Back to School, Dance Crew

It's freaking hot.  Not as hot as Taiwan was, but still hot.  I hate it when people say stuff like "that isn't ____, ____ is much _____er."  Like the winter here.  It gets down to -10C or so, and some people say that's not cold because they used to live in -30C winters.  Ok well go outside in shorts and a t-shirt during -10C weather then.  Or like when people say "English isn't hard, _____ is harder."  Sigh... the self-righteousness of people sometimes.

Anyway so it's back to school today.  In the morning we had an opening ceremony which I almost fell asleep through.  No classes today because the kids are having tests.  They have summer homework here and freak out when I tell them we don't have summer homework.  Also, tests right when you come back?  Killer!  The students always comment on how long the American summer vacation is.  It's pretty nice I tell you.  For those who say it's too long, you just don't know what to do with your free time.  Watching TV isn't such a bad choice!

I met some dancers over the past week.  They are very cool.  Hoping to hang out with them more in the future.  These people are the kind I was hoping to meet ever since I got to Japan.  I saw a dance performance they did on Saturday and they rocked it.  They do popping and locking, most have done it for a few years now.  I miss breakdancing so I'm hoping to get into dancing with these guys.  My body coordination has fallen by the wayside though, hoping for a comeback!


始業式【しぎょうしき】 (shi/gyou/shiki) opening ceremony (of the school term)

Back in Japan, Minato Matsuri

Back in Japan now for almost a week.  It's been fun but expensive.  Got to meet the 2 Pierres who are both pretty cool.  Hoping to go girl hunting with one of them because it would be really nice to not be single anymore.

I got back just in time for the Minato Matsuri (Minato festival).  It was really cool, the first day they had some places where you could go play games and shop for things and eat different kinds of food.  They had fireworks in the evening.

The next day they lined the main street with mostly food carts.  The Olympic fencers who won a silver medal gave a speech (Go Kenta Chida!  He's my teacher's son).  I wasn't really listening but it seemed like they were pretty excited.

Next they had a dance on the street with all the middle schools, some of the elementary schools and some other groups participating.  It was cool, except that they played the same song for 3 straight hours (with a few 5 minute breaks in-between).  The name of the dance is called "Hamarainya" and means something like "let's dance."

I'll get to the price comparison pictures sometime later!

踊る【おどる】 (odoru) to dance

Back Home

Been back in America now for pretty much 2 weeks.  Got to see a lot of people I had been wanting to see and overall I'm happy with the vacation I took back here.  I got asked by some people why I went home instead of taking a trip somewhere else.  Of course it's because I missed my friends and family, but the real reason is because I don't have a lot of close friends left, so the ones I still have here I want to keep a strong relationship with them.  I'm not sure where they'll be in a year or so, so it's good to visit them now.

It's the same every time I come back home from living in a foreign country.  I get into my room and it feels like the whole trip was just a dream.  It feels really weird and for a split second like I never left.  I don't really like the feeling because it feels like it cheapens the experience.  I don't know how to really explain it.

Next post I'm hoping to get some price comparison pictures up.  Should be interesting, Japan can be pretty expensive.

年休【ねんきゅう】 (nenkyuu) yearly paid vacation