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Dancin’ fool

Posted: August 10th, 2006 | Author: | Filed under: Humor, Japan, Travel | 14 Comments »

I got some good comments on the last article, so I’ll give you another in English.

Yesterday the ALT living below me took me to a Bon festival dance practice session. The Bon festival is a big summer deal in Japan, originally having to do with ancestors and filial piety and all that jazz. In reality it’s more of an excuse for everyone to get rowdy and drunk early in the morning.

Like so much of Japanese life, the festival demands clearly defined gender roles. Women dance and cook. Men get drunk and pretend to enjoy carrying heavy decorative floats. That’s the way it always has been and always will be; the natural state of the things, the circle of life, the nitrogen cycle, or the maybe even the Carnot engine. You know, one of those touchy-feely things that involve the placenta.

I pulled a gender bender last night, going to practice traditional Bon dances with the local troupe of quinquagenarian housewives. We pranced around in a circle, them moving with the grace and fluidity of decades of experience, me helplessly flailing my limbs in a poor attempt to mimic them. Needless to say, I had a monopoly on Y chromosomes in the room.

Earlier in the day I played hookey after lunch and got my friend to take me to buy a cell phone. I felt naked without a phone, but once I got it I realized I don’t really have anyone to talk to on it. It does have a pretty good camera built-in (3 megapixels), so as soon as I figure out how to transfer the photos to my POS work computer, you can all partake in the eyecandy.

In other good news, I got confirmation that my internet will be ready to go next Saturday. Despite this being the middle of nowhere, it will actually be faster than my parents’ connection in Minneapolis.

After work I’m going with my ALT friend to the nearby town of Uwa for some kaiten zushi. You may recall my previous pontifications on that particular piece of popular prandial perfection. Suffice it to say that kaiten zushi is without a doubt the best food on earth, and I would literally strangle any number of babies if it meant I would get a chance to eat it.

14 Comments on “Dancin’ fool”

  1. 1 Angie said at 16:45 on August 10th, 2006:

    You are too funny! Fortunately, you won’t have to harm any babies to get kaiten sushi tonight. You will, however, have to endure my corny jokes and usual hyperactivity during the drive down.

  2. 2 Brian said at 18:17 on August 10th, 2006:

    I have nothing better to do than check your website 3 times per day.

    Really.

  3. 3 Seth said at 23:02 on August 10th, 2006:

    Don’t you ever have to, like, work, or anything?

  4. 4 amake said at 8:43 on August 11th, 2006:

    Brian > Sounds like you should go visit the monkeys again. Aren’t you working?

    Seth > No. No, I don’t.

  5. 5 Rui said at 11:12 on August 11th, 2006:

    so far all i’ve heard is your coworkers or ur bosses taking u for some fun.

  6. 6 sakomin said at 13:32 on August 11th, 2006:

    I can imagine you are in a circle dancing Bon-odori !!! Actually I’ve never danced Bon-odori before though, now you have tons of chances to see Japanese traditional fun. Enjoy(^o^)♪

  7. 7 Brian said at 15:23 on August 11th, 2006:

    yeah, I teach English to a bunch of little Vietnamese kids.

    Starting September I’ll be up over 40 hours/week. For now, I don’t really do anything during the day other than avoid responsibility.

  8. 8 Molly said at 13:16 on August 12th, 2006:

    Rather than a specific food, would kaiten zushi be better classified as a genre? =)

    You update too fast, by the time I check there are always three new posts…

  9. 9 Henri said at 21:02 on August 12th, 2006:

    Hi Aaron,
    Welcome back to Japan. I’ll be here till next march.
    No contacts in your contactlist. Want my number?
    P.s. If you want to visit Tokyo again, feel free to contact me. You can stay in my room (if you don’t mind sleeping in a crappy an tiny room)

    ciao
    Henri
    (the dutch guy from sunrise Tode)

  10. 10 Richard said at 5:07 on August 13th, 2006:

    All this and money, too? You should learn to make kaiten sushi while you have the chance.

  11. 11 amake said at 15:12 on August 13th, 2006:

    Rui > Yeah, well I don\’t really have any work to speak of yet. But things should start picking up now that people are back from vacation. I think they\’re going to let me translate the town website into English.

    sakomin > 結構楽しかったよ！でも残念ながらお盆祭りの日は松山に研修に行ってるから参加できない（悲）

    Brian > Not that this is all what you want to hear right now, but enjoy the lull while you can.

    Molly > Yes I suppose it would be a genre. Unfortunately for you, however, you\’re not the boss of me.

    Henri > Hey, man! Long time no see! Sorry I missed you while I was in Tokyo. Next time I visit I\’ll drop you a line. Email me your number: amake at mac dot com

    Richard > Yes, I\’ll get right around to installing a conveyor belt in my apartment.

  12. 12 Danielle Kay Weeks ( your cousin) said at 8:27 on August 16th, 2006:

    HAHAHA! That’s funny ^_^. I don’t think I would have the guts to go out and dance like that…even if i am a girl @_@;. Oh Well, at least there’s someone in my family that will do something spontaneous. So, what do you do all day besides observing the habits of the Japanese?

  13. 13 amake said at 8:52 on August 16th, 2006:

    Danielle > It’s a do or die kind of situation here. Normally I wouldn’t dare do a thing like that.

    I don’t really have much work yet. I translated the town’s PR pamphlet into English, but beyond that I’ve mostly been checking my email and blogging.

  14. 14 Danielle Kay Weeks ( your cousin) said at 9:50 on August 23rd, 2006:

    you’re funny ^_^. i wish i could translate a pamphlet…heheh- anyway, sounds like you’re having fun even though you’ve got to dance with old Japanese ladies. Peace out!

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