Saturday

Here I am near the end of another Saturday. Today was unlike any Saturday in my whole life...in several ways... First of all, I literally didn't wake up until noon. I have never slept that late in my whole life, even when I've been sick! My body must have been begging for sleep! Another way this Saturday was different, was that for the first time in my life I went and bought a lunch (by myself) and went to the park to eat it (by myself). Then I sat in the shade where there was a breeze by the river for about two hours and read Fellowship of the Ring (by myself). Maybe this is because I come from a large family, but I have found that being by yourself is B-O-R-I-N-G most of the time. Other times, it is something that I really need... Going somewhere that I can be alone really helps me relax. One more way this Saturday has been different, is that I wore a yukata for the first time! Miho-San came and helped Abi and me put them on at 4:00, and at about 4:30 we left here to go to the Summer festival held on this street. I had lots of fun! Yukiho came too. We both got a Japanese style snow-cone. Later we ate the dish that Tsukishima is well known for, and finished it off with a vanilla ice cream cone! I got home at 7:45, and just had to show you my pictures! One more note about the Yukata... although it looks nice, it feels more like a corset! First, you wrap it and tie it with a cotton strip of fabric. That part has to be very tight, to keep the fabric from slipping. Then, you tie the obi (the pink sash). This also has to be very tight for some reason. Most of the time, you have to use the obi to tie your own bow in the back, but thankfully mine came with a pre-assembled bow. So after you tie the obi, you stick the bow in the back and tie it in the front, and hide the string under the obi. The whole thing is rather complicated... I have worn an Indian Sari, and I can't decide which is harder to properly put on! :)

My love to you all!!!

Hannah

In the first picture, you can see Yukiho and myself. In the next picture, I am with Hinako-Chan - the little girl I have been teaching English, and with whose family I am going on vacation in August. In the last picture you can see Abi, Yukiho, Eastin, and me in our Japanese clothes. :)