Kawagoe Matsuri and Tea Ceremony

Okay, it's official. I only do stuff of interest on the weekend (not that school isn't 100% fascinating, I just don't think you want to hear about my wonderful world of TF questions and pronunciation practice).

This past weekend was the Kawagoe Matsuri, a festival involving massively huge floats and smaller carried shrine-things (I learned what they were called, but I forgot). It was essentially the same as it was two years ago, except I was the only one who knew what was going on.

If you're reading this and you were with me at the matsuri two years ago (or the night before... for reference, Eric essentially dragged me to the train station then shoved me off at my stop), you probably remember what kind of mood I was in that night. Well, I was essentially just as cranky this past Saturday (and this time no one called me trash girl).

Anyway, on a related note, I saw the Willamette/TIUA fall delegation to TIU at the matsuri. Dean Long, Chaplain Charlie, VP Gunnar, Masaki, and Wayne. You would think the odds of running into them are crazy (since there are thousands of people at this festival), but they were pretty easy to spot (blue hapicoats and the fact that a group of white people walking around Kawagoe sticks out a little). I chatted a little with Wayne about the upcoming pre-departure meeting and how a lot of the current tutors are abandoning him next year.

I ended up leaving early (meaning I went to the bookstore for an hour before going home) because I didn't feel like being smushed.

On Sunday, Zac, Dan, and I went to Hanno (the city just south of Hidaka) to meet up with
Paulina(sp?) another AET. We went to her friend's house where she took the girls (Paulina and I) upstairs to dress us in kimono for a tea ceremony demonstration. Meanwhile, the boys chatted with her husband downstairs. The kimono I wore was definitely the most practical kimono I've worn (my fourth time: one, high school Japanese extra-credit; two, JSP closing ceremony; three, Saitama JET orientation; four, this Sunday). There was only one layer under the kimono, and the obi was tied into a simple square. I'll post photos when I get them from Dan/when I figure out how to post them. We endured through far too much seiza (proper Japanese sitting), but saw some pretty ikebana(flower arrangements), paintings, lamps, and other such crafty things that Japanese housewives do when their husbands are at work and their children are at school/out of the house.

Unfortunately, I had to leave early to meet up with Kinuko for her English conversation practice. We ended up wandering around the supermarket for vocabulary practice. It benefitted both of us because she learned new words and I learned which brands are better and what no additives looks like in kanji.