In Okinawa w/ Miyavi - Dinner Party

7:15am - Hotel Ahoy!

Southern Beach Hotel & Resort

We made our way to the hotel. The tour guide gave us a running description of the surrounding area, only a little of which I was able to catch. Apparently there was some bragging over Okinawa's being the first to have an A&W Restaurant... with American sizes! She challenged everyone to try root beer, which I was horrified to discover was a total unknown, even to Rosie.

At the hotel, Rosie and I were, as predicted, roomed together. The room was nice and overlooked the shipping harbor on one side of our little hotel peninsula. Still with hours to go before the night's event, we decided to go check out the beach. We fetched Uchiko from her single room and went exploring. I was a little surprised at what we found. I guess I had been expecting a long, wide, sweeping beach like those found in Florida... instead, there was a small beach created behind the cover of a rocky alcove. Still, it was very cute and would have been sufficient for a nice swim... except both the beach and the park next to it had been completely over taken by a soccer camp, and small boys covered ever inch like ants. Still, there was enough room on the sidewalk to take a stroll and admire the incredibly blue water.

6:30pm - Dinner and a Show

That night the dinner part began. Unable to wait, everyone was hovering about the entrance to the ballroom, eager to catch our first glimpse of Miyavi. While Rosie and I stood waiting, an older woman came over with her daughter, who was about 13. For some reason, I had an absolutely impossible time understanding either of them, though Rosie was able to catch more than I did. Completely oblivious to my uncomprehending stare, they did not attempt to slow or modify their speech for my benefit and I was left feeling quite stupid. I avoided them after that.

They started letting us into the dinner just as we were all biting at the bit. First they checked our name off a list, then sent us to another table, where we had to pick an assigned seat number randomly out of a blind box. Then there was another blind box filled with white envelopes containing convert tickets for the following day. I nervously picked one and went inside the ballroom to find my seat. It turned out my seat was nearest to the door, facing but farthest away from the stage where Miyavi would be. Counting the tables, I saw that instead of 40 people, there were actually 80 people on our tour! Looking at the people at my own table, I realized I had already met the girls immediately to my right and left. The one to my left was Kato, whom I had first met at Haneda Airport. We exchanged excited greetings. I turned to my right and the girl, whose name I cannot remember, gave me a little finger wave and said hello. She was an extremely odd individual. She had a slow and pouty way of speaking that made her seem both petulant and disturbed, like she might just as soon stab you in the back as give you a hug. I maintained polite conversation with her but remained wary, as one is with any unfamiliar animal.

It wasn't until this girl asked what number I had gotten that I remembered the white envelope with the concert ticket. Opening it, I nearly fell out of chair: I was #2 !!!!!!

Once everyone was settled in their seats, the doors closed, and Miyavi came out on stage from behind a partition. Everyone cheered and clapped with excitement. He looked amazing, dressed in simple black pants, black sports coat, with a black graphic tank underneath showing off the tattoos on his collar bone, as well as his Bluetooth in his ear, and graphic black trucker hat parked on his half-shaved head. From magazine photos I thought his hair was white, but it was actually bleached blond, the "samurai" ponytail that he so hated was hanging from the back of the hat, dangling with strands of black extensions. Only Miyavi can pull off wearing a trucker hat.

After basking for a moment in our adoration, he greeted us and talked for a bit about I don't know what. I occupied myself with admiring him, although, from my seat in the back, I couldn't really tell when he was looking at ME. Right before he was about to go off stage, he said something I didn't hear. Suddenly everyone in the room had turned and was looking at me. Apparently he had spoken directly to me (I found out later it was "Are you a foreigner?") and I hadn't even known. How embarrassing. He switched to English when I didn't reply (for Miyavi's English is very good), and asked "Where are you from?" When I told him 'Texas' (because everyone knows Texas, even if they don't know WHERE in the US it is), he repeated it with awe, then switched back to Japanese: "Is there another [foreigner]?" Rosie's table was right next to the stage, and she raised her hand. He repeated the question, and she replied, "Greece,: which he had a really painfully hard time pronouncing. His curiosity satisfied for the moment, he told everyone to enjoy our meal and then departed back behind the partition.

I must say... the food was actually not very good at all, ha. Composed entirely of meat and fish, with no vegetables, I felt bad for the vegetarian/vegan at our table whom could eat nothing at all. Still, when Miyavi came back on stage and asked us how the meal was, there was really only one answer possible. Joining him on stage was another staffer, who held a blind box full of our previously submitted questionnaires. One at a time Miyavi pulled out 5 or so questionnaires and answered questions from each. Although obviously unintentional, it was weird and irritating that almost every question came from only two tables. As he spoke, he looked around at everyone. Although there were 80 of us and not the promised 40, there were still few enough people that he could look at everyone individually. He noticed a girl at my table, sitting across from me, was watching the stage with a pair of binoculars. The room wasn't THAT big, so he burst out laughing, "What, you think you're at Tokyo Dome?" She blushed furiously and everyone laughed. It was pretty funny. I had been thinking something similar.

