the weekend and things
On Saturday I wore my yukata for dinner with my English class, walked around the night festival, and set off mini-fireworks with my friend by the river. It was quiet and pretty and wonderful, but more than anything it brought up a childhood memory.
Fireworks were illegal in Illinois, but I spent one summer weekend back in middle school at Jane's lake house in Michigan and I remember we bought fireworks on the drive there and set them off by a lake... and spent the rest of the time swimming and barbecuing and hanging out. That weekend was one of the funnest I'd ever had, and I think the first time I ever really got sunburnt. It's too bad I hadn't started livejournal yet; my memories of it are so fuzzy.
On Sunday, Ru, Ksenia and I went to the beach by the port. The waves were insanely insane and it was impossible to swim or even float without getting pushed all over the place. We gave up and had fresh sushi and hung out on the beach instead. I hope we have a chance to go again-- I want to swim before the jellyfish come!
We have a trainee from China now, and she barely speaks Japanese. Somehow I always end up talking to her without any Chinese/Taiwanese CIRs nearby and the way I stumble all over the place in Mandarin makes me cringe. I was on the road to okay after senior year, and even moreso after my summer in Shanghai and the amount of loss is just awful and disheartening. I need an immersion program :(