Hello Mother, Hello Father:

Hachiman Shrine
Most people go to their local shrine, or a shrine, on New Year's Day in Japan. This year, my extended family and I went to Hachimangu in Morioka, but we ended up going on the second of January this year.

It was a remarkably warm day - unlike last year when the weather was Siberia-like. The warm weather is no doubt what brought out the masses on January 2nd. Still, I did not expect the row of cars lined up 20 minutes away from the shrine in the narrow streets waiting to get into the
shrine's parking lot. At least they don't charge for parking - yet.


The line seemed really long from this view, but there were at least 10 places to stand once you get to the front.

Each year the price of omamori - good luck charms - seem to increase in price. This year they were 800 yen. I guess they've been that way for a few years now, but it wasn't that long ago they were below 500 yen. I guess the price increase reflects the innovations being made in omamori design. I saw [got] an うまくいく one, and I saw a 達成する one as well.

Ebisu, the god of good fortune ($)	A T.V. at a shrine?	The festival atmosphere
Omamori - good luck charms	People lined up to pray	A coin game - balance the coin on top of the water
Lining up	Giving thanks

I've been in Japan for almost six years now and I've adapted and have gotten used to many things here: people grunting while I'm talking as a way to show they're listening, yelling across the restaurant for service, drafty buildings, and eating without putting my hand under the table to name a few. But something that I haven't gotten used to, or I should say something that I haven't been able to do properly in the last 5+ years, is slurp noodles.

I noticed while spending time with the in-laws and watching them slurp their soba noodles at midnight on New Year's Eve, that I couldn't do the same thing. It's not something that comes naturally of course, but I tried, and tried, and was rather unsuccessful. I've heard that people slurp to cool the noodles. I've heard people slurp to keep the noodles from getting cold.

I'm not a slurper.

I've been watching a lot of satellite T.V. over the vacation and I think it's starting to have an effect on me. One thing I don't like is all the reruns, but I do like the change of pace from Japanese T.V.

One of my favorite shows is CSI. I like the original, but I also like the New York version. I can do without the Miami version.

Anyway I realized the other night that these detective shows are starting to interfere with my sleep. I had the strangest dream the other night that was just, weird. When I get back onto my normal schedule I'll have to cut down.

As for now, I'm still on vacation.

Well, I'm back in Sendai. Morioka wasn't nearly as boring as I thought it would be, and it was, in fact, very relaxing to do a whole lot of nothing for a week. I guess I needed that.

Since I don't have a car, and the in-laws live in the middle of suburbia, I couldn't get very far on foot, but I got a few pictures.

I took this picture in Kyoto a few years back.