On: Balance, Physics, Concentration, Breathing, Peace and Harmony

Lessons you will learn and teach while you dance

Her name is Miyoko Shida [Rigolo]. She is Japanese and presently lives in Paris, France. She is approximately 52 years old. She has taken the last name of her mentor, Rigolo. Her art is called, The Sanddorn Balance.

The Sanddorn balance began over 15 years ago when Swiss theatre producer Mädir Eugster Rigolo developed a balancing act for the stage production SANDDORN. The play is set in knee-deep sand; the only props are the withered ribs of date and coconut palm leaves, which Maedir Eugster collected from the most beautiful beaches in the world. After many years it now enjoys worldwide success on vaudeville, museums, galas, exhibitions, circuses, and Cirque du Soleil among many other venues.

The Sanddorn balance astonishes nearly everyone it touches and has received the highest awards.

In February 2013, Mädir Eugster Rigolo was presented with the Kamiwaza award in Japan. In Japan, Kamiwaza is the title given to a master with superhuman abilities. The award of Kamiwaza meant that the art of Sanddornbalance had truly arrived in the land of Zen: concentration, mindfulness and conscious perception in search of absolute reality convene in the 15-minute-long performance.

This honour solidified the decision Mädir Eugster had made shortly beforehand: For more then 15 years, he was the only person to perform his fragile piece of art. He now teaches his two daughters and consults and trains and inspires many others.

“Now I will pass on this knowledge. I am very happy that I have found people who now share my experiences and will develop them further,” Maedir Eugster explains. “I trust my successors: They will guard this treasure, develop it further and give it a life of its own. The Sanddornbalance bears many secrets, and every single performer can draw one of them out and present it in their own way.”

Mädir Eugster Rigolo

Some sit in disbelief as the art unfolds. Some refuse to suspend that disbelief and mock such with stupid remarks as, I can think of better things to do with my time or with a feather.” Some think it is a mere trick or ‘magic.’ Though it can be explained by the laws of physics, it negates the concentration, the focus, balance, grace, physical strength and the actor’s ability to pull in the audience, absolutely required to MAKE THIS ALL HAPPEN! And if I have left anything else necessary to do this, I sincerely apologise!

What is this thing, this Sanddorn balance, you are about to see for yourselves? For one thing, it is beautiful! It is as much of a dance as any dance. It is being in the NOW. You can see this in the eyes, expressions, and movements of the dance. There are no doubts, no hesitations, no questions. Every moment is purposed and purposeful, and NEW and NOW, though the same dance has been performed countless times. There is a reason and a purpose for every movement, every expression, and every stick. Not only is the dancer drawn into their own dance, the audience is drawn in as well. Her breathing becomes our breathing; her heartbeat, our heartbeat. It is music. It is a story unfolding and we are not only on the same page, we each are its words.Time is suspended! We are not thinking about what’s for dinner or what we will put on tomorrow or do tomorrow. We are in the now!

Watching this will center you; anchor you into the moment of sublime beauty. Briefly, our ego is lost to the wonder of this poetry in motion.

What else can this teach us? Everything and everyone is connected in some way or another. As this drama unfolds, we can see how fragile and yet how vitally important each of these connections really are or we will collapse. This point is illustrated clearly, at its conclusion. But also, not one of us will be quite the same at the end as we were at the beginning. Ahh, yes, every moment of life is unique, to be enjoyed, savored; lived! Thus a great truth is reveled to us or re-revealed within us.

No matter what you may think or believe, life, all of life is, spiritual. Who among us does NOT desire peace and harmony? Zen masters, Buddhist priests, yoga practitioners and many others, spend often, years developing the ‘tuning.’ And yet who among us are also not deeply affected by some measure of peace and harmony, by being drawn into the very ballet of it, by those who have reached some measure of it?

It all starts with a feather and all we have that we bring into the dance, our sticks and the gravity-glue of all our stuff we use to prop ourselves up with. Then we let it all go. It is only the feather that remains! I am certain you will understand this more fully, when you get into the dance!

“All the master dancer Miyoko Shida required from me was the technique for the Sanddorn Balance; the expression and interpretation she brings to it is pure Miyoko Shida. I am proud that Miyoko Shida has also now taken the name Rigolo.”

