internationalization and bingo
Yesterday, I was invited to go to a neighborhood festival maybe 20 minutes outside of the center of the city in a town called Entsuji (円通寺).
Three of my co-workers and I were invited by a man who works in a different department at the Prefecture. His wife actually came to pick us up and take us there!
I was really surprised at just how quickly the landscape changes from buildings to just... fields. I like it, though.
It was a really small-town affair, where literally everyone in the town comes to the festival and everyone knows everyone else. A drunk elderly man asked my co-workers and I where we were from, thinking we were someone's relatives visiting... and he got so excited when he learned that we were actually foreigners. He was also pretty obnoxious, but we'll leave that aside. At one point later, we were pointed out and we all introduced ourselves in our own languages.
What really amused me most about the night was after the dancing was mostly done, everyone gathered inside in a large tatami room and started playing bingo. It was crazy, haphazard bingo because most people were either really old or drunk (or children).. and pretty much everyone got a prize of some sort! There was a raffle and some more dancing, and then we went to have coffee at someone's house.
Everyone was so nice.
I was apprehensive about having to stay out late on a work night (until 11pm!!!!!) but it was worth it. The atmosphere of that small neighborhood party was really warm.
Bingo!
The old man next to me repeated all the numbers in English after they were said in Japanese.
Today I read backnumbers of the advice column on Slate most of the morning and worked on my America powerpoint all afternoon.
I have no plans and no money this weekend, so the plan is just to take some more walks around.
Three of my co-workers and I were invited by a man who works in a different department at the Prefecture. His wife actually came to pick us up and take us there!
I was really surprised at just how quickly the landscape changes from buildings to just... fields. I like it, though.
It was a really small-town affair, where literally everyone in the town comes to the festival and everyone knows everyone else. A drunk elderly man asked my co-workers and I where we were from, thinking we were someone's relatives visiting... and he got so excited when he learned that we were actually foreigners. He was also pretty obnoxious, but we'll leave that aside. At one point later, we were pointed out and we all introduced ourselves in our own languages.
What really amused me most about the night was after the dancing was mostly done, everyone gathered inside in a large tatami room and started playing bingo. It was crazy, haphazard bingo because most people were either really old or drunk (or children).. and pretty much everyone got a prize of some sort! There was a raffle and some more dancing, and then we went to have coffee at someone's house.
Everyone was so nice.
I was apprehensive about having to stay out late on a work night (until 11pm!!!!!) but it was worth it. The atmosphere of that small neighborhood party was really warm.
Bingo!
The old man next to me repeated all the numbers in English after they were said in Japanese.
Today I read backnumbers of the advice column on Slate most of the morning and worked on my America powerpoint all afternoon.
I have no plans and no money this weekend, so the plan is just to take some more walks around.