Sunday, October 14, 2007

Kure Fall Festival






Yesterday I went back to the fall festival.  It was so much fun! I won some gold fish, which I let some of my students name (Aoi, Shion, and Kanon). They named them Blacky, Orangey, and Brownie.  I'm not sure where Brownie came from since 2 are orange and 1 is black, but hey, whatever works. 
The people I went with bought me a bowl, some food, and water purifiers for a gift.  Gift giving is so common here and I don't always know how to respond. It's so nice of them. I mean they had already spent the whole day showing me the festival and teaching me about it and not making me pay for anything, and introducing me to people. It was fantastic! 
I met a member of the Japanese Diet... part of parliament, I wasn't sure how to act! But he just shook  my hand and didn't make me bow. 
During the festival there was  big fight between a  "Lion, dog thingy" (this is how Ayumi explained it too me) and the ooni and then there was a man on top of something that other men were holding and they had to barge through the ooni and get into the shrine. It was difficult to watch because there were so many people, so my pictures aren't great, but it was still fun!  I also got to pick my fortune which said in learning, I should set a goal of some sort, I could have an easy birth (so applicable...I just laughed and said well, thats good, but I won't be needing that), I shouldn't move, the place I am in is good, and I should hold off on investing money in the stock exchange. Since it wasn't considered to be an excellent fortune you are to fold it up and tie it too a tree. So I did. SOO cool! I also touched an ooni for good luck. I'll have to put that picture up later though I have to get it  from Ayumi and Midori's dad.  It was amazing.

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