The return of Robert Kodama

Right, so I’ve been away from this blog for quite a while it seems, but I’m back! Well, I’ll try to keep it updated anyhow. I’ve also attempted to create a Twitter account so follow me on that to get updates! I’m still currently in York but have finished all my exams so will be returning to London on Sunday. Then, let the fun begin…

Follow me on Twitter

10 Days Away…

The past 10 days have been spent all over Japan. Here’s the quick rundown of what happened:

Day 1 – Tokyo

Landed in Narita Airport at 3PM local time after a 12hr flight from London Heathrow. Couldn’t get a wink of sleep. Still, on the bright side, I got to watch Yes Man again! The Narita Express took a further one hour after passport control to get to Tokyo station and took the JR to Gotanda where we checked in and I passed out.

Day 2 – Hakata

The early hours beckons as 2 bullet trains and 5 hours later, we had to arrive in Hakata station, Kyushu. With speeds of up to 300kmph, the Shinkansen beats any train in Britain willing to take me a fraction of the distance in half the time. Still, we made it and a speedy journey later, we had travelled the world, Japan, and I passed out.

Day 3 – Jono

Just a small town near Kokura. Had a wee look around, got thirsty a lot so glad there were loads of vending machines plotted on every street corner. I had a grape Fanta. Exciting times!

Day 4 – Kokura

Kokura castle is amazing. Large, old and picturesque. Then, you turn around and see a big yellow shopping mall in the backdrop… weird. There also lives a lady with “magical powers”. I was a bit skeptical. She said I had a chin injury. I had a dressing on my chin… She said she will cure it. It’s still healing… She also said I have a history of incredible stomach problems. I’ve not vomited since I was 6. She’s not very good… Also failed to notice my leg, back and shoulder hurting. All she did was push air in my direction.

Day 5 – Nagasaki

The home of the first Western house built on Japanese land. Was great to have travelled so far to visit an old English home where Madame Butterfly is set. Great views from the top though…

Day 6 – Yufuin

Among the mountain tops was one of few ryokans that accompanied guests such as I. It’s filled with onsens (a public hot spring) and we were fortunate to have our own private one. It was weird having a bath stark naked on top of a mountain out in the open. A helicopter flew by…

Day 7 – Tokyo

7 hours of bullet trains led us to Tokyo. I passed out.

Day 8 – Nikko

Another ryokan but with only a public onsen. I didn’t go in this time, but opted for the in-house shower instead. A small town indeed with speakers plotted all over the few streets to signal shops opening and closing.

Day 9 – Edo Wonderland and Nikko

Edo wonderland is a reconstruction of Tokyo during the edo period. All the death that surrounded me through figurines made me a little dizzy. The theatre had a few shows, the most impressive being a ninja martial arts show that physical theatre should be worried about!

Day 10 – Tokyo

I saw a baby that looked like a Potato. I was in a buffet.

Today – London

I’m about to pass out…

Figaro in the modern setting

I recently was part of the Operagasmic production of The Marriage of Figaro for someone’s dissertation which attempted to make opera more appealing to a wider audience. A team of directors were on board with many other singers to direct and produce a set of scenes each which make up the opera. And I was one of them.

Operagasmic - The Marriage of Figaro

 

This being the first production I’ve ever directed, it was like pushing a child in the deep end of a swimming pool. But with a truly amazing set of casts, nothing went wrong. Opera isn’t as daunting as I initially thought. OK, I agree that it has elements of music and drama (the definition of opera being drama through music) which may complicate things a little, but with some knowledge of both, one can pull it off. Through a set of rehearsals for both casts that I was directing, the scenes began to emerge and before we knew it – there was our finished product ready to take the stage.

Or perhaps not…

The Operagasmic production was set and performed in the bar called Orgasmic in York (hence the Opera-gasmic name). The reason behind the production was to make it more appealing to a wider audience, and so elements of the opera were modernised (introducing texts and cars) and set in a bar in which an audience not typical of an opera may indulge in a Bacardi Breezer or two. It was also sang in English so it was easier to understand, and featured an expert of the opera to compere.

A challenging feat that I am proud to be part of. Thankfully it went well!

First Aid @ Work

I’m qualified in First Aid at Work, which trains me up to treat a wide range of problems that require first aid. The problem is, I’m not yet qualified to do first aid with St John’s Ambulance on duty (I had an induction…). But, with this qualification (and correct me if I’m wrong, which I may be), I’ve been told that I can only practise first aid in a working environment in which I am employed. This makes sense, but could lead to a number of lawsuits if not attended to carefully.

But this is where it frustrates me. I was walking home with a friend this evening and from across a bridge is my name being yelled over. It’s a friend of mine, and her friend has been knocked unconscious by another bloke. Now, as a friend would do, I naturally attempted to help out – other people had got to the scene before I had and attempted first aid – mostly by reassuring her and suggesting what needs to be done. Now, if this were to be a complete stranger and had done first aid but got something wrong, even if I were to follow the training I got given, I could be sued by the casualty. 

I personally don’t think a first aider on the scene should be sued or punished in any way or form for attempting to help and save lives even if they were only qualified indoors. The treatment with most cases do not differ that much with it being in a working environment or not, so if we were to help out as being the first on the scene… let us!

The Student’s Guide to Cognitive Neuroscience

This is the current book I am reading. It’s by Jamie Ward. One would think that this isn’t the usual bedtime reading anyone would embark upon, but it is essential. Why? It’s one of the key texts that I have to read, and although it’s interesting, it stops me from reading anything else I wished to do so in the past few weeks.

The Book

 

The mere fact that it is a key text for an exam appears to put me off it quite a bit. No doubt it’s not a choice made by Richard & Judy’s book club, but I wonder if it would be more interesting and easier to digest if the book didn’t have the “examination” label attached to it.

I’ve also been appointed as the new Chair for PsychSoc in the last few weeks for a few more weeks, as the Chair stood down. It’s going well, and I’m getting things done, but the workload has been increased quite dramatically.