Tanabata Matsuri

Hey guys! Thanks for all the congratulations! SO yeah, the wedding's definitely gonna be in Hawaii, probably next summer. Unfortunately we're poor and can't fly anyone out, so start saving up for plane tickets! ^-^ hee hee.

This last thursday (July 7th) was the official day of Tanabata. The legend of Tanabata is as follows: (pause while I google it ^^)
On the seventh of July (or the seventh of August depending on whether you use the lunar or the orthodox calendar), the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the milky way, are able to meet. The stars are supposed to be lovers, a poor fisherman and a princess, that are only able to see each other once a year. And if that isn't harsh enough, the legend continues... if it's cloudy or raining, the stars don't shine in the same sky and hence, are unable to meet. (I guess this legend was told before even primitive astronomy.) ^^;

This weekend there was a big festival in a small town of Hiratsuka, where there were many many people and small shops set up in the streets and streamers overhead and little games and lots of snacks to buy. Most of the girls wore yukatas (summertime kimonos).. I was one of them, and I didn't stand out at all. This is a pretty rare occasion when a foreigner can wear a yukata and get away with it, so I took full advantage of it. ^-^

Here are some pictures.. I went with stef and her fellow exchange students. I'm very sad because thay'll all be leaving me in less than a month :(

Stef and Marty and some of the big streamers overhead	Yukata!! (and me) ^-^
A normal festival game is fish catching, but this guy decided to get creative... it's turtle catching!!	This is the view of the place at night. Extremely well lit, and pretty. ..(and crowded and hot, but it was fun so oh well ^-~)

For more on the tanabata... go to Wikipedia! Everyone loves the wiki.
Now I shall make myself some dinner. tonkatsu perhaps?
Kyra
PS Harry Potter book 6!!! I must have it!!!