(no subject)
1 more day left now... wow...
Changed into a kimono for the day with no help whatsoever putting it on. Not even supervision! It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself, although it wasn't a kimono I was crazy about.. white with criss-crossing red lines. Pretty butterfly obi though!
And the way Nobuko-san put my hair up... I think it was the prettiest style my hair has ever been in. :)
Took pictures in the garden, and then went sightseeing with Yamazaki-san.
I got to see four different temples with three-story pagodas, all in beautiful locations. Got lots and lots of pictures. Gah, I hope they come out because everything was gorgeous.
There was a little forest path we had to follow to get to one of them, and at one point, we had to go through this open space where there were hundreds of these amazing bushes with blue blossoms, and it was on a hillside so there was a marvelous view of the town as well. No wonder there were a couple artists with tables set up, painting the amazing landscape.
Gah. I wish I was more poetic. I really can't explain how beautiful everything I saw today was. But hopefully I can manage a picture post when I get back the show everyone.
I was so exhausted by the time we were done seeing all the sights, but then it was time for the barbeque at Tatsuya's house! Almost everyone I've met since arriving was there, as well as a few new faces. I'm really going to miss everybody when I'm gone.. that really hit me tonight.
I got to meet Tim-san, the American guy who teaches junior high school English here. For any of you interested in such a career path, he says to check out the website of the program he's there with, www.jetprogam.org
Keri, I'll talk to you about it later. I don't feel like writing out every little detail he gave me.
At one point during the barbeque, Tooru-san motioned for me to get up. Yuuta walked up to me and handed me a little wrapped present. It was a Hello Kitty cell phone charm.. in fact a special one that can only be bought in Okinawa. Sure, I don't have a cell phone, ut I hope to someday, and it was sweet nonetheless!
I thought that was all, so I went to sit back down, but Tooru-san stopped me and asked me to follow him.
So I did... followed him about a block and a half down the street. o.O
We stopped at this nice big house, where a man let us in and brought us a bunch of little boxes. He started opening them to reveal these beautiful wooden plaques carves and painted with beautiful flowers. Tooru-san said I could pick three, one for me, one for my brother, and one for my sister. I was amazed, and thanked them both profusely.
I took waaay too long to decide, but finally picked my favourite, a blue flower I'd never seen before. They looked happy and impressed and Tooru-san explained to me that the one I picked is "rindo", the official flower of Nagano prefecture! (The prefecture I happen to be in, if you've forgotten. :D)
For my sister, I picked a gorgeous pink flower that reminded me of her, and for my brother, the only engraving that wasn't a flower, but a lion man that has something to do with some particular festival. Not too sure.
After more profuse thanking, we went back to the barbeque and I showed everyone what the surprize had been.
When people saw the flower I picked, they kept having that same reaction, of, "Oooh, rindo, Nagano prefecture's flower!" So I guess I made a good choice. :D
It was all so much fun. Talked with eveybody, which was much easier considering there were three people there who could translate.
I was still wearing the kimono, and everyone was amazed to learn that I'd put it on all by myself. Shinta says he still can't put one on properly, and the male version isn't even as complicated. :P
Saying goodbye was very saddening because I realized that a lot of those people I'll never see again.. and the rest I could be seeing for the last time tomorrow after the sushi party, or next morning before I leave.
I love it here... I really really do. I miss everybody back home of course, but now I'm going to miss all my new friends in Ueda, too...
Not that that would ever make it not worth coming here and meeting them.
Coming tomorrow, my Last LJ post from Japan!!
Changed into a kimono for the day with no help whatsoever putting it on. Not even supervision! It looked pretty good, if I do say so myself, although it wasn't a kimono I was crazy about.. white with criss-crossing red lines. Pretty butterfly obi though!
And the way Nobuko-san put my hair up... I think it was the prettiest style my hair has ever been in. :)
Took pictures in the garden, and then went sightseeing with Yamazaki-san.
I got to see four different temples with three-story pagodas, all in beautiful locations. Got lots and lots of pictures. Gah, I hope they come out because everything was gorgeous.
There was a little forest path we had to follow to get to one of them, and at one point, we had to go through this open space where there were hundreds of these amazing bushes with blue blossoms, and it was on a hillside so there was a marvelous view of the town as well. No wonder there were a couple artists with tables set up, painting the amazing landscape.
Gah. I wish I was more poetic. I really can't explain how beautiful everything I saw today was. But hopefully I can manage a picture post when I get back the show everyone.
I was so exhausted by the time we were done seeing all the sights, but then it was time for the barbeque at Tatsuya's house! Almost everyone I've met since arriving was there, as well as a few new faces. I'm really going to miss everybody when I'm gone.. that really hit me tonight.
I got to meet Tim-san, the American guy who teaches junior high school English here. For any of you interested in such a career path, he says to check out the website of the program he's there with, www.jetprogam.org
Keri, I'll talk to you about it later. I don't feel like writing out every little detail he gave me.
At one point during the barbeque, Tooru-san motioned for me to get up. Yuuta walked up to me and handed me a little wrapped present. It was a Hello Kitty cell phone charm.. in fact a special one that can only be bought in Okinawa. Sure, I don't have a cell phone, ut I hope to someday, and it was sweet nonetheless!
I thought that was all, so I went to sit back down, but Tooru-san stopped me and asked me to follow him.
So I did... followed him about a block and a half down the street. o.O
We stopped at this nice big house, where a man let us in and brought us a bunch of little boxes. He started opening them to reveal these beautiful wooden plaques carves and painted with beautiful flowers. Tooru-san said I could pick three, one for me, one for my brother, and one for my sister. I was amazed, and thanked them both profusely.
I took waaay too long to decide, but finally picked my favourite, a blue flower I'd never seen before. They looked happy and impressed and Tooru-san explained to me that the one I picked is "rindo", the official flower of Nagano prefecture! (The prefecture I happen to be in, if you've forgotten. :D)
For my sister, I picked a gorgeous pink flower that reminded me of her, and for my brother, the only engraving that wasn't a flower, but a lion man that has something to do with some particular festival. Not too sure.
After more profuse thanking, we went back to the barbeque and I showed everyone what the surprize had been.
When people saw the flower I picked, they kept having that same reaction, of, "Oooh, rindo, Nagano prefecture's flower!" So I guess I made a good choice. :D
It was all so much fun. Talked with eveybody, which was much easier considering there were three people there who could translate.
I was still wearing the kimono, and everyone was amazed to learn that I'd put it on all by myself. Shinta says he still can't put one on properly, and the male version isn't even as complicated. :P
Saying goodbye was very saddening because I realized that a lot of those people I'll never see again.. and the rest I could be seeing for the last time tomorrow after the sushi party, or next morning before I leave.
I love it here... I really really do. I miss everybody back home of course, but now I'm going to miss all my new friends in Ueda, too...
Not that that would ever make it not worth coming here and meeting them.
Coming tomorrow, my Last LJ post from Japan!!