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Published: August 31st 2009
As the weather starts to cool , I'm realizing that our crazy summer in Japan is nearly over. The sweltering heat and humidity has given way to warm days, and warm nights. Although I'm grateful for the cooler days, I'm sad the summer is drawing to a close.
It's been incredible, just really incredible. After my brothers came in June, Robert and Janet made it over here for two weeks. Then, Alex and I got to spend some serious quality time with our friends here, going to festivals, having barbecues, dancing and feasting!
A few highlights: Going to Tokushima for Awa Odori, with Toshi, and her family, Nick and his mother and her boyfriend. We arrived early enough in the day to watch the crowd swell from huge to unbelievably huge! Alex and I stayed late into the night, dancing and eating. The actual traditional dance is quite easy. It's basically a step-touch, step-touch, with your arms in the air. But , with the addition of those massive taiko (drums) people really get into it! We danced in several different circles, and Alex, as usual made friends where ever he went.
We continued our Tex-Mex in Asia trend
by having a burrito night for some friends. I LOVE watching people use chopsticks on burritos! Our Japanese friends didn't have the same qualms about the pico de gallo so they dove right in. (Our Chinese friends aren't used to food that isn't cooked,so raw tomatoes and onions seemed unhealthy).
We also went midnight swimming several times in a local pool which was fantastic! The last time, we swam in a thunderstorm. The following weekend, we tried to go again but realized that the school had stopped cleaning the pools since classes finished. And the pol was overrun with tadpoles, and weird swimming bugs that looked prehistoric. No thanks!
We also went camping several times this past month. During one of these lovely camping trips, we made a pretty big decision:
We're getting married! Now, this probably comes as *not* a huge shock to anyone but for us, it feels very momentous. I couldn't be more excited. We've had a wonderful 4 years together thus far, and I feel like it only gets better and better.
The wedding will be next year, in the summer. I'm so excited!
As for what will happen in between now
and then, we aren't sure. We are thinking of finishing our contracts here in February and then taking off to Africa for a few months of volunteer work before the wedding. After that? Who knows? I'm really missing Austin and the good people there. But we've also thrown around the possibility of Portland, or maybe somewhere else in the South. New Orleans? Got any ideas?
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