At some point in time, the date of which I can no longer remember, I went with my family to see 蛍 (hotaru) - fireflies! We stood waiting for a long time with a bunch of people until it finally got dark enough and they started to fly about, flashing their bums. (Hahaa! I'm so funny I kill myself... ehm.) It was really quite magical, and the first time I've seen real, live fireflies. The air was filled with the sound of frogs croaking, and it all created a very nice mood. I took some pictures, but they don't show very well... it looks like this:
"Look, a speck of light!" (Click for full size to see the speck.)We also went to the Chiran peace museum for kamikaze pilots - very touching and sad. No matter what you think of their acts, I think you have to admire these people for their bravery. Not to mention how they were willing to die for what they cared about and loved - their country and their families. There were so many artifacts there - pictures of those who went out (some as young as me or even just 17), things they carried, letters they wrote, clothes they wore and remains of their planes. My host-grandfather read some of the letters to me - "Big brother has gone to become friends with the stars. I'll watch over you and see you grow up from there. Be a good girl and take care of mom and dad." He also told me that he had seen people sitting on board trucks, being driven to their planes for take-off. "They weren't smiling then." He also said that he and his friends had been asked why they weren't going: "Anyone willing to come, raise your hand!" "I didn't." I had no idea he'd experienced that...
Also, I saw the last remaining plane of the ones they used in their missions. The pilot flying it crashed it into a huge American bomber (and I think that plane went down), but by some miracle only the wing of his plane got torn off, so he somehow managed to get back home. By the time he got back, the war had ended and there was no need to go back out. The Americans later spared his plane in acknowledgment of his bravery. There were actually two who survived and came back - one died some years ago, but the other one is (if memory serves) still alive today.
Grandfather and his friend from Osaka in front of a model of the planes used.
Outside a restaurant by the museum. ...I like my green tea.
...but it's too heavy to hold alone!
Also, I saw the last remaining plane of the ones they used in their missions. The pilot flying it crashed it into a huge American bomber (and I think that plane went down), but by some miracle only the wing of his plane got torn off, so he somehow managed to get back home. By the time he got back, the war had ended and there was no need to go back out. The Americans later spared his plane in acknowledgment of his bravery. There were actually two who survived and came back - one died some years ago, but the other one is (if memory serves) still alive today.
Grandfather and his friend from Osaka in front of a model of the planes used.
Outside a restaurant by the museum. ...I like my green tea.
...but it's too heavy to hold alone!The school excursion was a lot of fun! We went to a big park with some other kids from the same year, and to start it all off we competed in several different games -Tsuru forced down bread (the kind you use with hot dogs) in a eating-competition, and I threw a Frisbee off into nowhere in a "through and have your partner catch a Frisbee"-contest.Yeeeehaw ! After that we ran to the park's playground where we spent ages jumping around on a four-man teeter-totter while screaming and laughing hysterically.
"I'm gonna fall off! I'm gonna fall off! No, aaaaaaugh!"
"It's too high! Too hi- ...did you see the JUMP I just did?!"
...Never mind the people staring at us wondering what on earth we were doing. :P
Afterward we played in the river, me and Tsuru wading around, later being joined by the others and ultimately joining in on a water-fight and drenching Tsuru so we (or rather, Tsuru...) got yelled at by Matsuo-sensei (AKA. Matti). "TSURU!" (laughing) "What are you doing?! Look at you! I told you not to get all wet, did I not?" (takes out her camera) "...say cheese!"
The Rotary trip was great too. Nagasaki was wonderful and extremely sad - we went to the peace museum of the atomic bombing. Seeing everything from a student's lunch box with completely carbonized rice to a projected shadow of a man, a glass with the bones of a hand stuck in it, a helmet with remains of a mans skull, pictures, videos... writings... It was tough. Very tough.
We also went to the Dutch slopes, where we looked around and I had an ice-cream with rose-taste. Yum! :) The night in Nagasaki was spent with purikura and lots of chocolate at the hotel.
The "ninja village" was a tourist spot called Yumedori where you could see built models of old Japanese houses and get training as a ninja, take pictures of yourself wearing kimono and so forth. A lot of fun, though! Especially the house where you had to find the exit, and the guide-ninja decided we might need some help, so he came in after us, thereby scaring Jessa half to death and giving Francesco and me a good laugh - that scream was memorable! XD
In Kumamoto we went to Kumamotojyo, a castle first built in 1469 and the site of the Satsuma rebellion. (That's Kagoshima and the samurai, folks!) Seeing the exhibition of things from the rebellion there and being in the castle was amazing! :)
I've also been to a fairytale museum with my family, and it was a lot of fun -
look, mom, I even found Oz!
"I'm gonna fall off! I'm gonna fall off! No, aaaaaaugh!"
"It's too high! Too hi- ...did you see the JUMP I just did?!"
...Never mind the people staring at us wondering what on earth we were doing. :P
Afterward we played in the river, me and Tsuru wading around, later being joined by the others and ultimately joining in on a water-fight and drenching Tsuru so we (or rather, Tsuru...) got yelled at by Matsuo-sensei (AKA. Matti). "TSURU!" (laughing) "What are you doing?! Look at you! I told you not to get all wet, did I not?" (takes out her camera) "...say cheese!"
The Rotary trip was great too. Nagasaki was wonderful and extremely sad - we went to the peace museum of the atomic bombing. Seeing everything from a student's lunch box with completely carbonized rice to a projected shadow of a man, a glass with the bones of a hand stuck in it, a helmet with remains of a mans skull, pictures, videos... writings... It was tough. Very tough.
We also went to the Dutch slopes, where we looked around and I had an ice-cream with rose-taste. Yum! :) The night in Nagasaki was spent with purikura and lots of chocolate at the hotel.
The "ninja village" was a tourist spot called Yumedori where you could see built models of old Japanese houses and get training as a ninja, take pictures of yourself wearing kimono and so forth. A lot of fun, though! Especially the house where you had to find the exit, and the guide-ninja decided we might need some help, so he came in after us, thereby scaring Jessa half to death and giving Francesco and me a good laugh - that scream was memorable! XD
In Kumamoto we went to Kumamotojyo, a castle first built in 1469 and the site of the Satsuma rebellion. (That's Kagoshima and the samurai, folks!) Seeing the exhibition of things from the rebellion there and being in the castle was amazing! :)
I've also been to a fairytale museum with my family, and it was a lot of fun -
look, mom, I even found Oz!
...but I forgot my green glasses.
...and this little guy, a story I know and love (and again, mom, made me think so much of you:)
As I last update, I can say that I have - finally! - started kendo! (I asked my counselor 3 months ago...) I'm training at a place taught by a guy working in the police, and it's full of children from 7 years of age and up - the oldest are junior high school-students. Of course they nearly all own me skill-wise, but that's OK. I'm currently learning how to do the steps (or as I like to refer to it, "slip-skipping") and how to hold the shinai, as well as the proper way to hit a straight "men" hit. Hurrah!
(Now wish me luck so I don't get hit by the other people's shinai as I'm skipping along the wall by myself...)
Location: Japan!
Mood: - blank -
Listening to: The Call - Regina Spektor
Eating: Lemon biscuits! Yum
Drinking: -
2 comments:
Love to read new posts, loved Oz, and the little prince. I suspect you THREW your Frisbee ;) You are actually very pretty all green - how do you do it? I'd look worse than dead...
Yey! Finally another post :)
If you think of the scream, but add a lot of facial transformations on the way - THAT is you (about 4 years of age). Getting why i thought it hillarious?
Love ye, homie girl ^^
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