Kanoya Natsu Matsuri, Summer Festival!

Many people say that a picture tells a thousand words... well, I'm gonna post a few pictures to tell those words because I'm just sooooo tired! We, the Kanoya International Exchange Association--joined by the sign language club "Yamabiko" and the Kichiyo Dance School, did our Han'ya Odori Dance in the Kanoya Summer Festival! We were all very tired and seriously dehydrated. Been up this morning since 7 to prepare the Yamasha, (dashi, which would be float that goes before our dance group) and then taught those who didn't learn the dance until today.

The overall experience was definitely awesome and we had a great time making fun of each other with our happi and head bands. There were some minor mishaps, but they were all resolved quickly. I thought there were a few times that my supervisor Kawahara san was gonna pass out from the stress of organizing the whole thing, but then eventually he handled it quite well... ooooh geez I'd better actually let the pictures tell their stories... :p

Ino-san, posing in front of our "Dashi (float)." hee hee he's sooo funny~ He made the globe on the kei-truck and it actually rotates!!! isn't that cool!!

Okay, right before we leave... hee hee look at us... right under the sun.. sooo hot.

Just when they called out our group and it was time to head out... we decided to pose for one more picture with our sign: "Warera Chikyujin (Us the Earthlings)"

Right before we were almost done... were taking a drinking water break. whew... so tired >_<

Throughout the time when we were dancing there were like random people just handing us cans of beers (already opened, mind you) and then asked if we wanted to have a sip... yeah.. right, we are gonna drink from your beer, that's right...

As we were only wearing tabi, our feet were all wet from the water people poured on the street... it was definitely really weird. Dancing with people watching and bus constantly passing next to us... hee hee~

Oh one last picture...

Ah.... now a picture of our dancing parade. hee hee~ It was fantastic fun, but then now my feet are aching terribly, and the "han'ya bushi" song is still in my head... "Han'ya~~~" oh... goodness, right... time for bed.