ASIATOPIA2002

1
This is the uniform of Japan Overseas Cooperate Volunteers.
This organization send Japanese young people to so-called developing countries.
They teach Japanese, repairing car technique, agriculture etc. there.
Also in Thai there are many members of the organization.
I was the member from 1992 to 1994 and taught fine art especially wood cut printing for young artists in Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa.
The organization is supported by Japanese government and the president is the Emperor.
So I had official passport like diplomat.
And the organization call the members "A little diplomat for friendship"
I got 250USD per month. In Tanzania, average salary of people was 50USD that time.

2
Zanzibar is a small beautiful island in Indian ocean and Our organization office is in Dar es Salaam, capital city of mainland Tanzania.
So 2 month at once we must go our office to report our works.
In Dar es Salaam, I also went bars and Discos very much for my holiday.
I drunk too much. Sometimes I went with my girl friends who are also sex workers to her cheep guest house.
In the morning I pay her 20USD and say Bye Bye.
But in Japan I never take sexual services.

3
In 1994 August I met beautiful woman at the bar, so we of course went to her guest house.
And I told her "Zanzibar is a beautiful Island, If want to visit, Let's go Zanzibar with me. In this evening I will be back to Zanzibar"
My saying was half true and half joke.
In the evening when I waited my ship to Zanzibar at the port, She came with her big baggage.

4
In Zanzibar, we visited seaside, old ruin of fort and many many place to visit and had very happy and sweet days.
But she did not say "I will be back Dar es Salaam."
And I could not tell her "Go back Dar es Salaam."
So we stayed together in my house until my departure of Tanzania.

5
Someday in October 1994.
She said to me "I have no menstruation"
We wait it until one week but it did not come.
Even we used condoms, but once or twice that were broken.
She said to me "I will not have our baby"
I think also but I was very confused.
She said "Please give me 100USD, I will go back Dar es Salaam, and the doctor of my friend will operate to kill baby"
I could not say NO!

I got her letter only once after Tanzania days.
And my friend in Tanzania sometimes told me in telephone
"She is fine, yesterday I saw her at the Disco"

Arai Shin-ichi from Japan, cover his near naked body with Japanese goods brand names, walked down the street to the park. He then began to tell a story of his experience as a Japanese Government volunteer in Tanzania, which is an action of neo-colonization. He ended his act by stuffing his mouth with each page of Japanese heroic nationalism comic book, and painted Japanese red sun flag by his ass. “Despite some people reported to the police, as he/she afraid Arai performance in the park could break the law and interfere our social Taboo, but I told the police that a Japanese artists expresses his criticism to Japanese politic and products, like we did to our politic and bad businesses. The policeman was satisfied with my answer and he left.” (Chumpon Apisuk report back to artists, 10/12/02)
In Arai performance in Chiangmai, he informed the audience about the piece he was about to perform was inspired by his experience in Bangkok, by EMPOWER members / performer Siriporn Sripen, and especially when she did in Patpong bar, he visited with other artists. The performance was a true story of himself and his girl friend in Tanzania, who has continue her work as sex worker after he left. He ran himself to the wall of the art center, several times, to broke 2 eggs and a banana he put in his underpants.
©ASIATOPIA

You can see movie of another ARAI performance
Click here