The Time Between

So, after Rachel and Josh left, I had a little bit of time to hang and relax and have tests before Guillaume arrived and I went traveling again.

First, we got assigned to our new classes (wow, that seems like it was AGES ago at the beginning of August - I can't believe I am just writing about it now), and I ended up in a class with Alexis but not with Martin. I absolutely ADORE my new class, so that is good. I still have Suzuki先生 sometimes, and since she is awesome, I am happy about that. Tsuruta先生 is my homeroom teacher, and she is fabulous as well. My two new teachers, though, I am still very iffy about.

Other than that, a bunch of us went to see a sumo match, which was super fun.

Martin, me, Lyn, Lauren, Alexis, and Tom

It's true that they were all super enormous, but for some reason they weren't nearly as enormous as I was expecting them to be.

The matches lasted about two seconds, and very little happened in them. But somehow, they stilled managed to be super intense.

So yeah, the sumo was SUPER fun, and I am so glad to have gotten the oportunity to see that in Japan!

Then one weekend, Jin Han and I met up with Sayumi, one of the people that was teaching us in our dance class, and we went to the matsuri (festival) in Nishyou (and least I think that's the name of the place).


Me and Jin Han

We were psyched to get to go, and we even got to dance (with Sayumi's team), which was super fun!


Sayumi's team dancing


Notice how incompetent I look compared to Jin Han!

It made me want to learn ALL of the Yosakoi dances, and I am sad that I haven't been able to continue. It was nice to be able to practice before the real dancing as the Yamasa team at the Okazaki festival.

Also, one day, Yamasa had a "try on your own yukata" get-together/session/I really don't know what to call it. We got to try on two different yukatas, and, well, I proved to be fairly incompetent.


This is the first one I tried on, that was super awesome 80's looking!

Me with Lauren and Alexis in the second one I tried on.
I had some trouble breathing in the second one.
When Guillaume came to visit, he was so kind as to buy me a yukata (YAY!!!!), and so now I've got one of my own!

Me in the Yukata that Guillaume bought for me.

Which one of the three do you like best?

Anyhow, so I'm sure there were other things going on, like we went to see the new Miyazaki film, Arietty, which is based on the books the Borrowers, by Mary Norton, which are some of my favorite books from when I was little. And since it was Miyazaki with the Borrowers, of COURSE it was AMAZING. More than amazing. And it was in Japanese without subtitles, and I actually pretty much understood it, which was super exciting for me!

And then it was time for Obon, and Guillaume was on his way! Details and pictures coming soon!

Les States and anime

Today, I am headed back to the states for a little bit in order to get my visa to be able to stay in France. YAY! :-) I am spending tonight in New York, and it's looking like Tuesday morning my flights, despite going through Houston, might actually get me home. Super YAY!!!!



Yesterday, Guillaume and I went to the anime convention, and it was awesome. There were so many people dressed up awesomely, either just because or for cosplay. I felt super boring in my normal clothes. We saw Batman and the Joker being friends, even! they kept moving, so it was hard to get a picture, but I tried.



There was karaoke, but it seemed like the same two people were singing the whole time. And we also saw people doing the sumo wrestling in the sumo costumes (like on that episode of Hannah Montana). People kept getting in the way, so yet again, it was hard to get a picture, but I tried. Man, I would have loved to have tried it myself.


Then later I got to do some origami. I think it would be cool to take an origami class because, well, I suck. I managed the super simple penguin, but when I tried the snowflake, I somehow ruined it to the point where even the super awesome at origami girl sitting next to me couldn't salvage it. The place where I am taking Japanese classes (I start September 30 - YAY!) offers origami lessons on Saturdays, so I might have to do that.

Okay, I'm off to pack. I might not post for the next little while, but do not despair - I WILL BE BACK!