Week 48: Started out boring, ended well.

Let's do the time work again!

So! Back a couple weeks, to...July 24th.  A full month!  Good heavens, what a month it's been.  So for those of you who remember, I was kinda having summer break. There was a lot of hiding in my room, there was planning for my parents' arrival, there was a summer festival at the church...You know, you can just go back and read my last post. It might be faster.

SO!  The week actually kinda started Sunday.  One of my friends here at the share house had to go home (lack of funds) and so they decided to throw her a farewell party!  I kinda agreed to go before I heard the details.  Sunday.  All day barbecue. I know, sounds fun, right? But let's keep in mind that I was tired, I'm lazy, and I had to miss the last hour of church for a drinking party. :P  But I went, and yes, it was fun.  Turns out it was a BIG barbecue day, because that park was full of staked out spots, and I gotta tell you, the Japanese know how to barbecue.

They had some games.

This one is a shock game. The last one to hit the button on their controller when the light flashes gets electrocuted.  I did not play.

Then there was the noodle slide!  You boil some noodles, then slide them down a bamboo flume, and people stand on either side to catch them and dip them in sauce and eat them!

fun, but I would use a different sauce.

A fine summer tradition!

When asked WHY this was a tradition, the Japanese girl just looked at me blankly.  I DO wonder how it gotten started.

Later that evening, we set off fireworks!  Japanese LOVE their fireworks.

It was windy, so lighting them was TOUGH

there were SO MANY of them.

And finally we separated and I got to go to bed. :P

Oh! Interesting thing!  A common thing to do when a Japanese party is breaking up (apparently) the person in charge does a little "thanks for coming" thing, and then goes "yoooooo" and everyone claps once.  and the party breaks up!  To wherever everyone's going!  I like it.

Monday was a major fireworks festival in Osaka, which meant it was CROWDED.

and dark, so I can't show pictures of that.  I can tell you that 1) they had fireworks for over an hour and a half, which is a good thing because we did not choose a good watching spot at first and had to walk a bunch to find another.  2) I don't want to go to a festival that crowded again.  Ever.

I'm afraid my memory of that night is tainted because one of the people that we met up with was an annoying twerp that kept trying to impress me by being an idiot.  (Look at me, all diplomatic)  but it was a nice evening and the fireworks were pretty, so there was that. :)

Later that week my friend actually had to leave.  So I helped her to the airport.

those bags were SO HEAVY.

this is at the airport. We kept saying what a good idea it was. No lifting.

And then I did homework and got my visa renewed.  That was entertaining because (if you remember last post) it is a bit of a walk there.  In the sun.  So the DAY before the parents were coming, I finally got my note that says "come in and get your visa, before ____ day" and of course, that day was before I'd be back from traveling with the parents, so I had to up and get it RIGHT THEN.

One of the things you have to get is a "revenue stamp" which is like a government money order. You can only get them at the post office. and...

Sucker is $40. right there.

It really is just a stamp.  I did NOT lose that thing.

Then the best part! My parents came in! :D

YAY!

They came in Friday night, so we went right to my share house and I got them settled.  Then on Saturday I took them to Osaka castle!

first time I've been inside

the inside was a museum, with A/C.  Dad is suffering Jetlag.

It was SO HOT. (this is a recurring theme)

And there was a lot of people hanging around for a boy band concert.

like, SO many

And they were ALL girls. I saw not ONE boy.

Sunday, I dragged them to church to meet all the members, then after dinner, we went to Kyoto!

It was a little odd having them here at first, because they stopped and took pictures of the most ordinary things, until I stopped and thought "wait, I took pictures of that when I first came too!  Just because it's normal to me now doesn't mean it was when I arrived!" :)