We have a heartbeat!

Shiota-cho festival – Tuesday, August 16

Mitsutake-san lent me a yukatta (summer kimono) to dance in the town festival. It took 2 women to get to oobi wrapped around me 10 times and the bow at the back just perfect. When I showed up to meet my neighbourhood, everyone attacked me, clapping their hands together and saying “Kawaii! Kawaii!”

They pulled me towards the front of the line alongside the kencho (aka godfather of my neighbourhood), and I was so scared that I was going to mess up!

The dancing wasn`t the roughest part of the night – it was the heat!! And trust me when I say that there was no room in that yukatta for air to get to! We danced for 90 minutes over and over to these traditional Japanese songs while the local television and newspapers took photos of the white girl in a yukatta!

After all of the dancing, we had a great fireworks display with some yakitori and ichiban number 1 Asahi super dry to wash it down– I don`t know how to put this, but Ottawa should bow down to the fireworks that these people put on! It went on for 45 minutes and we were so close to them that my ears were ringing long after they ended.
Beginning to feel like I can call Shiota my home.