Yesterday was my first Friday Hyper in Sangubashi. It was really nice to be able to leave a whole hour later than usual. Unfortunately I think that was the last one there for a while, and the next bunch are all at Yokohama. I kept wondering if I would run into someone on the way there, but as always, I didn’t. Maybe eventually I will stop expecting to.
When I went in the bathroom to change, I did run into Tomoko-san though, who I hadn’t seen since I got back, and we said hello.
After Pop Class was over, we all filed into the lesson room. I said ‘Ohayou Gozaimasu!’, and Anna-san cheerfully replied ‘Ossu!!’
Atsushi was there, but not Yuuta, which made me sad, because I couldn’t see any slashy things today, but I immediately reproached myself for thinking that. LOL
The exercises, were led, to my dismay, by Namio and Atsushi, Anna-san having disappeared somewhere. This was the first exercises that I actually watched myself in the mirror; usually I’m watching Anna-san. It was kind of interesting.
After we finished exercises, Namio muddled over what to do, and finally copped out with a ‘Uh! Let’s do a Beat! Ok!’, but Anna-san returned before he could put the music on, and when he said they were going to do Beat, she shook her head and said ‘No, choreography.’, and said that we would do ‘Yagyuden’ (or whatever it’s called – the cool oriental one). We’re really into Live lessons now, and this new dance is pretty complicated, so I guess she thinks we need all the time we can get to practice.
So she explained the basics of the dance, and then split the time between teaching us and the first group with Namio and Atsushi. (I think anyway). At one point Anna-san was dancing to the music, seeming to figure out herself how the steps went, and she looked so cool! Especially at one part when she looked up after bending over, her hair all in her face, and a satisfied, happy, breathless expression on her face, that satisfied expression when you get a dance right, and your smile shows only in your eyes, because your mouth is concentrating on the steps.
So we practiced and practiced, and it’s was a lot of fun. We got our official positions for the dance. Namio was looking avidly over her shoulder so Anna-san gave him the names to read off. But he couldn’t read her writing, and said weird misread names, so she took it from him laughing (‘Kore ha tanbo no ‘ta’ desho? – This is the ta from tanbo!) and read them herself. I was a bit sad because Odagawa-kun is in the other group now, and it was fun to dance near him. I am in the very last (5th) row, with Tomo-chan, who is Emi-chan’s friend, and also very nice.
At one point, Namio and Anna-san were watching us practice our part of the beginning, and Anna-san said, ‘Ooh, A-chan, kakkoii!!’, and praised my posing as cool. Namio echoed enviously that I had such long arms and legs, and Anna-san said that the person next to me would have to be careful or they get smacked in the face. I demurred modestly, and it took me a moment to realize that Anna-san had said I look cool, and complimented me, after which I was very happy.
Anna-san showed us some of the finer points of the dance again, and advised us to just to make an expression like a cheetah, ready to pounce. I laughed a bit at that, but I think everyone else took it seriously.
At one part Anna-san was working out the other groups next group part, which apparently is difficult, even for her (even though she choreographed all our dances), and she messed up half-way through, and although she finished, she stuck out her tongue and made comical faces, and we all laughed and a few of us clapped.
Then she taught us our next group part, which is really hard, and involved getting on the ground and holding yourself up by one hand and kicking your legs out and hold up most of your weight with one hand and your knee, and flipping over etc, and so Emi-chan and I just stood and watched in trepidation as the rest of our group copied Anna-san, who then looked up at us, and told us in a half sharp, half imploring voice to ‘Dance you two!’. So we did. It’s very hard, and made my knees and legs hurt, but Emi-chan and I practiced quite a bit. The next part of the dance is even faster. But it’s all so cool that it’s really worth it.
Even after we realized it was time to go, Anna-san had us run through the dance one more time. Then we all bowed and said ‘Arigatou Gozaimashita!’. Anna-san apologized to us, saying that she had never expected the dance to be this complicated, but that we had 5 months to go, and she hadn’t made any choregraphy that was impossible to do. She laughed, and begged us all not to forget the dance, because she was sure she would forget parts of it.
I went up after, and told her my tape she had taped of the music didn’t work, and asked if she would also tape the Yaguu song, and after not being able to hear me right over the music, she agreed, and said she’d tape them for me.
During class there was a tiny Pop kid there with a parent, who was crying until Namio came and picked him up and played with him and it was so adorable. At the end of the lesson the little kid and Namio and Anna-san were dancing together and Anna-san looked so carefree and happy it was so cute.
I chatted with Tomo-chan, and Emi-chan on the way out, and then a bunch of us women changed in the shower room of the bathroom. There was a weird moment when I was in just my pants and my bra, and Anna-san came in and began to change, so we were both in just our bras at the same time, and it was such a weird thing to think of.