Mädir Eugster Rigolo

http://www.miyokoshida.com/ – under construction

https://www.facebook.com/miyoko.shida

March 2, 2014 0

On: Haiku, Kanji & Hanko

Now the words in the title of this might sound like the Japanese word-sounds for sneezing, they are not, but they are words used in Japan.

Haiku is a three line, 17 syllable poem (in English anyway). It usually is about nature and the form has 5 syllables on the first line, 7 on the second and 5 on the third.

'Wisdom' - haiku & photograph © 2006-14 by Dahni, all rights reserved — ‘Wisdom’ – haiku & photograph © 2006-14 by Dahni, all rights reserved

Kanji is a pictorial text originating in China where the characters/symbols have sounds. One definition of the word kanji is “listen.”

There are three basic components in the Japanese language: hiragana, katakana and kanji. Whereas the picture of kanji is used to pronounce the sounds, katakana is most often used to pronounce native words, where there is no kanji. Hiragana is often used in transcribing foreign words, for example:

ホットコーヒー

Hottokōhī

“hot coffee” in Japanese

It sounds very similar to “hot coffee” and trust me, it is something that I have used in the past and will use again shortly. 🙂

Speaking of coffee, did you know my favorite coffee is Jamaican Blue Mountain and that Japan has imported nearly 90% of all the Blue Mountain coffee and have for many years? True enough!

Many people use their own personal kanji for purposes of identification. Artists often use a more stylized kanji to sign their work by hand lettering or with a Chinese red stamp, along with their signed katakana or kanji in black, usually vertical and to the left or right of the kanji, but sometimes on top.

I very much wanted my own kanji and because I met the criteria, I was able to get mine.

Kanji is unique as the pronunciation of my kanji in Japanese is actually dah + knee. The characters (dah + knee) are the Japanese symbols da(h) + ni and are the sounds for either a coiled snake ready to strike or a samurai with blade, ready to strike or as a man (warrior) of action. Both examples are interpreted as being purposefully restrained by choice, which connotes, ‘wisdom.’

One of the signs of the Japanese zodiac is a snake. This corresponds to our zodiac as November/December or the sign of Sagittarius the archer. I was born in 1953, which was also, the year of the snake according to the Japanese zodiac. Since I was born in a year of the snake, in the month of December (under the sign of the snake) and my name combines the Japanese kanji(s) da + ni (pronounced dah + knee), I have a legitimate right to this kanji. Some people just call me, ‘snake man.’ 🙂

The kanji is as unique as a fingerprint (no two are alike) and can be used as legal identification in Japan. I’ve seen many people at banks in Japan, pull out their kanji kits (ink pad and kanji) and stamp important papers, cash checks and etc., just like we use our signatures in the United States. My interest in having my own kanji was purely artistic. But wanting a kanji and even having the right to one is not enough! It must be thoroughly researched and determined that it has never been used before. Specialists in this field pore over many books to assure this, before granting their authority and recording the kanji in a book. The last stage is, to make the actual kanji into something that can be used and duplicated by its owner. This is performed by an authorized hanko maker.

Hanko (seal) is typically a stone with the kanji cut into it so that when it is stamped in ink, it leaves the impression of the kanji. The hanko maker hand cuts the design into stone or other material. In Japan, seals in general are referred to as inkan 印鑑 or hanko 判子^[4]. Inkan is the most comprehensive term; hanko tends to refer to seals used in less important documents.

A hanko, like a fingerprint, is one of a kind. The styles are either round or square as shown. The Kanji can either be actual or more stylized as shown in my design. The latter is preferred by most Asian artists. To the side of the design, the characters are usually hand signed with black ink and are the actual characters of the Japanese type script known as Katakana or kanji. The Katakana is the same as the Kanji in meaning and pronunciation as in mine, dah + knee.

da(h) ni - Hiragana, katakana and Kanji — da(h) ni – Hiragana, katakana and Kanji

Yes, I am proud of my kanji, but I am not boasting. I thought perhaps you might find this whole thing interesting as do I?

I sometimes use my kanji on my original artwork and photographs. And I do one more thing. I place my actual signature within my kanji and it all becomes part of the design.

