Dragons

Katherine, these are our speaker pals:

So, okay. I'm going to have to try and get this over and done with quick as I can as everyone is in Health and I am stealing the classroom's computer while they are all away even though I am meant to be studying. (>_<)

I had a weekend which was kind of busy and kind of not. During the last week a famous festival called, 'OKunchi' was on. It is always held in Nagasaki and I believe is one of the biggest festivals in Japan, it originated around 300 years ago and as Nagasaki was one of the only places in Japan accessible from other countries being a sea port, OKunchi has many different flavours. Each year I think they decide on what style of dragon they are going to use. This year was Chinese-ish and it was pretty damn cool.

Hikari and I went on Wednesday after school, I even skipped club to go and see it. Being a test day we only had an hour of it so it wasn't a huge thing although I still kind of got a lecture, geez, it is only the second time I've skipped. The first being so I could make a crepe for only 200円. So, Hikari and went up to Nagasaki, wait have I already talked about this? I have, haven't I. Okay, I jsut checked and yes, I have talked about Wednesday.

But this time, I have pictures:

EPIC FAIL, right?

On Friday we took another shot at seeing the dragons, I don't think Hikari really wanted to go but her mum made her take me and Ami from class went with us which helped. We got to the station, ate some Taiyaki. The awesome soft rice fish shaped things with various foods inside. I got a chocolate one and one with potato and bacon in it, they would have been better if they were warm but still oh-so good. I wish I could bring some back but it probably is illegal. Maybe I can learn how to make them, but they won't be fish shaped. Maybe you'll all just have to come over to Japan so you can try them. ^^

We spent the first part of the afternoon at Amyu Plaza walking around and chasing around a bunch of foreigners that looked like they were on a school trip as they were all in uniforms. I was just curious about where they came from but there were five girls we caught up with that looked too scary to ask. I thought it would be weird to for me to ask them. I don't know, I couldn't figure out what their emblem was either and couldn't get close enough to hear their accents. But their blazer was light blue, like Ouran. <3.

After that, we made our way down to where everyone was slowly gathering to wait for the dragons who were appointed to perform at around 7 o'clock. So, we got pretty decent seats and the people behind us were eating KFC which made me really want to just steal some of their chips. So, 7 o'clock rolls around, everyone is waiting, the camera people are there and in the distance we can hear the booming of the drums and the piping of flutes.

Then the announcer tells us that the dragons are going to be a little late...say maybe closer to 8 o'clock. The collective groan of the audience was kind of funny, the announcer was like, 'Hey,it's not my fault. It's not that long anyway...'. Well, maybe not for him who is sitting in a chair and can walk around for an hour and come back knowing his seat will be safe where everyone else is sitting on a tarpoline on the ground. (You even have to take your shoes off, go figure.) Mostly in seiza, the really uncomfortable sitting on your knees position. But I was amazed that no one moved, every one just sat\stood there and endured while they played clips of last years performance.

I played solitaire on my iPod which I've gotten addicted to and listened to Evil Dead which I don't ever seem to tire of. 8 o'clock came faster than expected and soon the dragons came and they were well worth the wait, three came: two green and one white. They all did individual dances and then danced in couples and all three. On the way home, Hikari told me the actual story of it. Dragons chasing the moon basically sums it up. But, as I see it, it was well worth the wait. You hardly even noticed the dancers in black with the poles, all you could see were dragons flying around Nagasaki in unison, especially when all three danced.

My favourite dragon was the white one, it was pretty damn cool to be honest. There were other dancers during the festival but the were during school so obviously I couldn't have gone to them but I was pleased with what I saw and glad I was lucky enough to see it. Mie-san met us at Nagasaki and we were trying to figure out what to have for dinner as none of us had eaten. Hikari was for KFC and then Mie-san came up with Moss Burger which I have been whining to try. We went, the place was small and I'd gone kind of crazy. I ordered a chicken burger with chicken, lettuce and mayonaise. I kind of wished I'd ordered the hamburger which I had a bite of. But it was really nice but surprisingly small. Unlike other burger places they are made to order which gives it that fresh taste if not a slightly long wait. Most of which I entertained myself by balancing our number on my hand. >_<

<3

Ashley-chan.