ERASURE LIVE at Royal Albert Hall

This was one of the most important events for me this year – the first ever chance to see Erasure’s full concert and first time to visit Royal Albert Hall!

Erasure ‘Light at the End of the World Tour 2007’
Date: 25 Sep 2007
Venue: Royal Albert hall, London
Support: one two

Since I was fascinated with their song ‘A Little Respect’ in 1988, I have been a huge fan of them. However, after missing their concert in Tokyo in 1989, I had never had a chance to see them until I came to London. Luckily, I’ve finally managed to see them at their acoustic live last year. The show was fantastic and I was so happy. But to be honest, I wasn’t a hundred per cent convinced as it wasn’t a normal live. So, then, the time has come!


Another special feature was the venue. Royal Albert Hall is not a highly acclaimed architecture but I quite like its appearance, probably because I’ve come across it on the very first day of my visit to London in 1993. I sometimes happen to see some classic concerts at the hall on TV, and every time I was dreaming of going there.

The show was very simple. The most interesting aspect of the concert was the band… Basically, there was no band but a small computer set. All the music was played by Vince with a Mac Book, a little keyboard or something and a little bit of guitar. The singer Andy loves karaoke, and in a way the concert was rather like a karaoke show. I thought it was rather honest as they are an electric pop band.

I enjoyed singing too, to their hit tunes mostly from 80’s and 90’s. As I used to sing them at home or in my car so many times, I remember most of the lyrics. I believe there’s no other Japanese who can sing Erasure songs like me!

When they started playing A Little Respect, I couldn’t help crying! I’ve realised this song is really very special. Of course, everyone was singing!! If you haven’t heard of it, you’ve gotta listen to it!!

'did you have a good time?'

As I wrote in the last topic, the stay in Japan was wonderful. As I’ve totally adapted the life in Japan, while I was there my life in London seemed even like a dream. So I was a bit worried that it might be difficult to re-adapt this life and the environment in the office in London, and about the use of English as well.

However, there was nothing difficult. I was a bit nervous when I returned to the office, but after having some chat with my colleagues I could easily settle down.

I rather felt very comfortable to be there again, because many people warmly welcomed me. This is just a general custom but everybody asked me about my holiday. Particularly, I was glad that LR welcomed me kindly with many smile. I’ve realised that this kind of people’s attitude is one of the good things in Europe. I think this was also one of the factors which made me interested in British and European culture long time ago.

I brought some sweets from Japan to the office. This is also a common thing in the office, which is almost the same as Japanese. But the different thing is the way people appreciate it. As soon as I opened my sweets called Yatsuhash, made in Kyoto, many people gathered around and curiously looked at them. Even the graphic on the box has amazed them. Yes, this is exactly what I expected! Finally, TQ asked me if he could bring one home for his girlfriend with the box. I was very happy as everybody enjoyed it.

summer holiday 2007 in japan

Yesterday, I’ve just come back to London from two weeks holiday in Japan. Yes, I had a great time! I was too busy for meeting friends and I didn’t even have time to write from Japan…

Thank you everyone, who came to meet me during my stay. I’ve met thirty people in total, but I couldn’t meet everyone I wanted to meet. The stay seemed like a month as I met different people almost everyday, but it was still too short! Sorry to those who I missed. Let’s make it next time, definitely!

two years

Yesterday, two years have passed since I moved to London. When I descended upon here, I never imagined I would still be here now. I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to complete the university course. So, now I’m very happy about the fact that I am working here and somehow feeding myself.

But I’m not satisfied with what I’m doing now. This is not just an unusual experience in my life, but it’s meant to be a very important part of my career. I need to do what I should do now and what I can do now. Lately, I’m thinking that that’s actually not my own fault, but it’s just because of the current situation which I am in. It seems that I need to have a fairly clever think in order to change something.

