Filed under: Happenings
Two years ago when I studied abroad in Iida I got to take part in my first Tanabata festival by visiting my host family’s parrents’ house, feasting while watching fireworks from the 2nd story window and by dressing up in yukata and walking to a near by Shinto shrine to see the fireworks close up and to eat yummy festival food. This year I didn’t put much thought into Tanabata. I thought it was on the 7th but wasn’t sure. When I got home Ryan said that he hear fireworks being shot off all day long so we figured out it was the day. We ended up going shopping and eating at McDonalds of all places (hey it sounded good), taking the train for the first time in a few months. Riding back home we started seeing fireworks and as we walked closer and closer to our house the fireworks were nearly overhead. Excited we walked further down the river and found out where they were being shot from. Putting two and two together we figured out that these fireworks must be for that same shrine I visited two years ago. A part of me wanted to go find the shrine but Ryan flopped on the ground and started watching the fireworks. Laying on the ground is a little weird in Japan, but he decided he didn’t care and I went along with it. I have never been that close to huge fireworks in all my life. We got some good photos using my camera’s fireworks mode. Enjoy.
Well it’s been almost a week so if I’m going to post about this I better get to it. Last week on Wednesday the students who are studying abroad in Iida through MU’s summer program came to Fuetsu. (This is the program I studied aboad on two years ago) Fuetsu’s second year international studies students gave presentations on their school, Iida City, and Japanese culture. These students will be going to Australia next year on an exchange trip and need to especially work on speaking English. Students got a chance to talk to each other and a small group of Fuetsu students took the MU students on a school tour. Afterwards some of the MU students stayed for our first year international studies student class which was a great surprise to the first years. They seemed to have a good time talking with the MU students in English and I hope that experience encouraged them to study English more.
Because of the nature of this event we ended up in the newspaper not once but twice. Reporters interviewed MU students, Fuetsu student and even myself. I guess they accredited me with putting this event together which seems like too much credit. I just wrote a few messages on Facebook to the MU students. The teachers at Fuetsu were the ones who made the official calls and what have you.
All in all it was a fun but exhausting day. The MU students seemed to have a great time and will be back for our school festival and possibly for another (less hectic) school visit.
