post it!

postit
Originally uploaded by elisabeth montgomery.

i started my day this morning with a moment lost in translation. stepping out of my room i see a stranger, a japanese girl whom i later learnt had slept over in my housemate's room.

"akiha!" she announced her name as i shook her hand and before i could introduce myself, she went on "yes i akiha, you akira" i did not know what to reply at that moment, being just out of bed.

i asked if she would like some coffee and then i went into the kitchen to make us some. we sat on the tatami (how appropriate this household item came to be) and chatted over coffee. akiha pointed to the post it pad on the coffee table again saying "akira!" it was my name she was refering to. apparently that turned out to be my name translated to japanese.

"you mean like kurosawa?" i chuckled, amused that i share first name with the famous film maker. PAWS decided to show up and she got introduced on the post it pad too.

kinokuniya, seiyu, takashimaya, murakami all were involved in my efforts to make akiha feel more at home. she has come to singapore all alone to stage an exhibition with a singaporean girl this wednesday.

i know i won't leave home for japan without any post its.


akiha comes from a family of creatives. dad is a graphic designer, mum a copy writer, eldest brother is a painter and second brother a photographer. she is still training to be a printmaker and she lives with her family in tokyo, japan.