Autumn is here.

 

The weather has been so beautiful in the past few days.  The sun finally came out, and I realized how much I missed seeing Mr. Sunshine.  In Tokyo we have relatively dry weather except for summer, when we have a rainy season and frequent evening showers.  In winter, it’s sunny and dry every day.  I have been told by everyone I meet in Kyoto how it gets cold and wet and cloudy every single day during the winter months.  This is totally new to me – wet winter – I am having hard time imagining it, let alone bracing myself for the super-coldness everyone keeps telling me about.

 

I am struggling because of the printing company we work with has proven to be extremely inefficient.  We still have not received our shipment to Japan, with which we are supposed to ship out to Europe and South Pacific.  It’s been a few weeks!  My patience is thinning hour by hour, day by day.  We had to apologize to so many customers, but please believe me, it is not us!  I timed everything perfectly – the release, the set up of the website, marketing… yet, this happened.   So disappointed, I tell you.  I cannot complain on amirisu website, but I am allowed a bit of complaining on my own blog, ain’t I?

photo (1)

Another struggle is my new writing job.  I will be contributing articles to a new Star Channel (a Japanese premium movie channel on satellite) website.  It’s twice a week, and it’s a lot!  I don’t even update my blog more than once a week.  What was I thinking?  But it’s a movie channel, and I love to talk about movies.  I thought it was a perfect fit for me – hopefully it will work out.  Also, I wanted writing to be a routine, a regular part of my life.  So, what’s the struggle?  It’s the writing style they are asking for – they want a light, gossipy, E! style reports.  I am not that person.  I don’t read many Japanese blogs, because I don’t like the way many people write their blogs in Japanese.  Here, I said it… it’s the truth.  I like real writing, good writing, beautiful Japanese writing.  I really do care.  You may be surprised, but the core of Tokuko and my partnership is that both of us can write, and we both like what each other writes.  It’s really not about knitting skills.

So, I am struggling to write a catchy, teen-novel style texts.  I am thinking – perhaps I should just write in my own style?

 

Come to think of it, this has been a year of struggle.  First, I struggled with my work, left the job, moved to Kyoto, set up a company and started a yarn shop with Tokuko.  Struggled with translating a knitting pattern book, which soon will be published from a Japanese publisher.  That was a tough job.  Struggling to set up a printing process in North America, and with my new art college program (so much work).  Had a hard time getting used to living in Kyoto, in a very old house.  I’ve done a lot for one year… I think I need a vacation.

 

P.S. For the class I am taking at the art college, I have to make 20 botanical drawings.