My bravery pays off, BEST NIGHT YET!!!

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Today, like many other days, I spent shopping with Kristine. Until school starts, I anticipate this will be our daily routine. Tonight I had my first Japanese class. The classes are held at the local community center and costs just $1 a class. The room is set up so that the teachers are working with small groups of students. Since Kristine and I have no Japanese knowledge, a teacher worked with us alone. Our teacher was in her late 40's and so incredibly sweet. She worked with us for an hour and a half on some of the basics. I loved learning Japanese and can't wait to go back to class next week. I'm really going to work hard to study what we learned!!! At the end of class, she made origami balls with us. I felt like a child who was being rewarded for good work, it was awesome! She then exchanged phone numbers with us and told us she would take us to the movies some time. Can you imagine a teacher in the US ever doing that?

As I was riding my bike home alone, I heard the sound of a taiko drum and saw lights through some trees at the top of a hill. I realized the sound was coming from an area I had discovered the day before on my walk around town. If I was at home, I would have kept going. I wouldn't have stopped, but that is not why I'm in Japan. I'm here to try new things and that's exactly what I decided to do. I parked my bike and walked up the dark hill. When I made it through the trees, I realized a festival was going on. There were Japanese men, women, and children dressed in traditional clothing. Many were dancing in unison around a man playing a taiko drum while music played in the background. It was the most incredible sight to walk into.

Instantly, a group of elderly Japanese men approached me and started talking to me. It was so loud, I couldn't hear a word they were saying. They were all smiling though, so I figured it was ok. Finally, I realized one was telling me he loved me. I blushed immediatley and giggled like a child. One took off his robe and put it around me and another took my camera and attempted to take a picture of me. Unfortunately, he didn't understand why it was dark in the screen and didn't aim the camera at me. Oh well. Then one of the gentlemen escorted me through the dancers to the center so that I could get better pictures. He was talking to me the entire time, but I have no idea what he was saying. Then a little girl approached me and I took her picture. She walked to her mother, said something, and then came back over and gave me a painted balloon, filled with water and tied to a string. Another woman walked to me and said in English, "it's for good luck." I smiled and told the girl thank you in Japanese. I spent the next several minutes talking to the woman who spoke a little English. I also spoke to her two year old son using the few Japanese phrases I knew.

This night was so great because it was completely unexpected. I loved getting to communicate, or at least attempt to, with everyone. The people were so nice and it really made me excited about being in Japan.