こんばんは

Konbanwa

“good evening” in Japanese

even though it is presently morning in Japan –

おはよう

Ohayō

“good morning” in Japanese

a.k.a.,

‘Snake Man’ 🙂

March 1, 2014 0

On: Missing

Surely by now, the planes have landed?

The planes have landed, as scheduled and on time.

Have not heard a word from you! Not a single word, a message, note, picture, NOTHING!

I should not be so anxious. I’m not anxious, am I?

Should not worry. I am not a worrier. Am I worrying?

Be patient. It’s still early or is it?

It’s day here and night there. I’m not sure if it is day or night here?

Isn’t it obvious that something is…

What could possibly be missing? Everything is as right as rain here!? Except for the fact it’s snow-blowing!

I’m sure you are fine and having a great time.

Anyway, I’m writing here about allergies, the cat’s and mine.

Distracted, not sleeping well, not eating well. Pacing the floor, whining and pining, poor little cat!

OK, so what I wrote above, the same goes for me, but it must be, because of my allergies that I probably get from Bella? And my eyes are all watery and leaky too!

Must be my allergies? — Must be an allergic reaction?

Sorry about messing up the note you left. It is your note right? Surely I did not write it. Did I?

It’s quiet here. So quiet, I can’t even hear myself think. I’m not even talking to myselves (me, myself and i). Don’t ask, we had a disagreement, but we are fine. We’ll be fine.

It’s cold here. Can’t get warm. Temps are UP on the furnace. Fireplace is blazing. Wind is howling. Two pair of socks. Double shirted. Covered in blankets. Nothing helps!

It's Frrrrrrrreezing Here! — It’s Frr, Frr, Frrrrrrreezing Here!

Took a hot bath, had some wine and stared at the picture on the wall. But as I looked at this…

...what I looked at — …picture on the wall…

Must have been the steam, my allergy-related eye-wetness, the wine or all of these together that made my vision all askew? Rinsed off in the shower and yes, I did squeegee the shower door, just like I’m supposed to do, sort of.

Missing7 — I did squeegee the shower door, sort of!

Real men don’t eat quiche. It was pretty tasty. I did not know it was quiche until after. Maybe it was a pot pie?

Real men don’t cry. I’m not crying! My eyes are leaking that’s all!!

Sometimes you just don’t know HOW MUCH you miss someone until,…

P.S. Not lonely, just looking for that first drop of wetness shed. The Dermatologist needs THAT ONE, as it contains more allergens than the rest, so he can analyze it to determine if I’m allergic to our cat or if it’s something else? But it’s in this ocean of my own making, along with all the rest of my allergic-drops. Please help me find it, before I drown! Do you possibly, think it possible that I may possibly be, allergic to, missing you????

February 27, 2014 0

On: The World is Yours

And ~~We’re~~ You’re Off!! I’m coming! 3/12! 🙂

Japan2 — There’s your Plane!
(actual picture by Susan)

Japan3 — The World is Yours!
Banner following and The Smile of God behind plane! 🙂

Happy Trails! 🙂

February 26, 2014 0

Bon Voyage

French: "Have a Safe Trip!" — French: “Have a Safe Trip!”

Have a safe trip Susan and everyone else! I’ll see you March 12! 🙂

February 26, 2014 0

On: Update

Due to circumstances that were mostly within my control, but are not now, The Gathering Place goes global plans have changed. The good news is that Susan and the rest of you will be leaving as scheduled and ON TIME!!! 🙂

I will be leaving on March 12, 2014 and meet up with Susan and the rest of you at that time.

P.S. If you can’t make it on February 26 and you still want to go, you can come with me on 3/12/14. 🙂

February 25, 2014 0

On: The Gathering Place Goes Global

In just a few short days, we (Susan and You and I ) are leaving for 65 days. We will be visiting first, Japan for about a month. Then, after about a four hour lay-over in China, we’re off to Australia for about another month. We will be returning home on May 1st, 2014. Not to worry, someone will be staying at your home, your pets will be well cared for, your plants watered, newspapers and mail will be picked up, neighbors will be watching your home and the police will be doing several drive-bys day and night while you are gone. You are covered!! 🙂

I trust by now, your bags are packed, and you have your passports. You will need a Visa for Australia. Are you are ready to take a lot of pictures and do stuff and share stuff to send back to everyone else that are NOT going! 🙂

For our current time here in New York or where you live and for Japan & Australia, ‘Google’ or search:

What time is it in New York

What time is (Where You are)

What time is it in Kyoto, Japan

What time is it in Sydney, Australia

or see: http://i-imagine.biz/News.htm

(clicking on the link above will open a new tab on your browser.