Anna-san’s okaasan came by to give me a sign up paper for the 2nd concert, which I told, but told her as things stand now, baring a miracle, I won’t be here for the concert, to which she said ‘mottainai!’, and I emphatically agreed.
I went home on the train (to Shinjuku anyway) with Tomo-chan, Tomoko-san, and…Namio! It was so weird to be with Namio in a non-lesson situation. He was a lot the same, I guess, he made random funny comments, and talked about how he went home and drunk beer alone and got drunk and watched comedy shows, and then got lonely, and how the puppies in the commercial I said were cute looked like potatos. LOL There was a weird moment where I tried to outstare him, but then realized that you can’t really do that with guys, because they think you like them or something, and so I switched to Tomo-chan, who just laughed and made faces, and I felt better. LOL

 
Today was my first lesson at the Olympic Center since we had our live there. I had thought that maybe I'd run into someone from class on the way over, but I didn't. In fact, I didn't see anyone at first, till I caught sight of Emi-chan talking to some of the Pop class kids and parents. After I changed, Emi-chan showed me to the room where we were having our lesson today, where several people were already sitting down and/or doing stretches.
No soon had I stepped into the room then Anna-san let out a bright cry of 'A-chan!! Ohayou!', so pleased and cheerful that if she hadn't said my name I would have doubted it was for me. So it made me happy.
I went and put my stuff down, and then sat next to Sachiko-san and Yayoi-san and made a half-assed attempt as streching while I talked to them. Sachiko came over and clasped my hands and we did the hand shaking thing for a little, saying 'Hisashiburi!!!' She said she is going to S.F and New Orleans next month, and when I said I'd been there, she asked for info on hotels, so I said I'd get her the info from the hotel we'd stayed in.
Anna-san was sitting on her heels next to Namio, in the front of the room. She looked a little out of place, because she was wearing a khaki jacket of over her lesson clothes.
We all talked and streched until Anna-san finally said, 'Oh! It's time to start!'
So we all stood up, and did exersises. Anna-san removed her jacket, revealing a tight black workout shirt, which exposed a her belly and her belly button. I knew that this must be the infamous 'heso-dashi style' (midriff style) that the Pop Mother's had been oowing and ahhing over on the BBS. So I spent most of the stretches watching Anna-san, particularly her belly, and the gentle slope of her hips. Amazing how happy that little strip of flesh made me. I guess it's that old addage that says more is less. I mean, the more that's usually covered up, the more erotic the most mundane part of the body becomes when it is exposed. For example, the ankles of Victorian times, or the nape of the neck in old Japan. But of course, we mustn't forget, as I'm sure some of you all know if you've heard me talk about Li-chan...I have a bit of a belly fetish. So, anyway, I was very pleased. I wonder if anyone will believe me if I beg the pureness of my thoughts during this class....? Probably not, and I'm not even sure if I can vouch for them myself today, frankly. I will just say that they were not 'dirty' per se. There has to be a middle ground between 'pure' and 'dirty'.
Anyway, another thing I noticed during exercixes is once again how thin Anna-san has become. I assume though that it's from exercise and whatnot, because the lose of weight seems to be concentrated in her waist. Also, may I add that she has an even more amazing figure like this, because it makes her breasts look bigger. Hmm...I feel a bit of remorse. Maybe I shouldn't be talking about Anna-san's breasts. Even though it is in a purely artistic sense, I feel a bit out of bounds. So, moving on....
Anna-san, announced that we would do 'Yakkyu something or other', which turned out to be the second dance for the Live, which she said had a lot of details and things that had to be together, because we are split into 4...no 5.... no, I'm sorry 4! groups. First she let us listen to the music. The music is quite amazing. It starts of in a kind of chinese circus kind of way, and then goes into a lot of energetic guitar riffs and drums and the like, which Namio did air guitar too, making us laugh. It is a very very good song for getting people in the fighting spirit so to say.
So she taught us the beginning, and then called over to Namio. He turned around, as she walked over to him, and we all waited expectantly, but she was silent. Then after a long pause she spoke, and we all laughed. She delegated Namio to teach us it more thoroughly while she taught the first group (made up of Yayoi-san, Akiko-san and Sachiko-san, I think) their dance. I was jealous that they got to learn from her LOL. Namio did his own job of teaching us LOL, and Odagawa-kun helped me with the details, during which I remembered he is an instructor for the Pop classes now.
Then Anna-san came over and made sure that we had it. Then she split us into groups and we practiced.
At one point, Emi-chan and I caught eachother's eyes and made faces as we waited for our cues. I always forget, but I really like Emi-chan, she's really nice, and definatelt has an Actor's feel to her personality.
