Dancing in the Street

道で踊れている

 
If you don't have time to read all this now, turn your volume up, page down, and listen to the drums.  When you come back later, you can listen again...

It's already October, and here I am telling you about a festival we attended at the end of August, right after we returned from our summer trip.  Even though I still haven't completely dealt with the artifacts of the summer, be it overcharges from the rental car company, data from colleges, follow-up communication with those we visited this summer, and processing pictures, we are fully plunged into the details of the present and strategies for the future. ビデオの下にこの物語を書きました。読んでくださいね。

The children are in school, very busy, as football season is big for both.    Jonah plays JV Football, with practices almost every day after school, and Monica, in her role as athletic trainer, attends nearly every practice and most games.  But that's just extracurricular.  Each has a good load of interesting and challenging classes at ASIJ.  They are looking forward to JUMP, which is coming up.  (Japan Understanding and Motivational Program).  Add to this the usual stressors of Senior Year, as exams are taken and college aps are prepared. 

Martin's work in hybrid and electric car development is very interesting.  He is high energy as he travels around Asia and beyond, or talks on the phone or works at his computer for hours on end.  I'm not an engineer, nor do I have an MBA, but it's fascinating to hear him talk about his various projects.  I'm learning so much, and I think that every once in awhile, I might be lending good advice about working with people, as we take Toby for walks in the neighborhood.    The rest of the time, I am working on the church website, or doing a handful of hobbies like yoga, skating and ikebana.  And of course, I continue to study Japanese.  So, I have piles of things to do, but want to enjoy each day, knowing that my time in Japan is growing short. 

I always enjoy a festival, and the Awaodori Matsuri at Koenji, a neighborhood in Tokyo, is a lovely mix of music, dance and colorful costume.  It was absolutely beyond my expectations, as I didn't do my research ahead of time, and went assuming it was just another festival.  We were out of country during the Azabu Juban Matsuri this year, so the weekend after we returned, Martin and I decided to look around for another festival, and Google found the Koenji one for me. Turns out, this event is very special, comprised of many dancing groups, and has been held in Koenji during the last weekend of August for overy fifty years.  It has ties to other, centuries old traditions within Japan, like the Tokushima events, the Bon Odori of summer and even No drama... but you can learn about all that on this website, which is very good. 

Of course, Martin took beautiful photos, a few are here on his PIXBYMARTIN pro photo website.  And, just for fun, I uploaded these videos to Youtube.  Be sure to turn on your volume, and though my videos are not great quality, I think you'll enjoy the music and dance, especially the taiko drums.  Enjoy! 

 

 

 

もう１０月だけど、この物語は８月に祭りを見たについてです。あれはちょうどアメリカの旅行から帰ったときでした。夏の旅行はいっぱいなので、たくさん残り物があるけど、現在のことも未来のこともしなければならないから、いつものように忙しいです。

子供たちの学校で、現在はアメリカフートボールの間から、モニカとジョナは忙しいです。もちろん、ジョナは小さいだけど、チームの仲間です。毎日に学校の後に、稽古に参加します。殆ど毎週は試合です。ジョナはフットボールが大好きです。モニカは学生なトレーナだから、モニカも稽古と試合も参加します。選手のためにいつも色々な手伝います。あれ上に、普通な学校の勉強することがあります。学校は難しいだから、たくさん宿題があります。来月に皆高校生はJUMPに行きます。それはいろいろ日本の所に行って、日本の文化を勉強して、面白い経験を楽しみにしていると思います。ジョナは１０年生だから、皆同い年は長野区のトガリに行って、農業を勉強します。モニカは１２年生から、皆同い年はいろいろ小さいグルプと別の所に行くので、今どこが分かりません。

マーティンの仕事はいつものように忙しいだので、たくさん出張があります。韓国とか中国とかアメリカも行きます。日本にいるときにいつも電話の会議があるから、あまり自由時間がないけど、夜にトビと散歩しながら、話します。 私は彼の仕事について聞くことが好きです。電気車やハイブリドですね。　私には最近英語の生徒が少ないから、教会のウエブサイトを作ってみます。それはたくさん新しいことを習い覚えます。時間がかかるけれど、私にはそれはいいと思います。趣味もしているので、生け花とか、スケートとか、ヨガもします。もちろん日本語も続きます。たくさんすることがしなければならないけど、日本に住んでいるときは短くなっているから、日常生活の毎日に楽しんでみます。

そうすると、祭りが大好きです。今年に、麻布十番の祭りのときに、まだ帰らないから、行けませんでした。そして、マーティンと祭りを探したので、ググルで高円寺の阿波おどりを見つけました。それが分からなかったので、一緒に行きました。すごい！それはとても面白かったです。皆のダンスや音楽や芝居衣装もとても面白かったです。後に、研究をしたので、高円寺阿波踊りの歴史が知っていました。見に行ったことがうれしいですよ。もちろん、マーティンは写真を撮ったので、かれのプローサイトに載せました。私は上手じゃないけど、ベデオを取ったので、すれは上に付きました。

 

Comments

[Shu Yoshino]

Pamela,
I enjoyed the post and the video very much.
Actually, as a Japanese, I have known of this festival for many years but imagined something rather boring because it is all about 'Awaodori' one style of traditional folk dance anyway. But what I see here is impressive! So much of different dance style, rhythms and costumes. Everything is so colorful and joyful.

I'd go and see next year.

Aloysius

[Pamela]

Aloysius,
Thanks for the very nice comment. Yes, being there is an incredible experience. I'm glad we accidently went this year, and if, by chance, we are still here next year, we'll make a plan to got together.

[benjamin]

Hey ! ^^
Great blog ^^
Since you seem to be living in Japan I have a question.
Actually I would like to know if you or readers of this blog are interested in writing about the way you have personnally experienced the Northeastern Japan Earthquake (if you haven't but you know people who have experienced the earthquake in Japan, it'd be great if you coud let him/her know about this).
Tokyo Room Finder Short Essay Contest is an online project to gather heart-warming experiences following the earthquake in Japan. We strongly believe that sharing those experiences will give people hope and revitalize Japan.
We also offer 2 tickets for Tokyo Disney Resort to each of the winners.

For more details : http://tokyoroomfinder.blogspot.com/

[Pamela]

Hello Benjamin,
Thanks for your comment. Sure, I'll keep this link in here, so that anyone who stumbles upon my blog and wants to enter the contest can find it.

Good luck, and I hope that your project goes well.

[benjamin]

Thank you very much for your reply.

And thank you very much for your cooperation.
We can read a lot of personal stories written by japanese people on the net or on TV regarding the eartquake but not so many by foreigners (or scattered on numerous blogs). So we would like to collect those stories and gather them on one site.　

For more details :　http://tokyoroomfinder.blogspot.com/