cjsmith | We survived the dance!

The square dance weekend at Gotenba was lots of fun. I sniffled and coughed my way through my time on the stage without too many mishaps. I even had enough energy to dance once or twice, although a fifteen-minute set took enough out of me that I didn't do it often.

I have tasted more kinds of sake in the past few days than I had tasted before in my entire life. I have even been gifted with a bottle of sake, along with some chopsticks in beautiful wrapping, some handmade earrings, lots of food items, a spray bottle to get smoke smell out of our clothes, several kinds of cough drops, a scarf, a handkerchief, and a big scroll with a painted illustration from the Tales of Genji. Silly me, I thought our suitcases would be lighter once we gave away what we'd brought! I have square danced in little indoor slippers (shoes are for outside) and I have square danced with people wearing enormously sequinned costumes (Saturday night was costume night). I am sure I hadn't lived until I had seen a young Japanese man dressed up as Elvis.

The dancers went nuts over my very simple Japanese. On Friday I thanked them for coming to the dance, which turned out to be a rather longish sentence, and they applauded for longer than it had taken me to say it. For simple square dance hints I knew the words for left and right, which usually drew a chuckle. On Sunday there was a little mixup -- one caller was finishing up and said I was next, which wasn't true, Takeuchi-san was next, so when I finally got up I told them "Today I am Takeuchi" and they thought that was terrific. I can only imagine how they would have responded if I actually had a real clue and could speak well.

I still haven't found stamps for postcards. Japan is not very into the touristy postcard thing. And yeah, I'm definitely still sick.

Home tomorrow. (It's nearly 6pm Sunday now.)

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So glad to hear you made it through the dance well! You even managed to dance too -- go you! And I'm pleased that they enjoyed your bits of Japanese so thoroughly. I'll bet they don't get many visitors who even attempt it. Excellent!

And... sake! Sake is one of my favorites -- I'm glad you've gotten to taste several kinds. I'm envious! I hope you're a fan of sake too, so this was an enjoyable experience for you. Yummy!

Sorry you're still sick. I hope it at least takes somewhat of a break for your flight; I know I hate flying when horribly stuffed up. More safe virtual *HUGS* from across the Pacific!

I think you're right, not many visitors attempt it. Although several US square dance callers (the ones who've gone over there a few times) have definitely studied it. I hope to get hired back to Japan in the future so that I have a good excuse to improve! :-)

I like the 10% alcohol sake much better than the 20% kind. And I've now had it warm! I had no idea it was so nice warm! Here in the US folks usually don't bother with that. I almost bought myself a sake flask-and-cups set because it was such a nifty experience to drink it properly...

I must not be too stuffed up because my ears aren't in immense pain now. YAY!

I always prefer it hot. The problem with that, though, is that I stop tasting the alcohol, and . . . well . . . getting drunk tends to remove my inhibition.

Oh DARN.

Hmmm -- I've always had my sake served warm. I think I prefer it that way, so warm and yummy and alcoholic. But I've never had it cold, other than hot sake that had cooled off too much (not as good). I've vaguely heard that the type of sake served cold isn't the same stuff they serve hot, but I'm not entirely sure aobut that. Needs more investigation... ;)

The only times I've had sake before this trip were square dance afterparties, where someone would bring a bottle and we'd drink it room-temperature. (We were drinking all the wine room temperature too, although people were more picky about beer so that got fridge space.) I liiiiiike it warm.

I didn't know there was a type that was supposed to be served cold. Hmm. I could see myself getting into the learning about all this!

This sounds so cool.

Hope you get well soon!

Thanks! :-) I'm in the sniffle-and-cough-only stage now, which feels sorta like the endgame. I HOPE!

Go you! :-)

Thanks! :-)

I'm home now. (Well, at work.) My watch says I leave Tokyo five hours in the future.

Sounds like you got my bug! And I have no idea why. I don't remember when we (or Rob and I, for that matter) last smooched. I don't think it was this lifetime.

I don't think it was either. But stuff gets around. I know at least one of his flight students had a similar thing.

Good to know that rudimentary Japanese from an amerika-jin is a crowd-pleaser!

It sure is! I got lots of compliments on my Japanese, and let me be the first to say it is VERY rudimentary. I think lots of us Westerners are intimidated by Japanese and don't even try, so they really do appreciate someone giving it a go. They were even nice about my mistakes!

We survived the dance!

Yay!

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