Tuna Mousse

Continuing yesterday's Japanese theme, we visited our friends Takeru, Mikiko and their daughter Yukiko (Alyssa's school-friend), and also there were Kazuko and her daughter Riho (Naomi's school-friend). It's funny how we gravitate to Japanese families. There's something about Japanese sensibilities and politeness, the island nation connection, and of course our six years in Tokyo that has formed a strong bond. And Mikiko makes a seriously good tuna mousse.    

The Therapeutic World of Japanese Anime

A less productive half-day with a fair amount of loose ends, mostly revolving aound the media campaign for some reason, like: who does what, how we work wth Ogilvy, which is more important - national or local etc etc. But some good 'surgeries' in the afternoon dealing with indviduals' or small groups' specific issues. 

Come 5pm I jumped into a taxi and on the spur of the moment decided not to go back to the office, but home for movie night. We watched The Secret World of Arrietty, the latest in the long line of animated films from Japan's Studio Ghibli. It's based on Mary Norton's The Borrowers which I read - or had read to me - as a child. Typically brilliant Studio Ghibli creation, with its strong girl as lead character (like Spirited Away's Chihiro), wonderful animation and just about the right level of sentiment. This one's not directed by Miyazaki, although he co-wrote the screenplay.

Bracing ourselves...

First of two days thrashing out UK Now festival roles & responsibilities, content & comms, and a thousand and one practicalities that are now real and imminent. We have chosen a hotel in the south-east of the city, built around a small temple. In fact, we're in what was once the main hall. A stone Buddha smiles benevolently at us as we chew the cud, an icey wind blowing outside. There are 30 of us, Arts and PR colleagues (mainly female, just a handful of blokes), from our five offices in China, all touchingly, reassuringly passionate about the project.

Given that only a smidgen of China's 1.3 billion people will physically experience the 100+ events we've got lined up, the digital aspect is key. It never ceases to amaze me how much time websites take to get right. We've been working on it for six months and there are still so many issues to sort out - to say nothing of the mobile phone app, social network sites, virtual exhibition etc. Anyway, a good, productive, practical day's work.

Advice for an Aussie

A day of the usual highs and lows: an exhibition confirmed, a sponsor drops out, a launch venue identified, a legal issue pops up. It ends in a German bar across the road with Nick Marchand, our man in Sydney, who's planning an arts festival in Oz for later this year so is tapping us for advice. Nice guy is Nick, and turns out he went to school in Chichester. Small world.

Bitter Sweet Victory

So, Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations, beating Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties after two hours of goalless action. The match was played in Libreville in Gabon, ironically a few hundred metres from the spot where most of the Zambian team died in a plane crash in 1993. 

The Grammys

So, a good night for the Brits - or rather one Brit - at the Grammys, with Adele scooping six (tying Beyonce's record for most wins by a female artist in one night). But a bad night for Whitney Houston obviously. Drugs & alcohol: the all too common flipside of fame.

They certainly pack the categories in: 30 of them, each with more than one Award. So let's hear it for Traditional Pop (Tony Bennett), Best Historical Album (Wings' Band on the Run), Best Regional Mexican or Tajano Album, Best Comedy Album, Best Contemporary Christian Music Song, Best Album Notes, Best Surround Sound Album, and Best Small Ensemble Performance.  

Gorgeous poster by Frank Gehry - though not sure what his twisted buildings have to do with music? 

A worry

Bonkers week at work. Prep for the festival now in overdrive. Am thinking of mad Jack in The Shining: All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy All work and no play makes David a dull boy. Heeeeeere's...