Introduction
*bows* Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Nitta Sayuri, a geisha of the Gion district in Kyoto, Japan. And I have reason to believe that some of you here may already know my name.
When my dear friend Jakob Haarhuis recorded my life's story years ago, I never imagined that it would be as widely read as I'm told it's become. Perhaps that sounds as though I'm trying to pretend to be modest, and it's true that's something we geisha do very well... however immodest it is of me to say so. *little smile* But the truth is I've never viewed my story as particularly intriguing or extraordinary -- at least, no more than that of any geisha who's been blessed with good fortune. I may have been successful, but I certainly wasn't unique, and the fact that my name is known does not make me a greater geisha.
Honestly, these days I don't do much that befits any sort of geisha, save occasionally serving green tea. ... Oh! I haven't offered you any tea, have I? You can see for yourselves how terribly out-of-practice I am. Now, would anyone care for a cup?
Typist: This is Sayuri from Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. :) And please be gentle with me... I don't exactly have an M.A. in Japanese history and ten years of research under my belt. Heck, I'm not even a decent anime fan!
When my dear friend Jakob Haarhuis recorded my life's story years ago, I never imagined that it would be as widely read as I'm told it's become. Perhaps that sounds as though I'm trying to pretend to be modest, and it's true that's something we geisha do very well... however immodest it is of me to say so. *little smile* But the truth is I've never viewed my story as particularly intriguing or extraordinary -- at least, no more than that of any geisha who's been blessed with good fortune. I may have been successful, but I certainly wasn't unique, and the fact that my name is known does not make me a greater geisha.
Honestly, these days I don't do much that befits any sort of geisha, save occasionally serving green tea. ... Oh! I haven't offered you any tea, have I? You can see for yourselves how terribly out-of-practice I am. Now, would anyone care for a cup?
Typist: This is Sayuri from Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. :) And please be gentle with me... I don't exactly have an M.A. in Japanese history and ten years of research under my belt. Heck, I'm not even a decent anime fan!