What I Did During Summer Vacation

So... I know I've been getting worse and worse at posting. I think it's because I really want to put up some pictures, and it just takes so long to resize them, upload them to flickr, and then copy and paste the html. Maybe I should just break down and get a paid web host.

Anyway, I just got back from a week of vacation. Wheeee! For those of you who aren't familiar with Japan, this was Obon week. It's probably the most important Japanese holiday, and in a way it's the equivalent of what Halloween used to be in the old pagan tradition... a time when the world of the living and the world of the dead are at their closest. Most people return to their hometowns during their two or three days off (I was lucky and got a week!) and visit their ancestors' graves, where they wash the graves and leave offerings of sake and whatnot. There are a lot of festivals at this time of year, and many involve a traditional circle-dance called "bon-odori", where you can see mostly older women dancing in their yukata or kimono, with their fans slid into the back of their obi (sashes). A few men dance too, and kids, and foreigners, but I think most of the time they forget how to do the dance and the women have to show them. I didn't dance this year, but I've done it in the past. I seem to remember it to have had some funky rhythmic weirdness to it, like where you clap on every 11th or 14th beat or something.

Anyway, not many festivals for me this Obon. My goal was to have some time to myself and get around to all the things I've been meaning to get around to, such as:

- clean my apartment
- finish my latest a cappella arrangement
- update my blog
- organize and clean up my data on my computer
- catch up on emails
- finish making my umeboshi
- study some Japanese

hehe, yeah right. A bit ambitious. However, I did make some good progress. I cleaned my whole apartment, including scrubbing behind my gas range and inside my bathtub enclosure (ewww!) and reorganized the furniture in my living/dining room. I also pretty much finished my arrangement of "The Look", by Roxette, although I suspect it's not going to sound that great a cappella. I also finished making my umeboshi, of which I have done thorough photodocumentation and will certainly post on my blog.

On the other hand... no progress cleaning up my data, responding to emails, or studying. I posted a little bit on my Mixi blog, but not on my English one. Guess I'll have to make time for all that stuff in "real life". Anyway, having the apartment clean does wonders for my mental state. It's kind of like getting my life defragged.

Looks to be a busy few weeks. Paper deadline coming up at the end of this month, Osakapella's 5th anniversary concert coming up in September, and I'm going to an Ulfuls concert this weekend! :)

Anyway, I will post some photos soon. If nothing else, I'll document the process of making umeboshi!