My Japanese pilgrimage

 

 Can’t sleep for some reason. I was busy with beadwork and overthinking as usual. I remembered how it felt when I made someone waist beads and just remembered that feeling and its comforting happiness.

Then the client who ordered the waist beads sent me a picture of herself wearing them. One thing I can say about my customers is that they are really beautiful. On the same lady’s WhatsApp she had a picture of the Dalai lama. Then I realised that it was really a long time ago when I found myself in front of the Dalai Lama on his visit in SA…dancing for him. What a thing…What a time to have been alive.

Then by some weird coincidence I found pictures of my pilgrimage in Japan. The 88 Temple one. I found myself really wanting to go wash my heart by completing more of the path. It was such a beautiful time in my life. I took a whole pilgrimage for myself. How many people can say that?

The journey around the temples on foot and a camping bag with a sleeping tent is a humbling experience. Each day represented a different meditation. I can remember how i felt at specific temples or I can remember how I felt when I remember specific places.

On this particular day I discovered a hole in my tent cause it just rained all day. I walked it. I slept in the dark, in my tent next to someones fence…I slept the next day in kind of abandoned house meant for pilgrims as they pass.  Weird thing is…I think people started noticing me and I was told to sleep there for a night by a lady who saw me at a couple of temples. I didn’t realise what it was till I was in there reading all the prayers for the place and owner left by other pilgrims. Then very strangely the police came to check up on the place cause its mostly abandoned and they saw a light there.

Funny thing about the police in Japan in the rural is…there is almost nothing happening there and they are just curious more than anything(I almost feel like they are hoping one day in all their career they will get a case). But I mean the whole island is known for the pilgrimage.

I did 10 temples which was my goal then because it was during my time off work. But I really want to finish the rest of it…the 78 temples left.  It is such a beautiful walking meditation. Only now as I sit and type do I realise that something in me changed on that trip…I became aware of silence and choosing silence. I mean…I still talk people’s ears off when I’m excited…but I recognise the conditioning we have gone through as Africans or black people. I also realised I can’t connect to the noise anymore whilst living in Soweto this past month. I see noise as an entity…and here I mean playing music loud enough so the next person a kilometre way can hear it still at a loud volume. It is scary that our silence has been taken away from us…with that our space of meditation and home you find in yourself when you quite down.

If you ever get the time and you find yourself in Japan, as a spiritual person…take the pilgrimage 

Cowrie shells - portals and money

As a beading dancer I often include beads used in dance, these can be ceremonial or celebratory. I find that there are specific beads that stand out. One particular one is actually a shell and used as a bead.

Cowrie/cowry shells are famous and can be found in many countries. Some countries supply them while others import them. These shells are not only beautiful but have different meanings or functions. Many of you may already know that these shells were used as money many years ago. Since then they have been used largely for making jewellery and accessories.

These shells are used in games, for divination as well as charms. They are often viewed as symbols of fertility, womanhood as well as doors to spiritual portals. A lot of important beadwork in different African countries often have cowrie shells. Their beautiful shape lends itself to a lot of different styles and its off-white colour is perfect for mixing with other colours.

Whether you are just wearing them to accessorise as earrings or for fertility around your waist...truth remains,cowrie shells remain beautiful through time.

  

New Year and flashbacks

A New Year 

                                       

It has been a while since I have posted any of my creations. I'm happy to announce that I have started making products again. There are a lot of old designs that have come back that many of my older clients will recognise. 

Beading Dancer is happy to have come back and hope you will take this journey with us both our new and faithful clients. 

We currently have items for sale. Please see our Facebook group(Beadingdancer) for current designs. We are hoping to re-open our Etsy shop soon. If there are items you miss, contact us on beadingdancer@gmail.com

                                 

The hiatus...

I'm only catching up with myself as autumn turns to winter and the snow slowly takes the green away. It is only now I feel ready to share...bead, dance, live - Beading Dancer

It has been difficult to find these Beading Dancer wings again but we start from the ashes and rise. We are but phoenix born to die and again rise.

Digging up my design hat...

The year has rolled over. I have made so many twists and turns in my path. The most visible for me is my merchandise. I haven't been able to make and sell anything since coming here. I mean I made some things but getting into gear has taken long for me and I'm afraid it will take a little more time.

