Ringon Matsuri

Hey everyone!

I’ve been super busy these past couple of days, but I found a bit of time to write in my blog again!

Yesterday, I tried going to school by myself for the first time.  It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be…and I ended up getting lost.  >.<  I turned one street too early and found myself in some vegetable fields. Confused, I had to ask a nearby field worker for directions to my high school (in Japanese, of course). She was really nice about the fact that I couldn’t speak very much and was very patient in explaining the directions to me. While she didn’t dumb down her Japanese’s speed or vocabulary, I eventually remembered the words that she was telling me….and I eventually made it to my high school. 

The Japanese people I’ve come across are have been surprisingly nice to foreigners. I thought that, out in the country, maybe people would be less tolerant of people who couldn't speak or understand Japanese very well. Maybe my town isn't quite considered that far out into the country? All I know is that, in California, I've seen quite a few people who are not as tolerant of people who don’t speak English…

After spending a lonely day at the English teacher's office by myself with the chants of the sports teams in the background (I admire their persistence with training even in this heat! They’re there from 7am til past 2pm when I leave school!), I handed out the rest of my omiyage (*) to the teachers I hadn't met the first day. When my supervisor returned, we got a bunch of official stuff done, got a ‘mamachari’ bike (a bike with a basket in front) so that I could explore at my leisure, but we were ultimately unable to get me a bank account or cell phone yet. Bummer :(

Today, however, was a LOT of fun!!! I met up with Emma, who took me to a park in Komagane called ’森と水のアウトドア体験広場高さ’, which means Forest and Water Outdoor Experience Plaza. There was a rock wall, a beautiful river(**), and a spectacular view. Emma’s husband, Daniel, is also an ALT (both live in Ina). He convinced me to try climbing the rock wall and also convinced me to jump off of some huge stairs onto a mat. Both of which were terrifying at first, but so much fun! Everything was a blast…I even tried slacklining! 

I couldn’t get the hang of it, but I could manage getting maybe 3 or 4 steps in on the rope (my high score, I guess lol), which I was told was good for a beginner! :) Anyways, after playing in the river once more, we went to an awesome restaurant called Goo’s Café before heading to the Ringon Festival in Iida City!

Ringon was so much fun!!! It was a huge street festival celebrating the year's apple harvest, where people drink a lot, dance in the streets, and sell food in various stalls. The dance was simple enough to learn, even I could do it! The music we were dancing to was super traditional (and kind of cheesy) Japanese music, which made the festival seem like I was in a Japanese version of Disneyland. We danced for a while, met up with some other southern Nagano JETs, then took off early to beat the traffic! I’m so glad I got to go to this festival…it really was a part of this culture that I know I couldn’t have experienced anywhere else.

To finish off the day, I Skyped with Ryan the first time...neither of us wanted to hang up by the end of the conversation! I know everything's gonna be ok, but this year is going to be so difficult...I haven't even made it through the first month and I'm already missing him so much :(

Anyways, that's all for now. Stay tuned for pictures and videos!

(*) Omiyage is kind of like an “I’m new…I bring presents from my home country to you..."PLEASE LIKE ME" gift.

(**) The water is crystal clear...and when you step in the sand in the water, little gold flakes float around! So pretty!!