I always think I am lucky. I should say I was lucky that I’ve got a chance to come to London, probably at the right time! There were also many good lucks happened before, which are now helping me live and work in London. Just before I left Japan for London, a friend of mine said to me that I am actually not lucky but I am just able to make good lucks happen. Since then, I sometimes think that the important thing is to believe. If you do not stop believing, something will happen. So, I would never stop believing that the time will come some day!

we will rock you must go on

I went to see We Will Rock You a while ago. It was the second time after I saw it five years ago when I went to London for holidays quite soon after its launch. I’ve been planning to go again since I moved to London as I thought it’s worth seeing twice.

I remember the first time, it was not just a musical but a concert as well. It was absolutely magnificent. Although I couldn’t follow the language very well, I could enjoy it so much. Unfortunately, this time I was very stressed from my work as it was in fact the day before a deadline and I was a bit too tired to enjoy the show. Even so, when the band started playing some of Queen anthems like Killer Queen and Somebody to Love, suddenly my eyes became watery.

I started remembering about last time I was in this theatre. At that time, each song made me emotional and I kept crying almost throughout the show. I didn’t have a clear idea of what made me so. Probably, it was because the band was fantastic and was as if the real Queen members were playing. Even this time some songs made me so and I’ve realised how Queen’s music is special. There’s nothing like it.

The show itself was of course fantastic. It is such an enjoyable musical. In the story, Freddie Mercury is very much praised as a legendary rock star, and the audience clap and cheer for it. Literally, this ‘ritual’ is happening every day for more than five years. Also, the cast have been doing the same thing. This is incredible!

'GORE let it out'

It seams I’ve written about quite serious matters lately, so today I’m gonna write something about British English.

But, what is British English? Is it the so-called Queen’s English or is it like David Beckham’s speaking? It seems there’s no definition. An English teacher has said, there is no ‘typical language’ in English. After living in the UK for nearly two years, I’m realising gradually that there are several different ways even only in terms of pronunciation.

I’m getting able to have some idea of from where a person comes from her or his speaking. Now I can somehow recognise cockney accent and also sort of northern accent.

Recently, I’m quite interested in the northern accent. One of the reasons is the TV drama Life on Mars, which I’ve reviewed on this blog before. The story was based in Manchester and the people’s speaking was very difficult. For example, the “o” sound is more like “or” i.e. “hole” is similar to “hall’. If you listen to some Oasis songs carefully you will notice it. When Liam sings ‘Go Let It Out’, the “go” sound is like “gore” (does it make sense?).

As I still sometimes get confused with “o” and “or” sound, this was an interesting discovery. I’ve listened to many northern English bands like Oasis and the Verve, so this may be why the “o” sound still confuses me.
In other words, it doesn’t really matter even if I confuse with “o” and “oh” sound, as most of the people will understand anyway.

This is just one example of the many aspects of the diversity in British English that I’ve noticed. I would like to keep on talking about it sometimes.

unfinished monkey business

For the past few weeks, I’ve been so busy with deadlines on every Friday. I’m so stressed. I’m now again suffering from the ‘holiday escape’!

Today, I was told by the boss like this.

“We are not monkeys so you need to say something when you have any doubt before you draw it.”

I didn’t really care as I of course did so. That’s just essential. That’s the sort of thing that any boss might say.

I’ve actually confirmed with the project architect if he was convinced with that strange idea. He was convinced, and I didn’t take it seriously, because the time was so very short. It was also because I’ve just returned to that project after three months absence and wasn’t too sure about what was going on. We aimed to finish everything by last Friday although the actual deadline is tomorrow, as the project architect were to go for holiday. The fact is, there are still some things left even though we’ve worked until midnight. Furthermore, we are making some changes to the design without the project architect just before the very crucial deadline which will affect the competition result.

To be quite honest, I don’t really wanna be called as monkey. My pride wouldn’t accept it. Never. However, more important thing is the truth that my boss has said such kind of thing to me. I mean, this might represent how he treats me. It’s not a matter of age, but it’s about evaluation.

I believe I’m trying to do my best with motivation and ambition. However, this is probably the truth. It is always difficult to convince the bosses through everyday work. Particularly, it is actually difficult to deal with our boss who is over 70 years old. It is a difficult but essential subject to give good impression to the bosses in order for forwarding my plan.