ありがとう

I was told yesterday the word "Obrigado" was the root for Japanese "Arigato." I scoffed at the suggestion.

Turns out, if Wikipedia is correct (and who's to say it is…) it may very well be:

The Portuguese established their base in the "Spice Islands" on the island of Ambon.^[39] Fernão Pires de Andradevisited Canton in 1517 and opened up trade with China, where in 1557 the Portuguese were permitted to occupy Macau. Japan, accidentally reached by three Portuguese traders in 1542, soon attracted large numbers of merchants and missionaries. In 1522 one of the ships in the expedition that Ferdinand Magellan organized in the Spanish service completed the first voyage around the world.

There may have been struggle through the ages here in Portugal, but there aren't any in this Stephen Medcalf production (co-produced with Cagliari) apart from having drunk too much port the night before a 10am rehearsal. Seriously, what person is responsible for starting work before 2pm? They need to be shot.

The arrival of the Portuguese in Japan, the first Europeans
who managed to reach it, initiating the Nanban ("southern barbarian")
period of active commercial and cultural exchange between Japan and the West.

Up until now we have had mostly 2 session days. 10-1 and 3-6pm. Lunches around the corner together at a local cafeteria where you get grilled steak or chicken for 5 euros, beer included. After 2nd rehearsal, drinks at a terrace near the theater at 7. Usually by 8pm we're all in a restaurant, still together, and get home around 11pm (no, not together). Phone calls home (trying not to let on I'm "working" so hard) and sleep by 1am. Up at 8 to do it all again.  It's a good thing we all get along…

But now things get a bit more serious. Friday was our filage, our final rehearsal room run, before moving the production onstage. Thankfully, the crew ran into some problems getting the stage ready in time, so we were given Saturday off, making a two day weekend. I predict come Monday the energy of the production will change rather drastically. Up til now, fun and games, but once in the theater pretty serious. And then I'll start taking pictures of the production and talking more about it. Truthfully, the production is not ground breaking, just good theater. That makes extensive writing about it challenging. But this coming week I'll try to shed some light on it.

Which begs the question: without drama, what good is a blog? Everyone is getting along too well. I think we need to stop having cocktails together and have a big yelling match.

So, I'll begin it: Rini is such a jerk! She makes me look like a dork onstage.

Yeah. That should do it.