Maiko with the traditional nihongami hairstyle and dangling kanzashi. A Maiko is an apprentice geisha in western Japan, especially Kyoto. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the shamisen (three-stringed Japanese instrument) for visitors during feasts. Maiko are usually aged 15 to 20 years old and become geisha after learning how to dance (a kind of Japanese traditional dance), play the shamisen, and learning Ky?-kotoba (dialect of Kyoto), regardless of their origins.
As days pass by, I realized how creativity is a unique skill. Something that can be nurtured and taken care of, in the same way, we take care of plants and friends.
This reminds me of how all the activities that we develop have an impact on the environment, whether direct or indirect. For example, we generate CO2 directly when we move in our vehicle or on public transportation, and indirectly through the manufacture of these vehicles, the mobilization and the manufacture of the fuel. Our The Adventures of Pili “Tree Planting Campaign” is still alive. You are now able to plant trees around the world for the sake of future generations with a simple click. You can place your orders now, and we will continue with the tree plantings as soon as we all regain a sense of normality.
Today I want to bring you to Japan. The Japanese name for Japan is “Nihon” or “Nippon” which means “sun origin”. It is made up of 6,852 islands. Its highest point is Mount Fuji, which stands at 3,776m (12,388ft). And you may wonder, why Japan? Simple: Today we finished our first bilingual children book in Japanese. It will be The Adventures of Pili in New York, in both English and Japanese. If you know any Japanese families, this may be the perfect gift. It is now available on Amazon and other usual selling points such as on Barnes&Noble website.
Creating a book in a language you don’t speak is quite challenging. To make you smile, picture this: I write the books in Spanish, which then I convert into English. My designer does not speak English. English version goes to Japan to be translated and comes back to me. I need to redirect instructions to my designer, and I then need to bridge the language barrier, between a Japanese translator giving directions in English, and him. Once all have been placed in position, it has to return to Japan, and the process starts over again.
This is how the back cover will read in Japanese: 読者はPiliと手に手を取って、彼女の父親(ナショナルジオグラフィックイメージコレクションの写真家、Kike Calvo)と一緒に旅行する少女の冒険を発見します。この鮮やかな挿絵のついた本で、小さな冒険家のPiliはニューヨーク市からコロンビアの熱帯雨林まで、彼女の夢を追い続けます。「小さな冒険家、大きな世界」シリーズの中心的メッセージは環境保全と持続可能性です。この本は文化の多様性と権限付与、グローバル化への準備、起業家精神、気候変動に取り組んでいます。
I hope you enjoy today´s post. It is fantastic to read your feedback every time I sent out a missive. So fulfilling, and so inspirational.
