled “onna ga hitori,” or “woman alone.”
I promise to sing loud enough to look slightly “foreign” (i.e. nuts)–guaranteed to ensure I will indeed be left alone. Yet do you think I might earn one gentle smile for my goofiness? Hmmm…a potential litmus test for the authenticity of ‘Minnesota nice.’
*(Enka is very dramatic Japanese Lawrence Welk-like music popular among older folks in Japan).
Here I will share an example of enka by Fuji Ayako (高橋真奈美(藤あや子) – 雨夜酒):