Still recovering from a three-day weekend this past week, due to "Respect for the Elderly Day" on Monday, hence the late weekend wrap-up once again (a whole lotta elderly and a whole lotta respect can REALLY take it out of a person!).
Anyhoo, I had yet another "welcome" enkai (all you can eat and drink party) last Friday for my school. This time, it was to welcome not only myself, but the Chinese ALT as well, so I like to think that it was double the fun with double (or triple?) the languages to work through!
You knew I couldn't leave you hanging without at least ONE food shot, right? Feast your eyes on the luscious bowl 'o sashimi for our starter:
On Saturday, our fun Aussie friend, Sam, came for a weekend of foolishness! We did some more great Purikuras, harassed 100 yen-men at Bic Camera, ate Indian food, did some day-tripping, and frolicked with some drag queens (more below)!
We took the train to Otaru, a quaint little canal-town known for music boxes and hotate, or grilled scallops. This is where my kyoto sensei took me on one of my first weekends in Japan:
Otaru is also great because of its apparent identity crisis. It's a Japanese town that sells itself as "little Venice" and is known for its great German beers.
Sam getting cell phone advice from this shady character:
Jacob eating hotate on the streets of Otaru:
Okay, so perhaps the best thing we stumbled upon this weekend was the fabulous, fabulous Sapporo Rainbow March, celebrating diversity of all orientations! The SRM is the longest-running march of its kind in Japan...even folks from down in Tokyo fly up for the event! Even more awesome, the entire event ends with an address from the Mayor of Sapporo...completely revolutionary for this country!
I have to say, if a conservative, resistant, homogenous country such as Japan can start to embrace all of our wonderful human differences and diversities, I have a little more hope for the rest of the world than I did before!
I can only wish and hope in my wildest dreams that I could EVER look as good in a Medusa outfit:
And this is perhaps the greatest...well...the greatest thing I think I've ever seen! I have a whole new batch of inspiration for my life now:
Sam holding our Polaroid with the anti-AIDS guy...yes, Japan can even make AIDS look cute:
All I have to say is, "yes!"
I looooooove long weekends filled with random fun lovin' and good times! Especially when those good times are clad in leather and neon feathers! Am I in Japan?
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3 comments:
Oh...Crystal...you make me nostalgic for my life in Japan. I had unbelievable adventures every week, and sometimes every day!
And Hokkaido Hotate is the best I have ever eaten. And I never, ever got to eat it in Hokkaido. Mmmmmm.
A lot of those costumes look like the kids in Harajuku wear every weekend. Near the Meiji temple there, the costumed "kids" sit in small gaggles posing for pics or singing karaoke. Oh, sigh, I miss it.
And print club...I only have about 4 pages of the little pics myself. But what could be better? A life of interesting people, good beer, print club, and adventure. Why did I come back to the US?
Ha! Well, we're waiting for you...and we have a guest room! Let me know when you'll be here!
um that is brilliant
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