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Oh, LIFE.
There is too much of it. This is what happens when I don't update regularly...I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things I should write about, and as a result write nothing. So since I can't deal with everything (it's 1:25am and I really should try to sleep even if it isn't going to happen) here are a couple highlights.
About a week ago I went to gokon which is basically like a group blind date. Exciting mostly because NONE of the boys spoke English, so it was kinda nice to know that I can keep conversations rolling even in slightly awkward and potentially embarassing situations in Japanese. Plus, I can apparently teach geography in Japanese, using a french-fry/tomato map to illustrate how India is so very NOT IN AMERICA. Europe was delicious. There was also some discussion of going swiming in a pool full of natto. For those who don't know, altough people eat Natto over here, it is about the farthest thing possible from food you could ever imagine. It's basically rotten beans. (don't think tofu. tofu is yummy. Tofu is great. A pool of tofu would probably be alot of fun.) Natto is like the stickiest slimeyest gunk ever, and it smells like feet to boot. When you stir it and pull your chopsticks out of it, a trail of mucus follows your chopsticks, trailing beans and gunk everywhere. It's supposed to be 'healthy' but how anything that smells, looks and feels that foul could be healthy is beyond me. One of the guys liked natto enough to want to swim in it. I thoroughly doubt his sanity. But anyways, we drank the boys under the table so i think it was pretty much mission accomplished >D
Last weekend I went to Okayama with Monica. We went to see Korakuen, supposedly one of the 3 prettiest gardens in Japan, but I think the thing that impresses most people about it is the large expanses of grass lawns. Rare in Japan. Not so rare in America. They did have a pretty waterfall though. And cranes in cages that were attacking their watering hose. The trip was totally worth it as there was good company (yay monica!), Takarazuka (yay Asa!) AND an improt store that had CHIPS AND SALSA. Oh tostidos. You are almost mexican food.
Taiko Matsuri is starting tomorrow. This basically means that from 9am every able-boddied boy/man will be out in the streets hauling around giant wooden things with drums inside of them, drinking Sake (yes, starting at 9. they go until 11pm. That's a lot of sake.) and making merry as they impede traffic and pass out in the streets. Good fun. The wooden things weigh about 2 tons I think, and with a team of about 60-100 very drunk men, they try to lift them above their heads at the end of the night. Inevitably this leads to pain, but they still do it anyways. Here's a couple pics of last year's taiko.
a successful taiko lift. Yay drunken cooperation! Black team gets a point!
And a not so successful lift. Click to see the bigger version and you'll notice the guy in the pink falling out of the top of the taiko and onto an old lady. No points for Pink team. D:
ANYWAYS, I'm telling you all this not only because I've been listening to the drummers in my area practicing at ALL HOURS for the last two weeks, but because I WILL ACTUALLY HELP CARRY ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS in two different Taiko festivals, one in Saijoh and one in Mishima. I live in Kawanoe, but apparently for the past 300 years no women have been allowed to participate in Kawanoe's Taiko festival, so no beans there. :P BUT wandering around the streets with a pack of drunk men, pulling a gaint piece of noisy wood and causing others massive inconvenience = MY IDEA OF FUN. :D
Ahhg. and now it's 2am. I have to be up and studying Japanese again shortly. 無理無理無理。 I have no brain left. >_<
I MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH. I realize that my lack of update-yness recently hasn't reflected that, but IT IS SO TRUE. I LOVE YOU ALL.
OH! AND! Maddy and Felicia! Thank you so much for your insane diabolical dead sexy wonderful post cards and bracelet :D:D:D I will respond in kind soon! *loves*