But tomorrow, the studying begins. Oh yes! Though we've two weeks of holiday, none of us exchange students can forget that very soon after we return, final exams begin. So from tomorrow onward, I will be reviewing material, praying that my brain retains enough knowledge to get me through the exams. I also have to complete my research project on culture shock. Good thing I'm already an expert on the subject.
I remembered yesterday that I have yet to post about the Keio school festival, called Mitasai, which was held in late October. It's two months late, but better late than never, right?
School festivals in Japan are a huge affair, especially
at a prestigious university like Keio. High schools also have fairs, though I haven't been to any myself. The school grounds are transformed by a veritable maze of food stalls erected by student organizations selling everything from chocolate bananas, crepes, and waffles, to okonomiyaki, noodles, and beer. It's a great way to sample native foods. I myself took a walk on the adventurous side and tried takoyaki, or fried octopus (shown on the left). I couldn't really taste anything except fried goodness, so it was okay. Don't think I'll make it a habit, though.
In one area there was a stage where music and dance organizations performed. My friends and I stopped to watch this group perform a traditional song and dance routine of Okinawa. The guys with the big drums onstage banged away enthusiastically while the girls in front of the stage preformed hand movements. Both groups chanted in time with the musicians playing the
sanshin, a three-stringed banjo native to Okinawa.Clubs also took over the classrooms of several buildings. There were many student-erected bars, including one where I challenged a friend to a soccer match on a PS2 that was projected onto a large screen. Mark and I had our fortunes told by a tarot reader, and the lot of us enjoyed a traditional tea ceremony performed by a sado (tea ceremony) club.
Though it was a lot of fun, it was also somewhat exhausting. You have to constantly fend off swarms of students trying to drag customers to their booths. There was one stall that was especially enthusiastic: the egg stall. I think they were just selling boiled eggs, but my god were they excited about it. Their stall was at the end of a long narrow alley, so anytime someone approached the end, a group of about seven male students would crowd around them shouting, "Tamago! Tamago!", except in our case it was "Egg! Egg!". I ended up going past them at least four times, and they did it to me every. single. time. I'll give them points for persistence, but jeez.
So yeah, sorry it's so late, but I was pretty dead in November. Merry Christmas everyone!
1 comment:
Hey Katherine, your "pawpaw" - - as my girls call him - - told us about your Blog. Must say, very well written. I spent some time in Tokyo and loved it. Unfortunately, when I stayed there I was across the street from the American embassy. Everytime I walked by I walked fast. It had repeated bomb threats!!
Happy Sweet Merry Christmas - - have a great time.
Post a Comment