Today Miyagawa-cho welcomed Kyoto's two newest maiko into their ranks, bringing Kyoto's maiko count to a grand total of 102, the highest in over 40 years!
I wasn't quite sure my poor camera lens was up to the task, after the beating it's taken lately. The final straw was a fatal fall after I fell victim to a sneek-up tickle-and-run attack by a little girl in Miyagawa-cho. She caught me off my gaurd, holding my camera as I almost never do: by the strap, lens dangling down to ground.
Anyone that knows me knows I am extremely ticklish. My poor lens never stood a chance. The instant that little gucha-gucha girl got her fingers on me it was out of my hands, quite literally.
By all appearances it survived unscathed, and for the rest of the day it fought like a trooper. By the next day it stubbournly refused to zoom out. Since then I've been stuck between 50 and 105mm (way up from the usual 24-105 range). I still had some wiggle room, so I I've been trying to make the best of it.
The Misedashi: My Camera Lens' Last Stand
Then just before the misedashi, I realized it was stuck at 105mm. As if it wasn't bad enough that it was pouring rain. I kept my cool, thinking "at least I can still take pictures, right? Yay! My first misedashi!"
Take pictures I did! Trust me for that (^_<) My little lens hung in there until the very last. When it was over I headed to the Sanjo Starbucks in Pontocho to recharge. The second I sat down my lens just came undone. Long story short, it looks like I'll be headed to the nearest Canon service station tomorrow if I plan on taking any more pictures this trip! It wouldn't be that bad, but I spoke to a semi-pro photographer today who said it will probably be a few days and a few hundred dollars. And by few, I mean five. Five hundred dollars! Nande yanen!
So anyone who wants to chip in to help save my camera lens, Mboogiedown is accepting donations at PayPal (^_<)
As Mari finishes preparing a cup of tea, Katsuyuki brings another.