Omiyage(food bought from a trip usually for family/friends/collegues)

The things I have noticed as a crafter in Japan:

1. Japanese people usually prefer buying well-known high-end brands. People actually prefer buying organic products because of the brand name and not because it is really organic or not(in most cases). A lot of brands can get away with using "organic" on their labels because hey...its just an English word for a kind of status. When I realized this, I really had to think about my nskin products here.

Ideally I want to get my skin products out like they are take-always, I don't want them to sit on the shelf for long...which is often the problem. I believe 100% organic and vegan products should be used and bought within days of being made.

2. Most people prefer buying something that resembles the original. Okay, I did say people love high-end brands...but when it comes to African products like my jewellery, people here would rather buy it at a ridiculous amount from another Japanese person who gets the product from Africa than actually buy the product from the African person living in Japan.

3. The African products here may costs three times as much even when the quality is poor. Most people here don't know the difference anyway.

With all this...I decided to take a small break while I figure out how I will get my suppliers to ship my raw material here.

It really is tough to break into this market because as much as Japanese people like things, they like their own version of other people's things better. I am pretty sure that if I reopen my shop, I will need to target a different market...one that is more clued up on somethings and are conscious-spenders.

On the flipside, as a designer, Japan has taught me a lot about branding and packaging. There are a lot of beautiful products here but the packaging may contain tertiary plastic packaging for pure aesthetic beauty. There is a lot of waste from a country that is known for its zen design.
I would totally recommend Japan as a stop for designers that want to take notes in design, especially product design. There is a great design juxtaposition that you can only understand living here.

B.D

...a side order of confectionery

Living in Japan one cannot miss the craze about food that engulfs everyone. I have become more of a foodie. If you thought just because I am vegetarian(and secretly wishing to be vegan) I won't have anything to eat...you best open your heart and third-eye chakra. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Love of food lives here.

One thing that stood out for me in the past month was finding a vegan muffin cafe. Yes! a whole establishment dedicated to vegan muffins and scones. They don't cut corners these ladies...there are options on beverages too...that is to say if you want a non-coffee bean coffee, lactoless milk and sugar-less sugar, you could get that here. I know it doesn't make sense but let me explain...if you want a coffee alternative beverage: an option is available. If you would like soy milk with your beverage(tea etc): an option is available. If you would like beet sugar instead of white sugar or even brown sugar for that matter: that option is also available.

The Muffin ladybug cafe in Motoyama, Nagoya is off the hinges. It is quiet and has a good energy about it...not to mention they also sell baskets from Burkina Faso. I went to my first vegan baking class this afternoon. It is one afternoon I will always remember. 


Good people. Good food. Love.

 

 

 

 

I guess my food adventure didn't start there...over the summer I baked some stuff and made some things. Some I planned others just showed up...

 

The bakery skit down the road

 

Baking bread in an overtoaster

 

Making frozen yoghurt from my favourite farmer's yoghurt: banana

   

Frozen yoghurt: bluberry

 

My attempt at vegan muffins pre vegan muffin class

 

Finding the fish and vegetable market downtown Nagoya

 

Fish and veg market Nagoya

 

Matcha tartlet omiyage

 

High tea

 

Kombini food(I digress)

 

My favourite thing from the Netherlands: stroopwafels

Bakes from the bakery

 

Chestnut rice and veggies

 

Chocolate B

 

Tofu french toast! At last...

 

Vegan french toast with Rooibos chai

 

Making french toast from tofu

Summer in Nagoya...

In all honesty, I didn't think I would be writing about things I did this summer. I have been working... a little too much on the shop and my English work here in Nagoya. I've just dedicated my months to working hard then fun could follow, some how the fun found me. 

 

 Benji's bar at Otohaya Bessou

 Acroyoga in the park 

 Noh on the river in Gifu city

 Scrabble with Romeo's lady 

 

 A walk home

 My care package from Passionfruit and Lemonade

 My 100% cotton snood from Passionfruit and Lemonade...just in time for autumn

 Had to take this picture(Devil's daughter restaurant)

 Another random picture

My friends menu...I worry sometimes...