William and Kate, the Royal Wedding

If you have not yet received an invitation for the nuptial service,  chances are that you are not one of the 1,900 some selected UK and world dignitaries, senior politicians or celebrities who will be attending this century’s most pompous wedding ceremony.  On April 29, 2011 the Royal couple Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton will say “I do”; witnessed by the privileged guests and observed by millions of TV spectators around the world.    
Countless royal subjects and fans of the crown have joined a lively countdown for this magical fairytale story. Heartfelt outburst of admiration erupt as if temporarily isolating them from the hardships of natural calamities, nuclear meltdowns, wars, and horrendous human rights violations that plague our planet and that affects us all. 
For sure this wedding is generating a downpour of criticism and even demonstrations that potentially threaten to break the magic spell.  Not only due the exorbitant cost of the festivities that will inevitably be passed down to the hard working Britons, but because it is out of sync with the asphyxiating misery experienced by billions of unprivileged people worldwide… a shattered humanity suppressed by bitter conflicting realities suffers as the fortunate graceful couple unfold their love story on the way to an altar.  

To make sure that the world tunes for the event the city of London is preparing for an onslaught of 8,000 journalists heavily equipped with cameras, microphones and far reaching antennas. They are all competing for a strategic locations on top of buildings and view sites between the Buckingham Palace and the Westminster Abbey . They have promised to bring to the world the most spectacular television event in history and the masses expect nothing but the best.  A media frenzy that will start with royal wedding procession across the most memorable and picturesque surroundings in London will climax with the wedding itself.
  
As a conscientious observer of the occasion, I wish that when the excitement subsides and reality takes its reign, the wedding and the subsequent story of their glamorous lives does not downgrade itself into a forgotten footnote of contemporary history.  The philanthropic legacies left by Princess Diana should inspire this couple to return with deeds for those who suffer; and preserve the confidence we place on them through our encouragement and continuous support.  Cheers to William and Kate! 
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Note: The official Google blog has spectacular 3D images of London's landscape of the procession from the palace to the abbey. It is worth a visit. The video clip below features there as well. 

Geishas of the Yorikoh

The Geisha -
A Film by Hideo Gosha; a winner of  9 Japanese academy awards.  
Released: 1983 -  based on a novel by Tomiko Miyao - the script by Kôji Takada.
The story takes place at the beginning of the Showa era (1925) in Tosa, Koichi prefecture; where there is a palace of sensual and beautiful woman: the Yorikoh.  The story centers around Momokawa who was sold to the Yorikoh at the age of 12 by her father - there she starts her journey to a place in hell where hundreds just like her, struggle to bloom behind the glamorous veneer of their polished ways, but inevitable bend to wilt in the heat of their passionate lives...
Hideo Gosha portrays the Geishas of the Yorikoh very unlike many historians who depict them as living work of art: the image of the perfect woman, the embodiment of Japanese culture and refinement.  On Gosha's film they drink and dance burlesque western rhythms; and to the dismay of many purist have sex with their clients.
Geishas have generally not been prostitutes. Part of their allure has been the suggestion not the reality of sex. However, on occasion, if the mood, the man and the money were right, they sold their bodies or served as mistresses to wealthy men who took care of them, but they are not supposed to utter one word about it.  Follow this link if you wish to learn more about geishas.