Ichi-go Ichi-e

All lined up and ready to go!

On Sunday, it was the Shiraoi Hachiman Shrine Festival in my town. Actually, sadly, this is the first time I’ve talked about doing something my own town – most of my time is spent in Tomakomai or elsewhere.

I was intent on sleeping in that morning after staying up until 4 am the previous night after some wild karaoke with my badminton buddies, but was awakened by drumming, whistling and chanting. At first, in my sleepy stupor I thought I was still dreaming but after rubbing my eyes a bit and looking at the clock (it was 11 am, not really that early I suppose) – I looked out a window to see mikoshi. During a festival, the local shrine while carry around a small portable shrine to all the neighbourhoods that worship at that particular shrine. In my town, I imagine that’s all of them.

I got out of my house around 1:30 pm and made my way to the main street where the main event would be happening – YOSAKOI! It’s easier to show you what yosakoi is rather than explaining it but honestly – there’s nothing better than seeing it live!

A couple samples of yosakoi – I have more to upload later!

Can you see the little girl on the side trying to dance as well in the second video? Too cute!

So I took quite a few videos. Sadly the really good teams (these ones are really good too, so imagine the champion winners!) came on quite late so it was too dark to take a video. The quality on my camera isn’t great, nor are my video-taking skills – so I hope you kind of get the idea.

After watching about 5 hours of yosakoi, I decided that rather than sit here admiring how cool it is – why don’t I do it too? That’s the same thing I thought when I tried belly dance for the first time. The reaction I got from most Japanese I’ve told my crazy idea to so far, “But yosakoi is too hard I think.” Well, as you can see, yosakoi definitely doesn’t look easy – but just because something is hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it!

So I told this idea to Duncan and he was all for it! He knew that there used to be a yosakoi in Shiraoi that was run by the local shrine (Hachiman Jinja) but that they had disbanded. After asking around, it was confirmed that that had been the only group in the immediate area. So after we were done at our school, we went to the shrine and spoke to the priest who ran the yosakoi team and he told me the closest would be either Muroran or Chitose. Both are about an hour away. That’s actually not too shabby considering it’s more like half an hour away if you drive at a reasonable pace (probably :P). Either way, I want to make my time in Japan meaningful, so in November I should introduce myself to them and then in January, the club starts up.

I’m pretty excited! So until then, Duncan is helping me set up a gym membership in Tomakomai so I can train and get in shape for my next year of awesomeness!

Here’s hoping everything pans out!

I`ve decided to tackle the weekend of September 4th and 5th in one long post! Or something like that. The keyboard at work is Japanese key layout where punctuation is entirely less necessary so I`ll probably get frustrated half way through trying for the thousandth time to find the apostraphe key and throw it out the window (everything, they`ll think me mad!).

Friday I went to badminton with plans to go to Hide-chan for supper after. Kiwi Josh showed up (but I guess now he`s the only Josh but to avoid confusion with our familiar Canuck Josh, I`ll continue to label him so) and decided he would join me on my Hide-chan adventure. Duncan, the other ALT from Shiraoi (there`s only two of us in our awesome town of awesomeness) is always at Hide-chan on Fridays so we met up with him as well. Afterwards, Kiwi Josh, Duncan, Ken (from badminton) and myself all set out to Sumie`s birthday which was taking place at another bar elsewhere (I really had no idea, I was just following along).

On the way to the destination bar, we decided to stop and have a drink (cola for me!) in this small alley lined with tiny one-table restaurants – it was nifty and cute with a really good atmosphere! While we waited for Duncan`s awesome friend Izumi to show up, I had oden for the first time! As you can see, I had half way eaten the oden before I remembered to take a picture. I also forgot to take a picture of the cool alleyway/street thing we were sitting, but I`ll be back there I am sure.