Just close that page when you are finished there or use your back button to return to this page)

Please confirm your attendance, in advance…that would be with an, RSVP.

There are some transportation issues, but do not be concerned. We hope you like alternative modes of travel? Do not worry, we’ll pick you up. Will a Limousine Be Ok?

We’ll pick you up at your home and drive you to your nearest airport.

Not enough space? Too bright? — Not enough space, there’s more! Too bright; too loud?
We have sleep masks and noise canceling headphones!

Don’t like flying commercial? Don’t like long lines? Don’t like crowded spaces? We understand, but we can only do, the best that we can do. Once you arrive at the airport, please accept our sincerest apology. We’re sorry, but a private plane is the best that we could come up with.

Travel4 — Plane accommodations. Will these be OK?

Relax, chill, chill-lax, have a drink or two or a few. Not to worry, you don’t have to drive (fly the plane). And there is a full professional medical staff on-board to revive you, just in case you suffer from massive excitement or EXTREME HAPPINESS! 🙂 Take pictures of yourselves having a great time and post them instantly to all your social media sites and just imagine all your friends and family (all those by the way, that decided not to come with us) drooling! 🙂

Watch a movie. Read a book. Have some good conversation. But we also want to apologise for the space. You will not be crowded like on commercial flights! 🙂

Don’t have a thing to wear? Forget something? No problem. You can order whatever you need on the plane and it will be in your room, when we arrive!

Order what you need while snacking! — Order what you need while snacking or dining!

If you get tired from shopping or IF having too much of a good time just wears you out, no problem.

Travel6 — You can fully stretch out and take a nap or…

...just enjoy the flight! — …just enjoy the flight!

So sit back, relax and enjoy yourself while we ‘Gather Together!’ The Gathering Place goes global and we’re off to…

Japan - "The Land of the Rising Sun" & Australia - "The Land Down Under" — Japan – “The Land of the Rising Sun” & Australia – “The Land Down Under”

And don’t worry, we will get you home! 🙂

We'll get you home, by whatever means necessary. — We’ll get you home, by whatever means necessary.

“You are: the Writer, Artist, Conductor, Captain, Driver, Pilot, Chauffeur,

Travel Guide and Director of your own Dreams!”

—— Dahni

Note: Due to last minute packing and details, this will be the last post until we are on our way. Stay tuned here or our FaceBook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/DonnieCHayden

February 23, 2014 0

On: All I’ve Got to Say

If you have not already sent in your RSVP, got your passport in order, have your Visa for Australia and you are not packed and ready to go to Japan and Australia, then all I’ve got to say to you is…

“You’re gonna’ miss me when I’m gone!” 🙂

February 22, 2014 0

On: Music at The Gathering Place

Like most everyone, here at The Gathering Place, we love music, many different kinds!

“Music is the universal language of mankind.”

― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What follows are a collection of YouTube videos of some extraordinary musicians. Enjoy! 🙂

Various instruments – by Pedro Eustache.

By the way, it is Pedro playing the duduk on Paul McCartney’s song ‘Jenny Wren’ in 2005. This was heard on this blog recently. You can hear it at: ‘Little Jenny Wren’ [scroll to the bottom of the post]

Samvel Yervinyan -Violin

Victor Espinola, harp

You must hear the Victor’s last song!!!

