TANEL ADVICE: by CHRIS CAREY oyou want totravel: dreams of exotic places, Renaissance paintings, or machos in Aus. Great, but travelling is not for everybody. That doesn’t stop you from going, but maybe your best friend, who you were counting on, isn’t very interested. So just go. Of course, it’s not that easy, and some preparation is necessary... like money. How muchdo youneed? Well you are never going to have enough, so set a time period where you kill your- self making as much as you can, then stop. Collect your holiday pay and go. While you are working buy all those things you will need, like air tickets, visas, cameras, etc. It won’t hurt then. And don’t hang around longer than you have to after you stop work — those pre-travel jitters bite many a soul. Is it dangerous to travel alone, especially for women? I met many single women who had leamed to handle themselves in any situation. For instance, if you have trouble while hitchhiking, stick your fingers down your throat, and the driver won’t trouble you again — nothing worse than some- one puking over the upholstery. That’s just one of many ideas you will pick up from all those other fellow travellers out there. It’s a kind of fraternity. I’m still writing to people I met 14 years ago on the road. Travel books have their uses, but use them as back-up, don’t be depen- dant on them. The best information is from that person sitting opposite you in the youth hostel or hotel. Can you trust them? It’s strange, but you develop another sense while you are mucking around the world — that is, you have “‘a feeling,” and so far it’s been kind to me. Usually word spreads pretty damn quick if there is a bad egg on the way. A sign in a hotel in Bangkok read: “Don’t take the red truck taxi licence no!!! This guy will rip you off!!! (on Koh Samui Island).” I arrived on the island, and from the boatload of tour- ist/travellers not one person took that taxi. VOL.4NO.6 Try to get off the beaten track, anywhere, even in Europe. I know it’s hard to tell your friends you didn’t make New Delhi, but they don’t care anyway. It’s your trip. Once you are home don’t be sur- prised if nobody wants to see your slides. Returning home is the most difficult part of travelling. Again, it’s your trip and no matter how hard you try you won’t “share” the experience. There is such a thing as culture shock, not so much out there as back here. If your trip is for a year or some- thing, don’t be too committed to that. Younever know what might happen, it may be shorter or longer. For instance, I left New Zealand for 1 year in 1975...’ One of my friends left for the same time and was back in 5 months with hepatitis. Travel light. There’s nothing fun- nier than huge frame packs trying to board a crowded bus anywhere in the world. I left N.Z. with my neighbour- hood camping shop strung on to my frame pack, and slowly whittled it all down with a Swiss army knife to a carry bag. Know something about the place you are travelling to, especially some local customs. For example, walking through a Japanese house with your shoes on is a no-no. I take cotton and needles (lots of) when visiting poorer nations — after all, it’s a small but important gift to the household that often feeds you. Don’t forget: water can kill. Io- dine in the water helps — a few drops turns water into wine. Sickness is another hassle. But before you jump on aplane home at the embassy’s expense, see what’s avail- able in the way of medical help. It’s’ quite an experience having your wis- dom tooth pulled in the main street of Kathmandu; it’s your big chance to star in a bit of street theatre. So, this could go on forever — advice advice advice — but the most important advice I can give to anyone is: smile. No matter how angry you want to get, keep that smile on your face. Happy travels. ¢ oO # A DAY IN THE LIFE AT SO TO EN by CHRIS CAREY ( A POTTERY IN JAPAN) :25: Psst, No more sleep, y fighting, yen signs flashing ~ —a sense of responsibility rolls me from the futon to my work clothes lying in a heap from yester- day; cold, cold water from the bowl in corner beside the found T.V. At the genkan dipping into clay- covered running shoes, the backs per- manently folded down to make them more slip-on-able. Scuff, scuff down the metal steps, down a short steep slope to the office and shop to punch my timecard. Bicycles, cars and people congregate around the entrance. Indis- criminate grunts “Oos” or “Ohiosan” to each other serve as morning greet- ings, and I scuff back to my 4 1/2 mat room, (one mat is 6 X 3 but feels so much smaller) and prepare a breakfast as western as I can: toast, cereal, tea and the BBC. Clocked in butnot at work. Clever me has found a way to get an extra half an hour sleep in the morning. The master doesn’t make his move until 8:30 or so, so everybody takes it easy until eight. This is one habit we know he won’ tbreak. Ithenmakemy way by a back route to the wheel room, where I’ve been for a month or so. The beginning was painful...sitting cross- legged at the wheel, cramps became the norm; ata break two other throwers would lift me like a live frog off the cushion, dropping my body on the cement floor while the legs went through all those weird stages before one is one again. So today it’s cups. Damn cups. I’m sick of the sight of cups. Patience...trim the 75-cups-state-of- mind; threw them up yesterday like a big day-long belch, trim them down today. I set my little radio to N.H.K. It’s Bach’s birthday, just wish they would play some instead of talking about it... Soon the master passes, work speeds up, all four of us watch him through eyes in the back of our heads: is he going to work today?...he leaves by the other door. Sunday is visitors day so he will be preoccupied entertaining the customers. Relief sweeps, wheels slow down, shoulders hunch. At 10:00 am we take a tea break, we cluster round the oil stove; Sakisan brings the tea in from the next room where the women decorate the ware, her twitching face a reminder of the days when lead was used indiscrimi- nately in the glazes. Sitting opposite is Okadasan, a tall wry man, dark for a Japanese. He is head wheel-thrower. He has been with So To En for 16 