We started the round off to our Sunday afternoon at Ryūō 龍王. The fitness club and other groups were putting on some entertainment and there were stalls with delicious food to eat and other things to buy.
The first bit of entertainment we were exposed to was some of my elementary and middle school students performing as members of a hip-hop dance club they belong to. At first I was quite involved with taking pictures of them busting out their moves, but the more I listened to the song, the more I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A rough transcription of the lyrics looks something like this: "@$@%*%#* music @#&#**%^$#&#*@ yeah". I turned around and saw my foreign compatriots next to me, all with their hands over their mouths and their eyes stretched wide open. We were of course the only people to have this reaction, since all the angry swearing was happening in English.
Anyway, we ate, we watched some hula groups perform, and we engaged in some light shopping. I bought some blood orange jam and really tasty mikan juice after learning all about it from the producer and seller, in English. Yes, after three years here it's still impressive when someone in the countryside can tell you all about their business, in English. Morihiko Abe 阿部 杜彦 also showed me his picture on the pamphlet of their association of organic mikan farmers, Muchachaen 無茶々園.
Later we went around to the Ryūō park 龍王公園 side of the hill to look at some more blossoms. Some white ones that hadn't bloomed yet looked like pearls.
Before we went home we stopped by a handicraft exhibition that was being held at the Ikazaki kite museum. Personally, I really like the woodwork that I've seen at these exhibitions. And the Ikazaki Shachū paper designs never cease to please the eye. Check out more of Gabor Ulveczki's work in his catalogue, he's the designer who works with the Ikazaki company.
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