Bogdan Alin Ota, composer and pianist

(was a copy machine deliverer by day and dreamed of composing and performing the rest of the time)

‘Locomotion’ (original composition) – Lawson Rollins, classical guitar

‘Guitar Boogie and Stevie’s Blues’ (original composition) – Tommy Emmanuel, blues guitar

‘Gratitude’ (original composition) – Amin Toofani, accoustic guitar

Need or want ‘music?’ Shop and get cash back for shopping for what you were going to purchase anyway AND, recommend others AND not only will they get the same deal as you, you will get paid for their purchases as well! Get what you want and need, save money, make money, help others AND PASS it ON! It’s the NEW trend, the NEW ‘WHAT’s HAPPENING NOW!! It’s truly a ‘No-Brainer!’

♦

DahniAndSusansMall.com

February 21, 2014 0

On: Cutting Loose the Cable

I’m sure by now, most of you have heard that Comcast Cable has put in an offer to buy Time Warner Cable for the paltry sum of, $45 billion dollars. This comes after Comcast is already the largest cable company in the United States and after it completed its purchase of television network and movie studio NBC Universal, just a few months ago. Geeze, I wonder if the courts will think it already a monopoly? I wonder if this is allowed to go through, what it will mean to all their perspective customers, but first, what will the new company be called?

Combining the NBC familiar peacock rainbow colors and the Time Warner logo and part of the name from the present two companies, will the merger make for the new name being, CastWarn Cable? 🙂

I don’t know what cable TV/Internet service provider you presently use, but ours is Time Warner. Our experience has for the most part, been great service.

Each time we have had a service technician come to our home, each have always gone beyond our expectations. Our Internet through Time Warner has been, Road Runner and the speed is lightening fast and rarely has there ever been an interruption of service (down-time) and when this has occurred, it has never been for long.

Just a quick glance at reviews online indicate that we may be only a few with little complaints about Time Warner service? Others say it is terrible and many more believe that Comcast is even worse. But we have severe issues with Time Warner and certainly wonder how much worse it will be, IF this merger between Comcast & Time Warner goes through?

Our issues with Time Warner are three-fold:

1. I believe their equipment – cable modem, DVR (digital video recorder) their tuner box and their remote control are all crap!

2. Their programming sucks (but still better than Dish satellite. Premium channels? Whoopeee, I could care less how many months they give it away for FREE, I don’t like them even at the price of FREE. Why? I don’t like their premium channels primarily because, they keep repeating the same programs and movies over and over and over and over AGAIN & AGAIN!!!

3. Price! Despite the fact that there are no contracts, the prices keep going UP and UP and UP and UP! And they don’t bother to tell you your FREE stuff is up, they just start charging you for it. Now if you collect your equipment and take it back to them, watch how fast they drop the price. Quite frankly, I resent that. Why don’t they give a good deal in the first place?

Yes, it’s time to cut the cable!

Oh NO! Nothing on the screen! What shall we do? How will we live? 🙂

Not to worry! But, YES, the bottom line is, we are looking to cut the cable loose and find some other options. We may have to keep Road Runner for Internet or whatever it is called if Comcast acquires Time Warner. Maybe they will call it’ Road Eater’ because, Comcast already seems to gobble up everything in its path. But I am looking into other options for our Internet service. Well, that leaves TV. What are we going to do about TV?

This is all kind of exciting. I consider myself a New-O. I like a lot of the New technology and ‘stuff’,’ but I also like a lot of the O (old) ‘stuff’ that is tried and trued. Television was commercially available in the 1920’s, but it really took hold in the 1950’s. WOW, it really has not been around all that long when you think about it! It started out just black and white with round screens and the stations did not broadcast 24 hours a day; 7 days a week. Then, TV evolved to rectangular shapes and added color. Just a few short years ago it evolved again, with the introduction of HD (high definition). Broadcasters started to replace the old analog signals with the new digital signals. This whole explosion to me has been like the change from black and white TV to color AGAIN, in comparison! Now, we are pressing onward with HD 3D TV.

But again, after WWII, TV took hold in this country. It was a common sight to see family and friends gathering together around the television in the evening. TV trays were invented so we could eat and not miss our favorite show. Also common were antennas mounted on our rooftops and even the set-top familiar Rabbit-Ears appeared, to tune in our distant broadcast programs. Well, today, there is the exciting combination of the new technology with the old.

