Recently, I had lunch with Yoko. K whom I met through my workshop held in June. She is a singer/electronic musician based in Washignton, DC. It is not everyday that I meet a Japanese person here in Baltimore, especially a female working artist. It is also not so often that you sit with someone and just talk for a long time. She kindly shared not only her own thoughts about "Paraffin" but also her friend's whom she brought with her on that day. I was thrilled to hear that she felt invisible tension and power that was inexplicable. I shared with her some of my 'kodawari' (almost anal obsession about the details) which seemed to have caused that tension. Yoko told me about her 'kodawari' when recording music - she uses 0.1 decibel mixing instead of 0.2 even if other people tell her that it doesn't make a difference. I completely understood why she wanted to do that. It's amazing how the degree of such care directly shows on stage even if it might be a meticulous choice which makes a miniscule difference. As a performer, so much of what one does off-stage gets revealed on stage- how you have been handling props, costumes, how you have been relating to the space, other performers, how you have been listening, seeing, sensing, how you have been living every moment of your life. Yoko also shared that her friend had thought that my stance was very strict and no-nonsense, but my compassion was deep. I was shocked that both Yoko and her friend had not only experienced what was happening on stage, but also perceived what kind of preparation had been done to make it happen - how we had been working. I felt blessed to have witnesses like Yoko and her friend who could share with me such constructive feedback that made me reflect upon what's important for me. Thank you, Yoko-san!