Tanabata (07/07/09)

I'm far too exhausted to finish the post I actually started composing, so updates about culture classes and this weekend's matsuri (festival!) will have to wait. However, because I know so many people other than Kelly actually read this, I couldn't possibly leave my fans without something to temporarily ease your suspense about the trivial details of my life.

Therefore, I give you Elliot's speech from the 2009 HIF Speech Contest:

My favorite part is around 2:00-2:15, although I'm pretty sure he also says "失敗" at some point which comes in as a close 2nd. =)

Also, I finally stole all the photos from my host family members' cameras, so I give you a much belated photo update:

TANABATA (07/07): In case you don't remember (although I'm sure you do because you hang on every word I say--or write), Tanabata is the Japanese holiday where young children dress up in kimonos and go from house to house singing the Tanabata song and in return they receive sweets or snacks of some sort.If you had stopped by my house, you got fried chicken flavored chips things (they actually aren't half bad), jello sticks, and chocolate.

Tanabata bamboo tree that marks which houses give out treats. You're supposed to hang colorful slips of paper on which people have written their hopes and dreams. It's been too long for me to remember the wording, but Yoshihisa's was that he wanted to be like Albert Einstein, haha. As for mine---well, mine's a secret =)

This adorable Japanese schoolchild just plopped herself down on the step without saying a word, waiting for us to put her snacks inside her bag. Soooo freaking cute!!!1!1! Also, please note the tennis shoes =)

My okaasan insisted that I take a picture with Syoori (my host-cousin who lives next door to us, shown here on the front left) and her friends for a picture.

Anyway, Hakodate's Tanabata traditions actually vary from the rest of Japan's, and since I don't actually know a great deal about the event, consult wikipedia for more details. That's all for now. Tons of pictures and videos and updates to follow at some point, I promise.