universe

While I was on my Sunday bike ride to Sugamo, I came across the coolest way of using useless space - check it out `the health belt` which lies underneath the Shuto expressway (Somewhere between Sugamo and Meijiro) . It has Astro-turf grass and at least 20 obstacles or equipment for you to use, each with a detailed description on its function. It also instructs how many repetitions to do based on your weight and height..How awesome is that? It appears to be open 24/7 and is free. A few weeks ago I read somewhere that only 40% of Japanese women exercise, with the recent boom of yoga and pilates I hope that this statistic increases. Maybe with these public health installations like the `Health Belt` will motivate those to get into fitness - just like me! FYI I have been trying to do yoga 3-4 times a week.

I was lucky enough to go and check out this super cool exhibtion at K-Space in Meguro. This time the show was made by 3-5 year-olds. Clint Taniguchi the curator, spent two weeks with the kids and had them make larger than life bugs. The garden was reminisent of Alice In Wonderland, Charlie and the Choco factory and the Bugs Life. Very cool indeed. Keep an eye out for his upcoming workshops around Tokyo. I will keep you posted.

Last week I was invited to go to the The Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain opening party at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in Kiba. The party itself was interesting with many eminent faces appearing in all directions holding meticulously cut fruit served in teeny tiny perspex boxes. The collection itself was impressive. Pleasantly surprised to find the likes of William Kentridge and Sarah Sze amongst it all. I was most delighted to see that some of the big names from Japan like, Murakami and Nara were NOT a part of it. Instead artists like Daido Moriyama were present. I found the show inspiring and I think Ill go and check it out again. It is not often that we get this level and variety of artists and work in Tokyo - I recommend going.

In response to my recent wallet karma incident, I was sent this article. If you ever encounter a `Wallet Karma ` opportunity, this is how to ruin it...please read this Yahoo news story....

Woman tricks herself out of reward -
Mon Apr 10, 7:46 AM ET
BERLIN (Reuters) - When a German woman found a wallet containing 1,000 euros ($1,220) she decided it was better to get a reward from the owner than to keep the money -- even if that meant resorting to extortion, police said Friday.

"It was a bit stupid. She could just have kept the wallet," said a spokeswoman for police in the southwestern city of Darmstadt. "But she wanted the finder's reward -- and might have got one anyway. But she opted to extort it instead."

Police said the 47-year-old found the owner's phone number in the wallet and told the pensioner she could only have it back for 100 euros "plus 20 euros travel costs."

The owner agreed to the terms, and tipped off police, who arrested the woman with the wallet at the handover point.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060410/od_nm/germany_extortion_dc

Dear The Kind Person Who Handed My Wallet Into The
Marusho Supermarket in Mejiro,


Thank you very much. I received a call from my bank
this morning saying that someone handed my wallet to
the supermarket with all the cards and cash still
intact. I am delighted that people in my area, in my
city in the county I live in are so honest.

Thank you thank you thank you.
Keep the wallet karma flowing
Karma wallet universe thanks.




PS This is my wallet sitting safely on my dining room table.
In case you are wondering, the wallet`s image is designed by a very cool artist from San Francisco, `Chris Duncan `. Chris will be exhibiting at my gallery this coming Autumn. Pretty cool huh? You can also see more of his works on my website check:
http://www.nakaochiaigallery.com/en/exhibitions/005SF/005biography.html#chris
There is also Japanese on the site...

Today, through utter carelessness, I lost my wallet between Mejiro Station and my house. I went to the koban this evening and reported it missing. I then called the bank and canceled my bank cards. Arghh. This is how you report a lost wallet to the police: First, call the bank and cancel all of your cards immediately, then check to see whether someone has used your credit card from the time you lost your wallet. Then go to the police station and make a report. Lastly, pray that you have earned enough karma points to have some kind person return it you with all of the money still intact.

Regrettably, this is not the first time I have lost my wallet. When I was living in New Zealand I had this cheap velcro wallet, called a `Rhino `. Somehow, I managed to lose it SIX times, through absolute fortune It was returned to me with the money and cards inside FIVE times. Though, understandably the rhino wallet was never returned the sixth time. At that time I realised I have damn fine wallet karma.

A few years after the rhino wallet incident, I arrived in Japan with 50,000 yen to my name. In my first few weeks of orienting myself in Tokyo, I was taken to a posh cafe in Aoyama. After finishing my 800 yen caffe latte, I went to the bathroom where I discovered a Prada wallet sitting next to the toilet. I opened it up and was flabbergasted to find at least 200,000 yen in 10,000 yen notes - I had never seen so much money in a wallet before. Images flooded in of new clothes, my next rent payment, new shoes and so on. As I picked the wallet up, my sensibility came right back and I handed the wallet in to the staff. This is wallet karma.

Since I have been in Japan, I have lost several things and have always found them at the koban.

Thank you to everyone who keeps the karma circle flowing.

Lets hope the universe will return my wallet tomorrow.

This is my very first blog. It is called `Universe ` I will be writing about the things I encounter, remember, learn or find. Today I enjoyed the empty and quiet space of my local sento, where I listened and meditated on the clanking sound of the plastic stools and buckets filling with water and splashing on the tiled floor. This is one of my very favourite vibrations that I love in my universe in Japan.
Oyasumi