Who Wouldn't Want to Watch an 85 Year Old Man Tango??

Surfs up Betches

Surfs Up, Dude in Kyushu

This was last weekend Aug 21, when I woke up at 5:30 am to meet my friend, Andrei, a couple hours away in Hyuga, a world famous surfing spot, for my first lesson in surfing. This is his board, actually. I tried out a foam board (which I DO NOT recommend for beginners). The foam board is long and heavy (4 times as heavy as this little guy). It's meant to be easy to stick to. And it was! There was so much friction with my skin that I had to stop surfing long before time was up because my knees and thighs were rubbed raw. Okay, that must sound awful, but surfing was REALLY fun. I don't supposed I looked at all very cool. However, just getting comfortable facing the waves was new for me. Anyway, it's a straight shot from my place to the beach, like an hour and 1/2. Next time, I'm gonna try a short board, like this one, cuz honestly, that's what i wanna ride.

Obon Odori with the Obachans

Ladies in Summer Kimono called Yukata    *Naoko, Miho, Kelsey (from NV), and Me

Obon Odori

The month of August is a time to remember past ancestors or loved ones who have passed away.
This is done in festival fashion with fireworks (called hanabi) or with nighttime gatherings in summer cotton kimonos (called yukata) doing synchronized dancing in a circle, usually with a taiko band in the middle and a singer. Before this dance, people who have lost loved ones might share their photos and give a small eulogy. Mostly, very old people do this, but as it offers me a chance to wear a Yukata, I am going to jump at every invite. Afterward, everyone drinks beer or tea and walks home.

These pictures are from the first one I went to (August 22 -- happy Bday, Ania and Grams), and I was lucky to be invited to another ObonOdori this past weekend with a newly acquainted older lady named Katchan. She brought me and a new friend, Adam, with her (after dressing me up) and we danced for 20 or so minutes. The dances at first are really difficult, mostly because everyone kinda knows how to dance. Think of movements similar to The Thriller, but more graceful and slower. Afterwards, Katchan introduced us to her dancing instructor. She takes classes in Salsa, Ramba, Tango, Watlz, etc. from a man in his 80s! In a group, on the way back to Katchan's house, we stopped at this man's studio, was shown inside, and was given a performance in Tango! It was EXCELLENT!!!! Both Katchan and this very old man were tearing up the carpet! Katchan is about 65 and is very Genki (energetic). She kind of hops around as she moves about.

After the midnight performance, Adam and I were invited to take classes for a mere 25$ per month, unlimited lessons, at our convenience. Of course we took the offer, and our classes start next week!!

Small Town Life

As perhaps you have come to understand, I live in a small town. I would like to highlight the smallness in which I live by giving a small example.

My friend/neighbor, Ryan, and ALT like me, knows I like doing the handy crafts, and so he wanted to introduce me to his older lady friends (one of them being Katchan from the Obon Odori story above). On Friday (Aug 27), we met Akemi and Katchan at the Hoyo Hotel (in town) for dinner. They are a comic act btwn the two of them and had managed to spill 3 glasses of water on each other over the course of the evening. During our meal, a group of older men-teachers I had met the previous week were arriving to eat at the table behind us, as a small gathering. It just so happened that Ryan and I, after our dinner with the Ladies, were going to meet these gents at a nearby bar for some drinks. Well, Ryan wasn't able to go, but one of these gents called me and requested my presence still, even though Ryan wasn't available. So as we saw them come and go, I was like, see you guys later!... So then I go to meet them at a bar, where they feed me Goya and buy my beer, and we joke around (i usually don't understand what anyone is saying b/c there is a dialect here that I have yet to acquire an ear for), and procede to leave. Two of the teachers are like, Nicole, are you safe to walk?, and I'm like, totally, but I'm going to Blue Santa (my lovely favorite pub)... And they were like, Oh, really. We are too! So we all walk there and talk about one of the sensei's sausage factory (haa haa), seriously.

So we get to Blue Santa, say hello to Shunji the owner, I order a Heinekein, which the teachers end up buying for me, and along comes a man I met the previous week who also is the father of Naoko (in the picture above) and then the husband of Akemi, who I had just met the same night, arrives, too. !

This is exactly how it always is in my town, and everyone is extremely jovial. It may just be my perception as a foreigner, but it's a beautiful feeling to see so many familiar faces even though I just arrived here.

Beauty in Every Direction

I still owe everyone pics of the apartment... not quite yet ready to showcase it yet. However, I've managed to acquire some pictures of my area, on my way to and home from work (uh, yeah, while driving... what??!!)

The terrain

One of my schools is in Ogata, a tiny town

Little farmland

Rainbows, just like Oregon

Up one of the many hills on the way home

Getting into Mie, my hood

Mt. Kuju Visit

Lastly, this weekend on Saturday, I went with a friend, Shunji, the owner of Blue Santa, to eat Basil Soft Serve Ice Cream. I am on a hunt for the flavors offered such as Roasted Brown Rice, Corn, Tomato, soda, German Wine... really. Seriously. And so far, they are all very tasty.

Anyway, we met in his town, Taketa, and then drove to Kuju mountain area, which is like a big outdoor adult park. In order to get to the Basil Soft Serve locale, we had to gain admission into the Flower Park. From there, we drove two minutes to a winery and ate some brick oven pizza, and then proceeded to a Goat Grade coffee Kiosk. I really thought that  maybe I was back in Oregon. It was one of my favorite days so far.

Yummy Basil Soft Serve w/ Raspberry Sauce

Shunji

The Winery

The Coffee