Like in the picture above, it combines black and white (the old) with the new, by way of the colored, flat-screen, HDTV. But what you do not see in the picture is how the TV gets its signal. Most TV’s now are made with either an internal HD antenna or the ability to receive these signals along with the ‘old’ UHF and VHF signals. More and more stations are broadcasting in digital signals. Soon, analog signals will disappear, new cameras will be used and more and more programs will begin to be broadcast in 3D. So, we return to the past for an old solution, sort of.

If your new wide screen, flat panel, HD or HD 3D TV does not have an internal antenna, the following are just some examples of other options.

The first one might look familiar? It should because, it is like the common-sighted antenna, roof mounted, just like in the past. The second one shown does nearly the same thing, only it is designed for the interior or the inside of your home or business. The third one looks like a modem or a router. It is about the same size as one of those devices, but it is an antenna for the TV. And some even come in several colors. There are a whole bunch of choices, styles, sizes and etc. for HD antennas. There is a downside and an upside to these, however.

On the down-side, these antennas are designed to pickup signals on average, from around 25-70 miles away from the source at the broadcast towers. This means, you will only be able to pick up your local channels. If this is all you want, then this is not a problem. But which device is the best for you will depend on several variables.

a. What channels will you receive? Of those, will that be OK for you?

b. How far are you from the broadcast towers

c. What is the strength of those signals

d. Your TV

e. Your location – do you live on a hill, are there trees all around you, are you in a hollow and perhaps, there are many other factors which could affect the quality of the signal.

The best advice for solving the problems above is, find a professional installer of the equipment in YOUR AREA! Their experience of similar situations of local installations, may prove out to recommend the best antenna for you and your location. The other piece of advice is simply, just trial and error. You keep trying until you get the best outcome for your particular needs and situation.

Obviously, the upside to HD antennas is the cost. Instead of paying monthly bills which amount to 100’s if not thousands of dollar each year, what you see with an HD antenna is, what you get. And what you get is FREE. Yes, FREE TV! No fees and there is nothing to fear as it is all perfectly legal! The broadcasters own the equipment and the towers it is connected to, but they DON’T OWN the air (airwaves) those signals are sent through to you! Cable TV own the cable lines that come to your house and perhaps the equipment in your house that gets it to your TV, but they are charging us for programming and the equipment, because they don’t own the air (airwaves) either! And the the same goes for Dish Network or Direct TV. They may have paid for the satellite orbiting in space (but chances are that WE the People, ALREADY PAID for that. After you have paid for your antenna and perhaps for the installation, all the channels that you receive are all FREE!

If you want anything more than just local channels, there is the possibility of accessing movies and other content through your TV and/or your computer. To do this, you still need to have Internet service and as fast as is available, a cable modem and a router to network your devices and fast processing speeds among all your devices. Cable modem? But I thought this was about cutting the cable?

Technically, we are not actually endeavoring to cut the actual cable (coaxial cable), but sever the out-go of our money to the cable TV service provider. For example, we WERE paying Time Warner $5 per month to RENT their combination modem/router in addition to their high fees monthly for programming. Now five bucks a month may not seem like much, but it adds up. And remember I said previously that in our opinion, Time Warner’s equipment is “crap?” Well their modem/router had a lousy signal, even though we had the fastest Internet speed available from them and in our area. The signal comes into the house through the modem/router and then it goes out to our TV and other devices. It was slow! The TV picture (screen) often seemed to jumped or freeze momentarily, many, many times. So we replaced their modem/router with our own separate modem and router and when their equipment is returned, we will no longer have to rent it for $5 per month for as long as we stay with them. And until we settle on a more permanent solution for a HD antenna and an alternative for internet service this is what we are going to do –

I’m taking back Time Warner’s modem/router, down-grading to basic cable light (just local channels) for around $13 per month and getting rid of their DVR and save another $15 per month or so. All in all, these changes will save us 100’s if not thousands of dollars per year!

Not to worry! When you are here at The Gathering Place, we will have plenty of content, signal and speed for you to enjoy, however it works out!

Unplug or cut the connection between your bank account and Cable or Satellite TV today! It’s your money!

If you need a new TV, HD antenna or other home entertainment ‘stuff,’ click or scan the QR code in the far right lower corner of this page or see:

♦

Dahni&SusansMall.com

February 20, 2014 0

Tag: Family & Friends