It was getting late so Ken made his way to our original destination, and I meant to follow but I was entertain by drunk Japanese and Kiwis playing a New Zealand drinking game – Wizz Boing Game – I think it was called. (there`s no quotation marks on this keyboard btw). After we headed to a bar called Secret Garden which had a nice comfy atmosphere. I spoke in mostly terrible Japanese all night about Japanese history and other random topics with Izumi and a couple girls whose names I can`t remember. (Duncan was passed out on the couch during this final part, I never asked him how he got home.) (Correction: I did – he doesn’t remember the latter half of that night!)

Those of us who went to Secret Garden that night.

So I never made it to Sumie`s birthday – which I feel a little bit guilty about, but I honestly wouldn`t change that night for the world! I saw my first Japanese sunrise as I drove home at four in the morning.

The next day, I picked up Josh and we headed to a hockey game – late though, I`m chronically late for mostly everything, and by late, I mean I arrive right on time, but I`ve been informed that in Japan that five minutes early is best.

I don`t care was anyone says, Japanese hockey is no more less violent than your average hockey game (not including NHL) – if you put a bunch of dudes in heated competition against each other, they`re going to start playing dirty. Especially with the huge difference in skill between the two teams I saw. Makiko-san, the woman who organized this whole outing is very…enthusiastic…about hockey. She sat us right behind the Oji Eagles` bench and even hushed me when I was talking to Dan and Mel because it would `distract the players` – first of all: it won`t – they can`t hear us. Second of all: They probaby don`t care. After that, she stopped harassing me to join their fanclub – so maybe it wasn`t all that bad. Don`t get me wrong, Makiko-san is very nice – but a little too clingy and overzealously accomodating (if that even makes sense).

Only picture I got of the game – Japanese hockey looks like Canadian hockey.

We had supper at Lumbini, a Nepalese/Indian restaurant

The next day was seriously cool – I went to the Tarumae Sun Festival with Duncan and his crew – all Japanese except one French guy. That`s good for my practice! Still feeling like my Japanese isn`t great – but I`ve started studying for at least an hour a day (any more and I get a headache).

ANYWAYS, I digress. At the Tarumae Sun Festival – I saw neither Tarumaesan nor the sun! Photographic evidence!

That is where my volcanic neighbour should be

Lots of nifty stands on the festival ground

But it was still warm – ridiculously warm! We barbequed on small charcoal grills they would give to each group. Um, the can in the picture is filled with tasty cheese that we decided would be more tasty if it was melted…in a beer can. How classy!

Meat on a charcoal grill! So tasty!

It had lots of stands with food – I only partook in chocolate-covered banana and ageimo – a sweet potato (flavour-wise it was sweet but it wasn`t a sweet potato) on a stick, fried. No picture sadly, I was actually eating someone`s leftovers!

All the while, there were shows going on. Amateur (I think) junior high-aged girls singing pop music and wearing matching outfits (one group wore skirts that were way to short to be parading in front a crowd like that!). That part was mind-numbing – I`m not a fan of Japanese main stream music so much. It`s more showmanship than talent and not terribly unique in my opinion! Hope that`s not too offensive. The less mainstream stuff is pretty awesome – the Japanese indie/underground (?) scene is pretty awesome.

Next weekend should be pretty exciting! Not much going on this week though.

It`s written, it just needs some pictures added in and voila!

Here`s some exciting (but intensely nerdy) news!

You know how Japan gets all the cool stuff when it comes to videogames? You probably all know now because I won`t shut up about it, but last night, Ken helped me order that Okamiden collector`s edition off of Capcom Japan`s website. Not only that, you can pay when it gets delivered to your door :D Hot damn! So sometime either on or a little after the 30th, I`ll have a saucy online exclusive edition of Okamiden – but I don`t mean to make this a habit…I hope…

Sorry guys – I’ll have a post up tomorrow about my weekend.

Due to the heat lately, I’ve haven’t been sleeping so well. Actually, since arriving in Japan, I haven’t really felt well rested so it’s a good thing my job is so easy!