Just before Miyavi moved on to the last question, he looked at Rosie:

Miyavi: (Japanese) "Do you understand [what we are talking about]?" (English) "Do you

understand?"
Rosie: (Jap) "Yes, a little."
Miyavi: (Jap) "So you can speak in Japanese?"
Rosie: (Jap) "Yes."
Miyavi turned and looked back in my direction:
Miyavi: (Jap) "And you?"
Me: *holds up two fingers close together to indicate a small amount*
Miyavi: (Jap) "Ah, a little. Maybe someone at your table will explain for you."
To my left, Kato's hand shot in the air, eager to be acknowledged, but he only nodded.

The box with the questions disappeared and another box took its place, along with a large shopping bag. Present Time! I won’t regale you with exact details, but suffice it to say that a few very lucky people were randomly selected to receive items that had either been owned or worn by Miyavi at some point, including two crazy suits that must have been used in photo shoots, a black leather briefcase (complete with tear from where his wallet chain got caught on it), a couple cool t-shirts, and a Le Sportsac carry-on-sized bag. Once again, it was the same two tables that somehow got selected for almost every gift, including people that had had their questions answered. Supremely annoying. Even Miyavi remarked on it.

After all the presents were distributed to their delirious recipients, we took a brief break. I scurried over to Rosie's table to compare notes. She explained some things I had missed. Sitting so much closer to the stage, she said Miyavi had some frightening expressions! I didn't know what that meant, but it was pretty funny. Must be all that eyeliner he wears.

Moments later, Miyavi returned with a trio of staffers, setting up for a mini acoustic live. I had not expected this and was instantly elated. As he was tuning up and testing out some chords, he looked up in my direction:

Miyavi: (Jap) "Is that good?"
Me: [thinking: "Is he talking to me?"] *gives him a thumbs up*
Miyavi: [apparently unsatisfied] (Eng) "Is that good?"
Me: "Very good!"
Miyavi: (Jap) "So, are you living here?"
Me: "In Gunma!"
Miyavi: "Gunma?!"

He said it was such surprise I thought I had mispronounced it or misunderstood. The room in general seemed amused by this response, though I am not sure why even now...

Just to be sure, I decided to clarify:
Me: (Jap) "I'm an English teacher!"
Miyavi: (Jap) "An English teacher?!" He repeated among the general awe.
Miyavi: (Eng) "So, you're and English teacher, eh?" He turned to the room at large and waved

to indicate everyone sitting in the rest of the room, (Jap) "You Co-Miyavi-chan's

need to go learn English from her!"
Everyone laughed. My heart about exploded from my chest.

He strummed a few more out on his guitar, then turned to Rosie;
Miyavi: (Jap) "Why are you in Japan?"
Rosie: "Just visiting."

I couldn't hear this exchange from the back so later when she told me this is what she said, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe she would miss the chance to have a conversation with him. I asked her, "Why didn't you tell him the truth?! You came here to see HIM!" He would have loved to hear that. But, she said that he made her nervous; his un-diverted attention was too intimating. I could certainly sympathize with that. I discovered myself how intense he was up close at the concert last December.

The mini-live was really really good. I could have happily sat there for the rest of the nice and watching and listening to him play. I looove~ acoustic guitar, and he is especially good at it.

He played three songs:
1. Senior Senior Senorita
2. [New Song]
3. Ashita, Tenki Ni Naare.

After the acoustic live, there was a break followed by the "2 shot", a.k.a. a one-on-one photo shoot with The Man himself. When it was my turn to take the photo, I walked into the cubicle and he gave me the most satisfying looking of recognition, I doubt I will ever forget it. There were two things I noticed this first time standing in front of him on equal footing: he was really tall(!!) and had really straight, white teeth (not exactly standard among Japanese, I've noticed...). I was a total geek of course and told him, "You're my hero," which was super EXTRA awkward because there was no time for him to respond before we immediately took the picture. Sufficient recovered, he then turned to me and said his standard line in English, "Thank you so much. I hope you have fun tomorrow [at the live]," and shook my hand.

I bounced away laughing gleefully.
...
Okay, maybe not, but that's why I did on the inside. From the amused expression of the staffer near the exit, I think it was somewhat obvious.