Firework Festival in Murozumi (Hikari)
This festival is much like all the other firework festivals held in most other towns: yakisoba, yakitori, yukata, fireworks. There was nothing particularly special about it except that there were a lot Hikari locals who attended. Seeing many familiar faces and talking with neighbors and friends I've made over the year made me feel like a part of the community and reminded me that this is my home.
You'll never believe the troubles you go through with putting on a Yukata (summer kimono). It's like a 15-step process and that's before the obi (ribbon tie). I'm not joking. Check it out:
Like always, I over-estimated my abilities and attempted to put one on that hot, humid, 30 degree summer day. Gave up in like 5 mins and ran to my neighbor in desperation. I guess it's not something all Japanese knew how to do because the moment she left, it was falling apart. Thank goodness for safety pins.
mmm.... i loooove festival food.
(Above: Trying to blend right in with the students. I know you can't find me.)
(Above: Question: What do you do when you bump into students as you're about to buy kakigori?)
(Above: Just Crystal and I trying to do our best "J" pose)
Weekend at Hagi - July 15th
We went up to Hagi, the northern part of our prefecture, and had a good time at the beach followed by barbeque at Dan and Rosie's. I had a bad experience in the water though because I started freaking out thinking that I was going to drown so that may be the only bad part of the weekend. It wasn't so bad though. I forgot about it right when we started playing beach volleyball. We played against some of Dan's "bad" students so I think he was trying to put up the strict teacher image and couldn't relax. It was pretty hilarious. Most people went skinny dipping after the barbeque but I wasn't about to do that when I can't even swim in broad daylight properly so I went to do karaoke with some locals instead. Got totally wasted of course but it was good fun.
At Dan and Rosie's BBQ. Ross, Dan, Ellen, Lauren and Kat. Everyone was pretty much drunk or about to get there.
(Below: Alex, me and Rosie with our feast for the evening)
The beach in Hagi. Just getting started.
Nijigahama
The summer has been off too a wonderful start. A lot of beaches, sun, parties and gatherings. Hikari is once again happening and I invited some of my favourite people in the JET programme to Nijigahama last weekend. Fun it was but it's also really sad to see a lot of the great friends I made leave Japan.
This is one of my favourite pictures. With Crystal and Christine on the sides and the boys framed in the middle from afar. Such a chillin beach picture at night.
You like your Gucci purses. I like my Guchi girls: Crystal and Megan
Christine and I on, "Great Minds Think Alike."
How 2 Canadians Attempted to Celebrate Canada Day... in Japan
Eventhough me and all my neighbors prayed the Rain God to spare us on Canada day weekend, it rained anyways. So Brandon (my fellow Canadian friend from Vancouver) and I, decided to celebrate it in Hiroshima city. I tried my best to be a great Canadian (I even wore my Canada shirt), but it didn't feel like Canada Day at all. Instead, it was a night of harassing random Japanese people and a verbal war between the Canuck and the Cowgirl. The first group we harassed were a Japanese street band who played jazz (see picture below). Being the "Great Canadian," I tried to educate them about Canada Day. As you may have guessed, they didn't really care.
Our next victim would be Taka, who I renamed Tako (octopus) (see picture below for Taka's Okinawan look). Taka is a bartender of a really comfy lounge we discovered and he spoke English really well so I was able to get to know him better. He's a drummer in his band, really laid back and traveled to many parts of Asia. I told him he reminded me of an Okinawan and apparently, that was a compliment because he seemed pretty pleased. As we were putting him through the grinder, two other Japanese from Tokyo decided to step up. We had a really good conversation with them, that is, until Brandon began to talk down about Calgary and I felt the need to defend my beloved hometown. IT'S CALGARY... you gotta love it!
Well after a few martinis and house whites, it was finally time to call it a night. Looking for a capsule hotel is a real pain for us ladies since many of them are exclusively for men. We went to a couple before we found a co-gendered hotel. It was more expensive so I felt bad for Brandon. The capsule hotels were actually quite comfy and not as small as I'd imagined. There was a t.v., light, alarm. At the beginning I felt like I had walked into a coin laundromat.
The next morning, Brandon just HAD to introduce me to the new Nintendo DS Lite. I said I would look at it but I think my brain is confused about the idea of "looking" because the next thing I knew, I was bringing it to the register's and punching in my bank account digits. Shopaholic syndrome. I felt guilty for a few minutes until I reasoned out my purchase with playing video games as a means to immerse myself in Japanese culture. All in all, eventhough our surroundings were anything but Canadian, just know that I tried with my shirt, my lectures to Japanese people and my little fight with the filthy Canuck (just kidding).
mmm.... i loooove festival food.
(Above: Trying to blend right in with the students. I know you can't find me.)
(Above: Question: What do you do when you bump into students as you're about to buy kakigori?)
