On the Pond: November 2008

Getting Ready for Halloween

On October 26th (Happy Birthday Fi! And Jimmy!), we had our annual Halloween Picnic, so we spent the day before getting ready. Granny couldn't decide what to go as. A witch?
１０日２６日に毎年ハロウイーンピクニックをやったから、２５日は準備で忙しくしていた。Grannyは何になろうかな？と悩んでいた。魔女がいいかな？

The scary clown?　
怖いピエロかな？

療法かな？
Or a bit of both??

Weechan and Granny baked the cookies, and Mummy decorated them.

GrannyとWeechanがクッキーを作った。Mummyが飾りをつけた。

魔女はちょっと難しすぎた。
The witches were a bit too tricky to decorate.

ゴーストは一番かわいいかな？
I like the ghosts the best.
Thanks to Aunty D for the great cutters!
おばちゃんが送ってくれた型はよかった。

This year's zombie fingers were particularly gruesome!
今年のゾンビーの指はとくに気持ち悪かった。

Tulip

Half term holidays meant I was off to Tulip again. I was happy to see my friends there again.
１０月に１週間休みがあったから久しぶりにチューリップに行って来た。チューリップの友達に会えてよかった。

This time Granny was here, so I was able to get on and off the bus right outside my house every day. Very relaxing. Thanks Granny.
今回Grannyがいるから毎日家の前でバスに乗れた。楽でいいな。ありがとうGranny!

The House is Now Warm! パーティー！

They look like normal people, but these are the die hards who had to be poured out of the door at closing time, after our housewarming party a couple of weeks ago. Thank you so much to the 30 or so grown ups who came to help us celebrate our in new home along with all their various children. Let's just say it was lively! I was a bit busy, so didn't manage to take may photos, but thanks to you all for your company and your gifts.
この間ハウスウオーミングパーティーをしました。来てくれた皆さんありがとうございました。簡単に数えたら、大人だけで３０人ぐらいが来てくれたと思います。子供を入れたら、結構にぎやかだったよね。。。忙しくて、写真をあまり撮れなかったし、皆とちゃんとした会話が出来なくてすみませんでした。すてきなプレゼントもありがとうございまして。またゆっくり着てくださいね。

Kids try to salvage something tasty from the wreckage of the food.
何かのこっているのかな？

S and the adventure of the exploding tomato puree! Oops.
料理途中に爆発したトマトピューレの後。。

Life and soul.

Granny entertains the troops.
Grannyも調子がよかった。

The very point of our balcony!
Good times with good friends.
このためにベランダが出来たね。
いい友達といい一時！

お祭り　Local Festival

What's this?

Since we actually own our house, now we are full members of the community. First job is to decorate the house with these streamers for the local festival. It's harder than it looks. Spot the house where the stupid gaijin lives!!!

All dolled up and ready to go!
準備できた！

All the neighbourhood kids carry this portable shrine around the whole mountainside.
近所の子供たちはこの御神輿を山中にもって歩く。

Daddy gets in the spirit too! (Quite literally as there is much beer to quench the thirst on the way round!)
Daddyも頑張って参加したよ。

町民の皆さん。
Team shot.

Princess G suited up for her first Japanese festival too.
Gちゃんも初めてのお祭りに参加したよ。

For our pains, the neighbours we passed gave us loads of treats. That's why we needed the back packs. Japanese style Halloween? Amazing how we have been doing the same kind of thing at the same time of year, all over the world for centuries, innit?
頑張って歩いたら、近所の人からお菓子いっぱいもらうよ。日本風ハロウイーンかしら？
世界中にいたようなお祭りを同じ時期に行うのは不思議ですね！