 |  | JAKARTA AND JAPAN TOUR, WINTER 2006 (Nov 19-Dec 14) -- Part 7
| 9/20/2018 8:20:02 AM - (cont'd)
The next day, we changed hotels from ANA to the Cerulean Tower Hotel in Shibuya. As much as I like ANA and the convenience of the set up and area, I like the rooms in the Cerulean much better. Sasha loved it there as well because he loves Shibuya and all it has to offer: the shops, particularly the CD and record shops, and the restaurants, and he loves seeing Japanese young women walking around in their mini skirts! Sasha had to perform with mama's band that night, which I wasn't involved in, so Nikita and I just hung out and chilled in the room, and had dinner with my friend and stylist, Natsuko Kawabe and her daughter Rei-chan (Nikita has dubbed her "Game Boy Girl"), and Nyoro at a nearby tofu restaurant.
The next morning was ghastly early -- I had to leave the hotel at 5:30 a.m. for a live TV spot with Mama performing "Hope" on Fuji TV's "Tokudane." My voice didn't really cooperate too well and I feel that I could have sung better, but I was amazed at Mama, who had the big band performance the night before and hour away from Tokyo, and probably had barely slept only 3-4 hours. When we finished around 9:00 a.m., she was whisked away to another interview. Unbelievable how tough she is. I wore the dress I'd gotten in Indonesia, and that paired with shoes presented by the very generous Tod's press people looked great on TV.
After a day and a half of rest and generally not doing much, we had our two nights at Club Ikspiari in the Tokyo Disneyland Resort (Dec 8 & 9). Nikita got to hang in the park the first day with Yuki who helped to watch him, which was a real treat for him, while we had a long rehearsal/sound check and then the gig. It was with the same unit as in Jakarta, with George on keyboards. The first night was good but it got even better the second night. What a band!! I also had such luck with make-up and hair this time -- the promoter for Mama's Suntory Hall concert had hired a make-up artist for myself and another performer that night, and she turned out to be really good and also a fan of mine. Nyoro plunged in and asked if she would come and look over my make-up in return for coming to see the show at Ikspiari, and she not only agreed, but came 2 nights in a row, as well as the JZ Brat later on the 13th, to do my make-up and hair!!! One particular fan, who has been doing my translations for my website (and probably going to do this one as well!), flew in especially to see the show all the way from Ohio! Unreal.
I love performing at Ikspiari -- the sound is great, the staff is awesome, and the manager, Takegawa-san, is so courteous and hospitable, it's humbling. He even brought his family the second night so that Nikita would have a buddy to play with -- Takegawa-san's 7 year old son, Soy, and Nikita were instant buddies. It's amazing to me how kids can bond so quickly, even with the language barrier! It reminds me how much Nikita needs to be around other kids. I was envious of Morleigh's situation, where she had a nanny/teacher on the road with them who would tutor the kids several hours a day, and there was always someone to keep the kids occupied giving her freedom to explore the city and otherwise have some peace of mind. I am constantly suffering through my tours, trying to tend to Nikita and yet feeling guilty that he's without other kids and in need of good stimulation, both mentally and physically. Meanwhile, I've got to do my thing trying to prepare and perform. Financially we're limited and can't afford to bring someone along for him, nor do we have anyone to watch him at our home while we're on the road. Sleep deprivation and maintaining my energy is always a challenge on tours as a result.
(cont'd in Part 8) | | Monday's Tour Blogs |
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