盆踊り 2008

Alright, I'm here to deliver my experience of the Bon Odori 2008 as promised. I arrived at Matsushita Stadium at about 5.30pm and there were a lot of people there already. According to Shadows, there were an estimation of about 30,000 people and 40+ food stalls in this festival. But to tell the truth I don't think there were 30,000 people in fact it's way MORE than that. Seriously, and the weirdest thing is, there were more Chinese than Japanese in there. However I still could hear Japanese being spoken here and there whenever I walked to. Bon Odori 2008 ended at 9.40pm just now and now I'm totally exhausted.

In case some of you do not know what is Bon Odori, it is a festival to let us express our gratitude towards our ancestors (for the Japanese, that is). So you could probably tell why I'm so mad and furious when I see some people, instead of wearing yukata, they were wearing Harajuku style costume and imitating hard-core-black-from-head-to-toe J-rockers. I'm sorry to say but I think that these people are IGNORANT AND BRAINLESS. Come on, don't you have any idea what you're attending?? If you're not wearing yukata, then wear something casual or something. NOBODY HERE WANTS TO SEE YOU SHOWING OFF HOW WELL YOU DRESS IN HARAJUKU STYLE. In fact, I were glaring at them and portrayed my feeling of "I-look-down-on-you" whenever I see one. (If you don't know what is "Harajuku style" go to Image Google and google it).

Anyway, let's continue, after I've arrived of course the first thing I do is --- find food. Hahaa. But then, somehow I don't think there's 40+ food stalls. I thought they were about 20+ there at most. Plus, the food's all so expensive X___X. Most of them were like 5 bucks and over for an item X__X.

So after I made my survey and comparison, the first thing I bought is Japanese curry rice (I've always wanted to know how it tastes like), then I bought takoyaki (the most expensive ever, plus I waited for half an hour because the line is so freaking long). Before I bought those I got myself a mango slush ice (I ordered orange actually but whatever). Then I got a soft shell crab temaki (something like a california roll but instead of crabmeat stick its got a piece of fried soft shell crab in there) (♥o♥)~

TAKOYAKI! ♥~ ヾ(≧∀≦)ノ ~~

Japanese curry rice~

Did I mention that Sushi King moved the whole sushi train (the conveyor belt which rotate the sushis around) to here in Matsushita Stadium? Yeah, I'm not kidding, they did. But of course the train is a small one unlike those huge ones you see in any Sushi King chain restaurant. Which sets me off wondering, why in the world people would even have Sushi King here? I mean, we can walk into the nearest Sushi King and eat enjoyably instead of standing here on the grass having our poor quality sushi right?

Believe me now?

The stalls were all racing against each other to get more and more customers. Time and efficiency are two important factors here. Yet, I could see people lining up (as long as 3 METRE) for takoyaki and the complimentary drink Yakult. Beard Papa set up a stall here too you know? But I don't think the cream puffs sale went well since the price was ridiculously marked up. Besides, you'll get to see a lot of "only" on those price board. $1 only. $5 only. $100 ONLY. (Of course no food is $100 but I'm just emphasizing how they misuse the word "only").

1 buck for a small-sized bag of chips.

I love Beard Papa, but not today >_<.

The most busy Takoyaki stall.

Occasionally I saw this cute uncle promoting their burgers.

The cute ojisan.

This is just a small part of the crowd.

I ♥ this matcha ice-cream. There're sweet red bean paste in the middle!! LOVE!

Then, the bon odori dance started. There were a stage in the middle of the grass field. And on the stage there were a bunch of those traditional drums and teenage Japanese guys (not to mention some of them being incredibly hot lol) hitting the drums, and there were people wearing yukatas surrounding the drums, dancing.

At first all of us just watched how the people on the stage danced.

Then slowly...a huge circle of people formed around the stage and followed the dance.

I can't explain the whole thing, it's something you gotta watch to know what I'm talking about here.

And at first I was like "no-way-I'm-gonna-dance-with-you-people". XD. But you know what happened? When I was making my way out of the crowd of people dancing I got STUCK in the MIDDLE and could do nothing else but dance along with them =_____=lll.

It was all fun in the end though ( ´ー｀) ~




And then after the first round of dance, I got myself a bowl of Sanuki Udon. The soup's brown in colour and I totally heart the udon. I finished the whole thing until there were not a drop of it left in the bowl. d(≧∀≦)b~~


I totally felt like putting up Shadows pics in here to prove that how "absorbed" she is when she's dancing until she couldn't see me standing just behind her watching and laughing away happily. But I got a feeling that she might kill me if I post it up XD.

Overall, I'd say that Bon Odori this year's quite a successful one. また来年を!!

~^___^~

Yvonne..

P.S. I will not update as often as last time because college life's beginning to take its toll on me. Not to mention the oncoming tests and stuff X____X.