Use this blank post to ask me questions about living in Japan!? If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it out! If you don’t have any questions (because I’m sure the answer is on the internet with all the whiny foreigners who live here) that’s cool too.

Also, Aaron, before you see all the scandalous photos on Facebook, let me explain: the penguin means nothing to me! He just looked so dapper!

There was also the bear, but that was that crazy weekend in Calgary – so I think you can forgive me.

Paper Cranes

Today one of the teachers lent me a book of poems about Hiroshima. At first, I was a bit taken a back – but then I realized that it was probably the only book he had that was partially in English (all the poems were in both Japanese and English). They were beautiful and tragic. At the end of the book was a letter from maybe, the compiler, I’m not sure – but it said that one day she hoped that this book would be in all languages so that everyone could understand that most of us are living in a time of peace and how crucial it is that we maintain it. Then I thought some more. Hiroshima isn’t about who was to blame or who did or didn’t deserved it – in fact, it’s not just a tragedy for Japan, but for the entire world. The poems weren’t from the point of views of soldiers, but of parents and children. About people who died in Hiroshima and about people who go on to die after.

When the Japanese mention Hiroshima they aren’t saying, “This is your fault,” they’re saying, “This was a tragedy – let’s not let it happen again.”

Of course, I can’t speak for everyone. Normally, this would be a rather heavy and bold topic that I wouldn’t dare touch on.

Places I’m going to visit while in Japan: Nara and Hiroshima.

*In other news!*

It’s 30 degree Celsius today and I’ve drank 3 bottles of water today. Also, I went to the 100 Yen store today – which is the Japanese equivalent to a dollar store…only not, because it is filled with awesome things! I bought a bear towel because I’ve learnt that with all the heat and the sweating, you really need a small towel at all time. Apparently this is an uncharacteristic summer for the north of the Japan, it’s usually much closer to Alberta temperature. I also bought some chopsticks and a chopstick box for school lunches, and a tea cup with a panda on it that says “Nihao.” (That’s Chinese, bee-tee-dub) The dishes and cups in the 100 Yen shop are so pretty! One thing I’ll miss about Japan and be sad to leave behind is all the cute dishes and home accessories. Kind of weird, I know.

Lastly, I bought a small notebook for writing down new words that I learn. I’ve got to start taking this studying thing seriously!

Oh yeah, today I was applauded in class for being able to read English fast. The teacher wanted me to show them that I was speaking at an abnormally slow rate for their benefit but not to make them feel bad, just to show them that English speakers really don’t talk so slow or enunciate their word quite so deliberately .

I think when I come home, I’ll request daily applause from my friends for something random and mundane. I’ll return the favour of course. We’ll all feel like superheroes.

“Clap clap! You put on matching socks today!” (no wait, that’s not mundane – THAT’S HARD!)

Or how about:

“Clap clap! You can use a spoon!”

Catching what I’m drifting!? It’ll be a movement.

So much in fact, that I’ve gained 5 lbs! Taihen da! I going to start drinking more tea and eating less choco-banana parfaits (but I loves them…). Badminton will also help – I don’t think I’ve sweated quite so much in my entire life with the heat and workout combined.

I’ll start posting pictures of my tasty food adventures! (at least the ones where the food survives long enough to have it’s picture taken!)

So apparently, Nomura Mansai was in Tomakomai (a nearby city – I spend a lot of time there) a week or so ago and I didn’t know! I’m going to learn “Can I have a lock of your hair?” in Japanese so I’m ready for the next time! All my Japanese Religion and Literature homeys know who I’m talking about.

Nomura Mansai as Abe no Seimei from Onmyouji *swoon*

Speaking of the language – I don’t really feel like my Japanese is improving so much. I still feel worse than when I was studying Japanese in university – though I haven’t been doing a lot of studying at home. I should be making flash cards for kanji especially – just, studying makes me sleepy.