At one point Anna-san went through the whole dance we had learned for us, and it was amazing, It was just so cool... She is so amazing. The energy, the sharpness of her dance is amazing, so clean. She is so beautiful to watch. I think she may be my ideal, as far as dancing goes. She is so. GOOD. I wish you could all see her.
I can't stress enough how much I love to watch her, even for example,when she was just dancing free style to feel in the instrumental bit before we began the steps. So anyway, the dance and the song are both so...cool, so watching her was amazing. But I think my fangirlish/ loving adoration showed, because after seen was done, Anna-san looked at me and said, laughing 'A-chan, daijoubu? Nanka fuaaa tte natteru yo. -------shiteru hito mitai.' ('A-chan, are you ok? You're spacing out dreamily. (Here she did an impression, and said something I didn't quite catch about being like a person who something something). All I could do was sputter 'Iya, sugoi naa tte' (No, was just thinking how amazing it was), without being able to explain myself further. LOL
At one part during the dance, I was struggling a bit, and Anna-san caught my eye and smiled encouragingly. 'Daijoubu?' I said 'hai' but made a 'not really' expression, and she chuckled kindly, and went through the steps a bit slower for all of us.
For me, this dance had many amusing parts. The beginning steps reminded me of the Sailormoon transformation sequence, putting our hands up crossed over our heads, and being them down over our faces and pushing out. I laughed about it to myself, and no one noticed.
Then Namio, after much half-scolding encouragement from Anna-san ('Namio, you're thinking of the poses, aren't you?' little glare) ('Oshiete-koi!' Get out there and teach!), made up and taught us poses for the next part of the dance. You see, in the song there is a part with a bunch of grunting 'uh! oh! ha!' kind of noises, (or as Anna-san said, 'Ooh! Ha! Eei!! Ok, so maybe they don't say 'Ei!'), which Namio had to make up poses to go with. One of them was putting your hand out like 'No!/ Stop!' in front of you, and it remined me of the Supremes 'Stop in the Name of Love' dance, so I laughed about it alot, and tried to explain it to Odagawa-kun and Uchida-san who werein my group, but none of them knew the song, so they didn't get it really.But they got the next thing that cracked me up, which is that the last pose goes with a yell sound, which sounds like 'Gets!' (A phrase/pose that is popular in Japan now). This, a lot of people got, and we laughed. In fact, I laughed about it so much that Anna-san looked over at us and asked if we were ok. Odagawa-kun explained that we had thought of something funny in the song. I felt kind of bad though, because I didn't want Anna-san to think we were excluding her or anything, because I feel like she's sensitive to that, but maybe that's just me projecting. So anyway, Anna-san explained that the dance is not about bouncing around but about sharpness and ikioi. (Um..energy?), and demonstrated a bit for us. Did I mention Anna-san and this dance is just so cool I could die?
At one point she and Namio were making karate-like movements (chops, etc, Anna-san did a high kick. Rememebr everyone that she has a black belt in karate), and making faces, and grunting with and laughing. Althoguh I have to say, Namio's faces were more stern and scary (being a former professional(?) boxer), and Anna-san's ( being a former idol? ;) ) stern faces melted until all she was doing was smiling this big enthusiastic smile, because they seemed to be having a lot of fun. They were very cute.
Then we did Miami, which was an utter failure, at least for me. I had NO CLUE what I was doing. *sigh*
Odagawa-kun did mention hearing about being a drag queen in the dance, and I begged him to do it, and he said he would. LOL
When Anna-san was handing out the Miami cassettes they'd taped for people who ordered them (she said my name first. hee hee), I asked her if she had heard our plan for the dance. She said she hadn't, so I told her that we had thought that Odagawa-kun should cross dress for it. She laughed and said 'Got it. Ok, I'll ask him about it.'
I changed with Yayoi-san and Sachiko-san (or was it Nori-chan?) in the handicapped bathroom. Akiko-san said HIsashirburi and asked if I wanted to walk to the station with her. Everyone complimented me on my shirt (today I was wearing my white off the shoulder lacey princess shirt), saying I looked like a doll, and how white and clear (sukitooru) my skin was, and I told them I was really tan, and Uchida-san commented on how my shoulders were red. I was waiting (not very discreetly) for Anna-san to come out, because I wanted her to compliment me too, but when she finally came out (hair down, wearing jeans and a tight white longsleeve shirt wirh many greeen marijuana leaves (I should have asked her if she knew what they were! Darn!) on it, she was absorbed in talking to the otoosan of one of the little girls, who apparently was giving them all a ride, and she didn't say anything, which disapointed me, because I didn't care so much for anyone elses compliments. I had only really wanted hers.