love

i went to the cinema to watch Memoirs of a Geisha. it is one sad show. a geisha does not feel nor does she want nor love. you do not become a geisha to pursue your destiny. you become one because you have no choice. the story begins with this girl and her sister being taken away, sold to a geisha house (okiya). there they are separated to different okiyas in separate districts (hanamichi). slowly and unwilingly, they work and study to one day pay off their debt and become true geisha, living off their own earnings. this story starts some time after world war 1, some time during the rise of Adolf Hitler.

the thing i dislike about the story is that it really has a lot of backstabbing and bitching ( girls mah). however, without all the emotion and drama this story would not have been a success. geishas are not entertainers nor girlfriends. nor are they wives. they are in between; half wives, wives only to the night. they dance, sing, play music and entertain you. the rest is just shadow.

one of my favourite scenes was the part where mameha and chiyosan were walking down the street. there mameha told chiyosan "a true geisha can stop a man with just one look". chiyosan could not believe this of course so she picked one target for mameha. and as what she said, mameha did stop the guy chosen with just one look. the guy simply stopped in his tracks to look at mameha. now it was chiyosan's turn. mameha picked this guy riding a bicycle. chiyosan got ready and when the guy came past she gave this most alluring look. the guy simply stared at her, and crashed into a cart and roadside stall in front!

there was this part where they were talking about mizuage (a geisha's virginity). did you know that to become a true geisha one has to sell her mizuage? i was like, what?! how they described this was truly funny. "sayuri (chiyosan's geisha name), do you know that sometimes, a men's eel would like to visit a woman's cave once in a while?" sayuri made geisha history when she sold her mizuage to the highest bidder at 15,000 yen - higher than any geisha did.

well, i would liek to tell you more about the story but then i would be a spoiler right? so go watch it yourself and be amazed at this secret world of a geisha.

love you girl...

rock on...