Not really being doing much lately as been so busy with work and the cover shifts that have come my way. Thats why I have been resorting to writing about general observations rather than doings. Maybe also a sign that after two and a half years here that I have done all I can think to do and am now living life here as something other than just a tourist.

Running for three nights from Monday last week was the O-eshiki Festival in the Kishibojin Temple grounds located quite literally within spitting distance of my house so I thought I would put my head in to see what was happening. To the ignorant ‘gaijin‘ eye of myself this seemed just like any other festival celebration in terms of the food and game stalls and the precession of musical playing performers dressed in traditional festival wear whatever that may be. No doubt anyone who knows better than me would say different!

This has also been a very noisy time with the constant banging of drums (a drum which resembles a stick being belted as hard as possible against a one handed table tennis bat-type drum) and blowing of whistles and chanting during the evening as about 50 lit lanterns were paraded around the area.