North America Guitar Tour - spin off

Czech 1

July 17-18, 2008

July 17: I don't fly internationally that often, so I always buy economy class. In the past, I've been put in first class or business class twice due to a mistake on the airline's side, but what happens twice happens three times, so I was transferred to business class again on the flight from Kansai Airport to Helsinki. Apparently, a group of people had taken over economy class. Thanks to this, I had a very luxurious flight, and it was so comfortable that I skipped meals and went to sleep.

Speaking of Finland, it is the home of Moomin and Santa Claus, who are familiar in Japan. This time I only stopped there as a stopover, but if I have the chance next time, I would like to travel around Northern Europe as well. I had about two hours until my connecting flight, so I went outside and it was so cool that I shivered in short sleeves. I already felt nostalgic for the scorching hot Kansai Airport I was in about 12 hours earlier.

I had been to the Czech Republic once before three years ago, so I vaguely remembered how to get around the airport, and I was able to get my luggage out smoothly, but the conveyor belt stopped without my guitar and bag. They were lost. I didn't want to worry Ms. I, who was coming to pick me up, so I went outside for the time being. When I told Mr. I about my luggage, he asked at the information counter, told me to write down the destination as it would be there the next day, and gave me something like a small gift. After that, when Ms. I and his father were about to leave the airport, an announcement was made in Czech calling me (although I didn't even hear my name in it). I went back to the information desk as they urged me, and they told me to come in cross the custom. In Japan, once you go out, you can't go back, but they let me in without any problems, and I was able to get my guitar and bag safely. That night, we had a BBQ in Ms. I's garden, and I played for about an hour and a half.

July 18: I woke up at 5am, probably because of jet lag, and checked my email and wrote my diary. Around 7am, Ms. I's mother came in wearing a bathrobe that was a little open. Apparently, it is a daily routine for the family to take a dip in the pool before going to work in the morning, and she invited me to join in. I gently declined, saying that I hadn't brought my swimsuit, and she said that there was no one there and so no swimsuit was needed. I assumed that was the reason, as she was clearly not wearing anything under her open bathrobe, but I had no reason to refuse, so I took her word for it. The water was ice cold, and even though I knew there was no one there, I felt uneasy about swimming without a swimsuit. I left after about 10 minutes and took a shower in the building next to the pool, and the hot water was really appreciated.

For lunch, Ms. I made something like spinach okonomiyaki and gnocchi with cream cheese. When I visited Czech Republic in 2005, I ate out most of the time, and the food was not that great, but I felt like I ate delicious food for the first time in Czech Republic, including the BBQ the night before. On this day, I was staying at the home of Mr. M, who lives in a town called Horni Police, about two hours north of Prague by car. Mr. M is a friend I met in Japan. In the car, I told him how delicious the lunch made by Mr. I was, and he said he would treat me to even more delicious cheese fries that night

There was a large field in front of Mr. M's house, and I could hear the voices of children playing by throwing apples that had fallen from the trees. I went outside and told the children to throw them in the opposite direction from the house, but the children's eyes were clearly directed towards me, who looked different. After a while, a young man who works in the neighborhood as an auto repairman came with his dog, and the three of us started talking while drinking beer and wine. I could clearly tell that he wanted to talk, but he hardly understood English. After that, Ms. S, who I met in Japan, came, and we had delicious cheese fries, and I started playing the guitar. I've known Mr. M for a long time, but perhaps because he had never really heard my play, he repeatedly said "Hiroshi, you're good!" in Japanese, and when I played the theme song from "Otoko wa Tsurai yo," he said "That's what I've been waiting for, I love you," and began singing in strange Japanese.

As the sun went down, it got cold all of a sudden, so Mr. M lit the fireplace. The jet lag that was still lingering and the warmth of the fireplace combined to keep me awake while I played. However, perhaps this situation worked to my advantage, as there were several moments during the performance when the balance between my left and right arms was perfect. All unnecessary tension was released from my entire body. If I keep this feeling in mind, my playing should become more stable. I was fortunate to be able to experience this state at this point, two days before my first live performance in the UK.

*The people mentioned in this article are listed by their initials until their identities can be confirmed.

Spin Off #2 EU Tour in 2008 / Until Departure • Supporter's Area • Czech 2

Contents

Introduction
Until Departure
Seattle
To California
Day Off
Sunnyvale
To La
LA 2 Days
To Tucson
Albuquerque
To Colorado (beginning of Miracle)
Berthoud
Denver
to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City 2 days
To Texas
San Antonio
Georgetown
Dallas
Houston 2 Days
Benton
Nashville (CAAS)
Roswell
Tampa 2 Days
Miami
Orland 2 Days
Myrtle Beach
Chapel Hill 3 Days
Kingsport
To Indiana
Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival
To Staten Island
Manhattan
Phillipsburg
Nazareth (Martin Guitar Factory)
To Massachusetts (end of Miracle)
Methuen
To Montreal
To Buffalo
Meadvill A Day Before
Meadvill Ghost Hotel
Detroit
Chicago
Minneapolice
Spin Off #1
Spin Off #2 "EU Tour IN 2008 / Until Departure
Czech 1
Czech 2
London
Liverpool
Chesham
To Germany
Lemgo
Ingolstadt
Bregenz
To Italy
Florence
The Last Gig
Going Home