years. Five years ago he married the master’s daughter. Recently he has started doing sculpture and we are both going to enter a competition, so we discuss our work and plans for firing it secretly in the gas kiln when the master is away. Later in the morning the dust-filled intercom speaker comes alive when “Chrischan oide” (Chris come here) puffs out. The others lookround to me, they joke and tease, Okadasan com- ments ““Who does he want to show you to now?” I stop the wheel, cover the cups “Chrischan oide nasai” spurts out again. I swear energetically in Japa- nese. Everybody laughs. Legs still numb, rag-doll Chris stumbles down to the shop. Uedasama is perched cress-legged on his cushion in front of his altar-like tea making kit; the kettle hangs over the charcoal like bait on a hook. He pours little cups of caffeine-loaded green tea, passing them to his unsuspecting guest. Obviously little has been said, as when I arrive both Uedasama and the two Gaijins start talking to me at once. I translate after a little confusion; they think I’m American and ask me what state I come from. “Which state is New Zealand in? one asks. The tea drunk, I suggest in English to show them round, then to Ueda in Japanese I say “They want to see around.” Being an interpreter has it’s advantages sometimes. The tour begins at the 100 year old kiln. It’s a climbing kiln or Nobo- rigama with eleven chambers. It takes 10 days to fire with wood. It gets fired every forty days and costs $7,500 per firing. But one teabowl can sell for $3,000 if it’s good. The kiln can hold 7000 bucket-sized pots. This rap is well practised as is the rest of the tour, which includes the electrickiln room, gas kiln, jiggerroom and more. They show me slides of “their” work in the States and by then it’s lunch time. Some rice, miso soup, fish and tea later. I sunbathe the rest of the hour. The afternoon is routine, with a break at three. Work finishes at seven; there isno official finishing time, but we finish when Okadasan does, and not before. Tonight I will eat at the local eatery, then relax in the public bath or sento as it is called. Then back to my little studio space to complete my sculpture or “object” (as it is fondly named by others around me). Thewriter of this passage is from New Zealand and spent8 yearsstudy- ing ceramics and Japanese in Japan. . by CHRIS CAREY oyouwanttotravel: dreams ofexoti places, Renaissance palntings, or machos in Aus. Great, but traveling is not for everybody. ‘That doesn’t stop ‘youfrom going, bt maybe your best {riend, who you were counting on, {sn’t very interested. So just go. OF course, it's not that easy, and some preparation is necessary... lke ‘money. How much do youneed? Well yyouarenevergoingtohave enough, 50 ‘set atime period where you kill your self making as much as you can, then stop. Collect your holiday pay and go. While you are working buy all those things you will need, lke air tickets, visas, eameras, ete. Tk won't Thur then. And don’t hang. around Tonger than you have to alter you stop work — those pre-travel jters bite ‘many a soul. Is it dangerous to travel alone, especially for women? T met many single women who had leamed 10 handle themselvesinany simation. For instance, if you have touble while aap JUST GO! hitchhiking, stick your fingers down your throat andthe driver won'ttouble ‘youagain—nothing worsethansome- ‘one puking over the upholstery. "Thats just on of many ideas you ‘willpick upfromall those other fellow travellers out there, Its a kind of fratemity. I'm sil writing to people ‘met 14 years ago on the road ‘Travel books have their uses, but ‘use them as back-up, don't be depen danton them. The best information is ‘romthat person siting oppositeyouin theyouth hostel orhotel Canyou trust them? It's strange, but you develop nother sense while you are mocking sround the world —thatis, youhave"s feeling,” and so far it's been kind to ‘me, Usually word spreads prety damn quick if there isa bad egg onthe way. A sign in # hotel in Bangkok rea: “Don't take the red truck taxi licence roll! This guy will ip you off! (on Koh Samui Island)” arrived onthe island, and from the bostload of tour isvrvellers not one person took tht ‘Try to get off the beaten track, anywhere, even in Europe. Low it hard to tell your friends you didn't smake New Delhi, but they don't care anyway. It's your trp, ‘Once you are home don't be sur- prised if nobody wants to see your slides. Returning home is the most difficult pa of travelling. Again it's your trp and no matter how hard you ‘ry you won't “share” the experince. ‘There is such a thing as culture shock, not so much out there as back here. If your trip is for a year or some- thing, don’t be too committed to that. Youneverknow what mighthappen, it ‘maybe shorter orlonger. Frinstance, eft New Zealand for 1 yearin 1975. One of my friends left forthe same time and was back in 5 months with hepatitis, ‘Travel light. There's nothing fun- ser than huge frame packs tying 12 ‘board a crowded bus anywhere in the ‘world. IeftNZ. with my neighbour hood eamping shop strung on to my frame pack, and slowly whitled it all down with a Swiss army knife to a carry bag. Know something about the place ‘you ae tavelling to, especially some local customs. For example, walking through a Japanese house with your shoes onis «no-no, T take cotton and needles (lots of) when visting poorer nations — after all it’s asmallbutimportant giftto the Ihouschold that often feeds you. Don’t forget! water can kill. Io- ine in the water helps — afew drops turns water into wine. Sickness is another hassle. But before you jumpon aplane home atthe embassy's expense, se what's avail- able inthe way of medical help. I's «quite an experience having your wis- dom tooth pulled in the main street of Kathmandu; it's your big chance to sarin abit of set thea. So, this could go on forever — advice advice advice — but the most important advice I ean give to anyone is: smile, No matter how angry you want to get, Keep that smile on your face. Happy travels A DAY IN THE LIFE AT $0 T0 EN vowsoe € A POTTERY IN JAPA Psst, No more sleep, fighting, yen signs Mashing sense of responsibilty rolls me from the futon to my work.